Nazgul/Sentient 6 in HSH guitar. What is good to be the middle.

[Hristian]

Hello,
I have Ibanez RG2570 Prestige - HSH, baswood body and maple neck (with two narrow lines walnut), and tremolo at the bridge. The stock Dimarzio/IBZ are not good for hard/heavy metal. I ordered one Trembucker Nazgul and one Sentient for it. Not absolutely sure if they are suitable for this wood.
Could someone advise me what is good to be for middle single-coil for this combination of pickups. I suppose at first to be with high output.

Thank you !

[Clint 55]

Welcome to the forum!

High output options would be the Hot Rails bridge or the Hot Stack Plus. Both are noiseless but the Hot Rails will sound more like a humbucker and the Hot Stack will sound more like a single coil.

[pskorz]

I couldn't the answer to this online. does yours have that special 5 way switch that splits the coils in positions 2 and 4? If so, I find the SSL-1 to be the consummate stratty single coil. I bet it would give you a classic strat sound on its own, and blend well with those humbuckers. It'll be low output, though, by comparison.

I wonder if the Parallel axis stack single coil would go nicely with them?

[UnderTheFlame83]

Hello,
I have Ibanez RG2570 Prestige - HSH, baswood body and maple neck (with two narrow lines walnut), and tremolo at the bridge. The stock Dimarzio/IBZ are not good for hard/heavy metal. I ordered one Trembucker Nazgul and one Sentient for it. Not absolutely sure if they are suitable for this wood.
Could someone advise me what is good to be for middle single-coil for this combination of pickups. I suppose at first to be with high output.

Thank you !

The Nazgul and Sentient works well in basswood. I'd put a Hot Rails in the middle.

[Hristian]

Thank you for the quick answers !
The 5-way switch is standard: 1 - st position - bridge, 2-nd half bridge+middle, 3-rd - middle, 4-th middle+half neck, 5-th neck

And if Hot Rails - why bridge and not middle type in the middle position ?

[pskorz]

I have a Tele that I bought used. When I got it, it had the tele Hot rails set. Awesome pickups, I can't say anything bad about them. Just beware, they're not single-coils, and don't sound like single coils. A hot rails would be a good match with those pickups, but you'd be effectively turning it into a H-H-H guitar (if that's what you want).

If you still want it to retain a single-coil option, I'd consider keeping the stock middle pickup. It'll be a compromise output-wise, but my guess is that if you're a metal dude, the need for a neck/middle or bridge/middle dual humbucker sound, or a stand-alone middle humbucker sound will not be a major worry. Every now and then when you want to get that strat-esque flair, you'd still have the option, especially for clean sounds.

[Mincer]

The Nazgul & Sentient are great in basswood. But, also decide what you want out of a single coil pickup. Do you want the volume to be close? Not many single coils can compete with those pickups, and the ones you will choose from will be on the darker EQ side. Do you want it hum-cancelling?

[Clint 55]

And if Hot Rails - why bridge and not middle type in the middle position ?

You need that kind of heat for the single coil to be the same volume in middle position as the full size humbuckers.

[Hristian]

Yes - I expect from the singe to have the same volume level as the others. Even the original single - Dimarzio/IBZ has near half time low volume compared with the two other hunbuckers in the set - it is annoying for me. That's why I look for the same output - same volume level.

Actually I bought this guitar used - it was good deal. To be honest I prefer HH combination and not need so much a single in the middle - even often I hit it with the pick. But what to put in this useles hole !
Nazgul/Sentient are pair from hell for metal and probably nothing more is need. (I have tried also Black Winter - Bridge/Neck set on HH Ibanez of a friedn). But why not in one moment to do some experiment and put one appropriate single with the same output - more humbucker or more single sounding - probably will find some new sound. You gave me very good advice at which models to look and why ! Thanks again for all of you !

[Mincer]

The Hot Rails is the one, though, for output. It will be darker than the other pickups (more mids), but it should balance just fine.

[pskorz]

Yes - I expect from the singe to have the same volume level as the others. Even the original single - Dimarzio/IBZ has near half time low volume compared with the two other hunbuckers in the set - it is annoying for me. That's why I look for the same output - same volume level.

Actually I bought this guitar used - it was good deal. To be honest I prefer HH combination and not need so much a single in the middle - even often I hit it with the pick. But what to put in this useles hole !
Nazgul/Sentient are pair from hell for metal and probably nothing more is need. (I have tried also Black Winter - Bridge/Neck set on HH Ibanez of a friedn). But why not in one moment to do some experiment and put one appropriate single with the same output - more humbucker or more single sounding - probably will find some new sound. You gave me very good advice at which models to look and why ! Thanks again for all of you !

You could buy a 3-way lever switch, wire it up as H-H, and just keep the stock single coil in there (not wired up, doing nothing) for aesthetic purposes.

[Hristian]

You could buy a 3-way lever switch, wire it up as H-H, and just keep the stock single coil in there (not wired up, doing nothing) for aesthetic purposes.

I have other guitar (Ibanez S320) which is HH but the switch is 5-way and it works good - each position has diferent sound. I mean HH with 5-way switch is possible.
3-way switch is also option - ussualy i play just on this 3 positions.

But in some moment if I change my mind and want to try what will happen with this one aditional singal in the middle - I will try probably with Hot rails. (I can do the wiring, and I have the original diagram for this model guitar)