Push/Pull pots? 7 string Piezo bridge?

[SinCron]

Is this the best way to split coils? I'm looking to split coils in my new 7 string and I was wondering what the best way to go about it would be. Also, It's an Ibanez RG 7321 if anyone was wondering. Looking for a piezo bridge but don't know how I would end up getting one for a hard tail 7 string. Any thoughts or ideas?

[Wheeman]

http://ibanez.com/images/hzoom/RG7321BK.jpg

Is that your guitar? Does it have a five-way p/u selector in it? It might already have split coils in one of the positions.

It it doesn't have a five-way, you should be able to replace it with one.

[SinCron]

I thought when you do that with the pickup selector, you still get the single coil hum but when you use a push/pull pot and do it right on the humbucker, there will be no hum. Also, there's a PAF 7 on there right now if that means anything. I dunno. My mind is pretty tired. Oh, and yes that is the guitar but those pictures don't do it justice.

[buddroyce]

I thought when you do that with the pickup selector, you still get the single coil hum but when you use a push/pull pot and do it right on the humbucker, there will be no hum. Also, there's a PAF 7 on there right now if that means anything. I dunno. My mind is pretty tired.

When you do it with the push-pull, you still get the hum as half the pickup gets grounded. It also doesn't really matter if you have a PAF 7 in your guitar.

If you're looking for a piezo bridge for your 7 string RG7321, the best solution is to get the Graphtech GHOST piezo system and get an extra piezo saddle. The harness for the saddles actually accomodates 7 saddles but the sets only come with 6. I just recently wired up my own PRS Custom 24 with the Graphtech ghost and it's pretty awesome.

[SinCron]

When you do it with the push-pull, you still get the hum as half the pickup gets grounded. It also doesn't really matter if you have a PAF 7 in your guitar.

If you're looking for a piezo bridge for your 7 string RG7321, the best solution is to get the Graphtech GHOST piezo system and get an extra piezo saddle. The harness for the saddles actually accomodates 7 saddles but the sets only come with 6. I just recently wired up my own PRS Custom 24 with the Graphtech ghost and it's pretty awesome.

I just thought there was something special about the way Dimarzio pickups were wired or something. How much would that Graphtech be? This IS a $300 guitar but I want this to be MY guitar. The only one I'll ever need. I want THIS to be it.

[zontar]

Push/pull pots are best when it's an add on and you don't want to drill new holes in the guitar--especially if you've got anything with collector's value that could be restored to original condition.

But some people also prefer them to the option of using mini toggles. They find them easier to use.

As for coil split & hum--if you're doing an actual coil split you will get hum, because you've disabled the one coil and that's where the hum is bucked.

You could try wiring them series/parallel for each coil.
Humbuckers are wired series.
If you select the parallel option then you get 2 single coils, and no hum--at least I've never heard any on my Les Paul that's wired that way.

[SinCron]

Push/pull pots are best when it's an add on and you don't want to drill new holes in the guitar--especially if you've got anything with collector's value that could be restored to original condition.

But some people also prefer them to the option of using mini toggles. They find them easier to use.

As for coil split & hum--if you're doing an actual coil split you will get hum, because you've disabled the one coil and that's where the hum is bucked.

You could try wiring them series/parallel for each coil.
Humbuckers are wired series.
If you select the parallel option then you get 2 single coils, and no hum--at least I've never heard any on my Les Paul that's wired that way.

Interesting. 5 way switch it is. Thanks guys! Now here's another question. What will the middle position do? Use one coil from each humbucker or use all four? I'd rather use all four :D.

[buddroyce]

I just thought there was something special about the way Dimarzio pickups were wired or something. How much would that Graphtech be? This IS a $300 guitar but I want this to be MY guitar. The only one I'll ever need. I want THIS to be it.

If that's the guitar you want to be YOUR guitar, then the piezo upgrade might be worth it, but I can tell you that the proper piezo system (saddles+preamp) will end up costing you quite a bit, close to if not just as much as the guitar did. I don't remember exactly how much I paid for the parts for my graphtech ghost piezo system, but it was pushing close to $300 after taxes and everything.

[SinCron]

If that's the guitar you want to be YOUR guitar, then the piezo upgrade might be worth it, but I can tell you that the proper piezo system (saddles+preamp) will end up costing you quite a bit, close to if not just as much as the guitar did. I don't remember exactly how much I paid for the parts for my graphtech ghost piezo system, but it was pushing close to $300 after taxes and everything.

So..... next year it becomes all I want it to be. For now, all that matters to me is getting it in my arms and play the ever loving **** out of it. I gotta figure out what gauge/tension works for me (tuning to A), what kind of picks are right for me (yeah, I'm finally going to start using picks and clip my two finger nails) and figure out where I'm gonna find a cheap D Sonic 7. After all that, I will be happy. YAY! After market pickups.

[Budda]

no offence, but i wouldnt bother trying to make the 7321 your guitar.

you can buy an ibby 7 with a piezo already installed and a pickup upgrade for a decent price.. just gotta wait.

that's my 2 cents on the matter. the RG7321 is a beginner guitar as well as a beginner 7: being a guitarist, you will want to step up at some point.

