Advice on pickups for my Ibanez RG 550

[simone_sdp]

Hello, everyone!

I'm new to the forum but even just reading the existing threads I've had so many answers to my questions and I thank you! But I'm opening this thread and writing to you because I need some great advice on my new Seymour Duncan pickups!

I am restoring my very first guitar, a late 80's Ibanez RG 550.

I got to try the PATB-1 at the bridge and loved it so it was my very first choice! After that I decided I wanted to experiment by pairing it with a Sentient (6-string) for the neck because it seemed to me to be very defined both in the cleans and when the solos get very interesting (I play mainly hard rock/progressive metal so as a pickup it lends itself).

I haven't fitted the Sentient yet because I'd like to take it all apart once to redo the whole wiring for the guitar (it really needs it). So the point now is just the middle pickup!

Do you have any advice? Very often I also play very funk rhythms in my songs (Extreme's influence is part of me!) but for that specific genre I have at my disposal another guitar a bit more adequate, a Washburn. Any advice on what to put in the middle?

Would a Cool Rails be an appropriate choice? Or maybe a Custom Staggered? I am very, very undecided!

I would obviously use a 5-way switch so that I can mix all the different pickups together properly.

Thanks in advance to everyone for the response!

Regards,
Simone

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

I would keep the middle position hum cancelling, so it depends on what you want out of a middle pickup. The Cool Rails is a good choice if you want a clear humbucker sound. If you want more of a traditional Strat sound, look at something like the Classic Stack Plus.

 

[Synapsys]

I went PATB set on my RG, with a PATB-1 in the bridge. The PATB-1n is wired to a volume push/pull pot, switching the neck pickup between series/parallel modes.

 

[jeremy]

i had a '90 laser blue rg550 and loved that thing! i really liked the v1 neck and s1 middle, when i got it it had a f2 in the bridge, which wasnt bad, but i ended up putting a fred in there cause i loved satriani. it was a very balanced set in that guitar. in a 22 fret guitar the v1 might have been too fat but in the 24 fret guitar it worked well. the patb1 is a fantastic choice for the bridge and the sentient neck is a fine choice as well. i might have gone for a jazz bridge model in the neck, but thats just me. as for the middle pup, assuming you are using 500k pots, id go for a ssl6 if you want a true single coil. the ssl5 is fine, but with the flat radius fingerboard, the sll6 might be more even sounding. if you want something humcancelling, there are a few good options depending on what tones you want. the stks6, stks7, cool rails, hot rails, red devil, lil demon...

 

[Ashurbanipal]

I went PATB set on my RG, with a PATB-1 in the bridge. The PATB-1n is wired to a volume push/pull pot, switching the neck pickup between series/parallel modes.

If I had a HSH RG, this would be something I'd wanna try, though maybe the Saraceno in the bridge . Also, it completes the visual vibe (dig PAT look, personally).

The stack sounds pretty tasty.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

+1 on the PA-STK. Great pickup.

 

[Synapsys]

The PATB line is really underrated. Used a PATB-2 on my Death Metal band days, it was a monster of a pickup, yet very clear. Awesome pickup.

 

[JamesPaul]

Not helping my GAS! Think I have one of each PATB, along with a Crazy 8 sitting on my parts shelf. I need to start doing some Warmoth builds to provide a good home for them....

 

[Demanic]

Welcome to the forum!

I would keep the middle position hum cancelling, so it depends on what you want out of a middle pickup. The Cool Rails is a good choice if you want a clear humbucker sound. If you want more of a traditional Strat sound, look at something like the Classic Stack Plus.

Couldn't an RWRP middle be wired to be hum canceling if positions 2&4 split one of the coils of the humbuckers?
I would wire it like that with a QP single in the middle.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[dystrust]

Couldn't an RWRP middle be wired to be hum canceling if positions 2&4 split one of the coils of the humbuckers?
I would wire it like that with a QP single in the middle.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Most SD standard-polarity singles are already opposite polarity from SD humbuckers. When I ordered the Parallel Axis set for my Charvel Model 2 rebuild, I asked if I needed a reverse polarity PA-STK to hum cancel when splitting with the bridge or neck pickup, and I was told that the standard PA-STK would do that.

 

[Artie]

The stack sounds pretty tasty.

That was sweet. PATB series is my favorite. Although, I haven't heard the single yet.

 

[bigcupholder]

I wouldn't recommend the Cool Rails if you want funky sounds from the middle or notch positions. It sounds like a clear, slightly scooped humbucker, not like a single coil.

I have a Cool Rails in an HSH setup between a Custom 5 and PGn, and it sounds very close to the Custom 5 but with the high end mellowed out enough to work better for higher frets.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Couldn't an RWRP middle be wired to be hum canceling if positions 2&4 split one of the coils of the humbuckers?
I would wire it like that with a QP single in the middle.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Sure it could, but #3 would still have hum, if that is an issue.

 

[dystrust]

I wouldn't recommend the Cool Rails if you want funky sounds from the middle or notch positions. It sounds like a clear, slightly scooped humbucker, not like a single coil.

I have a Cool Rails in an HSH setup between a Custom 5 and PGn, and it sounds very close to the Custom 5 but with the high end mellowed out enough to work better for higher frets.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

+1

I have a Cool Rails in my Charvel partscaster and it sounds like a single coil sized Jazz IMO. Don't get me wrong, I love the Cool Rails but it doesn't sound like a single coil. I also have mine in the neck position, so I can't comment on notch positions.

 

[playas]

I wouldn't recommend the Cool Rails if you want funky sounds from the middle or notch positions. It sounds like a clear, slightly scooped humbucker, not like a single coil.

That's a great
description of the cool rails.
I had a neck cool rails in a strat and that sums it up nicely.

 

[simone_sdp]

Thank you guys, I really appreciate your feedback!

So I think I'll give a try to the Cool Rails in mid position. Which one do you think that I should pick? The neck version, right? Not the bridge one's?

I'll let you know how it sounds!!

 

[Mincer]

Yes, the neck version.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I still think the PA-STK is a better choice. You've got two great humbuckers in there already.
Why not give the guitar sweet noiseless singlecoil tones also?

If you go with a Cool Rails though, I agree with Mincer - neck version rather than bridge.

 

[simone_sdp]

I still think the PA-STK is a better choice. You've got two great humbuckers in there already.
Why not give the guitar sweet noiseless singlecoil tones also?

If you go with a Cool Rails though, I agree with Mincer - neck version rather than bridge.

Hi eclecticsynergy you mean the STK-1N, is that right? I would absolutely love it! So you mean the PA (that I already have at bridge), the Sentient (at neck) and the STK-1N in the middle, right? I think you're right, due to the fact that I already have the two Humbackers I would love to have a Single Coil sound too!

EDIT:
I think you were talking about the Parallel Axis STK! Sorry, I was think of the STK-1N!
But there's a big, big problem: I can't find that pickup, no one's seems have it available. Even on the Seymour Duncan official store!

 

[playas]

I suspect the stk4 is the one he meant.
The neck would be STK-S4N if so.

I don't think there is an stk-1n