Do you think this is a good pickup choice?

[eighteen-0-nine]

I'm buying myself a new Ibanez S Series on Monday. For anyone that isn't familiar with them, it's a very thin Mahogany Body with Maple Neck & Rosewood Fingerboard.

I posted a thread last year were I was looking for an HSS setup for the Andy Timmons style genre, but that was Alder & Maple, and I never saw that through. I'm now looking for that same sound but with HSH.

I was thinking maybe an Abraxas bridge with an Emerald Neck. But no idea as of yet what for the middle.

Anyone got any opinions on this choice? Or any advice? I just want a great, vocal, lead tone. But a neck pickup that has great cleans, but also takes to solo tones.

[darrenw5094]

Maybe you should wait to hear the stock pickups dude. Might be decent pickups. You might get a better idea and better advice when you hear it stock.

Your original choice could work, as would a pair of Mules, Black Dog bridge + Riff Raff neck is great combo in my LP. Even the HD, with a great fluid solo tone or VHII would be a great choice. Numer of options for you available. Maybe if you post a youtube video up of something similar to what you want would help.

[eighteen-0-nine]

I've played the pickups as I had the same guitar but in a different colour. They're just too suited for metal.

I'm kindaa just after a fantastic, organic, vocal, vintage, open tone from bridge. And great cleans from the neck, but with the ability to handle any gain thrown at it.

It's going to be my Andy Timmons style-of-music guitar. Whilst the Holy Divers a great lead pickup, it's too compressed for what I'm after here. Thing with this guitar is that the body is really thin, so it's a fairly bright sounding guitar.

[darrenw5094]

Hmmm.....been playing my Black Dog Les Paul alot recently, might work in the bright S Series. The Mule in the neck would be my choice. For bridge, either Mule, Black Dog, Abraxas or even the VHII. Interesting to see if other member have other options.

[eighteen-0-nine]

Well going to order this week, so I'll hopefully come to a decision. I only thought of the Abraxas as Nolly speaks highly of it for them tones.

[Slartibartfarst42]

To be honest, for what you describe, I think the Abraxas bridge and Emerald neck sounds like a fantastic combination. I can't think of another combination that I could in all honesty say is a definite improvement. Maybe try a Slowhand to go in the middle?

[eighteen-0-nine]

To be honest, for what you describe, I think the Abraxas bridge and Emerald neck sounds like a fantastic combination. I can't think of another combination that I could in all honesty say is a definite improvement. Maybe try a Slowhand to go in the middle?

Yh, it's the middle which has stumped me. I don't know whether to just use it as a dummy coil and do the BKP Ibanez 5way wiring. Or actually get a mddle coil and do the Egen wiring. Too many options haha

[Philly Q]

I don't know much about those Ibanez guitars, but I'd imagine with that construction it will (as you mentioned) be pretty bright despite the mahogany body.

I think Abraxas/Emerald sounds like a good choice.  The Alnico IV magnets will give a bit of sweetness, I don't think you want anything harder-edged for your musical style.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

+1, Abraxas and Emerald should be a great choice

[Telerocker]

Abraxas is a good choiche, cause this pickup is able to do Satriana- and Timmons-styles, but still has an organic open vintage-PAF-character. The extra mids will do well in a thin mahogany body. For the neck the Emerald is an obvious choice, but I should not rule out a Mule- or an RR-neck as well. I like the Mule-neck very much. It handles gain terrific.

[ericsabbath]

crawler

[darrenw5094]

crawler

Wow......spanner in the works there dude. :)
So many options, just wondering if any of the pickups mentioned would NOT sound bad or are they all good.

[eighteen-0-nine]

What would you say the differences between the Crawler and Abraxas are?

[darkbluemurder]

The Crawler has more output and mids, especially center mids. Overall it sounds a bit darker. That is true for both the bridge and the neck model. I have tried both in the same guitar.

Cheers Stephan

[eighteen-0-nine]

Been playing about with ideas the last week, and I just wondered, how does the Abraxas hold itself with gain? Does it mush out, or does it stay articulate? I just like to let rip once in a while, kind of when a song climaxes.