Ibanez Prestige RG HSS ash body pickup advice

[Strat77]

Hi guys,
Firstly a hello from a new member, hope you're all having a great day - and if not that's nothing that can't be fixed with a cool beer later!

I'm looking to upgrade the stock DiMarzio/IBZ HSS pickups in my RG2560 Prestige, this one in crimson wine (red to you and me) : http://ibanez.wikia.com/wiki/RG2560ZEX

The stock ones are ok but I think there's a lot more this guitar has to offer as it plays so well and even with the stocks sounds good.
I play rock and some blues and have other guitars for exact strat tones and I don't play metal at all.
I like the idea of rails at the neck and middle.
For neck and middle I was thinking of something like either cool rails or hot rails, and Duncan Custom Trembucker at the bridge.
Or from DiMarzio, maybe the Andy Timmons set, but don't know how that would work with ash, and just because he sounds great doesn't mean it will work for me as Andy Timmons could get great tones from a potato! Or two choppers / two air norton s in the neck and middle paired with a tone zone/air zone?

What would the wisdom of the internet suggest, bearing in mind the ash body?

Thanks to anyone who chips in

Billy

 

[devastone]

Re: Ibanez Prestige RG HSS ash body pickup advice

What are you trying to get out of it that you don't feel you are getting from the stock set? Keep in mind, the stock pups are USA made DiMarzios, so just changing to Duncans or other DiMarzios will not be an upgrade in "quality".

FWIW, I've had good luck with the Breed in the bridge of an ash body/maple neck guitar, but that worked for me, the Breed is a "polite"/"warm" sounding pickup that still has lots of harmonics.

I also have a Custom in the bridge of an ash body strat, it sounds good also, but is very different than the Breed, it is much more raw sounding.

I haven't tried the AT-1 but I'm sure it will be warmer and smoother than the Custom, it's kind of the nature of DMZs and Duncans.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ibanez Prestige RG HSS ash body pickup advice

What are the specs of the original pickups and what are they voiced like? It'd be a shame to replace them with something that may be the same or very close to what you already have.

 

[dave74]

Re: Ibanez Prestige RG HSS ash body pickup advice

Here's the official description of the stock Dimarzio/Ibanez models,, just for reference.

http://www.dimarzio.com/faq#55/60/7581

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ibanez Prestige RG HSS ash body pickup advice

Here's the official description of the stock Dimarzio/Ibanez models,, just for reference.

http://www.dimarzio.com/faq#55/60/7581

Nice. According to that info, you have something similar to a pair of HS-2's and a tweaked Super D. That's not a bad thing at all. Personally, if it were my guitar and depending on the tones you want out of it, I'd replace the singles first (I never cared much for the HS series pickups) and then address the humbucker at a later time if need be.