If you want duncan you might could try: Jazz or '59 in the neck, SSL-1 Vintage Staggered or the SSL-4 Quarter-Pound Flat in the mid

If you want dimarzio you might could try: Paf pro or Air norton in the neck, blue velvet or HS-2 in the mid

Seymour Duncan has sound clips on their website so you might wanna check that out.

 

i like PAF neck and Virtual 2 bridge model in the middle position.
~K

 

Definitely go for a PAF Pro or maybe even a Fred for the neck. As for the single coil, if you want to stick with a traditional single coil then definitely go for the blue velvet. But if you want your guitar to have some serious sonic diversity, then you should do what I did to my guitar (install a multi-pole switch and go for either a Chopper or Fast Track pickup in the middle and wire the guitar in a 3 humbucker 5 way switch config to have a guitar that's hum-cancelling in all 5 positions).

 

I would recommend the Duncan Full Shred neck. It's poorly named, because it's really a fantastic sweet bluesy pickup, and can sound a lot like the Duncan Jazz, too.

The Duncan Classic Stack is a great middle pickup.

 

i have Duncan Distortion too in my RG, but in the neck... i like single note definition when i solo, the Distortion gives me just that. if you are into high gain, the Distortion is a rewarding neck pickup.

i also have the Full Shred in another Ibanez, my S540. it's another worthy neck pickup if you are into high gain, maintains clarity under loads of drive.

if your life depends on an overall versatile neck humbucker, something that'll give you nice blues crunch & performs well when you turn up the drive, the Alnico II Pro is a good candidate. i have it in my Ibanez SZ320 & it sings

 

The Duncan Distortion is a very powerful pickup; you should match it with pickups like the JB, Air Zone, FRED or Breed for example.

 

germX
You say you have the distortion in your RG? If so, may I ask what model, and what kinda neck / fretboard, etc, and how do you like it? What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you have the distortion in the neck?
Thanks man.
Tim

 

Frankfalbo

What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you are using the full shred for the neck? Just curious.. For that matter, what does everyone here have in their RG bridge pickup? What do you like about it, and what do you not like? I want a bridge pickup that's powerful, articulate, but something I can use the volume knob to turn down the gain a little and volume and clean up a little.. I also want something that doesn't muddy up when I turn down the volume.. Anyone want to take a stab at that? I know it's probably asking the impossible, but if I don't like the Distortion which I always thought of as a medium to high output pickup, then I thought I'd look at something like the Air Zone or Air Classic or PAF Pro, etc, for the bridge and maybe a Air Norton for the neck or something.. I also thought about the Fred and Norton for the bridge, but I don't know how powerful they are, and how well they clean up? Anyone?
Thanks a bunch guys.. You guys rock..
Tim

 

I have the Air Zone in the bridge of my RG370DX and it totally rocks. It's a very versatile pickup with great sustain due to the lower string pull. It's also very articulate for that same reason and you can adjust the pickup closer to the strings without it getting muddy (a downfall of the Tone Zone IMO). This pickup matches well with the PAF Pro I have in the neck and the Chopper that I have in the middle.

 

I hate to get old fashioned here but the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo rocks :grin:.

Regards

André

 

I have a mahogany body and a Pearly Gates in the neck, and it sounds a little too dark and thick. I end up splitting the coils of the bridge and neck to get it to sound a little thinner, and it's just about perfect.

It would be nice to have a system where you can choose the type of wood your guitar is contructed out of, and then choose what pickup you want for a certain tone, and hearing samples, instead of buying a pickup, installing it and then not liking it. I'm sure with today's technology they could come up with such a system.

 

I have a mahogany body and a Pearly Gates in the neck, and it sounds a little too dark and thick. I end up splitting the coils of the bridge and neck to get it to sound a little thinner, and it's just about perfect.

It would be nice to have a system where you can choose the type of wood your guitar is contructed out of, and then choose what pickup you want for a certain tone, and hearing samples, instead of buying a pickup, installing it and then not liking it. I'm sure with today's technology they could come up with such a system.

That might be a little hard just because every piece of wood is different, as well as every pickup. You could have two identical guitars with identical pickups playing through identical amps and they could still sound different.

