Ibanez S470 & new pickups

[metalmike]

Hello people,it's my first time posting here so nice to meet you ^^

First of all I would like to say that i have read all threads about my guitar and new pickups but i would like to have your opinion in mine too if you don't mind. I have an Ibanez S470 guitar and i would like to change its stock pickups (INFs) for Seymour Duncans (i won't change middle single coil pickup,maybe later). This guitar has mahogany body which is considered to be bassier-middier (correct me if i'm wrong) but its body is very thin and i am a little confused about what pickups to choose (its sound with stock pickups i think it's a little weak and trebly).

What i want from my sound are these:

BRIDGE: "Chunka chunka" sound,with good clarity,punch,low end,palm muting and a good lead sound too if i am not asking too much (well i know i am )

NECK: Warm-smooth-sweet lead sound with good clean sound

I think that an Alternative 8/'59 set will do the job but i would like to know what you believe it's best for the sound that i want and my guitar.

I mostly play metal through a Marshall AVT 2000 20w and a Zoom G2.1u (i know that my equipment isn't great and i won't hear so much difference with new pickups but i am planning to get an all tube amp and a good analog (metal) distortion pedal soon)

Thanks in advance (and sorry for my crappy english xD)

 

[Jay 77]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

For clarity & power, the Custom, Alt 8, and Distortion may be good choices for the bridge. As for the neck, another Distortion may surprise you. Depending on how clean you want, the Invader neck is surprisingly good. It's not quite as huge sounding as its bridge counterpart, it's solid, warm and smooth sounding, and it'll clean up fairly well in a thinner mahogany body. No joke, it may be what you're after.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

Custom Bridge and a 59 neck is my suggestion.

 

[metalmike]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

Anyone else?

Yesterday i was at a friend's house for jamming and he has a gibson explorer (with stock pickups). Well,i know that it has thick body and overall is very different guitar (i could say better too) than mine. What i want to say is that i tried it and it has a great thick heavy sound that mine doesn't have. My guitar (with the same equipment) sounded very thin-weak-bright. So i think that i definitely want a pickup that will thicken my guitar's sound. So,is custom (or distortion) able enough for that?Because as i have read from here Alt 8 is better making the sound of a bright guitar fatter. I am just so confused :/

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

You cannot compare guitars like that......one has to take them for what they are in the first place...otherwise you might end up chasing your tail forever.
Plus settings for one guitar, rarely adds up for another guitar.

 

[metalmike]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

You cannot compare guitars like that......one has to take them for what they are in the first place...otherwise you might end up chasing your tail forever. Plus settings for one guitar, rarely adds up for another guitar.

Well i totally agree man but when i took my guitar was 2 years ago and then i had absolutely no idea about these details (and so much other stuff about music equipment), if i was going to buy a guitar now i would definitely make a better choice for the sound that i would like to have now (that doesn't mean that S470 is a bad guitar). In addition, i didn't said that i want exactly the same sound like gibson explorer (i know that's impossible) but i would like to have a fatter tone similar to it.

So what you mean is that i can't do anything? That i have just to sell my guitar and buy a new one with my present criteria of the sound i like?

Just throw your opinions here people, the more opinions you throw the more help i get (and there is no right or wrong opinion)

 

[donnievaz]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

Well i totally agree man but when i took my guitar was 2 years ago and then i had absolutely no idea about these details (and so much other stuff about music equipment), if i was going to buy a guitar now i would definitely make a better choice for the sound that i would like to have now (that doesn't mean that S470 is a bad guitar). In addition, i didn't said that i want exactly the same sound like gibson explorer (i know that's impossible) but i would like to have a fatter tone similar to it.

So what you mean is that i can't do anything? That i have just to sell my guitar and buy a new one with my present criteria of the sound i like?

Just throw your opinions here people, the more opinions you throw the more help i get (and there is no right or wrong opinion)

What strings are you using? I've owned a couple of those 470's and they can be thin sounding. Try a set of 10's (if your using nines) you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

My vote goes to a PATB-2 in the bridge and a PATB-1n in the neck.

 

[metalmike]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

What strings are you using? I've owned a couple of those 470's and they can be thin sounding. Try a set of 10's (if your using nines) you may be pleasantly surprised.

I tried that solution,i am using 10's already. Yeah,it was a big surprise But still unsatisfied,i don't have this "big sound",the "body" of guitar's sound is still thin, it doesn't have that fullness...i don't know how to describe it better :28:

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

It's probably just lacking the low end to sound huge during those palm mutes. I'd think an Invader or Distortion could help with that (in both positions).

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

You could also try a custom 5. Very nice tight low end and nice a bright at the other. Might be just the sort of thing you're after.
What kind of music to play?

Oh, neck wise try a jazz if you're after something reasonably articulate and clear.

My suggestions are what I'd think about putting in if was my guitar and going through my rig.

 

[metalmike]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

@ibanezrocks

I see that a lot of you speak about distortion,it has good low end as i have read in many forums but i have also read it that has that shrilly high end,so is it able to fatten my guitar's sound after all? I think invader is very unique pickup with kinda "strange" sound and i don't want that (that's why i reject all active pickups too-i know invader is passive ). I just want a good normal sounding passive,with high ouput,good crunch for metal style, but most important with thick sound and rounded highs.

@Uk Ant

I play metal,sometimes hard rock,rarely rock...but most of the times (about 80%) metal For neck i think i will choose 59 because it has warmer tone (paf style) and a little more output than jazz which is brighter.Anyway,i think these 2 pickups are almost the same so whatever i choose will be ok

 

[redsnail]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

Hi, I was just browsing these forums looking for replacement pickup ideas for my S470 in the neck and middle positions...(I also have a Valvestate 2000 AVT275 amp which I thought was weird!) - I have replaced the bridge with a distortion and it sound much fuller and a vast improvement over the stock pickup. I was thinking of a full shred for the neck position, what did you decide on in the end? Any ideas for the middle pickup?

 

[Brow]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

I have an S470 that I keep tuned in D standard with 11s or 12s (I forget which) and I have Bareknuckle Nailbombs in the bridge and neck with a Trilogy Suite in the middle.

 

[crguti]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

custom bridge and a 59 neck is my suggestion.

+1

 

[Seraphial]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

I'd probably say a Distortion or Custom for the bridge, maybe a 59, PG or Alnico II for the neck. Someone else chime in if the Alnico II maybe a bit weak for this position.

On a side note, if it's fat you're looking for and you play a lot of metal, the Anderson's (H3 onwards) are renowned for being chunky. A Perfect Cicle's Billy Howerdel uses them and his tone is pretty good (albeit through a custom amp and rack FX). They split well as well if you're mixing with the middle coil.

 

[Juntas]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

dimarzio crunch lab or evolution in the bridge
air zone air norton or Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck

I've used the evolution in the bridge with my s470 and it is amazing. only reason i replaced it was cuz i needed more versatility. I have also heard good things about the evolution in both bridge and neck in this guitar.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Ibanez S470 & new pickups

I just dropped an invader set in my parker p42 (mahogony body, maple neck, ebony board) and I love it. Got a great deal on the set too.