[Neon_Knight_]

RGA321F in Sapphire Blue. Arrived last Tuesday.

 

[Mr_Scotia]

Always liked those models, simplicity is key sometimes

 

[aidan.creaser]

Looks awesome! Congrats! Any opinions of the IBZ pickups? I'm in the market for some new pickups...

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Looks awesome! Congrats! Any opinions of the IBZ pickups? I'm in the market for some new pickups...

The DiMarzio/IBZ pickups are much better than most people give them credit for. I've noticed that a lot of the negative comments about them online turn out to be from people who've only used non-DiMarzio IBZ pickups, which are completely different (and cheaper) pickups. In terms of voicing, the bridge is somewhere between Super Distortion and Super 3, and the neck is similar to the Super 2. They are slightly lower output than those aftermarket models though.

You could do much worse if you're after versatility, but they won't be the best pickups for any specific style. Like with the Tone Zone / True Velvet / Air Norton set, Ibanez seems to have chosen versatile pickups that will do a decent job of a wide range of rock and metal, so that they appeal to a wide audience when being tested in a store tuned to E standard.

My RGA is going to be a low-tuned metal workhorse, so it's likely to end up with DiMarzio D Activators or Seymour Duncan Black Winters.

 

[DP155FBK]

nice axe
and great pics

 

[DP155FBK]

sorry to crap on your thread but what are those style knobs called

 

[Mr_Scotia]

sorry to crap on your thread but what are those style knobs called

Similar to Gotoh VK1-19

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Similar to Gotoh VK1-19

"Similar" as in identical

Model number: 4KB1J1K
Note: VK1-19, metal dome, screw lock, cosmo black
Ibanez parts catalog

The Hoshino Gakki 'Ibanez Parts Catalogue' is very useful for looking up parts. If you're wanting to upgrade parts, you can search by part type. If you're wanting to replace parts with the same as original, you can search by guitar model. Once you know the model number, it becomes far easier to find an online seller. It includes details of literally every part, down to the exact bolts and washers used in each bridge system.

 

[Mr_Scotia]

Haha, i did think they would be the same but i wasnt 100% sure, the only reason i spat the answer out so fast is because ive literally got a page loaded up with Gotoh control knobs on it

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Similar to Gotoh VK1-19

When so many Ibanez guitars have a bridge and tuners made by Gotoh, it's probably no surprise that knobs in a matching finish would be sourced from the same manufacturer.

I don't actually know whether Gotoh manufactured the Gibraltar Plus bridges found on the RGA121 & RGA321, but the tuners are embossed with 'GOTOH' and all of the cosmo hardware matches perfectly (when new - but not once the finish wears off the bridge, as is inevitable with cosmo).

 

[Mr_Scotia]

Exactly, it wouldnt make sense for Ibanez or any other Japanese company to try fabricate their own parts when they have a perfectly good supplier right round the corner.

My "go to" aftermarket parts for Ibanez is Gotoh and Dimarzio as its basically OEM at this stage, im surprised Ibanez hasn't tried to buy out Gotoh and just absorb it into the Ibanez brand name.

 

[Michael_LIS]

Fantastic color. Happy NGD

 

[aidan.creaser]

The DiMarzio/IBZ pickups are much better than most people give them credit for. I've noticed that a lot of the negative comments about them online turn out to be from people who've only used non-DiMarzio IBZ pickups, which are completely different (and cheaper) pickups. In terms of voicing, the bridge is somewhere between Super Distortion and Super 3, and the neck is similar to the Super 2. They are slightly lower output than those aftermarket models though.

You could do much worse if you're after versatility, but they won't be the best pickups for any specific style. Like with the Tone Zone / True Velvet / Air Norton set, Ibanez seems to have chosen versatile pickups that will do a decent job of a wide range of rock and metal, so that they appeal to a wide audience when being tested in a store tuned to E standard.

My RGA is going to be a low-tuned metal workhorse, so it's likely to end up with DiMarzio D Activators or Seymour Duncan Black Winters.

That makes sense. Can't blame a company for marketing a product to as many people as they can. I normally play metal, and often bounce back and forth from standard and a lower tuning every now and then when I change strings. What would be a tuning versatile pickup that would give me a baseline for this search?