 

I'm thinking hard about the Air Zone for the bridge and the Humbucker from Hell for the neck.. and then whatever for the mid.. I don't use it a lot, but probably would if it were quiet and sounded good.. hehe..
Thanks a bunch.. If you have any sound files, and don't mind, send me one just to let me hear it. I'd love to hear what it sounded like with that pickup! I've not heard it yet.. I had the tone zone and I thought it was too harsh most of the time.. It didn't seem to have a lot of room for volume control, and was a tad bassy, but I had the trem blocked, so that could have done it. I'm not going to block the edge trem on this guitar, so it might work better, but I like the whole idea of more sustain with the Air Zone and that I can use the volume knob, etc..
Thanks again man..
Tim

 

germX
You say you have the distortion in your RG? If so, may I ask what model, and what kinda neck / fretboard, etc, and how do you like it? What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you have the distortion in the neck?
Thanks man.
Tim

hi Tim,

my RG is the discontinued 1550, basswood body + maple fretboard (not to be confused with a maple neck- which Ibanez RG isn't maple necked?).

the Distortion neck is coupled with the Duncan Screamin Demon in the bridge. i left the mid single coil stock, not a big fan of Ibanez single coil, i have my Fenders to handle immaculate single coil tones... the demon is there because it gives off this growling lower midrange which i like, especially when it addresses my black metal tones very well (george lynch has got nothing to do with the purchase but he remains as one of my fav player). it's not a one-trick pony, the same guitar also handles my fusion tones.

the tone zone didn't appeal to me, i used to have it in another Ibanez, RG560 & it sounded very compressed at high gain settings, but it's a wonderful pickup in a lighter bodied guitar which lacks bass- my RX-40...

 

Thanks guys.. I have decided on the Duncan Distortion as I like a pickup that I can push and at the same time is articulate and I can adjust the volume and clean it up at least to some edgy blues and in every guitar I've ever owned the Duncan Distortion came thru in spades.. If it doesn't work out, then the first thing I'm going to do is buy the Air Zone F spaced.. I think I'll go for the Humbucker From Hell in the neck after listening to Paul Gilbert and him playing BRO with it.. God it sounded great.. The harmonics just sound so cool in the neck.. To hear a neck pickup with harmonics is killer.. I listened to the Breed someone on here recorded with the RG 550 like mine and I didn't care for it.. even though his guitar playing was excellent.. I just thought it sounded almost too dark or something.. I don't know how to explain it, but to me it wasn't articulate enough..
Tim

 

Sounds like a good choice, and if you don't like it then you can always trade it in for something else or sell it off and buy something else. It's all about experimentation, you know. Sometimes the journey to find the right tone for you is more important than the end or the start.

 

Well, I tried the Distortion and it's pretty darn good.. At first I didn't like it, but I've grown to like it pretty well, but there's still something missing.. and I think I'm going to go ahead and use the Tone Zone as I got a great deal on one used.. So, i'll try it, and If I don't like it, then I'll go with the Air Zone or maybe Evo.. Will just keep going until I get what I want..hehe.. I might even go with the Distortion three from Dimarzio which I had in a Fender Heavy Metal which was made of the same materials as the RG, except it had rosewood board, but it sounded killer!
Tim

 

DiMarzio X2N?

 

That Dimarzio X2n just seems too much for me! hehehe..

 

air zone is a less powerful tone zone, it is always better to have that little extra, you never know what you may need it for.

I have an air zone in the neck and a super distortion in the bridge on my usrg30, pertty good combo, the air zone has enough power to get pinch harmonics out of and is pertty nice clean pickup.

As for my rg550, i am going to put a super 3 in the bridge i think. I am not too sure what i want to pair it with in the neck though. The v7 and v8 aren't too back but i need more bass responce, the super d and air zone are a bass heavey combo, but i like kind of a "brown sound" . The tone zone or air zone is a great choice for something like brown sound, i belive paul gilbert is a fan of the tone zone and uses it offten.

i never like seymours, every one i played i didn't find too good, but i hope it works out for you

good luck

 

Well, I tried the Distortion and it's pretty darn good.. At first I didn't like it, but I've grown to like it pretty well, but there's still something missing.. and I think I'm going to go ahead and use the Tone Zone as I got a great deal on one used.. So, i'll try it, and If I don't like it, then I'll go with the Air Zone or maybe Evo.. Will just keep going until I get what I want..hehe.. I might even go with the Distortion three from Dimarzio which I had in a Fender Heavy Metal which was made of the same materials as the RG, except it had rosewood board, but it sounded killer!
Tim

I would recommend the Tone Zone for sure. My friend uses one of them in his franken RG and it sounds totally killer. I would strongly recommend a PAF Pro in the neck with that. If you want a quiet middle pickup, try a HS-3, or a loud one, try a Dimarzio Red Velvet (that will almost hold its own to the humbuckers and Ive heard they sound great!).