Okay, so I have a Ibanez Artcore Series AF75TDGIV Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar, and I have decided on changing the pickups on it, cuzz i want to get a more Zacky Vengance tone with it. I really like the fact that its a semi-hollow. the Pickups i have in it now are the standard Ibanez ACH humbuckers. Ive been playing guitar for only about 2 and a half years, so i'm still in surch of my signature tone if you will. I was looking at the Seymour Duncan SH-2 jazz, and the SH-4, as a combination. I play rythm Guitar, and a bit of lead here and there, and im looking for somthing i can get good harmonies with and will sound great when i take the lead to show off a little bit. Any sugestions would be much appreciated. thxx
HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advice!
- Thread starter KiteBlaze
- Start date
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
I bet a '59 would sound awesome in the neck of that thing. I'm not sure about the bridge, I don't have much experiance with semi-hollows. Maybe a Custom? A '59 would sound good in the bridge but might not give you the output you're looking for. A Custom should give you output and a beefy low end, maybe a little sizzle on the highs but the natural tendancy of a semi-hollow would be to mellow that out a bit.
I dunno, dude. Take that advice with a grain of salt. It sounds good to me on paper but it's not something I've actually tried out myself so :dunno:
I bet a '59 would sound awesome in the neck of that thing. I'm not sure about the bridge, I don't have much experiance with semi-hollows. Maybe a Custom? A '59 would sound good in the bridge but might not give you the output you're looking for. A Custom should give you output and a beefy low end, maybe a little sizzle on the highs but the natural tendancy of a semi-hollow would be to mellow that out a bit.
I dunno, dude. Take that advice with a grain of salt. It sounds good to me on paper but it's not something I've actually tried out myself so :dunno:
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
A pair of 59s can do just about anyhting with style. Puuuurrfect for semis.
A pair of 59s can do just about anyhting with style. Puuuurrfect for semis.
hamerfan
Well-known member
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
not to forget Seths!
BTW DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAF would be great too.
not to forget Seths!
BTW DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAF would be great too.
jake_xms3_punk
New member
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
+1
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
Seths can handle Avenged Sevenfold? :eyecrazy:
Might get a bit microphonic if he uses more gain at high volume, especially in a semi-hollow.
Seths can handle Avenged Sevenfold? :eyecrazy:
Might get a bit microphonic if he uses more gain at high volume, especially in a semi-hollow.
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Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
Howdy,
I agree with Gibson175; SD '59s are versatile. They are widely considered to be a good reproduction of a late '50s Gibson PAF. DiMarzio has a slightly higher octane variant called the 36th Anniversary. Good luck!
Eggman
PS: Me, I'm satisfied with the '59 set in my ES-335, but I'm a Beatles and 'Stones kind of rhythm guitarist.
Howdy,
I agree with Gibson175; SD '59s are versatile. They are widely considered to be a good reproduction of a late '50s Gibson PAF. DiMarzio has a slightly higher octane variant called the 36th Anniversary. Good luck!
Eggman
PS: Me, I'm satisfied with the '59 set in my ES-335, but I'm a Beatles and 'Stones kind of rhythm guitarist.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
+1. '59's are great. For a hot bridge, a C5/'59N and C8/'59N are excellent.
Please, don't get a JB/Jazz set, that's the sign a newbie. Be more imaginative than that.
+1. '59's are great. For a hot bridge, a C5/'59N and C8/'59N are excellent.
Please, don't get a JB/Jazz set, that's the sign a newbie. Be more imaginative than that.
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
ok, so you guys are saying go for the '59 in the bridge. I don't really want to get gibson picups, because I plan on buying a gibson les paul further down the line. Im curiouse to know why ,blueman, that the jb/jazz is a sign of a newbi. I have heard alot of good things about that set.
I really like the synyster gates/ Zacky Vengance harmonies, and thats the sorta combo i want to duplicate for my band. i want the rich destortion on the lows, but i also want my guitar to scream when i solo. i really like my duel Invaders on my Syn Custom, but I want to try somthing abit different.
It seems unnanomous... sorry, im a guitar player not an english major, my spelling sucks... the Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59s are an idea.
Kam, as you said, take it with a grain of salt, the oly way to determin if somthing will work is to try it and see. The mellow open sound of the hollow body with the '59(neck)/custom(bridge) might end up being what im looking for. I will keep that in mind.
ok, so you guys are saying go for the '59 in the bridge. I don't really want to get gibson picups, because I plan on buying a gibson les paul further down the line. Im curiouse to know why ,blueman, that the jb/jazz is a sign of a newbi. I have heard alot of good things about that set.
I really like the synyster gates/ Zacky Vengance harmonies, and thats the sorta combo i want to duplicate for my band. i want the rich destortion on the lows, but i also want my guitar to scream when i solo. i really like my duel Invaders on my Syn Custom, but I want to try somthing abit different.
It seems unnanomous... sorry, im a guitar player not an english major, my spelling sucks... the Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59s are an idea.
