Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

O

Orville

New member
So I have a project I want to get to soon ( seems like I have a few!) which is to swap out pickups and electronics on a Ibanez Rg550 with the HSH pickup config. The previous owner put some pickups in there that suck ( he couldn't tell me what they are, but not the originals, and the electronics are flakey) I have a set of Dimarzio Breed ( neck and bridge humbuckers) to put in and I am looking for a middle single to complement them. I would most likely want to keep the 5 way switch to spit the hummers to singles, or even go with push/pulls to have single coil ability in the 1 and 5 positions on the p/u selector switch. I have a strat so I don't need a vintage strat sound but some versatility would be cool. I would like to stay in alnico magnet territory ( but could be open to ceramic). My first thought was a Quarter Pounder middle. I haven't seen too many rail singles that are alnico, but the idea of a stacked or humbucking single that could be split is kinda appealing.
The Breeds are new and were given to me as a gift so I want to give them a try, but open to anything in the middle for the single. My intended use is for the guitar to be as it was designed, a rock machine. Not metal but hard rock, '80s rock, Vai type ( emphasis on "type" haha) fusion, and so on. Any suggestions are welcome and much appreciated.
Thanks!
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

DiMarzio HS-3 permanently split to the top coil.

The ISCV3 appears to be the single used in the JEMs that are equipped with The Breed set, if you can somehow find one.
 
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Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Hotrail? Chopper? One of Duncan's approximation-of-a-popular-humbucker stacks (Jb Jr, Lil Demon, etc)?
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Thanks to all for the suggestions on a single coil. I might look at some Dimarzio singles as well. I am more of a Duncan guy, the Breeds being a gift. ( but a nice pickup nonetheless) Maybe an Injector or Virtual Blues 2 or one of their other A2 singles.
The Parallel Axis does look interesting as something to listen to. It's ceramic in the single coil form but I am open to that.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

If the intention is to use them with the split humbuckers, I'd use a true single, or a stacked single wired as a true single; as what is done with any stock DiMarzio-loaded HSH, Ibanez or otherwise.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

I'm not sure the parallel axis will fit into your pickguard without modification. It has quite an odd shape.

As for my favorite middle single, its the Dimarzio "ibz usa" C2 that came stock in my 1990 RG750. They are quite affordable used. I find it compliments the neck pickup perfectly to give it a different flavor (currently a 59 in my guitar, but previous a dimarzio evo)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1980s-Ibane...680827?hash=item3d3e63013b:g:3eEAAOSwcj5ZQvjL

apparently its similar to the HS-2 according to dimarzio, so I would recommend checking that out too.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Great find!

It's a stack pickup which I would wire split so the top coil is active, per my previous posts

I still like the DiMarzio HS-3 with the Breed set, but the C2 might quack better.
 
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Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

gregory said:
Great find!

It's a stack pickup which I would wire split so the top coil is active, per my previous posts.
Click to expand...


If I am not mistaken, Eric Johnson's bridge pickup in his main strat is an HS-2 wired as you described so it is acting as a single coil. I agree, Gregory, I'd want a single coil in the middle when in the 2 and 4 positions splitting the Breed. Do youse guys think having it wired to both coils when in the 3 position would be useful? I have a traditional strat if I want that sound.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

The Lil Screamin Demon is a killer middle pickup for rock and 80's style–I had it in a Warmoth Basswood HSH Strat (Screamin Demon in the bridge and a Liquifire in the neck.) Made the guitar feel like it had 2 bridge pickups to choose from.

Just something to consider.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Orville said:
If I am not mistaken, Eric Johnson's bridge pickup in his main strat is an HS-2 wired as you described so it is acting as a single coil. I agree, Gregory, I'd want a single coil in the middle when in the 2 and 4 positions splitting the Breed. Do youse guys think having it wired to both coils when in the 3 position would be useful? I have a traditional strat if I want that sound.
Click to expand...
You'll get a drop in output when you run both coils.

It should help in being able to clean up and still have some brightness when running with gain, if you're after that ability from the middle position.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Glad you mentioned rails!

All my stratish guitars have single sized rails in the middle and all have spins a splits because I love the convenience and variety- spin a split allows me to roll off 100% of the 2nd rail for thinner sounds, but there tends to be a sweetspot around 30% rolled off that is beautiful and noise cancelling-

All of the following pair well with humbuckers that are good spliters.

1. Cool rail- My favorite spin a split, but keep in mind it's a rather hot pickup and you are likely to lose quack if it's center position. I have a multi coil series mod that takes the cool rail from clean to overdriven, but have only tired in neck position-

2. Cruiser- This is my favorite middle rails pup- Lower output, great quack in center. Relatively thick with both rails, it rolls off to an almost acoustic sound.

