banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

    This demo of the Gravity Storms is really making me interested in them. Only concerned about the neck being ceramic, I can kinda hear it's not as open as the bridge. It's also fairly thin, though other vids haven't been so thin.


    (fun starts around the 5:00 mark)

    The youtube vids of the hybrid make it seem geared toward classic rock and blues. What about the hybrid/jazz for the kind of music in the GS video?

    The more videos of the FS..the less I'm interested in it. It looks like the Jason Becker is clearer than it (not so many great comparison vids for non chugga)
    Last edited by Nagisa; 11-12-2019, 10:08 AM.

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

      Ceramic neck pickups are better than you'd think, but definitely not my favorite. Look at the EMG 60 - Its a great ceramic neck pickup, I didn't even know it was ceramic until after I recorded Jimi Hendrix covers with it and marveled how good it sounds clean .

      I don't have experience with very much dimarzio stuff but I think for the neck, if the FS doesn't sound right to you, and you're worried about an Air Norton being too fat, then the Jazz is what you want. I've had a Jazz in almost all my guitars at least to try it, and it's never failed me. To me it sounds PAF-ish with plenty of "mojo" but then it's glassy and clear too.

      Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

        Ceramic pups seem to have a quick response to picking, the notes don't exactly have an airy/bloom quality to them, which is why I dont like them in the neck alot but for shredding they work very well in either neck or bridge. They generally have a tight feel to them. The gravity storms will cut through dense effect chains & not get lost in the mix.

        Look into the screamin demon for the neck, probably a decent vid out there. You want the neck pup hot but clear sounding right?

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

          Okay you know what, I'm going to go with you guys along with my gut and avoid ceramics in both positions. I'll look more between the Jazz and Demon.

          As for the bridge...more input on hybrid / pegasus / others in that range would be nice. I know it sounds silly but I want to avoid another custom as I have that already. [I have the non-F spaced version in my LP and the ibanez is a direct-mount F spacer, so I'd rather not remove it from the LP and try to fit it in the Ibanez for a sound test.]

          Do you think Duncan's pickups will achieve the smooth vibe that say Vai has as well as Dimarzios will? My impression is that Duncans are more voiced either for classic rock or metal rhythms..

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

            Well, the Pegasus is a more modern-voiced pickup than the Hybrid. To me, it is more percussive, which I don't always like in a bridge pickup.
            Administrator of the SDUGF

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

              The Pegasus can be percussive but it’s got a relatively smooth high end. It’s got a somewhat tame nature to it unless you really dig into it. It’s worth a shot I think.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                The Demon will give you a smooth lead tone in the neck with plenty of punch and nice harmonics, sort of like an Air Norton (which was also originally designed as a moderate output bridge pickup), but there aren't many Duncans that excel at Vai/Petrucci tones in the bridge. Believe it or not, the JB is one of the better ones.

                The 59/Custom hybrid is very open and slightly scooped. JP and Vai use higher output pickups that tend to be a little more compressed and have a bigger midrange and smoother top end (minus the original Evolutions, ha ha!).

                Are you stuck on Duncans? Just seems like DiMarzio may be a better fit for what you're after...

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                  Dimarzio Paf Pro is also a good shreddy neck p'up, not awful cleans either. Some of JS sig models seem to be developed around it I think with tweaks here & there.

                  Duncan has quite alot of variety in neck pickups that are good, then theres the mag swaps and hybrids & its a wide choice pool of what to get & tweak to personal taste. Decide on a particular direction you want to take this guitar in to narrow your choices. The Custom Custom gives a nice fat smooth lead sound in the bridge but its not great at metal riffs. Then theres the PATBs, those also often go overlooked.
                  Last edited by Hank-; 11-13-2019, 02:14 PM.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                    True, the PATB-1 might be something to consider for the bridge. You could even do the PATB-1 neck/bridge set...warm bodied, medium-high output and very versatile!

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                      Originally posted by masta' c View Post
                      True, the PATB-1 might be something to consider for the bridge. You could even do the PATB-1 neck/bridge set...warm bodied, medium-high output and very versatile!


                      I really want to stick with covered pickups for this - so unfortunately the PATB-1 won't work.

                      I'm thinking the Hybrid may in fact be too underpowered for what I want. masta'c - you wrote before that you liked the satchur8 and illuminator bridges. What do you think about those or other Dimarzio bridges for this situation? I know the illuminator is ceramic but if it's good...

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                        Originally posted by Nagisa View Post
                        https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/d...820_00_01.html

                        I really want to stick with covered pickups for this - so unfortunately the PATB-1 won't work.

                        I'm thinking the Hybrid may in fact be too underpowered for what I want. masta'c - you wrote before that you liked the satchur8 and illuminator bridges. What do you think about those or other Dimarzio bridges for this situation? I know the illuminator is ceramic but if it's good...
                        Ah great!