Kam, as you said, take it with a grain of salt, the oly way to determin if somthing will work is to try it and see. The mellow open sound of the hollow body with the '59(neck)/custom(bridge) might end up being what im looking for. I will keep that in mind.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
Duncan packages the JB/Jazz as a 'hot rodded set' but most of us don't put these two together (there is nothing remotely 'hot rodded' about a Jazz). We usually find a better bridge or neck PU to use. The JB is notoriously picky about the wood it's in, and a lot of players don't like it in mahogany and warm guitars (like 335's), where an ice pick spike & loose low end can be prominent. The Jazz is frequently considered here to be a bland and boring neck PU, and we'll choose something with a little more color & cut, like a PAF ('59, PG, A2P, etc).
Most of us here have owned a wide variety of PU's, and JB's are often one of the first a player tries. But not everyone is happy with them; it's a very controversial PU. I personally see the JB as an exciting PU decades ago, when it was one of the first high-output aftermarket PU's. But there's been a lot of competition and development in aftermarket PU's since then, the bar's been raised, and there's much more to choose from now. Compared to other high-output PU's, more players are seeing the JB as specialized for certain woods, and certain types of music. Duncan makes some other high-output PU's (like the Custom series) that are excellent and worth trying.
Duncan packages the JB/Jazz as a 'hot rodded set' but most of us don't put these two together (there is nothing remotely 'hot rodded' about a Jazz). We usually find a better bridge or neck PU to use. The JB is notoriously picky about the wood it's in, and a lot of players don't like it in mahogany and warm guitars (like 335's), where an ice pick spike & loose low end can be prominent. The Jazz is frequently considered here to be a bland and boring neck PU, and we'll choose something with a little more color & cut, like a PAF ('59, PG, A2P, etc).
Most of us here have owned a wide variety of PU's, and JB's are often one of the first a player tries. But not everyone is happy with them; it's a very controversial PU. I personally see the JB as an exciting PU decades ago, when it was one of the first high-output aftermarket PU's. But there's been a lot of competition and development in aftermarket PU's since then, the bar's been raised, and there's much more to choose from now. Compared to other high-output PU's, more players are seeing the JB as specialized for certain woods, and certain types of music. Duncan makes some other high-output PU's (like the Custom series) that are excellent and worth trying.
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
He said that because a lot of guys who don't know much about guitar pickups usually buy that set because it's sold as a pair and because of the way it's advertised. There's a lot of guys here (myself included) that don't like these pickups much and even more who think that they're very mismatched and shouldn't be sold as a pair.
Hell yeah man, I would never discourage experimentation. No matter how much advice you get it's the only way to find what you really want. Try a '59, you might love it. I've got the bridge model in an SG and I love it to death. The neck model is also the only neck humbucker I use at the minute.
I think it really depends what kind of amp you're using. If you get most of your distortion from the amp then a '59 can work out really well, as long as you don't go too overboard with the gain. The only reason I said a Custom is because it's described as a beefed up and pissed off PAF type pickup and I think the extra output would be nice if you mostly play a pushed tube amp. I also think it's palm-mute sound is pretty unbeatable. A '59, in my experiance, can get a little mushy once you dime the gain.
Though when I think about it a little more, I think Blueman was onto something when he mentioned the Custom8. That pickup KILLS for both rhythm and lead, which could be really good for you if you want to play crushing chugga-chugga riffs and harmony-type leads on the high strings. I've never played or heard it in a hollow-body before though.
The main thing is to make up your own mind though. You want to try a '59, then get it. You want to try EMGs, go for it. You want to take up playing acoustic exclusively, no one here will talk you out of it. Experiment away, dude. It's the only way you'll both find your tone and think that you deserve it. :fing2:
Good luck!
He said that because a lot of guys who don't know much about guitar pickups usually buy that set because it's sold as a pair and because of the way it's advertised. There's a lot of guys here (myself included) that don't like these pickups much and even more who think that they're very mismatched and shouldn't be sold as a pair.
Hell yeah man, I would never discourage experimentation. No matter how much advice you get it's the only way to find what you really want. Try a '59, you might love it. I've got the bridge model in an SG and I love it to death. The neck model is also the only neck humbucker I use at the minute.
I think it really depends what kind of amp you're using. If you get most of your distortion from the amp then a '59 can work out really well, as long as you don't go too overboard with the gain. The only reason I said a Custom is because it's described as a beefed up and pissed off PAF type pickup and I think the extra output would be nice if you mostly play a pushed tube amp. I also think it's palm-mute sound is pretty unbeatable. A '59, in my experiance, can get a little mushy once you dime the gain.
Though when I think about it a little more, I think Blueman was onto something when he mentioned the Custom8. That pickup KILLS for both rhythm and lead, which could be really good for you if you want to play crushing chugga-chugga riffs and harmony-type leads on the high strings. I've never played or heard it in a hollow-body before though.
The main thing is to make up your own mind though. You want to try a '59, then get it. You want to try EMGs, go for it. You want to take up playing acoustic exclusively, no one here will talk you out of it. Experiment away, dude. It's the only way you'll both find your tone and think that you deserve it. :fing2:
Good luck!
