Pickups for a mahogany guitar?

[Emperoff]

Hi, I recently caught an Ibanez S-7420FM on ebay and I'm thinking about putting decent pups on it. I've checked the pickup guide, but it seems that ALL the reviews are made in basswood guitars, so that info is useless for this guitar.
The maple top is supposed to brighten the sound, and since I don't want EMGs (routing=bad ) I ask for advice once again.

What pickups would you put on it? (please vote for a neck and a bridge pickup on the poll, thanks).

[Elysian]

the maple top on the s7420 isn't thick enough to have a significant, if any, impact on the tone. you would want something that evens out the natural boominess of the mahogony body with a bit of treble and probably mids... something like the dimarzio x2n-7 if you want something hot(which is actually "in stock" at music123.com now), otherwise maybe a duncan jb-7 in the bridge spot and something like a jazz in the neck spot?

edit: poll wasn't there when i posted...

[7 Dying Trees]

Well. I've spent ages finding a pickup for my 2027, and have been through an Evo7, Tone Zone7 and finally tried a Blaze Custom

Blaze Custom is well cool, and i think a lot of people will point you towards that or a JB7

The Evo7 was very clear and you could hear ever string and note, but I found it was just reallt characterless...

Neck wise it all seems to be Air Norton, Paf or 59. Personally i never really cared for the Paf7 in mine as it lacked enough output and body.

[zimbloth]

The PAF7 in the K7 sounds great if the pickups are somewhat close to the strings. Ridiculous tone, crunch and warmth all at the same time.

I'm putting a Blaze Neck in the bridge of my S7420FM i just picked up. Obviously thats a mahogany guitar, we'll see how that goes.

[angryman]

I'd go for the JB it's one of the best sounding pups all round for mahogany guitars.

[Dangerman]

I was looking for new pickups for a mahagony guitar recently and I went with the Blaze Bridge and Air Norton. I don't have the BB installed yet, but the AN sounds awesome in mahagony and I bet the BB will, too.

Have a look into that thread if you like: Pickups for an Ibanez Prestige RG 2027 XVV

[Allen Garrow]

For me the obvious choice was a Tonezone in the bridge position. However it wasn't offered in this poll. I think the TZ was created with a mahogany body in mind.

~A

[Emperoff]

Originally Posted by Allen Garrow

For me the obvious choice was a Tonezone in the bridge position. However it wasn't offered in this poll. I think the TZ was created with a mahogany body in mind.

~A

A pickup with tons of bass and low mids designed for mahogany? I don't think so...

And so, what one would you choose between the Evolution and the JB? Assume that I play metal (rhythm and leads).

[Elysian]

Originally Posted by Emperoff

A pickup with tons of bass and low mids designed for mahogany? I don't think so...

And so, what one would you choose between the Evolution and the JB? Assume that I play metal (rhythm and leads).

neither, i'd choose the x2n-7 i had an x2n in my mahogony bodied Washburn EC-29, granted its a 6, but it was beefy, yet still had plenty of mids and top end, and i play all my leads through the bridge pickup, which it worked phenomenally for that as well... and like i said, they are available on music123.com for 79.95


edit: ahh its not in stock yet, but when its in stock, its got free shipping

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Emperoff

A pickup with tons of bass and low mids designed for mahogany? I don't think so...

And so, what one would you choose between the Evolution and the JB? Assume that I play metal (rhythm and leads).

+1. I bought a 2027 with a TZ7 in the bridge, and while it gave a great clean tone and a great Godsmack-like rhythm tone through a Mark-style Mesa combo I was playing at the time, the leads were useless and there was little low-string clarity and edge.

Of the two, I'd call it an even split. The Evo7 was what I swapped out the TZ for, and I LOVED it in the bridge position. It gave a great "screaming" lead sound that, if you rolled the volume back a bit, actually gave a surprisingly good "southern rock" sort of tone. Plenty of brightness and clarity, great impact on the low strings, and a good amount of output.

That said, the JB has a lot of fans too, and is supposed to be heavenly in mahogany. Tonally, I think the bass in the JB is supposed to be a little rounder and woolier, but they're supposed to be reasonably similar.

Either way, though, you're talking about a pickup with clear treble, scooped lower mids, and strong upper mids - they'll both compliment mahogany wonderfully.

All that said, it depends what you want from it. Both pickups are probably slightly better suited to lead playing in mahogany, with a lot of upper mid sizzle to them - they're very harmonically "alive" in that sense. If this guitar will be used predominantly as a rhythm axe, you might want to look elsewhere - I'd suggest a Blaze bridge, or possibly a Blaze neck (supposed to be a killer bridge pickup for rhythm work - Zimbloth's got one on the way for a S7420FM as well, so you can get his thoughts in a week or so), or maybe a PAF - something with lower gain so you can run the preamp a bit harder without losing clarity.

For a neck pickup, it really depends what you do in the bridge. If you go with a JB or Evo7, then gain isn't a problem. The AN has a lot of fans and mates well to the Evo7, and the Jazz would be a similarly ideal pairing for the JB. If you go lower gain, then output becomes a problem, as you don't want something much hotter in the neck than the bridge. A Blaze neck or a PAF could be nice...

[metalfiend666]

I've got a mahogany bodied Schecter A-7 with a TZ7/PAF7 combo. The TZ7 sounds like shit. It's thin, weedy and indistinct. I'm going to replace it soon, I'm just debating what with. The PAF7 sounds amazing. It's thick and warm, but still manages to sound clear.

I don't have any experience with Seymore Duncan's, but I know a lot of the guys on here swear by the JB7 and 59-7.

