Which Duncans for RG3120?

[Ugg]

I have an RG3120 (the bolt-on twilight blue one) with stock Tonezone and PAF Pro. There are qualities I like about both pickups, but I prefer the Duncan sound so it's time to replace them. I play mostly metal (rhythm and lead) but I also want a versatile sound for rock or blues and the ability to do decent cleans.

I've tried the JB/Jazz combo in a similar Ibanez (RGT42). The JB had the output I want but I didn't like the mid spike. Also, I thought the Jazz was too weak (although the cleans are nice).

Would a Duncan Distortion in the bridge get the job done? What about a Custom or Full Shred? For the neck, is there anything warm like the Jazz with a bit higher output?

PS - I used the search but couldn't find a good SD recommendation for the RG3120. I guess most players with these guitars stick with the stock TZ and PAF Pro.

Thanks.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

i believe your ibanez is made of basswood and is therefore softer than alder or mohogany. it's going to absorb some harmonic overtones and soak up a little of the sparkling midrange i think, so maybe you might want to get something brighter than the tz which has a super heavy low end. maybe a patb-1 or c5 might do it for you.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

i believe your ibanez is made of basswood and is therefore softer than alder or mohogany. it's going to absorb some harmonic overtones and soak up a little of the sparkling midrange i think, so maybe you might want to get something brighter than the tz which has a super heavy low end. maybe a patb-1 or c5 might do it for you.

The 3120 was their top of the line. I know the guitar, it has a mahogany body and a 1/8" flame maple top. Sweet guitar, thought I thougtht the DMZ's were perfect in it. Also consider that you have direct mount pickups

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

The 3120 was their top of the line. I know the guitar, it has a mahogany body and a 1/8" flame maple top. Sweet guitar, thought I thougtht the DMZ's were perfect in it. Also consider that you have direct mount pickups

thanks, my bad. i was thinking of another ibanez. yeah, that's a ****ed good guitar, but i didn't think the stock pups were that great. the norton to me seemed like a much better version of the tone zone. it really is like crossing a fred with a tone zone. great sound, but you have to get eq and overdrive setup right or it will sound more ordinary. the cleans on it are fantastic, and it sounds great in single mode.

 

[Ugg]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

Yep, that's the one: mahogany body, flame maple top, rosewood fretboard, and Lo Pro trem.

The stock DMZ's do sound good but they aren't for me. IMO, the JB in the RGT42 came closer to the sound I'm after than the TZ in the 3120. I've REALLY tried to like DiMarzio but I usually prefer Duncan. (Kinda like Coke vs Pepsi, I guess.)

So which Duncan's would be good in the RG3120? I want a nice thick mid/low mid tone with a decent amount of gain for metal. I also want to be able to clean it up for some good rock/blues/clean tones. Would a ceramic Duncan Distortion be too harsh? Maybe an Alnico V Full Shred would be better? Howabout a Custom, too much bass?

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

Jazz bridge in the neck should kick a bit harder than the normal Jazz N, and there's been a lot of hype about the Jazz B in the bridge on this forum. That's what I'd give a shot - maybe the Custom, as well.

 

[erikm5150]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

for that guitar and for metal, the PATB would probably be the way to go

 

[bloodswords]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

for better drive response, the Distortion/ Custom is recommended in the bridge.

for the neck, i get better results with the Alnico II Pro for (Ibanez) rosewood fretboards. Jazz neck is immaculate there, too.

 

[Ugg]

Re: Which Duncans for RG3120?

Ok, so Distortion or Custom in the bridge and Jazz Bridge in the neck (for slightly more gain than Jazz Neck). I'll review the sound clips for these when I get a chance.

How does the PATB compare with the Distortion? What's different about it?