I've got an Ibanez RG 652, and it's quite possibly the most perfect guitar I've ever owned. Except for the pickups. They are DiMarzio Fusion Edge. They are not in the DiMarzio catalog, but online sources say they are roughly equal to the Titan. They're not bad, and I could live with them, if they didn't turn muddy under distortion. I have a SH5 custom in a different RG that I absolutely love, and the knee jerk reaction is to put one in here. The problem is, this RG has an ash body, and I've heard many people say that the Custom doesn't play well with brighter woods. Custom 5 maybe ? Thinking of a 59 for the neck either way. Opinions ? Options ?
RG 652 Prestige
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UnderTheFlame83
New member
I don't have any experience with Duncans in ash, so can't help you there. But the DiMarzio Air Zone or Tone Zone should work well. I prefer them both over the Fusions. I'm actually surprised Ibanez still uses the Fusions in Prestige models.
UnderTheFlame83
New member
Oh and for the neck I'd give the Air Norton or Super 2 a shot.
Congratulations on finding such a great fit! I had the Custom5 in a swamp ash strat style guitar with a hardtail. I thought it was a very good fit and used it with a jazz in the neck. The Custom5 is very scooped in the mids, which may not be your thing, but the custom series takes magnet swaps very well. Honestly I bet a regular custom would sound great in that guitar. Also, currently I have an ash body telecaster with a 59n. That is my favorite neck humbucker.
What kind of sound are you going for?
It's mostly about versatility. While my tastes are on the heavier side, I also sit in with a variety band now and again. I guess I'm saying I need to go from Metal to classic to country (ish) to blues. Jack of all trades, so to speak. The guitar also has coil splitting, so I canrun single coil sounds as needed.
Something like a 4 conductor 59 in the neck and a Custom or 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge is a model for versatility, able to used for quite a variety of music.
I was leaning Custom because of how much I love it in my other RG. That one has a basswood body, and the RG in question is ash. I'm concerned that it might be a little too bright. That's also why I was asking about the Custom 5. I once had a Custom Custom in a guitar several years ago, and although I thought it sounded great, it was a little flubby on the bottom end.
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Juanhanglo
Active member
I just put a set of breeds in my rg921. Versatile to the max!
they are the vintage versions of the tonezone/air norton combo, and can do the same stuff but with a vintage type twist.
They are supposed to fatten up floyded superstrats to les paul beefiness. I don't know about all that, but they did the trick for my bright sounding 921.
These are my favorite humbuckers for brighter guitars. I see them as "fixer" pickups in that regard.
If you want the same idea but tighter, the dominions are almost like ceramic breeds. They say these are an improved TZ/AN set. I dont know anything about that either.
You should play both unplugged, back and forth. How does the 652 sound compared to the other one? Brighter? Duller? Fatter? Thinner?
Take that info and work from the custom as a baseline, and go from there.
It sounds like dimarzio might have more options that will balance the ash brightness
they are the vintage versions of the tonezone/air norton combo, and can do the same stuff but with a vintage type twist.
They are supposed to fatten up floyded superstrats to les paul beefiness. I don't know about all that, but they did the trick for my bright sounding 921.
These are my favorite humbuckers for brighter guitars. I see them as "fixer" pickups in that regard.
If you want the same idea but tighter, the dominions are almost like ceramic breeds. They say these are an improved TZ/AN set. I dont know anything about that either.
You should play both unplugged, back and forth. How does the 652 sound compared to the other one? Brighter? Duller? Fatter? Thinner?
Take that info and work from the custom as a baseline, and go from there.
It sounds like dimarzio might have more options that will balance the ash brightness
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Basswood is a very "dull" sounding wood. Certainly not as bright as ash, but ash is not necessarily a "bright" wood either. To me it has a very even tonal range not unlike some mahoganies.
If the Custom sounded good in your basswood guitar, it MIGHT sound a bit bright in your ash guitar. But I would personally try it. The Custom wind is really versatile and if it sounds too bright just replace the ceramic magnet with an A8. You'll still have great output, solid clean lows, very good mids, and a great high end but just not so shrill. The C8 pup is one of my favorites for just about any guitar.
If the Custom sounded good in your basswood guitar, it MIGHT sound a bit bright in your ash guitar. But I would personally try it. The Custom wind is really versatile and if it sounds too bright just replace the ceramic magnet with an A8. You'll still have great output, solid clean lows, very good mids, and a great high end but just not so shrill. The C8 pup is one of my favorites for just about any guitar.
