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Dave67
Username: Dave67

Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Sunday, December 31, 2006 - 11:15 pm:   

Hi to all.
I just save a 440 from the pawn shop. The guitar is mint, no dings or missing parts. I love the guitar,but hate the pups. I need the help of anyone that has replaced there pups in there RS.
I mainly play rock.
Mr_roadstar
Username: Mr_roadstar

Registered: 06-2002
Posted on Monday, January 01, 2007 - 8:51 pm:   

I've replaced the pickups in several of them. What is it you need to know?

The Bear
Dave67
Username: Dave67

Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Monday, January 01, 2007 - 9:32 pm:   

Which makes and models work the best in the 440?
I have a Seymour Duncan SH-13 (dimebucker) and was looking to pair it with a Seymour Duncan SHR-1 in the neck.I am open to other set ups. I really the EMGs in my RG2EX1. Also I will be replacing everything, I have a new pick guard so I can the stock one.
Mr_roadstar
Username: Mr_roadstar

Registered: 06-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 02, 2007 - 9:29 pm:   

Your talking about pickup selection. That is completely subjective.

You said the guitar is a 440. Is that an RS440 ( 1984-85 ) or an RG440 ( 1986-87 )? The first 3 characters in the serial number will aid in making that determination.

The Bear
Dave67
Username: Dave67

Registered: 12-2006
Posted on Tuesday, January 02, 2007 - 10:13 pm:   

It is an 85 RS 440 made in 7/84 with the H-S-S setup. I have read a lot post about the tone of the basswood body. I was just wondering what works best the RS?
Mickf
Username: Mickf

Registered: 09-2005
Posted on Monday, January 08, 2007 - 5:12 pm:   

Hi Dave
I seem to have a similar problem: I recently bought an Ibanez Roadstar II Series (serial number x84...) from ebay. It is black, black headstock, black back of neck, rosewood board, matte black scratchplate, H-S-S configuration, Pro'Rocker trem, just like the one on p.12 of the 1985 catalog at Ibanez Rules, but it's got different pickups. THe single coils look like the SB - models from the 1983/84 cat. p.15. They are black, one piece, no logo, you can see a bar magnet in clear epoxy from below. Sound: very Hi-Fi, cool, clean. The Humbucker is a three-screw black open coil model, just two wires, no logo or sticker. Sound: trebly, lot of overtones, screams, but: feedbacks! I think it's not an original Ibanez product. So I want to get a decent, feedback-proof Humbucker and Single Coils that have more character, more bite, more SRV - Blues.

Since I'm looking for a rather cost-effective solution I tried the PUs that I had at home: a SD Classic Stack (in split mode, I don't like humbucking single coils), that worked perfectly in all Strat-type guitars I tried it in before, was still too clean and too bright in the neck position. So I currently have a DiMarzio HS-2 (again just the upper coil connected) installed and I quite like its sound in the Ibanez, although it needs a compressor and/or a Rat in front of my Marshall to really scream. In clean mode it is quite ok. I'm afraid I can't say anything about the Humbucker I have installed at the moment, it came with a used SG-copy, I have no idea what model it is, but it is powerful, bright and works even at very high distortion levels. I have no PU in the middle position at the moment, but I think the mix of the Humbucker and the neck HS-2 is acceptable.

I think the problem of the Ibanez RS 440 is that its acoustic tone is too balanced. With new 0,09 Daddarios it sounds so clean, so even across all frequencies that it is a problem to get a raw, dirty rock tone out of it. Maybe that is due to the heavy use of multieffects in the 80ies: the guitars had to have a balanced, neutral tone to benefit from the effects and to cut through in the mix.

I'm looking forward to further suggestions and comments!

Mick

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