                        If you look past the "ceramic" thing, you have more options now. IMO DiMarzios always felt a better fit in Ibanez guitars than Duncans, but their high output PUs are Ceramic, save for the Tone Zone

                        I would recommend the Transition



                        Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
                        Originally posted by Myaccount876
                        Attenuators are for pussies. Neighbors calling the cops isn't a problem - if the cops can actually still decipher the neighbor's complaint on the phone with the Marshall in the background, you're doing it wrong and it needs to be louder.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                          Thanks, Archer. I checked out a few Transition vids, then looked back at the Satchur8. So far I'm really digging the Satchur8 tones..

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                            The Transition set is voiced on the warmer side, but is really versatile and dynamic. They are ceramic, but you wouldn't know it by their tone and response. Good all-around pickups that blend the best of Alnico and Ceramic characteristics in a decidedly "rock" sounding package. Not sure how they handle metal.

                            Of the older JP pickups, I like the Crunch Lab and Illuminator the best in the bridge. Illuminator has more upper-mid emphasis and bite, sort of like an Evo 2, but is more forgiving than the Evo 2. It's also very tight down low, similar to the D-Sonic in the way it responds. The Crunch lab has a bigger, chunkier bottom end response and more lower-mid emphasis with a bell-like chime up top and slightly rolled-off highs. Sort of like a ceramic Tone Zone in some ways (but has a more unique character than the TZ, in my opinion). The Sonic Ecstasy attempted to take the edge off of the Illuminator set, but went too far in the other direction. The new Dreamcatcher/Rainmaker set brings it back a bit and finds a better balance between thickness and cut. Probably JP's "biggest" sounding pickups to date.

                            The Satchur8 has similar dynamics to the Illuminator, but there is a notable "Satriani" voicing to it. It's a bit more clinical and stiff than his previous pickups, but works well in a one-guitar mix and has that unique DiMarzio compression that keeps the high end in check (though, admittedly, I found the midrange attack to come off as "clanky" in this particular design...have to experience it to understand).

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                              I'm surprised noone mentioned the Black Winter yet. That pickup is highly underestimated IMHO. It's got the warmth, the fattness and power to give you fluid leads but it never gets brittle in the top end or saggy in the bottom. It's not really midscooped but fairly even across the spectrum. For rhythm it's also great. I find it a shame that it's marketed towards black metal and the likes. It's like a happy marriage between the Sh6 Distortion and the Invader: a bit of the grind and cut of the distortion, a bit of the fatty girth of the Invader, but a unique beast all of its own.

                              For the neck: I'm very partial towards the jazz Bridge pickup in the neck nowadays.

                              *The sentient is a bit too scooped, too clean and jangly for allround purposes.
                              *The standard Jazz Neck is that but even worse; the Fullshred Neck is that, but even WORSE. They are great options for other purposes, but if you want one allround neck pickup that allows you for lead tones with a fairly substantial midrange, bottom end and power, the Jazz Bridge is the way to go (unless you wanna go hybrid).
                              *The Screaming Demon is IMHO way, way too fat in the neck position, to be honest.
                              *I have zero experience with the Black Winter neck pickup.

                              As for the other popular choices:

                              *the 59N is a decent neck pickup but not one of my favorites (great in many hybrid-recipes but not on its own, imho).
                              *The 59B is also a great choice but can be a bit boomy with a bit of sag in the bottom end.
                              *The Seth Lovers (bridge and neck) are amazing but not powerful enough for the needs laid down in this topic.
                              *The Alnico2Pro has never been my favorite: I compare the a2pro vs Jazz to a ribeye vs sirloin/newyork strip steak. The a2pro has too much fat all across the spectrum (like a ribeye) and the Jazz has just enough of a fatty edge to give you a bold, powerful feel but not enough to get in the way of cutting through the mix.

                              As for Dimarzio: no suggestions. Only negative opinions (don't like Dimarzio; never cared much for its tonal palette across its lineup, sorry).

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Pickups for Ibanez J.Custom - for instrumental rock

                                I wish there was a Jazz bridge in neck Youtube vid sounds interesting.

                                My whole dilemma started with an unsatisfactory neck pup, so I want to get that right. I would really like to make the neck alnico - AN, Jazz (N or B?), Demon are probably my choices.

                                As for the bridge, the Transition vids aren't really calling to me. Some sound good but nothing blows me away.

                                I had a distortion before in my LP but didn't get along with it in the end, so for now the bw is out.

                                I'm thinking it may be safe to go dream catcher + air norton or paf pro - MAYBE a duncan but I want to match tones

                                Last edited by Nagisa; 11-14-2019, 08:01 AM.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X