Not sure which pickup to get...

[Euronymus]

Hi guys, this is my first time posting on the forums.

I have a mahogany bodied ibanez rg with a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and a fixed bridge with a string-through design that needs pickups to replace the crappy infinity stock pickups that come with this guitar (and ruin it). I tend to like more extreme styles of music, I love music with lots of atmosphere, and I'm looking for a pickup that can really give me that dark, crunchy, evil sound I'm looking for. I have experience with a sh-6 duncan distortion in a mahogany bodied-maple neck schecter, which sounded too bright for my liking. I've listened to lots of clips of the duncan custom and I find it too "dry" and scooped. There is a video on youtube comparing it to the dimarzio crunchlab, and I thought the duncan custom didn't sound full in the mids, and had a scratchy high end. I don't like the JB, and I think the invader would sound too muddy in this guitar. So that pretty much cancels all my options for high-output duncans in this guitar unfortunately, unless there is another duncan pickup that would give me the sound I want. Anyways, I don't want to limit myself only to duncans, so is there any other pickup from a different brand that would give me the sound I'm looking for?

I've already checked out the dimarzio website/clips and I don't think they offer anything I want. The d activators sounded too hollow. The x2n was too saturated. The super 3 was lacking in treble and was abit loose, but it was close. I didn't like the evo and breed. So what do you guys suggest? thanks.

P.S. The duncan custom had the growl I was looking for, but I would like something similar to a duncan custom but with more output and mids.

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

Have you considered an Air Zone???

[Jeff5]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

That's a tough one. I tend to find the Custom balanced in it's EQ and not scooped at all. It's pretty much, to my ears anyway, almost exactly like Duncan says its EQ'd. (7/6/9) I also don't find the highs scratchy. They are sharp for sure as it has a ceramic magnet, but smooth and don't have the fizz of the distortion. Maybe it's the clips you heard. It may not be the right pick up for you, but I've used them for a long time in various amps and that's been my experience at any rate.

[Despair]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

You might like the PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion. Hotter, thicker Distortion with lower string pull. Articulate, but the high output pushes most preamps into compression. Doesn't quite have the deep lows of the Invader, instead has woollier lower mids. Less harsh high end than Distortion and sweeter for solos. Crazy harmonics, surprisingly responsive to pick articulation for such a hot pickup. Pick dynamics tend to translate more to tone than volume.

Amazing gonzo metal pickup, the very high output tend to make it a bit stiff for edge of breakup & low gain tones. Great for solos as well as massive riffs and cool for speed metal rhythms, though a touch less tight than the TB-6 Distortion [most RG series are going to want trembucker/fender spacing, rather than standard/gibson].

[Euronymus]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

The custom is probably the closest to what I want. It has that evil growl that I'm looking for. Would it sound good in a lightweight mahogany rg? Would it be too bright? and lastly, is there any difference in sound between the sh-5 and tb-5, like there is between the sh-6 and tb-6?

[Euronymus]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

Have you considered an Air Zone???

Not at all, doesn't sound anywhere near what I want.

[LtKojak]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

The answer in an Alnico 8 modded Custom.

Use the search engine to read about this, aka "Custom 8".

HTH,

[Despair]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

You might check out surface54's clips [search this forum for links] on the Custom and Custom 8 [Custom 8 is a Custom with the ceramic magnet swapped out for an A8 magnet]. A8 isn't quite as hot, but it's close, and a lot warmer.

Custom usually gets along well with mahogany guitars.

Most guitarists don't find any consistent difference between trembucker and standard spacing for tone, at least, not any more than they do between two of the same model in same spacing. Some do argue strongly the other way, but having had issues with pickups that line up less than perfectly having string volume issues on the poles that line up worst, I feel that's the more pressing issue.

Another option for magnet hacking is taking a thick ceramic like from a Distortion and swapping it into the Custom. More compressed feel, a bit smoother presence, IIRC. If A8 is too dark and standard ceramic too harsh, might be what you want.

But if you like the punch of the TB-5 Custom, I'd probably start there. I've only heard the Custom be unpleasantly bright in an all-maple neck-through setup, and the issue was not harsh presence, just too much treble in general.

[Euronymus]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

You might check out surface54's clips [search this forum for links] on the Custom and Custom 8 [Custom 8 is a Custom with the ceramic magnet swapped out for an A8 magnet]. A8 isn't quite as hot, but it's close, and a lot warmer.

Custom usually gets along well with mahogany guitars.

Most guitarists don't find any consistent difference between trembucker and standard spacing for tone, at least, not any more than they do between two of the same model in same spacing. Some do argue strongly the other way, but having had issues with pickups that line up less than perfectly having string volume issues on the poles that line up worst, I feel that's the more pressing issue.

Another option for magnet hacking is taking a thick ceramic like from a Distortion and swapping it into the Custom. More compressed feel, a bit smoother presence, IIRC. If A8 is too dark and standard ceramic too harsh, might be what you want.

But if you like the punch of the TB-5 Custom, I'd probably start there. I've only heard the Custom be unpleasantly bright in an all-maple neck-through setup, and the issue was not harsh presence, just too much treble in general.

I'll definitely start with the regular TB-5 Custom. If I don't like it, I'll swap the regular ceramic for a thick ceramic like you said. Also, I heard those surface54's clips of the custom8, while it does sound AWESOME, the ceramic custom sounds more in my alley.

[9unslin9er]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

Might wanna consider an F-spaced Norton or Super Distortion.
They fall right outside of the Duncan Custom realm. With plenty of thick mids. The Super D has more bottom end chunk. The Norton is beefy but not over the top. Like an evil JB.
Both sound awesome in mahogany, the Norton in particular.

Also, the clips on the DiMarzio website are awful. They all showcase song clips which obviously have tons of processing through the amp and studio mix. The pickups themselves are awesome, so be your own judge.

I've used this clip a few times but here's my Ibanez with a Norton in the bridge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuZpwIG_Cxw

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Not sure which pickup to get...

I hate saying "switch magnets" immediately, but what you describe sounds like you need the Custom 8. When you say you hear the Custom as being scooped, that may be the Custom 5. The SH-5 Custom comes with a ceramic magnet. The SH-14 Custom 5 comes with Alnico 5, but it's the same wind. I hear lots of people complain about the Custom 5 being scooped, but I have never personally used it. The stock Custom I would not describe that way, but I love the Custom 8, and I don't think I'll ever change it out of my Les Paul. Good luck, but I would seriously give the Custom wind a shot.