New pickups... Need help!

[Ruggie47]

Hello! I recently bought an Ibanez SA series guitar.

http://ibanez.com/eg/guitar.aspx?m=SAS32EX

I am interested in upgrading from the stock pickups (the guy at the store told me they were crap).

What I need to know is, will something like this work well with this type of guitar. I have no idea.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/vintage/aph1_alnico_ii/

I want to get the APH-1 because my friend has them in his guitar, and they sound beautiful through my amp (Spider III).

I also know that Slash uses these pickups, and I love his sound.

What's a good price for these things, and should I just install them myself?

Thanks for your help!

[Ripper]

First off do you like the sound of your pickups? Don't always trust what a salesman tells you, let your own ears be the judge.

You can get pretty good deals on those pickups used if you check out the gear page and kijiji etc. I picked up a pair about 6 months ago for $90.

They are great pickups for sure.

[al3d]

I had a Ibanez prestige, and to me, the Pup<s sound like shit as well. That's the thing i don't like with Ibanez, greath axe, but man, shitty pups on most models.

as to get a new pup, first thing, what kinda music do you play, and what amp are you using?.

[Ruggie47]

Yeah, my pickups sound muddy.

I'm playing through a Spider III (don't tell me that my problem is the amp, because it isn't, I've played through a million different amps and they still sound a little muddy).

I was hoping to find something with a hot sound with good crunch, much like the sound of Slash.

Even something with a little less crunch and a little more presence, like Paul Stanley.

Thanks guys!

[Ripper]

How about a pearly gates in the bridge and the alnicoII in the neck?

Paul Stanley uses a JB in the bridge and either a 59 or a jazz in the neck. Another option to check out is Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and a dimarzio paf or paf pro in the neck.

[Xanadu]

I personally like the sound of Dimarzio in Ibanez

[al3d]

How about a pearly gates in the bridge and the alnicoII in the neck?

Paul Stanley uses a JB in the bridge and either a 59 or a jazz in the neck. Another option to check out is Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and a dimarzio paf or paf pro in the neck.

+1 on that..

[smorgdonkey]

If you are using modeling on your Spider III then I don't think the pickup change will make the difference. I can take a Tele and a Les Paul and put it through a modeler and the end result is almost if not identical.

If you are talking about when you have the modeling features off then there is definitely something to tackle. Try your buddy's guitar through your amp and see if you like the way it sounds or if it sounds the same. That will tell you lot. There could be some influence of the different materials used in your guitar vs your bud's but probably less a factor than the other things.

[Milkman]

Bridge ~ EMG 89

Neck ~ EMG 89

Single coil switching on both 89s


That's a rock and roll machine.:rockon2:

[Budda]

JB/59 it, or the dimarzio equivalent - dimarzio's seem to fair better in ibanez's.

[al3d]

If you are using modeling on your Spider III then I don't think the pickup change will make the difference. I can take a Tele and a Les Paul and put it through a modeler and the end result is almost if not identical.

If you are talking about when you have the modeling features off then there is definitely something to tackle. Try your buddy's guitar through your amp and see if you like the way it sounds or if it sounds the same. That will tell you lot. There could be some influence of the different materials used in your guitar vs your bud's but probably less a factor than the other things.

huh....wow, i had a spider III as well..and trust me..a strat and a LP don't sound alike in ANYWAY. modeling amps are to reproduce amp sounds, not axe sound

[Ruggie47]

I think I will try my guitar out thorugh a few different amps cleanly. Good idea.

The problem I have with my pickups, mainly, is that they tend to die out alot down in the bridge with a little distortion (or even clean). They just don't hold up, and I KNOW that this could be overcome with better pickups, it can't be my guitar.

Also, with the combo most of you are speaking of, which should I put in the neck and which in the bridge?

Thanks guys.

[Ruggie47]

I know a guy with DiMarzio pickups in his Ibanez. I can't remember what guitar he had though.

I talked to a few guys about the Super Distortion/PAF combo, and they seemed to think it well, much like you guys do.

I have a few questions tough.

The True-Duo humbucker style pickups in my SAS32EX are modeled after DiMarzio pickups, I BELIEVE. That being the case, I wonder what kind of an audible difference shelling out money for a Super Distrotion/PAF combo would make, especially considering that I'll be running it through such a digital amp. That being said, if I keep it simple with my map (in terms of EQ and FX), I'm sure a notable difference in sound (and hopefully sustain) can be accomplished.

By the way, putting these pickups in would defeat the purpose of the True-Duo system, would it not? Unless I wired it a certain way, I suppose, which I would have to pay somebody to do....

Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate your patience a lot.

[smorgdonkey]

huh....wow, i had a spider III as well..and trust me..a strat and a LP don't sound alike in ANYWAY. modeling amps are to reproduce amp sounds, not axe sound

If they can 'model' your guitar into an 'acoustic' then believe me...it matters little what goes in.

You are right...not axe sound...they sound extremely similar. When I plug a strat, a tele or a les paul into a rectifier model they sound almost identical unless you are just doing a cabinet sim.

[Archer]

If they can 'model' your guitar into an 'acoustic' then believe me...it matters little what goes in.

You are right...not axe sound...they sound extremely similar. When I plug a strat, a tele or a les paul into a rectifier model they sound almost identical unless you are just doing a cabinet sim.


I agree. THe reason I deep sixed my FLextone III was because the amp models didnt let the guitars speak as well as a tube amp.

Other modelers I have tried (Vox and H&K) didnt do it like the Flextone did.

[Hamm Guitars]

Have you tried adjusting your current pickups? Lower them all the way verses having them cranked up close to the strings and you will notice a drastic difference in how they sound and respond. If the guitar is muddy, lower the low side so it is not sitting flat - do it by ear and not based on how it looks or how similar guitars are set up.

I've seen a few guys put electrical tape over one end of the pickup to lessen a muddy/icepick effect as they liked the response close to the strings.

Also, make sure your tone control works, and if you are rolling back your guitar volume while playing (to leave yourself some 'boost'), ou might want to add a bleeder cap on the volume control if it does not allready exist.

[Budda]

I think I will try my guitar out thorugh a few different amps cleanly. Good idea.

The problem I have with my pickups, mainly, is that they tend to die out alot down in the bridge with a little distortion (or even clean). They just don't hold up, and I KNOW that this could be overcome with better pickups, it can't be my guitar.

Also, with the combo most of you are speaking of, which should I put in the neck and which in the bridge?

Thanks guys.

it sounds to me like you have a sustain issue, not a pickup issue.

1. adjust the pickup height

2. how old are your strings? replace them every 2-3 weeks depending on how often you play and how much you sweat - dont forget to wipe them down after every session!

3. get your guitar set up.