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Ibanez RG421AHM pickup options

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Audiowonderland:
I just picked up an Ibanez rg421ahm which is an ash bodied hardtail rg with maple neck and fingerboard. I thought it would be a nice alternative voice to my rga42fm. I have a set of breeds and an air zone/air classic set on the shelf that I might put in this guitar. I don't want to lose the brighter/zing quality of the ash, just refine things. The quantum are quite good for stock pickups but they have a piercing quality that is just little too much for my taste. I am concerned the breeds and air zone might be a touch too dark. A set of air classic might be the best option but might be a touch too bright in the bridge.

What do you guys think? I have little experience with ash bodied guitars and I am not sure where to go with this one.

greenlion:
Breeds sound good in alder, so I would bet they would work here too. If you like them, I think they would make a well balanced set here. The Air Zone works in almost anything, and the Air Classic neck would probably work well with it. I have never tried those two together, but i know the Air Zone works well with the 36th neck. My only reservation with that set would be the question of whether the Air Classic would balance in output, and not have too much of a contrast in feel. It has been a very long time since I played an Air Classic.

Audiowonderland:

--- Quote from: greenlion on March 09, 2019, 08:20:31 PM ---Breeds sound good in alder, so I would bet they would work here too. If you like them, I think they would make a well balanced set here. The Air Zone works in almost anything, and the Air Classic neck would probably work well with it. I have never tried those two together, but i know the Air Zone works well with the 36th neck. My only reservation with that set would be the question of whether the Air Classic would balance in output, and not have too much of a contrast in feel. It has been a very long time since I played an Air Classic.

--- End quote ---

The bridge to neck balance doesn't concern me much but the split coil balances do.  Even those I think will be ok. I just want to make sure I don't go too dark and lose what makes the ash sound unique in this guitar. My mahogany RG has dark and smooth covered. I want this one to be chimey and brighter sounding

buddroyce:
Here's something to try. Take the Air Classic Neck and pair it with the Breed Neck(in the bridge position). You might like the results ;)

Audiowonderland:
I just finished installing the Air Zone / Air Classic combo.  So far I am happy with the sounds. The brighter quality of the ash has not been lost which I am very please with. The lower output neck pickup gives the neck and split sounds a different character than the same positions in my mahogany RG42 with Gravity Storm which I also like.  Just those two guitars now can cover a lot of ground. The other change i have been making to all the Ibanez guitars is changing the tone cap to either .0047 or point .0033. It makes the tone control range much more usable.

I want to try out a bass cut control but these guitars really don't need it.

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