[SinCron]

no offence, but i wouldnt bother trying to make the 7321 your guitar.

you can buy an ibby 7 with a piezo already installed and a pickup upgrade for a decent price.. just gotta wait.

that's my 2 cents on the matter. the RG7321 is a beginner guitar as well as a beginner 7: being a guitarist, you will want to step up at some point.

But what makes it a beginner 7 string? The pickups? The bridge? The bolt on neck? I'm replacing the only other stock pickup with a D Sonic 7 and putting the PAF 7 in the neck and replacing the bridge. Sure it's a bolt on but so is the RGA 121 which is bloody fantastic. Should I also mention that I never have played in a band and that I only really ever play around here because of my love for music so I don't need anything overly amazing. I just want something that suits my purposes.

[buddroyce]

I believe he's calling it low end as it's made in Indonesia and that it is considered to be on the lower end of the scale in terms of Ibanez. HOWEVER, it IS the only real 7 string hard tail Ibanez has to offer at the moment. The RG7621 and 7421 are no longer being made and the RG1521 is only available in Japan (and I'm not too sure if that's still being produced either).

As for being able to find a piezo 7 string Ibanez, the only ones that were ever made were the RG7CST, RG2027x and the Japaneze Domestic RG2127x(I've had two of those). Mind you, those all come with piezo trems and if you want a hardtail with a trem, there isn't one from Ibanez.

If you want to step up though, my suggestion is to keep the RG7321 as a beater and just look for a used RG7621 or RG7421 and then mod that up. (or you can just mod up your RG7321 in the meantime, play with it then buy a better hardtail 7 string and then do a gut swap)

[Budda]

But what makes it a beginner 7 string? The pickups? The bridge? The bolt on neck? I'm replacing the only other stock pickup with a D Sonic 7 and putting the PAF 7 in the neck and replacing the bridge. Sure it's a bolt on but so is the RGA 121 which is bloody fantastic. Should I also mention that I never have played in a band and that I only really ever play around here because of my love for music so I don't need anything overly amazing. I just want something that suits my purposes.

the pickups, the quality of the guitar, the sound. why do you think it's cheap?

it's not the bolt on factor, it's just that it's a cheap ibby. go play a 1527 and let me know what you think, or better yet an S320/S720.

have you tried any of the schecter 7's? also, the 2027XL does come up if you know where to look. www.sevenstring.org - the place to be if you want any 7 info (yes im there too lol)

[SinCron]

the pickups, the quality of the guitar, the sound. why do you think it's cheap?

it's not the bolt on factor, it's just that it's a cheap ibby. go play a 1527 and let me know what you think, or better yet an S320/S720.

have you tried any of the schecter 7's? also, the 2027XL does come up if you know where to look. www.sevenstring.org - the place to be if you want any 7 info (yes im there too lol)

I'm usually on the jemsite forum but I love the fact that Schecter guitars are sometimes 26.5 inch scale. With replaced pickups, I'm sure this will sound good and I'll just keep the pickups for when I get a new one and put the old ones back in.

[Budda]

you dont even need to replace 'em.

blackjack ships with JB/59, hellraiser ships with EMG 707's, blackjack ATX ships with blackouts.

[SinCron]

you dont even need to replace 'em.

blackjack ships with JB/59, hellraiser ships with EMG 707's, blackjack ATX ships with blackouts.

Not a fan of EMG pickups. I'll see how much I love these ones that I'm getting but for someone who's going to be going between A and drop G, I'm gonna need that D Sonic 7. Lol.

[Budda]

naw.

used C7 blackjack. sell the JB/59 for Classic/Jazz and rock out. i plan on doing the pickup swap on mine when i can afford it.

[SinCron]

I got it and I LOVE the sound. Even my roomie who doesn't like Ibanez loves it. Best 300 bucks I ever spent (well...... there was that RG 560 I got for 300 and then traded for a GT-8......). I just plain love it. The 70 gauge is taking a bit of getting used to for my fingers but damned if I don't love the tone of that PAF.

[SinCron]

Now all I gotta do is get a real amp.

[Budda]

yeah, those help.

my C7 had the neck repaired and the body has some chips in the paint w/ filler in them. doesnt affect playability or looks, and it cost me under $270 to buy and have shipped to me. it smokes ibby's IMO.

[SinCron]

A little update on this. I will still do the piezo thing but I'm getting a D Sonic 7 for the bridge but I'm trying to get an Apex2 body (KoRn sig made from mahogany) and mod it for more than just one volume control (there's only one nob on it) and change the TOM style bridge to the piezo bridge (will require some work, I know. Then I just put the old pickups in it, put the neck from the 7321 on (they take the same neck) and away I go.

[Budda]

again.. why not just buy a guitar that comes with waht you want?

ibanez 2027XL.. not sure if it's mahogany, but it's got the piezo. or perhaps warmoth up something nice?

if you're dead set on the combining of guitars, it doesnt really matter what i say anyway haha

[SinCron]

I don't want a trem and I like projects. I want to get a beat to shit Apex2 body and sand it down to the bare wood.