Changing pickups to an Ibanez RGT1270PB. Thoughts about these Seymour Duncan options?

[Maegirom]

Hi there, first post here, sorry for my english...
I have just purchased an Ibanez RGT1270PB. It's from called "premium" series. Neck-thru, stainless frets, original edge bridge, beautiful, great playability, comfortable... BUT I don't like that "the tone zone" pickup from dimarzio wich is installed on the bridge. I feel it too dark and dull.

For reference, my main guitar is a 2008 Carvin. It has the default C22 pickups from those years. While some people hate them, I love their treble character, and the "the tone zone" are just the opposite. They (the C22) are Alnico V, and have high output.

SO, I'm watching some seymour duncan reviews, and here go my thoughts: (Note that I play mostly rock and metal (not extreme or tune down metal, think about Helloween, Judas, Scorpions, Dream theater, etc...)) and I'm searching for a bright pickup, but balanced and very tight. Don't like the loose feeling.

- Nazgul: I like it. Much treble, but it sounds similar to my Carvin. But I understand it is for drop tuning or 7/8 string guitars, right? Don't know if it may be too much bright or thin in a lighter 6 string guitar...
- SH-5 Custom: I feel it as a soft scoop and very tight.I like it.
- Invader and SH-15 Alternate 8, I feel them similar each other and well balanced... althought maybe less personality or more cold that the rest?

- JB sounds great too but I feel it a bit too vintage for me. Has a great output but it's not tight enough.


I think Kiesel (old Carvin) pickups would be a great choice, BUT I'm in Europe, I would prefer to first consider alternatives that are easier to purchase here.

I'm not investigated about dimarzio pickups (I'm already a bit overwhelmed with so many models in the market)

So, any thought about this?

Thanks in advance.​

 

[Securb]

If you are looking for a metal pickup with a bit more brightness I would suggst a Dimebucker.

 

[Seashore]

Distortion would be a good choice too. Wouldn't recommend an Invader if you want brightness.

 

[Cynical]

Consider the Pegasus -- while I've got no direct experience with the C22B, I *do* have experience with the M22SD (my main guitar is an Ultra V with the stock M22SD), and the Pegasus is surprisingly similar (a bit lower output but also a bit tighter). It's a lot brighter than Duncan's tone chart for it would lead you to believe.

Of the pickups in your list, the only ones I have direct experience with are the JB, the Custom, and the Invader. The Custom would do what you want; the Invader would probably be fatter and darker than you want, and the JB is (as you point out) very loose in the low end.

 

[Mincer]

Consider the Full Shred, the newer JB Rails, and Custom 5.

 

[Maegirom]

After looking at reviews all day, I'm definitely between the nazgul and the sh-5.
My only fear is that the Ibanez is basswood body. Don't know if it may be too squisy for this high treble pickups

 

[Mincer]

I think you can't always go just by the wood. Pick the pickup in the direction you want to go.

 

[Maegirom]

Ok, thanks to everybody. A last question if you are so kind... Should I buy a humbucker or a trembucker? The guitar is this:

https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/rgt1270pb_1p_02.html

I assume I have to buy a trembucker size, but to be honest, I had never heard of this concept until now, and I'm in guitar world for almost 40 years xD
Thanks.

 

[AdrianSD]

Definitely trembucker for the Edge trem. And another vote for Distortion and Custom, they're both very '80s sounding. I doubt Nazgul's chainsaw "character" makes it suitable for playing Scorpions or Priest, way too modern, it really is a very unique pickup, but not at all versatile. In the 1992 Helloween tour Roland Grapow was playing a red Strat with what it seems to be a single coil in the bridge and they didn't really have that much gain live, that probably help keeping their riffs tight. Even a JB might work, it isn't THAT loose, use a tubescreamer / SD-1 as clean boost into your amp and it'll be plenty tight.

 

[AdrianSD]

Here both Weikath and Grapow were playing strats, both killer players and what a song!