What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

T

TheAbomb12

New member
Well, I recently picked up a used but new condition RGT42DXFM from a guy on craigslist. I had decided before that I would for sure, throw a DD and a Jazz Neck to upgrade the pickups-- but I decided to see what the stock pickups sounded like anyways (and to test the feel of my new guitar threw my amp)...


Holy **** do the stock pickups sound good. And I don't mean kinda good-- or a good but not really great--- they sound REALLY good. The Neck INF1 sounds great (although, I do like the SH-2 jazz better)-- but its the INF2 that takes the cake. For the few days I have had this guitar, the INF2 in the bridge is easily the best I have ever played -- And that includes the Screaming Demon and DD. Now it COULD be just the high quality of the guitar I got--- I mean, its the highest model you could go before getting a Prestige--- But I have tried Ibanez INF pickups before in my RG370DX, and they were horrible.

To be fair, I haven't thrown in any Duncans at all, so if it is the High Quality of the guitar I'm hearing-- then the DD and Jazz will probably sound even better.


All I have to say is, During Practice, our Bass Player thought I was using EMGs or some other high quality pickup.




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I have a question though... does anyone know what Pickup the INF2 and INF1 are based off of? I head they were designed by Dimarzio, right? Not sure what model its based off of.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

Not surprising, really. The Super 58's that came in my Jetking were good too. Not as good as AII Pros, but good.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

Its surprising to me... Any Ibanez I've played that was made before 2006 seems to have horrible pickups. But the newer Ibanez seem to have outstanding pickups.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

ibanezes i've played recently at shops all had INF pickups of some sort. and i think they all sounded like crap.

maybe you got some really good ones
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

did they have INF 3 and 4? Or INF1 and 2s?

I noticed my new one and all H-H in general have INF1 and INF2 pickups; while H-S-H have INF3 and 4s in the bridge and neck.

they could be very different.

However, I'm starting to think that the new guitar I got is just **** good--- I'm in love it, and perhaps if I throw a DD into it, it will sound even better.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

I know a guy who replaced stock pickups in his SZ320 with JB/59 and he was disappointed with the switch. He said it was much better with stock pickups.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

TheAbomb12 said:
Well, I recently picked up a used but new condition RGT42DXFM from a guy on craigslist. I had decided before that I would for sure, throw a DD and a Jazz Neck to upgrade the pickups-- but I decided to see what the stock pickups sounded like anyways (and to test the feel of my new guitar threw my amp)...


Holy **** do the stock pickups sound good. And I don't mean kinda good-- or a good but not really great--- they sound REALLY good. The Neck INF1 sounds great (although, I do like the SH-2 jazz better)-- but its the INF2 that takes the cake. For the few days I have had this guitar, the INF2 in the bridge is easily the best I have ever played -- And that includes the Screaming Demon and DD. Now it COULD be just the high quality of the guitar I got--- I mean, its the highest model you could go before getting a Prestige--- But I have tried Ibanez INF pickups before in my RG370DX, and they were horrible.

To be fair, I haven't thrown in any Duncans at all, so if it is the High Quality of the guitar I'm hearing-- then the DD and Jazz will probably sound even better.


All I have to say is, During Practice, our Bass Player thought I was using EMGs or some other high quality pickup.




...




I have a question though... does anyone know what Pickup the INF2 and INF1 are based off of? I head they were designed by Dimarzio, right? Not sure what model its based off of.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of that has to do with the guitar, I had an RGT42 but it already had a Full Shred set in it when I got it. But I used to have an S470DX w/ the INF's and they sounded like crap in that guitar. They're probably good in the RGT or other neck through models but not much else.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

I was dissappointed when I tried changing pickups out of my old RG570. I tried Dimarzio's, EMG's and Duncans, but the V7-S1-V8 sounded best. Problem is I through them out when I took them out
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

It's that particular guitar, I was thinking of getting a 2006 RGT42DX but it sounded really crappy, completely lifeless. Then I played a RG1570 with the V7 S1 V8, no comparison... Still kinda lifeless but way better...

In your case however it could have been the the Maple top, dunno...
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

Eddie J. said:
I know a guy who replaced stock pickups in his SZ320 with JB/59 and he was disappointed with the switch. He said it was much better with stock pickups.
Click to expand...

From what I know the stock SD/Ibanez-designed pups in the SZ series are close to the 59 in the neck and the Custom in the bridge. The middle position is middle coils in parallel. The vst majority of SZ owners keep the stock pups in.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

i agree with you, tried a strat with INFs some months ago..
it was amazing! output similiar to a JB, it's quite bright but thick sounding, very-very dimarzio-ish i think, but the best thing is the harmonics.., it's like, every note i vibrate turn into sweet controllable harmonics..
think dimarzio PAFpro with Evo's crazy harmonics thing going on..
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

I have a couple of the 1995 Ibanez GR-520 Ghostriders, and I believe these have the Infinity 1 & 2--and I like them! No changes planned for these guitars; though I have a couple of Les Pauls that cost 10X what these guitars did--and I couldn't WAIT to yank the pickups out of those guitars! LOL!

I also have Artstar AS-120 (335-type) with the Super '58s, and I also like these. Very vintage sounding, one of my favorite PAFs.

Bill
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

yeh the SZ Duncan/Ibanez are modeled after the distortion b and the 59n but the bridge pup has a row of allenheads and there is really nothing I think I would replace them with,they are perfect for that guitar.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

After playing my new guitar for about a week, I have noticed some flaws with the Bridge pickup. It does sound a little 'sterile'. But with that said, I would gig with both the neck and the bridge; but I'm definitely interested in trying other pickups now. What I suspect is that this Guitar is just Really really well made, an pretty much any pickup will sound good.
 
Re: What the... Stock Ibanez pickups that actually sound good??

Sterile is the one word I'd use to describe them as well.

Didn't like them one bit. But then again, I've never played with an Ibanez I felt comfortable with, I really dislike the way the neck is spec-ed, especially the string spacing (although I felt much more comfortable with other 1-11/16 guitars)
 
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