Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

[comstox]

Greetings fellow guitar lovers! I just bought a late 1980's Ibanez N427 Pawn Store fixer-upper that has some Duncan/Ibanez Humbuckers and I'm hoping someone here has had some experience with these pickups and can tell me what to expect from them. How old do you think they are. What other Seymour Duncan pickups are they similar to? etc... ANY general info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Glen

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

NOT 80s


That "ROHS" crap is newer, its some EU compliance code created in 2002 (?), in power since 2006

Also...HB103b is a typical Duncan Designed code


Its a Korean Duncan Designed HB103B/HB101N knockoff distortion wannabe / knockoff '59-or-something set from early 2000s, just with different baseplate and bobbins markings

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Also, N427 is NOT a model number...judging by oddball mentions of it all over, its some kind of factory stamp or something on a variety of cheapies? Or perhaps another prop 65/RoHS type disclaimer mark for some country

All worthwhile 80s Ibanezes will be Japanese and thus have F#string serials, where F is for FujiGen (the factory, currently makes Prestiges Jcustoms and their own FGNs), and the first digit is the year in the 1980s....so F7=87 etc

Quilt finishes and pretty inlays are extremely unusual for those, most highvalue Japanese Ibanezez are very spartan in decor... meanwhile most cheapo ibanezes will have quilts bindings and pearls and such


Exception: "custom made" inlayed at bottom of fretboard of mid-hiend early 90s japanese ibanezes (but, curiously, *not* on absolute top of line stuff)

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

HB101n is based on the 59n and the HB103b is based off the Distortion. But that bridge with it's one row of hex screws and 1 row of slotted make it look more like a Screamin' Demon.

Duncan designed pickups are iffy at best. Sometimes you get a good one that actually sounds pretty nice, sometimes they don't sound so nice, even within the exact same model.

 

[comstox]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Guys THANKS! I had a real difficult time identifying exactly what year/model this was, (I guess I didn't really identify it at all,) but you guys have helped me tremendously already! There certainly is a wealth of knowledge here!
Thanks again!
Glen

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Guys THANKS! I had a real difficult time identifying exactly what year/model this was, (I guess I didn't really identify it at all,) but you guys have helped me tremendously already! There certainly is a wealth of knowledge here!
Thanks again!
Glen

Post a pic of the whole guitar, trying to ID by inlays is goving me a headache, but the strange combination of features has me curious


Chances are its a 2000s midrange model (in which case whoever claimed 80s was trying to defraud you), although there are always the weird exceptions where someone swaps in cheap pickups from elsewhere into something old

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Actually n/m got it

2007 sz520qm trans green, korea

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net..._TGR_07.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090211160022

Right?

Hope you didnt get conned into paying golden age 80s pricing for that

 

[comstox]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Actually n/m got it

2007 sz520qm trans green, korea

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net..._TGR_07.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090211160022

Right?

Hope you didnt get conned into paying golden age 80s pricing for that

How the heck did you find that Adieu??? I looked forever!
BTW, I got the guitar and a nice hard case for $100. I thought it was a reasonable price. The case, (Minus it's 48 heavy-metal stickers...) is worth half of that!

 

[Spudman]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

BTW, I got the guitar and a nice hard case for $100. I thought it was a reasonable price. The case, (Minus it's 48 heavy-metal stickers...) is worth half of that!

I own several SZ guitars. You got a STEAL of a deal on that guitar, and a case too! Good job. Those are good pickups. Just find the correct pickup height and they will treat you just as good as almost any aftermarket pickup will. I've never changed any of my SZ pickups and have no intention of ever doing so. Not sure I could really improve what I already have. Congrats again.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

How the heck did you find that Adieu??? I looked forever!
BTW, I got the guitar and a nice hard case for $100. I thought it was a reasonable price. The case, (Minus it's 48 heavy-metal stickers...) is worth half of that!

Oh in that case, pure win

Any $100 guitar with hardcase except perhaps a Chinese Squier Affinity is pure win. Just sell case separately if selling, you got ~$300 of stuff there.

Found it pretty easily, horns werent RG, weird-for-Ibanez tops are an SZ thing, oddly named Duncan Designeds and RoHS narrows down the date, and the very un-Ibanez inlay narrows it down to 1 year.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Always liked that model. I called it the "stag" guitar because of the inlay.

 

[comstox]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Always liked that model. I called it the "stag" guitar because of the inlay.

View attachment 93628

The "Stag" model is the 2006, and mine is a 2007 with what I've heard Ibanez people call the "Open Beak," inlays. Open beak like a bird?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Yeah that looks pretty good, which duncans did you install?

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

OP, If you want to get rid of that bridge pickup, let me know. I've been looking for one.

 

[comstox]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Yeah that looks pretty good, which duncans did you install?

Adieu, I left the stock Duncan/Ibanez pickups in the setup. (Look up at the beginning of this thread to see the specifics.)

 

[comstox]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

OP, If you want to get rid of that bridge pickup, let me know. I've been looking for one.

ha! No chance Greg. I am actually in the middle of redoing all of the stock Pots. It had a strange configuration of 1Volume, 1Tone and some sort of mixer pot. I tore that all out and I'm currently re-purposing the pots to a 1Vol, 2Tone 3Way (Neck - Neck/Bridge - Bridge) configuration that I'm most used to. I'll post it when I'm done!

But Greg, what do you know about the pickup? What should I expect from them in the configuration I just described?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Adieu, I left the stock Duncan/Ibanez pickups in the setup. (Look up at the beginning of this thread to see the specifics.)

You posted a picture with visible Seymours, guess that was just a random internet pic

 

[ErikH]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

Those are sweet guitars. Chunky necks, thicker body, great balance. I had a SZ720FM in Blackberry Sunburst. What you paid is downright robbery.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

ha! No chance Greg. I am actually in the middle of redoing all of the stock Pots. It had a strange configuration of 1Volume, 1Tone and some sort of mixer pot. I tore that all out and I'm currently re-purposing the pots to a 1Vol, 2Tone 3Way (Neck - Neck/Bridge - Bridge) configuration that I'm most used to. I'll post it when I'm done!

But Greg, what do you know about the pickup? What should I expect from them in the configuration I just described?

I had 2 sz320ex's and honestly, I didn't appreciate the bridge pickups like I should have.

I think that would be a good setup if it meets your needs. I loved the neck pickup and the bridge was nice.

That particular version of the HB103b was rebranded the HB112 after the deal with Ibanez went bye-bye. You may find more info with that new model number.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Late 80's Duncan/Ibanez Pickups - Who knows what?

^^I knew something was off about the bridge pickup. Here's the info I found about it from our very own forum. Looks to be a very interesting pickup.