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
loudriver23
New member
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
I have the Gibson 57's in mine and I really enjoy them. I suppose if I were to upgrade the Ants or the Seth's would be my first and second choices.
I have the Gibson 57's in mine and I really enjoy them. I suppose if I were to upgrade the Ants or the Seth's would be my first and second choices.
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
Ok, Im running my guitars though my 2 amps. a peavy 15 watt with great effects and a distortion i really like, and the second is a 30watt marshal which i run a foot peddle through. I don't know the exact moddles because im currently serving a tour in the middle east, and my gear is in storage at my dads house.
As for Kam, i listened to the sound clips and i really like the '59s in both the neck and bridge, and i also really like the custom. im thinking im gonna try that combination in my hollow body.
I also listened to the APH-1 Alnico II pros in a video part of the contest or whatever, and with the reverb, it sounded more like i was listening to an organ rather than a guitar. I really like those pickups. Im thinking im gonna put them in my B.C. Rich warlock bronze addition that i have. the stock pickups that are in it are simply that, the're simply stock.
I want to thank everyone for the advice!!! If you are interested, search kiteblaze on myspace, and you can here some of my work. 3 songs i beleive. its some older work, but it was recorded befor my deployment. feel free to add me if you wish. take care, and Rock On!!!
Ok, Im running my guitars though my 2 amps. a peavy 15 watt with great effects and a distortion i really like, and the second is a 30watt marshal which i run a foot peddle through. I don't know the exact moddles because im currently serving a tour in the middle east, and my gear is in storage at my dads house.
As for Kam, i listened to the sound clips and i really like the '59s in both the neck and bridge, and i also really like the custom. im thinking im gonna try that combination in my hollow body.
I also listened to the APH-1 Alnico II pros in a video part of the contest or whatever, and with the reverb, it sounded more like i was listening to an organ rather than a guitar. I really like those pickups. Im thinking im gonna put them in my B.C. Rich warlock bronze addition that i have. the stock pickups that are in it are simply that, the're simply stock.
I want to thank everyone for the advice!!! If you are interested, search kiteblaze on myspace, and you can here some of my work. 3 songs i beleive. its some older work, but it was recorded befor my deployment. feel free to add me if you wish. take care, and Rock On!!!
Kam
Shaftologist
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
No problem at all dude, as long as you find the sound you're happy with. Stick around the forums, there's some really cool guys here and you won't believe how much junk about guitars they know. Seriously.
Best of luck with the tour, I hope you're safe.
:beerchug:
No problem at all dude, as long as you find the sound you're happy with. Stick around the forums, there's some really cool guys here and you won't believe how much junk about guitars they know. Seriously.
Best of luck with the tour, I hope you're safe.
:beerchug:
Re: HELP!!! Im looking for pickups for a Semi-hollow body guitar and need expert advi
Yeah why bother asking people about tone when you just play metal. But anyway, the Jazz neck is not bland and I found this:
The APH1N was very loud and boomy and just sounded like mud in the neck.
The jazz neck in comb with a Pearly gates bridge gets a tone like "Sultans of Swing" except thicker and I have found a use for generally considered useless, middle selection.
THe jazz neck produces exactly the tone that I imagined it would when reading the SD description and extrapolating thru comparison of other sound samples.
There was no significance regarding wood and if the performance from that guitar (mahogany) to the one the APHN1 is now in (Alder) is anything to go by,
I would expect the jazz neck to take on the warmth of mahogany and not produce some inverse response.
You have to "use some imagination" in order to extrapolate in that fashion and I am considering buying another jazz neck for a Chibson ES175 but I won't know until
I get it and play it for a while.
I may try a Bendetto but I will DMOR and arrive at the solution best fitting my circumstances and use this thread to consider other peoples experiences in my research process.
I have been "told off" by moderators for blasting clowns before so I will just warn you that I don't like the way you spoke down to that person and the way you then went on this tech rant claiming to represent some "elitist society".
Yeah why bother asking people about tone when you just play metal. But anyway, the Jazz neck is not bland and I found this:
The APH1N was very loud and boomy and just sounded like mud in the neck.
The jazz neck in comb with a Pearly gates bridge gets a tone like "Sultans of Swing" except thicker and I have found a use for generally considered useless, middle selection.
THe jazz neck produces exactly the tone that I imagined it would when reading the SD description and extrapolating thru comparison of other sound samples.
There was no significance regarding wood and if the performance from that guitar (mahogany) to the one the APHN1 is now in (Alder) is anything to go by,
I would expect the jazz neck to take on the warmth of mahogany and not produce some inverse response.
You have to "use some imagination" in order to extrapolate in that fashion and I am considering buying another jazz neck for a Chibson ES175 but I won't know until
I get it and play it for a while.
I may try a Bendetto but I will DMOR and arrive at the solution best fitting my circumstances and use this thread to consider other peoples experiences in my research process.
I have been "told off" by moderators for blasting clowns before so I will just warn you that I don't like the way you spoke down to that person and the way you then went on this tech rant claiming to represent some "elitist society".
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