Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

[Dante80]

Hi! First post here and guitar newbie

I just got my hands on a Ibanez Roadstar II Steve Lukather 1983.
The stock pickups sounds good, very good cleans but not too much bite. The neck is very low output, measured to 4,7 by my tech, sounds good though.

Considering changing them with something that can maintain the crisp cleans, but with a bit fatter crunch.

My own reasearh has found that maybe a Pearly Gates/Custom5 combo could be good.

The guitar has a basswood body with maple top, maple neck and ebony fretboard.
My amp is a Laney Ironheart IRT30-112, more of a high gain amp with a good clean channel and plenty options.

I play rock (Neil Young, AC/DC, RHCP etc), classic rock (Led Zep, Black Sabbath), and also some blues and everything else along those lines and a bit beyond.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Those pickups seemed to work really well for Steve on his rock stuff....

 

[Dante80]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Was thinking they might have lost some output over time? My tech said this could be a possibility as the neck was very low. Bridge was measured to 7,4 if I remember correctly.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Are these measurements in ohms?

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[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

I mean kiloohms.

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[Dante80]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

I guess so. Not that into this. He used a meter and put one pin on the pickup and one some other place on the guitar, guessing the input hole. Was thinking the number he gave me was what is refered to as DCR. Not sure though, but I think so

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

DCR - DC Resistance.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Not familiar with the guitar. Is the neck pickup a single coil?

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[ICTGoober]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Both are Ibanez humbuckers - the neck is a Super 58, and the bridge was a SL, both were tappable as I remember. I could be wrong, too - it's been a long time since I used to work on these.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

It's just that 4.7k seems low for a humbucker.

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[Dante80]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

So, lets say I dont have any pickups on the guitar, what would you recommend for my setup?

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Hot Rodded set.....

 

[jeremy]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

lots of good sets but a pearly gates neck and custom 5 is a fine setup. warm clear neck with a bright bridge with a big bottom

 

[Dante80]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Would a set of Phat Cats be suitable?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

It's just that 4.7k seems low for a humbucker.

Not one with a dead coil maybe.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

First, I'd make sure that neck pickup is functioning properly. But I like your idea of the Pearly Gates/Custom 5. Or even a regular Custom, if you want a little more mids in there. I've never seen one of these guitars...do you have a pic?

 

[Discharged]

Re: Pickups for Ibanez Steve Lukather Roadstar

Hi! First post here and guitar newbie

I just got my hands on a Ibanez Roadstar II Steve Lukather 1983.
The stock pickups sounds good, very good cleans but not too much bite. The neck is very low output, measured to 4,7 by my tech, sounds good though.

Considering changing them with something that can maintain the crisp cleans, but with a bit fatter crunch.

My own reasearh has found that maybe a Pearly Gates/Custom5 combo could be good.

The guitar has a basswood body with maple top, maple neck and ebony fretboard.
My amp is a Laney Ironheart IRT30-112, more of a high gain amp with a good clean channel and plenty options.

I play rock (Neil Young, AC/DC, RHCP etc), classic rock (Led Zep, Black Sabbath), and also some blues and everything else along those lines and a bit beyond.

Well, I've serviced one of those sometime ago, and what we found to work best whith it was an A4/A8-modded '59 set, and just as the owner roughly played the same styles of music, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

/Peter