And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

[gtrgrl]

So I never actually changed the pickups in my Ibanez S (the blue one - haha).

I have pretty much decided that I'm going to get a Blue Vai Jem77, so I want to put something in this guitar that I can play classic rock, metal, blues, jazz, or whatever (as if I can play all of that!).

I got all caught up in how to use the whammy, the pickup switching, and all of that. Now that I have control of the guitar, I'm loving it except it's sounding tired to me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it plays. The sound just needs a little pick-me up

What would a great all around set be? Something that I could swap a couple of pedals and go from Phil Collen to Richie Sambora to jazz fusion scales, or Led Zepplin, or Vai (just dreaming!) or whatever.

And I want a different middle single coil too! :crazy:

 

[Clint 55]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

If you want it super versatile you could go high output rock in the bridge, blues in the middle, and clean in the neck. So maybe JB, Custom flat strat, Jazz?

 

[Mincer]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

I'd go a little more classic:
59/Custom Hybrid (good for vintage & modern tones, and great split)
Classic Strat Stack (keep the guitar hum-cancelling)
Alnico II Pro for neck, since the body size & trem tends to sound thin, this will thicken it up for clean tones.

 

[gtrgrl]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

What's the 59/Custom Hybrid? I'm sure I can look it up, but where is the fun in that?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

59/custom hybrid is a Seymour Duncan production pickup that uses one coil from a 59 and one coil from a Custom side by side in a humbucker. The odd coils gives a bit more 'detail' and articulation, it responds better to volume changes and picking changes. Most pickups have a sweet spot in volume and playing. The 59/Custom has more playable range in that regard, IME.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

I'd go a little more classic:
59/Custom Hybrid (good for vintage & modern tones, and great split)
Classic Strat Stack (keep the guitar hum-cancelling)
Alnico II Pro for neck, since the body size & trem tends to sound thin, this will thicken it up for clean tones.

I concur but if it were me I'd probably go with a Jazz or P.G.N. in the neck as a matter of preference? At the end of the day it's rather subjective and the only way to know exactly how any particular pickup will work for you is to try it. There's just too many variables that come into play to get a real sense of it's character from a couple YouTube videos...

That said, I think this would work great for you? The set suggested here would give you an incredibly versatile guitar & it seems that's what you're after...

 

[Mincer]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

The Hybrid is a great pickup. You can read about it here.

 

[gtrgrl]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

The 59/Custom sounds pretty awesome! Never thought of that. I guess I have seen a couple of hybrid threads but wasn't sure what they were about.

I have a Jazz in a guitar, (and a jazz guitar - but not the same guitar ) and am getting an A2P for it. I'd like something different.

Would a Pearly Gates go well with the single coil in the middle, and the 59/Custom?

I have heard a few people say DiMarzio's go better in Ibanez. Any thoughts? No offense Mr. Duncan!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

I'm gonna recommend avoiding the usual hot bridge/clean neck thing. It's tough to eq radically different sounding pickups to sound good together. I also hate when flipping the switch makes it sound like you picked up a different guitar.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

I'm gonna recommend avoiding the usual hot bridge/clean neck thing. It's tough to eq radically different sounding pickups to sound good together. I also hate when flipping the switch makes it sound like you picked up a different guitar.

If you have the Jazz neck, why not pick up a Jazz bridge? Pairs much better than a JB IMO (despite how they're marketed.)

 

[Clint 55]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

I'm gonna recommend avoiding the usual hot bridge/clean neck thing. It's tough to eq radically different sounding pickups to sound good together. I also hate when flipping the switch makes it sound like you picked up a different guitar.

I think so too. I bet the 59/C5 with a stack and a Pearly Gates would sound great and be easy to eq.

 

[Mincer]

Re: And as long as I'm getting a jazz pickup, Ibanez S help

The 59/Custom sounds pretty awesome! Never thought of that. I guess I have seen a couple of hybrid threads but wasn't sure what they were about.

I have a Jazz in a guitar, (and a jazz guitar - but not the same guitar ) and am getting an A2P for it. I'd like something different.

Would a Pearly Gates go well with the single coil in the middle, and the 59/Custom?

I have heard a few people say DiMarzio's go better in Ibanez. Any thoughts? No offense Mr. Duncan!

A Pearly Gates or even a regular 59 should work well for the neck. You will have no problems dialing in a good balance with either.