Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

[bubbahotep2k3]

Hello everybody,

I am new to this forum but you seem like a bunch of very knowledgable and nice people. I appreciate any help, thanks.

I have a Ibanez RG-570 with stock pickups v7 (humbucker neck) s1 (middle single coil) and v8 (humbucker bridge). The guitar has a total of only two knobs: (1) volume and (2) treble/bass combined.

I was thinking of changing the v8 (humbucker bridge) to a Duncan Distortion SH-6.

Here are my questions:

(1) Can I just leave the other two stock pickups: v7 and s1 on the guitar?
(2) Or is it just best to change them all?
(3) If it is best to change them all should I put a duncan distortion tb-6 as the neck humbucker (I think the sh-6 and tb-6 were designed to work together, no?) Or do you recommend another humbucker for the neck?
(By the way I like hard rock/metal in the style of judas priest, metallica, slayer, in flames, etc.).
(4) Which duncan would you recommend for the single coil? (see above for my tone preferences).
(5) Does a normal duncan setup require more than the 2 knobs I have? (1) is volume and (2) is treble/bass combined...

Thanks so much for your help.

[Marcel]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

welcome to the forum....
you may want to put the tb-6 in the bridge, which is the same as sh-6 but with wider polepiece spacing ("trembucker spacing") to fit better with trem guitars.... but sh-6 will work to...
in the neck slot comes the normal spacing (the sh models).
Maybe you want to put a TB-6 in the bridge and a SH-6n in the neck.
TB-6, SH-1 would be a good combo to i think, no experience with that.
It's no problem to just change one pup... i have it too.. but make sure pu swapping makes addicted
I have the JB (TB-4) in the bridge of my RG550 which is much better than the stock (v2). The JB really rocks in this axe but i have not much to compare. Had the custom but didn't like it that much...
You just need one knob for volume and maybe the other for tone control. I have the tone control disconnect, coz it's useless for me (and sucks tone )....
btw. what do you mean bass/treble combined? i think it would be a normal tone control weird.
(4) no idea

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Hi Marcel,

A few comments on your post:
(1) First let me thank you for your help -- it is most appreciated.
(2) Thanks for the tip about the tb-6... I feel so dumb...
(3) I downloaded the soundclip for the JB but could you give me any additional comments on it. For example is it good for most 80s metal? How does it sound on the harder stuff: early metallica, slayer, etc? Perhaps not enough bass?
(4) Oh yeah I probably did not describe the tone knob well when I said it was bass/treble combined. Let me try again. Its one knob and if you go clockwise it boosts treble and if you go counter-clockwise it boosts bass. I say combined because on my old jackson soloists 1992 version I had a separate knob for treble and a separate knob for bass.

Actually I just got told by my friend that he has the JB and it is his sound I want... I though he had the distortion.... better go check again...

[Marcel]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

JB is good for 80' i think. It can probably do everything, check out the artists list... very good for harder and faster stuff...

It's right that the JB hasn't that much bass, but if it's setup right there is no problem if you have a good amp....

JB is fine in a RG, much guys on this forum had this and are satisfied....

[Robert S.]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

The TB-6 will be killer sounding in the bridge of that guitar. I wouldn't suggest a SH-6 in the neck, but the SH-6 neck model would be a cool choice for the neck position if you decided to go hot in the neck as well. I had a Duncan distortion set in a LP for a few years and it's a very nice set if you want an agressive sounding guitar.

I went with the JB in the bridge of my RG 550 and I have a 59 in the neck. It's a great combo for the 80s rock/metal thing but it's really versatile enough to do most anything and the clean tones will be a bit more useable than with the Distortion set.

For the middle pickup I have a JB jr in the RG. It makes for a thicker sounding guitar than you'd normally get with the RG but I find that the JB jr balances well between the JB and the 59n and the combined tones are pretty sweet.

