Help me choose pups for my RG7620

[BluesGuyJ]

Hey guys, I'm not all that satisfied with the stock pickups in my RG7620.

Here's what I want in terms of tone...

Bridge: I want maximum crunch for distorted rhythem work. I don't want any muddiness. I want high out put with this position also. Don't worry about cleans, I never play clean with a bridge pickup.In terms of other guitarists I'd like to sound similiar tone wise, think Petrucci/Vai.

Neck: I want something that isn't muddy and compresses very well. For this, think Petrucci's earlier Ibanez tone. I do all my clean playing with either the neck or middle position. I want clear definition with the neck pickup also because I do a lot of fast solos with this pup on the G,B, and E strings at higher frets.

So don't worry so much about clean tones, that's what I have my Satriani for. Just think Metal/Progressive. I am open to primarily Duncan and Dimarzio pickups because they are the easiest to get my hands on. And remember, this is for a 7 String....

 

[pinto79]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

Dude, your 7620 came stock with Dimarzio Blaze pickups. Getting a Vai tone shouldn't be a problem, as they were designed for him. You could try an Evolution 7 bridge and perhaps a PAF 7 neck.

Good luck!

Trevor

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

I don't believe it did, but I'll look into that...

 

[ProgWok]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

That's a 7-string model Ibanez, right?

In that case I'd go for a DiMarzio Blaze bridge and an Air Norton 7 for the neck.

According to DiMarzio, the Blaze bridge is very similar in sound to the Steve's Special, which is the pickup John Petrucci had in his Ibanez signature guitars, together with the Air Norton in the neck. I have a Steve's Special in a not-so-good guitar (plywood body, say no more), but it sounds fantastic. High output, great for high gain, mighty distiortion, but very controlled.

I think the Air Norton is very smooth and warm for solos, but I never had one myself. But if you don't want any muddiness but high output in bridge, smooth, compressed sound in the neck, I'd go for these.

 

[Imp]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

Dude, your 7620 came stock with Dimarzio Blaze pickups.

wrong blaze II's. they SUCK. i replaced the bridge unit this morning with a JB-7, and the stock had B II on the baseplate. definitely not a blaze...

and as for the JB.. hasnt been in 12 hours yet, but i really like the clean and mid-gain sounds im getting! not much news on the high-gain stuff yet, but so many people report success with air nortons or other dimarzios... i'd give them a shot!!

tom

 

[pinto79]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

wrong blaze II's. they SUCK.

Well, to pick nits, there was no Blaze I, so the terms Blaze and Blaze II are used interchangeabley(sp?), I am a member at Jemsite and have studied Ibanez guitars at length, and I have owned a Universe. So I like to think that I know a bit about this topic

As far as them sucking, that's one's opinion. I personally think the JB sucks but a number of people here like it, and that's their dis-function.

I never stated a preference for the Blaze pups, just stating that that's waht cames stock in an RG7620, and if one is looking to get a Vai sound, it's not a bad place to start.

If I was inclined to play a 7 string, I'd probably look at the EVO7, the Norton7 or something like a Custom7

But that's just me!

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Help me choose pups for my RG7620

Well I am going to have some work done on the action/setup and I'll see if that makes a pleasant difference. The bridge pups sounds just fine now that I really work with it, but the neck sounds a little flat and thin. I'll work with the guitar some more and see how it goes. I had the action worked on and every single fret has some amount of buzz to it, so maybe that's my main problem. I am never going back to that store. Sometimes I think the guitar tech there does wacko/crappy jobs sometimes cuz I'm blind and he knows I can't work on my guitar myslef. Who knows. But it sounds like a Sitar from the 12th fret and on.