Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

[Mr. B]

I have a guitar model that I'm trying to get set up that is giving me fits. I love the older S470 Ibanez guitars. I have 3 of them. They fit me better than any other guitar I own. I am wanting it set up mainly for shred and solos.

Trouble is, it has screachy treble on the high e and b strings. It almost sound like microphonics, a little out of control and shrill. I usually like bright pickups; the Jazz, Demon, Seth, 59's are some of my favorites. I've tried setting up two out of the three S470s I own and both do the same thing. It SOUNDS like I have wired in two 1 meg pots for volume and tone. That kind of over-the-top shrill treble.

Now, before you begin making the normal suggestions that I would also think of, here is what I have already tried.

I've tried bridge pickups ranging from the Dimarzio AT-1, Norton, Paf Pro, Tone Zone, Virtual Hot PAF, to the Duncan Custom, Custom 5, Custom UOA5, Custom Custom, and JBA2. Lately I've installed a Dimarzio AirZone, which most people say is very dark. I'm pretty set on the PAF Pro in the neck, but I've tried the Dimarzio 36th, Demon, Dimarzio PAF, Duncan 59, etc. The PAF pro also has a shrill screachy high end when you dig in, which is not normal.

I initially thought it was the pots. I changed to 300k volume/ 500k tone, then 300k volume/300k tone, then 250k volume and tone. I tried half a dozen vales of caps. I could tell that the pickup's tones were changing and the PAF pro eventually got really dull and dark, but the screachy high end remained.

I've replaced every pot and cap at some point, and it made no difference. It does this through every amp I own, and I've tested all the components. The only thing that I can think of is that is is that locking tremolo. I hate to admit that though, because I love the guitar model so much.

Anyone had any experience with this model or other Ibanez guitars with a similar dilemma?

[Myaccount876]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

I have a guitar that was incredibly bright with Dimarzio-designed Ibanez pickups (and is a soloist-style guitar), and it surprisingly worked out great when I put a JB/Alnico II Pro combo in there. I generally find those two pickups bright but it worked out.

Also, mess with the pickup and polepiece heights.

If all else fails, go into SD Invader/Dimarzio Tone Zone/BKP Warpig territory.

[Mr. B]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Yeah, I've tried adjusting the pickup/polepiece height in every way imaginable. The Air Zone really smooths out a lot if you raise the polepieces and lower the pickup. Like I said, I've already had the Tone Zone in there. I've tried so many pickups and pickup adjustments, i can't see how it can just be a pickup problem.

[Myaccount876]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Ah, you listen so many I couldn't see the Tone Zone being mentioned haha. It could very easily be the bridge, but what are your amp/speakers?

[RobSoundtrack]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Sounds like the problem I had going from my S470 to my S570.
By comparison the S570 is much brighter and thats when I had the issue.

Haven't experienced with the 2 S470's I've had...but I ended up just embracing it with the 570
Got something with less power and chewier mids and just hugged the fact that it's a bright thing.
In this case, was Custom/PGb hybrid with A2 mag.

Don't ask me how that makes sense, it just works lmao

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Sounds a bit like a problem I had with my old RG (MIK) - the top E sounded bright/weak past the 12th fret no matter what, even when I put a new neck on the guitar. I resigned myself to thinking that it was just a dud guitar where there was some phase cancellation of string vibrations between the neck and the body, probably because the neck joint wasn't tight - routed too big for the neck tenon. Or it was the trem. Got rid of the guitar anyway.

So, if it's just two strings, it's likely to be something fundamental (rather than electrical) that's affecting the string vibration. Changing the pups and pots may give you a bit of leeway but the issue will likely always be there.

I presume the frets are in good nick?

[Mr. B]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Bright, I have no problem with. This does not sound like a "bright pickup" thing. The closest thing I can think of is having wired up bright single coils to a volume pot that read over 500k just to see what it would be like at one point. Its that kind of raw untamed squealy screechy highs on the two smallest strings. They seem microphonic (I know stings can't be, but..)

I play through a Marshall JVM401c, Marshall TSL 601, Marshall DSL 401, Fender Supersonic 22, and a couple of Vox and Roland modeling amps.

The frets are in good condition. And like I said it sounds the same on both the S470 guitars, so.

I have other guitars with Duncan Distortions, 498t, 59's Seths, 36th Anniversaries, Jazz, Whole Lotta Humbuckers, Custom-Custom, Fat 50's, JB-A2, SSL-5, 57 Classics and maybe another I'm forgetting. None of those have this problem through my amps/pedals. Its just this one guitar, and its driving me nuts. Some of the others gave me fits too, for other reasons, until I got them set up right. The S470 was going to be my dedicated shred guitar, and I really hate to start all over with another model at this point.

[dominus]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Check the saddles/nut/string locks ?

I had some Graphtech saddles that made the strings sound.. "pingy" to my ears.

[Myaccount876]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Have you thought about trying flatwound strings for that particular guitar? It may actual solve the issue if you do not think pickups are the problem.

[trevorus]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Have you thought about trying flatwound strings for that particular guitar? It may actual solve the issue if you do not think pickups are the problem.

Um, the guy wants a shred guitar... I don't think flat wounds are quite the way to go...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[Myaccount876]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

^So? It isn't a rule at all that shred can't use flatwounds, and it costs all about $5 to try. What if he likes the feel which may be the only real issue with flatwounds, and then the brightness is tamed without getting dark? Would that not solve his problem?

And the attack is dependent. We have no idea if he would like or hate it for that particular guitar without him trying it first.

[trevorus]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Not a rule, but I don't think that's a solution here. Flat wounds are thick and have a generally hard feel. I don't think they would lend themselves to shredding. I think the OP should try a 250k or 330k volume pot. Then use a resistor and capacitor in series between signal and ground to tailor the treble cut. I do this on my Tele bridge pickup. That, and make sure the nut fits the strings.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[dominus]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

I initially thought it was the pots. I changed to 300k volume/ 500k tone, then 300k volume/300k tone, then 250k volume and tone. I tried half a dozen vales of caps. I could tell that the pickup's tones were changing and the PAF pro eventually got really dull and dark, but the screachy high end remained.

I've replaced every pot and cap at some point, and it made no difference. It does this through every amp I own, and I've tested all the components. The only thing that I can think of is that is is that locking tremolo. I hate to admit that though, because I love the guitar model so much.

I think the OP should try a 250k or 330k volume pot. Then use a resistor and capacitor in series between signal and ground to tailor the treble cut. I do this on my Tele bridge pickup. That, and make sure the nut fits the strings.

Still sounds like hardware to me. Saddles/nut/string locks.

[trevorus]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

Still sounds like hardware to me. Saddles/nut/string locks.

You could be right. How the OP describes it, screechy highs sounds like a atone issue. If it's actually an odd resonance, it definitely could be a nut slot or saddle, and the string could be moving against either or both and causing this.

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Screachy highs on Ibanez S470

I have an old S-540LTD from the early 90's & a newer 7-string S-7420 & neither of them were ever remotely bright or shrieky. The S-540 has had the stock pup's replaced by a set of handwound A4 pickups (A4 alnico's each with with a row of Invader-type mushroom head poles and a row of slugs). They are pretty warm/fat & smooth...great for shred, and the A4 mag makes the highs pretty round and sweet. I guess a darker pickup like an Invader could be a good choice....but if the guitar is as bright/shrill as you described, the problem probably lies elsewhere (rather than with pots/caps/pickups). Myabe something to do with the hardware as described above or you could see if the truss rod's too tight ...or the neck AANJ is'nt tight enough...that might account for thinness/shrillness.