[Distollica]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Hey this is a question for me! 6 month ago i posted the same question.I have An Ibanez RG 1570 (i thing it s the same model) with v7/s1/v8 stock.Finaly i put a TB-6 in the bridge and never regret it.You will have a killer tone with it.a lot of clarity, perfect if you want to shred.it has a very fat and crunch sound so if you like fast and agressive run with palm mute you will love it!It sounds a bit like the old 'tallica (listen to kill them all if you want a first idea)Cleans are not as good as the ones you would get with a JB.So if you want good distortion and clean too, get the JB.
I played with it for 5 month and it s not bad with the v7 and the s1 but sure it doesn t doesn t sound as good as this one so after a lot of questions i think i will go for a '59/JBjr/DD .i will have it in july i hope.
So i totally agree with Robert and Marcel

[Travis]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

I would definitely go with the Distortion in the bridge, best metal riffing pickup ever! I found the JB to be more suited to 80's hair metal than the more aggressive metal you're describing. (I'm in the process of throwing Distortions in most of my guitars, one with a distortion in the neck as well.) If you want an all out aggressive metal shred guitar, I would recommend the Distortion in the neck and bridge with a Cool Rails in the mid. The Cool Rails will be a better match output-wise than the stock Ibanez pickups and will offer a bit of versatility as well. It can produce some nice smooth bluesy overdriven tones as well as some decent cleans (think vintage humbucker).

By the way, the extra tone knob on your Jackson Soloist would have been a control for the active mid/gain boost that was stock in those guitars in the early 90's. Unless of course you had it modified.

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Thanks so much guys! You are all great! This is exactly the info I was looking for... I am pretty busy right now... have to help the wife... but I will conisder all these options and post my "plan soon" thanks so much for your help!

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Ok here is my plan guys: (1) I am going to replace only the bridge humbucker with a duncan distortion tb-6, and leave the other two stock pickups alone. If I am unhappy with the distortion tb-6 then I will have a JB installed in the bridge humbucker. If I am happy with the distortion tb-6 then I can decide latter if I wish to add in a 59 in the neck and a jb jr in the middle... so that is the plan thanks for your help...

[Young Angus]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

I would personally go with a hot humbucker like the JB or distortion in the bridge, a 59 in the neck, and then a thicker than normal stratty single coil in the middle like a custom staggered or flat for strat, then you could get your great chunky tones with the humbuckers but the middle pickup would let you get some really cool funky strat sounds too which would be great for clean stuff as well as a whole stack more.

[mmguz]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

I have that guitar, with a 59n and jb bridge, the middle is the stock. The JB. rocks may be the distortion gonna be much crunchy but the jb for leads is great and itīs very versatile. I love the sound of my guitar.
My luthier change to this config
1= s1
2=s1 with 59 split
3=59
4=59+jb
5=jb
Its really versatile from clean to heavy metal.
Welcome to the forum.

[RG 2570]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

take this FWIW but in any RG i found that the dimarzio tone or air zone in the bridge complements the RG the best(no ice picky highs and it the zone adds much needed A$$ to the low end.
the air norton or breed neck is another great pup for the RG.
I tried a few duncans and they all sounded wrong in these guitars despite what others here say,duncans are better suited for non-basswood guitars unless you get one of the PAtb series from them.
so for the thickest while staying clear tone in a RG get the dimarzio's
the RG guitars is all i play and i found out the hard way that they require specialty pups to sound thier best.

[midnite_man]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Welcome to the forum, bubbahotep2k3!

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

Thanks again guys.

@ midnite_man - any recommendations for a bridge humbucker?
@ RG 2570 - I already ordered the duncan distortion tb6 but if it sounds bad, then I think I will try your tone zone idea.

[CsaRvoX]

Re: Need help deciding on pups for Ibanez RG-570

I had Dimarzio ToneZone bridge and Dimarzio Paf Pro neck in my RG570...actually Dimarzio Pups are more adoptable and widely used in ibanez guitars...I like Seymour Duncans more than Dimarzio's but they're more suitable for basswood bodies...personally I think you don't need to change the middle pickup S1 cause you generally use it to combine with the others...Paf Pro in the neck is hot&great and when combined with middle S1 it gives good clean sound...you could try Air Norton in the neck for little less output and clarity...ToneZone is a hot bridge PU but lacks clean sound...either you could try Air Zone instead or install a push/pull tonepot to switch between humbucker/single and get good clean tone...I made the mod and had great versatility over neck/bridge PU's by switching them to singles...