Ibanez RG Pickup Suggestions

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IndyWS6

IndyWS6

Well-known member
Greetings :)
I have an RG770DX that I love, but the pickups leave a little to be desired. I'm looking for suggestions...

To help zero it in, my Epi LP has a '57 Classic in the neck position and a '57 Classic Plus in the bridge. I know those pickups get bashed around here on occasion, but I really dig the snarl and grind that I get with them. If I could get pickups that would give me a similar tone in the RG, that would be great. I never use the middle pickup, so I'll leave the stock one in place. I'm looking for something to swap in to the neck and bridge positions.

I'm a pickup n00b and have never swapped pickups in a guitar. I can easily handle the mechanical and electrical aspects, but don't know what "size" or spacing is required to properly fit the RG. Any help in that area would be appreciated. I'm looking for a drop-in option that requires no modifications.

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:
 
Way too many choices out there to make a "blanket" recommendation...what kind of stuff do you play and through what rig?

That said, I've found RGs in general to be too heavily mid-focused, lacking tight lows and crisp highs...kinda flat and nasally sounding (combo of basswood, floating trem, and mid-voiced pickups). Any time I've dropped an "old standby" Duncan in one (Custom, JB, Distortion) it has immediately added some "life" to the tone...simply bigger and more dynamic.
 
rupe":16hxxtzp said:
Way too many choices out there to make a "blanket" recommendation...what kind of stuff do you play and through what rig?

That said, I've found RGs in general to be too heavily mid-focused, lacking tight lows and crisp highs...kinda flat and nasally sounding (combo of basswood, floating trem, and mid-voiced pickups). Any time I've dropped an "old standby" Duncan in one (Custom, JB, Distortion) it has immediately added some "life" to the tone...simply bigger and more dynamic.
Click to expand...
True enough - blanket statements aren't necessarily easy to make and there are a lot of choices. If I can find something that makes my RG sound similar to the LP in terms of snarl, grind and harmonics, that would be great. I play in a cover band so our material is all over the map. Seven Mary Three, 3 Doors Down, Matchbox 20, G n R, Creed, STP, Foo Fighters, Candlebox, Poison, Soundgarden, etc. I play through a rack rig that includes an Eleven Rack as the pre with additional outboard effects and a Mesa Simul 2:90 as the power section.

Thanks
 
I found that I really liked the Steve's Special (F-Spaced) bridge pickup, and the Air Norton (regular spaced) in the neck. Both from Dimarzio. I've had that combo in a few RG's over the years, and it proves to be very versatile and compliment the guitar very well. Both of those pickups split really well too, FWIW.
 
IndyWS6":2pzpflag said:
rupe":2pzpflag said:
Way too many choices out there to make a "blanket" recommendation...what kind of stuff do you play and through what rig?

That said, I've found RGs in general to be too heavily mid-focused, lacking tight lows and crisp highs...kinda flat and nasally sounding (combo of basswood, floating trem, and mid-voiced pickups). Any time I've dropped an "old standby" Duncan in one (Custom, JB, Distortion) it has immediately added some "life" to the tone...simply bigger and more dynamic.
Click to expand...
True enough - blanket statements aren't necessarily easy to make and there are a lot of choices. If I can find something that makes my RG sound similar to the LP in terms of snarl, grind and harmonics, that would be great. I play in a cover band so our material is all over the map. Seven Mary Three, 3 Doors Down, Matchbox 20, G n R, Creed, STP, Foo Fighters, Candlebox, Poison, Soundgarden, etc. I play through a rack rig that includes an Eleven Rack as the pre with additional outboard effects and a Mesa Simul 2:90 as the power section.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Cool...I'll go right back to my Duncan recommendations...and would perhaps lean toward the Custom or Custom 5.
 
This is easy IMO.
Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and super 2 in the neck.
If it has a trem, get the F spacing pickups.
 
Oh and just so you know, I have 2 Ibanez RG's. All my guitars are Ibanez. I have loved the brand for a long time now.
 
Haljon":19vzeff9 said:
This is easy IMO.
Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and super 2 in the neck.
If it has a trem, get the F spacing pickups.
Click to expand...

This is a good recommendation. My other top Ibanez choices are The Dimarzio Tone Zone and the Seymour Duncan Full Shred.
 
Haljon":1kneoox6 said:
This is easy IMO.
Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and super 2 in the neck.
If it has a trem, get the F spacing pickups.
Click to expand...

This is just so subjective though. I have two basswood Ibanez guitars, and they both sound great, but different. My JS2000 has the Fred and PAF Pro, and my 421 has an Evo in the bridge, Air Norton in the neck.

I hated the Tone Zone in there before.
 
Dimarzios are best with Ibanez IMHO.
Lot's of choices though.
Look at The Evo, Super Distortion, Tone Zone, and Breed in the bridge. Mo Joe in the neck would be sweet.
Dimarzio's fit perfectly in Ibanez's too.

Wouldn't hurt to explore the Deactivators too.
 
I recently got an rga121 with Dimarzio crunch lab and liquifire. Totally awesome sounding!!!!
 
mystixboi":2ir3t0hr said:
I recently got an rga121 with Dimarzio crunch lab and liquifire. Totally awesome sounding!!!!
Click to expand...
Forgot about those! Another good pairing!!!
 
For what you are saying you are looking for I'd look at (this is going to sound odd I know) but a Dimarzio Breed neck in the bridge, and the Dimarzio Mo joe in the neck. I've heard a lot of people putting the Breed Neck model in the bridge and say it has the sound and feel of a "hot rodded PAF".

Out put wise, and tone wise, the mo joe should have enough cut and sustain in the neck to balance the sound while offering a rich and full bodied sound.
I have personal experience with the Mo joe in the neck and have taken it to my favourite neck pick up for me. It is in a basswood JEM style body with an OFR.

Getting them F-spaced is what would be recommended, but all the spacing does is manage the pole pieces to better align with the strings, and to be honest the sonic difference in sound one way or another is so very very VERY slight that you most likely wouldn't notice it.
 
I just put a Crunch Lab / Liquifire set in my RG 7 string this morning. Kind of weird so far, but difinitely a good sounding combo in Basswood RGs!
 
I have several RG's. My fave is EMG 85/SA/81 combo with afterburner in the tone knob spot. :rock:
 
easy peasey.....


Evolution neck
Evolution bridge
steves' special DO NOT sound good in rg's to my ears...very thin and icepicky. i had one in my rg770 and didnt like it. also i tried a tone zone and dimarzio distortion in the bridge...both sound ok, but the Evo just matches my guitar well..
leave the stock ibzc3 in the middle (if not, i'll grab it from you of you want to dump it ! (: ) as it matches well with those pickups. have them in my rg770dx and love it. something about these guitars LOVES those pickups.

i had evos in my jem, and dont love them there...go figure.
 
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