Need pickup upgrade advice

R

raukolith

Member
I have an RG1527 with stock pickups. I think I get a pretty decent sound from my Axe2, but there are some tones that I'm not really sure that are quite there. For instance, I've been trying to get a really smooth 80s lead like Bill Connors and it's just not quite there, or trying to get a dry/focused metal tone like some of the fortin meathead demos I've seen. I've only had the axe for less than 2 months now, so I'm not that great on getting it to do what I want.

I guess I'm trying to ask how big of a difference a new set of pickups (passive, no interest in routing this guitar for actives) will be for trying to get the sounds I want, or should I be spending more time with eq/MBC and advanced parameter tweaking?
 
I think this has vintage pickups as standard, I have an Ibanez Apex with PAF pickups and if yours is like mine the sound is pretty dull. I also have an Ibanez S470 DXQM with INF1 and INF2 pickups and it sounds great. I know Guthrie Govan and others favour a basswood body but I've always liked something harder like ash. Anyway to answer your question most people seem to go for Bare Knuckle offerings, you can hear samples on their website, or Dimarzio D Activators. On my next build I will be using Bare Knuckle probably the Aftermath but Cold Sweat might be better with a basswood body. I don't know if Nolly Getgood is still with Bare Knuckle but he was good at advising the type of pickup required via their forum.
 
I.ve had great luck with dimarzio's,I have all basswood body's. Evolutions are my fav
 
ah... i'd really rather not get BKPs, since i'm in LA and the exchange rate would put them at 350+ USD for a set

won't d-activators and evos be too hot for the 80s lead fusion tone though?
 
I have and Ibanez RGA121 that came stock with Ibanez V7/V8 pickups. I replaced them with a Seymour Duncan SH-6 Distortion/SH-2 Jazz combo, and could not be happier.
 
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