Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

G

gnoleb

New member
I purchased an Ibanez AS83 as sort of an impulse buy- I've always wanted an ES-335 style guitar and this one just sounded great when I played it at the shop, especially acoustically (which is a good sign, I think). It was priced exceptionally well, too.

However, the electronics are not so good, the bridge pickup squeals in a bad way, and the sound of the pickups in general don't seem to be very good. Do any of you pros have any advice? I'm looking for:

1) I play alternative rock style stuff. Swervedriver, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Interpol, etc. I use a Mesa DC-5 and Vox AC30 CC1- some decent medium gain.

2) I have a PRS that does what I consider to be "the les paul" tone very well, so I'm not looking to replicate that.

3) I really like picking dynamics and responsiveness. My strat does that really well, my PRS not so much.

4) I's like to be able to have some jazzy cleans on the neck (the stock pickups do that) but also have some bluesy rasp (they don't do that), not Cream style smooth.

5) I'd like the bridge to embrace the guitars more subtle midrange (I love it), but still be able to handle mid-levels of distortion (I don't play metal, Tool is as close as I come) with some definition and lots of overtones. The stock bridge pickup has a harsher high end than I like, and it isn't very responsive or quick to pick attack.

6) I'm also going to have to drop new pots (volume at least) due to minor crackle. I prefer the type of volume that doesn't roll off the high end. How does one do that?

Any advice? Any help would be great, thanks.
 
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

gnoleb said:
I purchased an Ibanez AS83 as sort of an impulse buy- I've always wanted an ES-335 style guitar and this one just sounded great when I played it at the shop, especially acoustically (which is a good sign, I think). It was priced exceptionally well, too.
Click to expand...
I picked mine up for the exact same reasons.
Well, that and the purty violin finish.

3) I really like picking dynamics and responsiveness. My strat does that really well, my PRS not so much.
Click to expand...
I put a nickel Pearly Gates in the bridge and a nickel Jazz in the neck.
I run thru a kit-built class A 12 watter and it'll sing and grind nicely.

4) I's like to be able to have some jazzy cleans on the neck (the stock pickups do that) but also have some bluesy rasp (they don't do that), not Cream style smooth.
Click to expand...
I also went a little crazy and installed 4 x 500k push/pull pots wired with a variation on the Jimmy Page mod.
Getting "coil-tapped" tones is sweet.

5) I'd like the bridge to embrace the guitars more subtle midrange (I love it), but still be able to handle mid-levels of distortion (I don't play metal, Tool is as close as I come) with some definition and lots of overtones. The stock bridge pickup has a harsher high end than I like, and it isn't very responsive or quick to pick attack.
Click to expand...
I'm sure someone will recommend a different bridge pickup, but I really love the PGb there.

6) I'm also going to have to drop new pots (volume at least) due to minor crackle. I prefer the type of volume that doesn't roll off the high end. How does one do that?
Any advice? Any help would be great, thanks.
Click to expand...
As thucydides posted, you might want to do the '50's mod as it also, IIRC, makes the volume controls non-interactive... or just put in a treble bleed mod... cap and resistor in parallel.
I'd swap out the pickup selector while you're in there... the original is crap.

Other than that, you might want to look into a lightweight bridge/tailpiece replacement.

Good luck.
MM
 
Last edited:
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

MojoMonster said:
I put a nickel Pearly Gates in the bridge and a nickel Jazz in the neck.

I also went a little crazy and installed 4 x 500k push/pull pots wired with a variation on the Jimmy Page mod. Getting "coil-tapped" tones is sweet.
Click to expand...

God its good to see guys like you!...335's with SD's & the Jimmy Page system. Someone who understands tone & the benefits of alternative wiring! You've seen the light.
 
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

MojoMonster said:
I also went a little crazy and installed 4 x 500k push/pull pots wired with a variation on the Jimmy Page mod.
Getting "coil-tapped" tones is sweet.
MM
Click to expand...


What is the Jimmy Page mod?

Also, I don't think I'd go with the Pearly Gates. That seems to be definitive Les Paul sounding pickup. I was thinking of something like the Brobucker in the bridge.
 
Last edited:
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

gnoleb said:
What is the Jimmy Page mod?
Click to expand...
Depends on the guitar Jimmy used, but basically it is a setup with coil taps, phase, and series/parallel switching.
This guy and these folks have good info on it.

Also, I don't think I'd go with the Pearly Gates. That seems to be definitive Les Paul sounding pickup. I was thinking of something like the Brobucker in the bridge.
Click to expand...
I've not tried the Brobucker, tho I've heard great things about it, but I can't imagine it would sound anything but fantastic.

Personally, I find the PGb to be less compressed, more aggressive and more open sounding in the AS83 than in an LP.
I love cranking my amp so that I get right on the edge of feedback... makes me all... "tingly" inside. :lmao:

Frankly, I'd love to try about a half-dozen SD's in there just to hear the differences.

MM
 
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

gnoleb said:
What is the Jimmy Page mod?

Also, I don't think I'd go with the Pearly Gates. That seems to be definitive Les Paul sounding pickup. I was thinking of something like the Brobucker in the bridge.
Click to expand...

Honestly, the Pearly Gates set would get you pretty close to what you described in your first post. Don't think of humbuckers as being "for Les Pauls" or "for semi-hollows". There is no rule saying you can't put any humbucker in any guitar.

The AS-83 is a great guitar btw.
 
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

I think I'm pretty sold on the Jazz for the neck, so I guess I could try the PG in the bridge and see how I like it. It is cheaper than the Brobucker. This isn't the easiest guitar to change pickups.

I'd assume 500k pots all around, no? Does anyone use another setup?
 
Re: Advice: New Pickups for Ibanez AS83 Semi-Hollow

There's posts over the past few months about re-wiring 335's; check some old threads. I've done dozens of 335's & it's not hard with a few simple cheap "tools." Doesn't take much longer than a solid body.

500K's on neck HB's, always.

If you go with a PGB you'll also want 500K's on the bridge as the A2 magnet already has smooth & rounded highs. If you go with a '59B (with an A5) it could be a little bright for you, and a 250K or two would remedy that.

For caps, I use .022's with 500K's, and .100's with 250K's.

If the PGB turns out to be a bit too mellow for what you want, you could try an A4 or AS3 in it, for a little more treble & bite. The PG, '59, & Jazz are all excellent PAF's, and great foundations for tweaking with magnets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top