3. Bardens- I have Joe Barden specials in all 3 positions of a swamp ash strat, so I don't really know how they pair with other pups- But if you like to go from chicken picken to fuller than a standard strat (with spin a split), the Barden is incredible and I would love to hear someone who had mixed bardens with others.

No idea if any of this is useful, but shoot me a note if you want to explore in these directions because I've wired a lot of variations on these themes-
 
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Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

zionstrat said:
Glad you mentioned rails!

All my stratish guitars have single sized rails in the middle and all have spins a splits because I love the convenience and variety- spin a split allows me to roll off 100% of the 2nd rail for thinner sounds, but there tends to be a sweetspot around 30% rolled off that is beautiful and noise cancelling-

All of the following pair well with humbuckers that are good spliters.

1. Cool rail- My favorite spin a split, but keep in mind it's a rather hot pickup and you are likely to lose quack if it's center position. I have a multi coil series mod that takes the cool rail from clean to overdriven, but have only tired in neck position-

2. Cruiser- This is my favorite middle rails pup- Lower output, great quack in center. Relatively thick with both rails, it rolls off to an almost acoustic sound.

3. Bardens- I have Joe Barden specials in all 3 positions of a swamp ash strat, so I don't really know how they pair with other pups- But if you like to go from chicken picken to fuller than a standard strat (with spin a split), the Barden is incredible and I would love to hear someone who had mixed bardens with others.

No idea if any of this is useful, but shoot me a note if you want to explore in these directions because I've wired a lot of variations on these themes-
Click to expand...


To show my relative newbie-ness, I had not heard of of this idea before. I did know about mixing different pickups like this but not one split pup. Same concept. I like this idea because I already have a "traditional" strat so if I want a less powerful middle pickup on it's own I'd grab that. For this guitar my idea is having two humbucker sounds - neck and bridge, a beefier middle only sound, and some ability to get some position 2 and 4 strat "type" sounds with the hummers and the middle split - just for some versatility with knowing I have the real deal on the stand next to me.
Part of me is even open to not even attempting any sort of strat configs but doing something else with the middle pickup that doesn't attempt to simulate a strat. I will also say that all 3 pickups you mentioned are ceramic, and while I am not a alnico snob ( I don't qualify to be any kind of snob in the world of music!) I do kinda flinch at ceramic pups even though the internet is full of expert winders and sound bites that say I shouldn't. I have seen Andy Timmons play very close up and ceramic is doing him any harm, and the Cruiser has been on I have thought of. Thanks for the ideas, you might just be hearing from me!
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Hey, just have a minute, but cool-rail sound like it might meet your 'beef' requirement and spin or parallel might calm it down into 2/4 quack ballpark.

I have another mod that sounds a lot like you are talking about- shoot me a note and we can get into detail if you are interested-
Peace,
ZS
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Sorry for the absence, work and various life stuff LOL
So I have been thinking this out, and I don't need this to sound like a Strat in the 2 and 4 positions. I have a real strat. But as mentioned before I'd like some flexible sounds. Here is my idea, can you fine folks tell me if it is doable? 5 way switch with master vol and master tone:
1-full bridge 'bucker
2- bridge split / inside coil and neck pickup split / inside coil in parallel
3- full middle in series - side by side single coil sized HB
4-neck pickup split / outside ( closest to neck) in single coil.
5- full neck 'bucker

or maybe for #4 neck pickup in parallel with itself.

Is this possible to wire up?

Thank you!!
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

Orville said:
1-full bridge 'bucker
2- bridge split / inside coil and neck pickup split / inside coil in parallel
3- full middle in series - side by side single coil sized HB
4-neck pickup split / outside ( closest to neck) in single coil.
5- full neck 'bucker

or maybe for #4 neck pickup in parallel with itself.

Is this possible to wire up?

Thank you!!
Click to expand...

If you take the number 4 being the neck pickup parallel, you'll have the typical Ibanez HH with 5-way switch, probably the same way your guitar is wired right now if it has a 5-way switch. I do like this wiring very much and prefer the neck parallel switching to the split one, but that might be a personal opinion.
If it was my guitar I would definitely go with the parallel switching for the neck bucker.
 
Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

He can do this with 5-Way Fender Super Switch (including either option for position 4).

I have my doubts that any Ibanez 5-way for HH will accommodate his wishes. Maybe, but the Fender will be so much easier to figure out, assuming he can readily get an Ibanez 5-way for HH at a reasonable price.
 
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Re: Suggest me a middle p/u for HSH Ibanez RS550

The HS3 and YJM are pretty low output, and would mean a big dropoff in volume in the middle position. Some pickups like the Chopper would keep up with the Breeds, and give another humbucker tone in the middle if that sounds interesting to you. I prefer the middle to be a bit less powerful and give more single coil tones in the middle. The Cruiser (bridge or neck) or Injectors would work well.
 
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