joshuas5150
New member
Re: Best pickup for Ibanez S570B
I apologise for the length, but:-
I love the Parallel Axis so much, I've put it in all 4 of my Ibanez guitars (all mahogany bodied - 1x S series, and 3 RG's).
I'm using the PATB-1, PATB-2 (Distortion), PATB-3 (Blues Sarasceno) and Crazy 8 in the bridges, with the first 3 using a PATB-1n in the neck, and Crazy 8 with its matching neck from the custom shop.
In my opinion, the PATB-1 is a "glossy" but very strong sounding, yet articulate pickup. It's cleans up perfectly well, it is now sitting in my RG J-Custom where everyone comments that it just sounds "classy". The clean tone is sparkling clean tone, and it has no problem getting dirty, and handles heavy very well - it's converted many peoples thoughts on these pickups (including mine!) I guess you could describe it like a ballsier Custom Custom.
The PATB-1n is close to a Jazz/'59 sort of hybrid, the overall tone is very '59, but it has a brighter top end like a Jazz with the '59 bottom end - but not as much! Sometimes I've found the '59 neck can have too much bottom end "boom", never had that with the PATB-1n.
The PATB-2 (distortion). In my opinion, a more articulate Duncan Distortion, does not do a very good clean with tubes, but can be controlled with SS amps. Tell you what, it's made for drive, and it screams! I've got a set of Duncan Distortions in a Les Paul that I thought sounded awesome - the PATB-2 is as heavy, it's just more dynamic - balls with sizzle sums this one up.
PATB-3 (Blues Sarasceno) ended up living in my S Series, it is like a ballsier '59 - but much more dynamic. It made a thin sounding mismatched guitar (with original Ibanez QMP pickups) that was a bastard to get any kind of decent tone from, into a beautiful guitar. The PATB-3 sounds fat and full, and it can do the hot rodded Les Paul sound, with surprisingly beautiful cleans. It is a bit scooped in the mids compared to the other models in the range, but just seems to mix with the S series better (again, my opinion) - it made mine come alive.
The crazy 8, it's like the distortion with more bottom end, and no ceramic sizzle. I describe it as the original model, but supercharged - I was shocked at how good it sounded, and already heard the other 3 - if I didn't route a single coil into my S, then I would give these ones a go in there - they are just too much louder than the PA-STKn to make the middle pickup valid. Which I do not find an issue with the other non distortion models - the PATB-1 and PATB-3.
The PA-STKn is the single coil version, well, if you've got the neck and bridge and a middle route, then you've not really any other choice. And yes, it's a good staved single coil.
The JB was a huge upgrade to the original pickups, I say it sounded ok, as it just sounded like a hot rodded super strat - exactly what it should sound like - but it just didn't sound any different to my other JB equipped guitar - which was a HSH Floyd equipped Fender Stratocaster.
For some reason, and I'm guessing it's the mahogany bodies, the Parallel Axis pickups sound significantly better in my Ibanez guitars than my Fenders (Alder bodies). I use the word dynamic a lot describing these, but the are just so well balanced and articulate, and they just sound so good in my Ibanez guitars - they sound so alive - it's like there is extra current running through them, they are more exited in the mahogany (May sound silly, but that's how I'm describing it).
I did try the Tonezone, Air Norton and (I think it was a) true velvet from my J Custom in the S Series, let's put it this way, I don't have them anymore, I just couldn't get what I wanted from them - the norton did sound good in an RG though.
One last thing, I stayed away from Parallel Axis pickups for a long time as I did not like the way they looked (yes, in hind sight a stupid reason, but a reason nonetheless), and they just didn't jump out and say "buy me" from the tone chart. I live in Australia, so the try and play warranty does not apply for me - if I buy it, I own it - so I was extremely cautious to try something I wasn't 100% sure of - the first time I played it after installation I was sold - they sound a lot better than the specs read, but that's my opinion.
I apologise for the length, but:-
I love the Parallel Axis so much, I've put it in all 4 of my Ibanez guitars (all mahogany bodied - 1x S series, and 3 RG's).
I'm using the PATB-1, PATB-2 (Distortion), PATB-3 (Blues Sarasceno) and Crazy 8 in the bridges, with the first 3 using a PATB-1n in the neck, and Crazy 8 with its matching neck from the custom shop.
In my opinion, the PATB-1 is a "glossy" but very strong sounding, yet articulate pickup. It's cleans up perfectly well, it is now sitting in my RG J-Custom where everyone comments that it just sounds "classy". The clean tone is sparkling clean tone, and it has no problem getting dirty, and handles heavy very well - it's converted many peoples thoughts on these pickups (including mine!) I guess you could describe it like a ballsier Custom Custom.
The PATB-1n is close to a Jazz/'59 sort of hybrid, the overall tone is very '59, but it has a brighter top end like a Jazz with the '59 bottom end - but not as much! Sometimes I've found the '59 neck can have too much bottom end "boom", never had that with the PATB-1n.
The PATB-2 (distortion). In my opinion, a more articulate Duncan Distortion, does not do a very good clean with tubes, but can be controlled with SS amps. Tell you what, it's made for drive, and it screams! I've got a set of Duncan Distortions in a Les Paul that I thought sounded awesome - the PATB-2 is as heavy, it's just more dynamic - balls with sizzle sums this one up.
PATB-3 (Blues Sarasceno) ended up living in my S Series, it is like a ballsier '59 - but much more dynamic. It made a thin sounding mismatched guitar (with original Ibanez QMP pickups) that was a bastard to get any kind of decent tone from, into a beautiful guitar. The PATB-3 sounds fat and full, and it can do the hot rodded Les Paul sound, with surprisingly beautiful cleans. It is a bit scooped in the mids compared to the other models in the range, but just seems to mix with the S series better (again, my opinion) - it made mine come alive.
The crazy 8, it's like the distortion with more bottom end, and no ceramic sizzle. I describe it as the original model, but supercharged - I was shocked at how good it sounded, and already heard the other 3 - if I didn't route a single coil into my S, then I would give these ones a go in there - they are just too much louder than the PA-STKn to make the middle pickup valid. Which I do not find an issue with the other non distortion models - the PATB-1 and PATB-3.
The PA-STKn is the single coil version, well, if you've got the neck and bridge and a middle route, then you've not really any other choice. And yes, it's a good staved single coil.
The JB was a huge upgrade to the original pickups, I say it sounded ok, as it just sounded like a hot rodded super strat - exactly what it should sound like - but it just didn't sound any different to my other JB equipped guitar - which was a HSH Floyd equipped Fender Stratocaster.
For some reason, and I'm guessing it's the mahogany bodies, the Parallel Axis pickups sound significantly better in my Ibanez guitars than my Fenders (Alder bodies). I use the word dynamic a lot describing these, but the are just so well balanced and articulate, and they just sound so good in my Ibanez guitars - they sound so alive - it's like there is extra current running through them, they are more exited in the mahogany (May sound silly, but that's how I'm describing it).
I did try the Tonezone, Air Norton and (I think it was a) true velvet from my J Custom in the S Series, let's put it this way, I don't have them anymore, I just couldn't get what I wanted from them - the norton did sound good in an RG though.
One last thing, I stayed away from Parallel Axis pickups for a long time as I did not like the way they looked (yes, in hind sight a stupid reason, but a reason nonetheless), and they just didn't jump out and say "buy me" from the tone chart. I live in Australia, so the try and play warranty does not apply for me - if I buy it, I own it - so I was extremely cautious to try something I wasn't 100% sure of - the first time I played it after installation I was sold - they sound a lot better than the specs read, but that's my opinion.
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