[Emperoff]

I have two guitars fitted with Dimarzios, so I think it would be cool to look to something different. The bad is that Duncans are more expensive than dimarzios... hmmm. Do you know a good online store that ships overseas for picking up them?

[noodles]

There is absolutely no reason to get a 59-7 when the Jazz-7 exists. The 59 is just a very bland, characterless pickup, while the Jazz literally brings your guitar alive. Full, warm, yet articulate and well defined. It's just the most perfect neck pickup ever IMHO, and I will not use anything else (unless I'm stuck with a single coil route).

As much as I like the JB-7, I think the Custom-7 sounds better in mahogany guitar with bolt-on necks. It's just a very brutal pickup, the audio version of crushing Volkswagens with sledge hammers.

[okta]

sorry for the newbie question.
but ..y does the custom have better sound on a bolt neck ?compare to?set neck? neck thru?

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by okta

sorry for the newbie question.
but ..y does the custom have better sound on a bolt neck ?compare to?set neck? neck thru?

Because Seymour puts the "magic sauce" in the custom, that's why.


Actually, bolt-ons have a different tonal characteristic than neck-thru's and such. (Typically less mids, less honk). The Custom just must match well with the tonal attributes of bolt-ons. I don't have the experience with the Custom to say why (or even if I agree, but it makes sense in theory).

Perhaps Dr. Dave can enlighten you. He's really opened my eyes to Kirk Hammet.

[Emperoff]

Since I'm decided to try something different and look for Duncans, I see that all of them would kick ass in mahogany, so...

JB, Custom or Distortion? which one has more output? (invader no, thanks). And what kind of sound they have? I'm so noob with Duncans

[DSBzwo]

Hey, but you have to remind one thing before changing PUs of an S-Series 7.... if you have Pickups with angles on the mounting holes, you gotta replace the backplate with the one from the Ibanez stock pickup..... i mean, if you dont wanna get the pole pieces about less than 1 millimeter away from the strings....


i actually did that with my new SD invader (invader yes, thanks ) the pole pieces are so huge they formed a second bridge installing the pickup with the original SD backplate.... even if you got flat pole pieces the pickup would perhaps touch the strings if you dont change your setup......
i dunno how it is when you are using dimarzios.... do they have angled backplates?

[Allen Garrow]

Originally Posted by Emperoff

A pickup with tons of bass and low mids designed for mahogany? I don't think so...

And so, what one would you choose between the Evolution and the JB? Assume that I play metal (rhythm and leads).

my bad I guess on the tonezone mahogany thing. I could have sworn I read that some where,,,,no matter.

EvolutionII

~A

[Emperoff]

Originally Posted by DSBzwo

Hey, but you have to remind one thing before changing PUs of an S-Series 7.... if you have Pickups with angles on the mounting holes, you gotta replace the backplate with the one from the Ibanez stock pickup..... i mean, if you dont wanna get the pole pieces about less than 1 millimeter away from the strings....


i actually did that with my new SD invader (invader yes, thanks ) the pole pieces are so huge they formed a second bridge installing the pickup with the original SD backplate.... even if you got flat pole pieces the pickup would perhaps touch the strings if you dont change your setup......
i dunno how it is when you are using dimarzios.... do they have angled backplates?

Damn! I'll have to route cavity for Duncans??? Dimarzio pups doesn't have angled backplate, so if I have to route the cavity, It could cost me a liver

If I have to route, I'll back again to dimarzios In that case, a few more questions:

Do not the air norton and Blaze Custom sound muddy? treble:5 mid:7 and bass:7 from the AN and treble:6, mid:7 bass:7 for the BC doesn't seem to be good for a mahogany seven...

Everytime I have to look for new pickups, I'll go crazy

[DSBzwo]

Originally Posted by Emperoff

Damn! I'll have to route cavity for Duncans??? Dimarzio pups doesn't have angled backplate, so if I have to route the cavity, It could cost me a liver

No, you don't have to route anything, just remove 4 screws (perhaps a little bit tape around the pickup) and change the backplate of your SDs to the ones that came with the stock pickups.... no problem..... if i had checked out what im actually doing as i did that on my SD 7-Bucker, it would have been done in 5 minutes.... no time for too much alcohol....

- uhm... is that tense correct? my english seems to be not the best...

[Emperoff]

Sure my english isn't the best as well

It's difficult to change the backplates?

[DSBzwo]

the only problem i had was, i dismounted the whole Pickup.... first screwed out the pole pieces, then i winded off the Tape, then removed the packplate, then the magnet flew around, bcuz only the pole screws held it in position... then i thoght "you dumbass idiot, you just borke your brand new pickup..." there was a lot of wax falling out of the spaces between pole screws and magnet.....

but if you just lay it down on a table, unwind the tape (okay, one thing i forgot) then unsolder the ground on the backplate... then it should be no problem....

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Allen Garrow

my bad I guess on the tonezone mahogany thing. I could have sworn I read that some where,,,,no matter.

EvolutionII

~A

Everyone at Jemsite swears by it in mahogany. Personally, I don't agree, but probably for the same reasons - in mahogany it sounds like a les paul.

However, a couple of 'em are beginning to say the 7-string version is quite a bit different from the six, so maybe the 6 really DOES sound good.

(anyway, mahogany is actually not that bassy - lots of low mids, little bass, weak fundamental)

[okta]

anyone experience with blaze neck on a mahogany?>

[b3n]

Originally Posted by okta

anyone experience with blaze neck on a mahogany?>

I'll have one in about a week.