Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

[Xeromus]

I have a High End Ibanez S-Series guitar. Mahogany body, maple cap, floyd rose, etc. It has two single coils and one humbucker. What's in there right now are the Dimarzio pickups that were made for this model (IBZUSA). The bridge is too "sizzly" and not very clear, the single coils are stacked hum reducing coils that are too bright and thin. One consideration is getting the EMG SA SA 81 set, another is Maybe a Duncan Distortion in the bridge, since I've always liked the way they sounded, I once had a JB in one of my guitars too and I liked the way that sounded too, kind of looking for an aggressive tone for this guitar, at least for the humbucker. I don't know what to start looking for to replace the singles though. I guess I'm kind of looking for a stratty tone out of the neck and middle position. At least something more versatile than what's in there now. What do you guys think?

[tone4days]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

depends on exactly what kind of music you are looking to play ... stratty isnt quite descriptive enough because there is 'glassy chimey' stratty and then there is 'SRV / jimi' stratty ... if you think the ones you have are too thin and bright, maybe a lil59 would do the trick in the neck .. i bet a hot rails / hot rails / JB set would sound great in that guitar .. or maybe a hotrails / vintage rails / C5

good luck

cheers,
t4d

[Xeromus]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

depends on exactly what kind of music you are looking to play ... stratty isnt quite descriptive enough because there is 'glassy chimey' stratty and then there is 'SRV / jimi' stratty ... if you think the ones you have are too thin and bright, maybe a lil59 would do the trick in the neck .. i bet a hot rails / hot rails / JB set would sound great in that guitar .. or maybe a hotrails / vintage rails / C5

good luck

cheers,
t4d

yeah man, you're headed in the right direction. I was thinking maybe a lil 59 for the neck and hot/cool rails for the middle but I have no experience with these. I want a hot modern tone out of this guitar, make it a good rockin' guitar y'know. I know I like the JB and Distortion, but that's only because I've used them before, how do these Duncan Customs compare?

[jeremy]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

i think a pair of cool rails with a distortion bridge would be killer combo thatll do lots of styles very well. a hot rails instead of one of the cool rails will give you a darker sound with a little more output

[Xeromus]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

i think a pair of cool rails with a distortion bridge would be killer combo thatll do lots of styles very well. a hot rails instead of one of the cool rails will give you a darker sound with a little more output

Not a bad idea, I checked out the sound samples and I liked. I may just do that, Distortion bridge and cool rails middle but not sure yet whether or not to put a lil 59 or cool rails in the neck.

[tone4days]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

remember to get a trem spaced bridge PUP

cheers,
t4d

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

I like tone4days idea of the Custom 5 tremspaced/cool rails/hotrails.
You'd really like that combo. I'd get the C-5 trem first, then the hotrails neck.
Your existing middle may sound fine with those. IMO the C-5 has the best tone out of all the Customs.

[Dime59hum]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

I dont have much to add to this thread, its already been said, but wow man, that is a beatiful guitar.

[Xeromus]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

I dont have much to add to this thread, its already been said, but wow man, that is a beatiful guitar.

Thanks man, I'm awful proud of my new score. Doesn't look 13 years old does it? I looked it up and These were made only in '90 and '91, In Japan, and were some of the highest quality guitars Ibanez ever made. Has the "custom made" inlay at the 20 or 21st fret too. It's got the Northern Hollywood stamp on it too, but I don't think any Ibanez guitars were ever made in the US.

[tone4days]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

your guitar looks like a cousin to mine ... mine has the same 'custom made' inlay too

there were some ibanez custom shop guitars made in pennsylvania ... my former teacher was an endorsee for a while in the 90's and he went up there to spec his custom order out, then pick it up ... then he got a PRS deal, now he has a Fender deal

cheers,
t4d

[Xeromus]

Re: Looking to replace pickups in my Ibanez S-series, have ideas, could use suggestions

could be, better quality than most Ibanez's I've seen plus there's no model # and it differs a little from the modern S-series that are mass produced now. I paid $200 for it, off a friend of mine, he knew it's value but he kept it in a closet for years and he knew I'd use and appreciate it so it was "no big thang".