ANOTHER Ibanez AZ, the AZ2204B ...what to get for pups

reggiebeatz

New member
So this will complete the set of Ibby AZ's. But though the hyperions are far from suckage, I will not keep them. The things I don't like about the Hyperions are a perception that they have a funky mid that isn't what I really want, and they are not as "chimey" as I like. In the comparison vid (1) Ibanez AZ & Seymour Duncan pickups comparison - YouTube the Pegasus seems to be the tone I'm after. Haven't really decided if any of the other SC pups are what I want.

Here is what I'm considering since I want this one to scream a little more than the other two:

A Pegasus in the neck. This would be a custom order (through Sweetwater) as I do not want the black one. I want nickel. I want something hot in this model. But for the SC replacements, I'm just completely at a loss :( So there are the noiseless ones. Thinking about (for both neck and middle) the Vintage Hot Stack Plus Strat.

Since I want something that bites more in this guitar, it seems to make some sense. BUT, I do not need "noiseless" if there is something that matches better with the pegasus.


Again, all thoughts are welcome.
 
gezuz enough delay? what an awful way to demo pups.

i assume you mean pegasus in the bridge? when you mean "bite" for the single coil size pups, you mean high end attack or ?
 
Oh, I dunno, I think this is the best "comparison" vid I've seen. As far as the other, I like something that "shimmers" more than "chugs"...maybe that doesn't make sense.

I'm pretty sold on the Pegasus for this guitar, it's the SC's that I'm lost on.
 
i dont think of chugging when i think about neck or middle single coils. shimmer maybe. are you using 500k pots all around in this guitar?
 
No clue, I haven't even taken delivery of the guitar yet!

You haven't even played this axe through your own rig yet, and you're already planning to ditch the pickups? Putting the cart before the horse, aren't you? Wait and see what you've got before going nuts.
 
I think the issue is that I don't know what to recommend if I don't know what is wrong with the current pickups (more bass! more quiet! less thumpy!). I usually do pickup swaps to fix an issue I have with a current pickup.
 
You haven't even played this axe through your own rig yet, and you're already planning to ditch the pickups? Putting the cart before the horse, aren't you? Wait and see what you've got before going nuts.

I've done the same thing many times when I was ordering one Strat after another. I know I dislike Fender pickups and I would never use them so I would plan ahead of time what pickups I was going to put in. Nothing wrong there.
 
I've done the same thing many times when I was ordering one Strat after another. I know I dislike Fender pickups and I would never use them so I would plan ahead of time what pickups I was going to put in. Nothing wrong there.

But different guitars can sound too twangy or bassy, and you might know that you want to change the pickups, but not know what will complement that particular instrument.
 
If you're going to get new pickups before spending a solid amount of time with the guitar, you may as well go off of website descriptions and video comparisons which will get you in the general tone area that you're looking for.
 
Yeah, I'ma not be intimidated! :lol:

Buying a fiddle JUST for the pups is.......ridiculous. I'm in the 90% sure range that I don't want the pups it's coming with (take delivery tomorrow, odd, a Saturday? ) BUT, I'm also in the 90% range it's the guitar I want ;) They won't suck, but I know my tastes. So far this thread has been a bunch of jabs and being NEO and ducking. I've shown the video, I've explained what I want, and I've mostly got a sqaduouch .

Guess I'll have to figure it out on my own...........
 
Took delivery, it's a beauty (well, it's the not the BEST looking guitar I've ever had) but it's killer. Like I suspected, the pups are too hot, a little muddy and don't sing to me.

Will continue to research, not worried about it immd, but need to figure it out :) Man, I wasn't able to get in on these AZ's early on for a variety of reasons, but now it's like "SIGN ME UP!"
 
i dont think of chugging when i think about neck or middle single coils. shimmer maybe. are you using 500k pots all around in this guitar?
A D-Activator neck will chug. So won't a Distortion n.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
Took delivery, it's a beauty (well, it's the not the BEST looking guitar I've ever had) but it's killer. Like I suspected, the pups are too hot, a little muddy and don't sing to me.

Will continue to research, not worried about it immd, but need to figure it out :) Man, I wasn't able to get in on these AZ's early on for a variety of reasons, but now it's like "SIGN ME UP!"

I say get a new pickguard and throw in a Pegasus & Sentient.
 
To the OP; I think you are having some language / translation problems. I see little but very experienced people trying to help.

Have you actually spent some time adjusting the pickups to see if they will work. Amazing what a few turns of a screwdriver can do...
That said - the video is indeed a horrible pickup demo.

Good luck
 
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