Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

[Tees_Metal]

Hey, I have an Ibanez RG321 and just got a SD Jazz neck humbucker and a SD Distortion bridge humbucker. I didnt want to pay the large fee to get the music store guys to put them in and I wanted to learn to do it myself. I looked up the colour codes for the pickups that come stock in the RG321 (which are Power Sounds) and i looked up the colour codes for the Seymour Duncans. I compaired them and it showed that these colours replaced eachother:

Power Sound - Blue White Red Black

Seymour Duncan - Green Red Black White

So I replaced all the wires with their corrisponding seymour wires and tried it out. They work nice but when I turn distortion on i get a fairly loud huming noise....more than with my Powersounds.

Why is this happening? What did I do wrong? Helpppp plzzz!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

I think that one of your ground connections is faulty. Go over them all and make sure that all connections are smooth and shiny.

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

Bah the spaces got removed.
There:

Seymour --> Power Sound
Green -----> Blue
Red -------> White
Black ------> Red
White -----> Black

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

I think that one of your ground connections is faulty. Go over them all and make sure that all connections are smooth and shiny.

Your answer is likely above. Another spot that is often the culprit is the input jack. Make sure that it hasn't come loose, and twisted one of the wires partly off.

BTW, isn't that a load of ****e that shops charge to install pickups even if you buy them there?

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

Yea no kidding, they wanted 40$ canadian to put in my neck pickup alone....alright ill check those things out thx guys.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

The Duncan pickup has 5 wires, there is a also a bare wire that needs to be connected to ground together with the green wire.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

Yea no kidding, they wanted 40$ canadian to put in my neck pickup alone....alright ill check those things out thx guys.

I was at the Drinking Gourd (local shop in Dayton) asking about an ESP Horizon that was a 5 or 6 year old store demo guitar. Good shape, few scratches, etc... Anyway, the guy said he'd let it go for $950 :saeek: (anybody who's looked knows these can be had on ebay for W E L L under that any day of the week). I then asked what the total price would be for the ESP, a Dimebucker & a Jazz (both of which were in stock). He asked me if that would be with me installing them (!) and quoted a price of $1125. You're asking me to throw down well over a grand on a used guitar, and you won't install the pickups for free?!?! :fing25:

BTW, the price broke down to $950 for the guitar, $100 for the Dime, and $75 for the Jazz. Needless to say, I refuse to shop there, and encourage as many people as I can to do the same.

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

LOL thats brutal.
Anyway...I re saddered the input wires and checked them out and tried it and it still hummed.
Then i cleaned up all the ground connections and re saddered them too. It still hummed. And the bare wires r there too all set up. and it still hums! AHHHHHH!!! lol.
I have no idea whats wrong with it...someone helpppp meee plzz!!

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

wow....i just noticed something....
when im right infront of my amp theres no annoying hum...when i go slightly beside it...not that much...it starts to hum...on either side...why the hell?
And i dont have a ****ty amp either (check my signature)
should i post a sound file of it? and how do i post a sound file anyway?

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

o man u guys r gunna hate me...lol
Iv changed my mind...
I noticed that when i was sitting at my computer with my guit it hummed loud. when i turn away from the screen the hum stops...when i stand like 6 feet away form my comp while im facing it, it stops
I went up to my lamp on the other side my room and faced it like 3 feet away...it hummed like mad...i flicked off the light...the hum totally stopped
My buddy has the same SD Distortion pickup as me, the same amp and same pedal and this doesnt happen to him, he can sit at his computer and play fine...WTF IS GOING ONN!?!?!? LOL

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

oh yea...
for adjusting the pickups...i just do the height of them right? i fooled around with the height of them to make them sound good...what about those little screws on one half of the humbucker...do u adjust those too?

 

[Davey]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

o man u guys r gunna hate me...lol
Iv changed my mind...
I noticed that when i was sitting at my computer with my guit it hummed loud. when i turn away from the screen the hum stops...when i stand like 6 feet away form my comp while im facing it, it stops
I went up to my lamp on the other side my room and faced it like 3 feet away...it hummed like mad...i flicked off the light...the hum totally stopped
My buddy has the same SD Distortion pickup as me, the same amp and same pedal and this doesnt happen to him, he can sit at his computer and play fine...WTF IS GOING ONN!?!?!? LOL

LOL

does he have a LCD or TFT monitor? those have no radiation, any and all lights, ESPECIALLY if they're those cold neon ones will hum your ass off.

everything lets off a magnetic field and that is interfering with your pickups. having good shileding in the cavities helps out a bit but it will still hum

 

[Tees_Metal]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

ahh...no he just has a regular monitor like me. yea thats ****in weird...anyway...what do u guys know about adjusting the pickups?
Do i just fiddle with the height or do i fiddle with the little screws in the pickup too? cuz right now the sound isnt very impressive

 

[Imp]

Re: Putting SD humbuckers in my Ibanez RG

only fiddle with the polepiece screws to compensate for neck radius (curved neck surface) like on strats...

you're best off adjusting the height adjusters till you're happy with it - a quarter of a turn can make all the difference