Guitar guys! RG450 pickup upgrade. Recommendations?

[MentalIlness]

The RG has been here about a week now...sounds good...and all that "stuff" lol. Anyway, the INF3/4 pickups are fine...but want something with a little more.

Gonna be going with a speaker cab and head in about a month, so which pickups would you "electric guitar players" recommend?

I know Dimarzio's are good as is Seymour Duncans.

All the forums I have checked about this, seems to recommend the DiMarzios.

Thoughts ?

 

[gorcorps]

What looks better to you? You certainly won't get a better experience out of one over the other, otherwise one would be more expensive. Both necks are maple so it really doesn't matter sound wise.

 

[MentalIlness]

WTH?

Now I know I just read that the DX was Rosewood.

 

[KillerBee]

WTH?

Now I know I just read that the DX was Rosewood.

3 piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
would hate to buy a guitar without playing it first
it's all in how the neck feels to you personally

 

[MentalIlness]

3 piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard

Ah...ok. I guess that is what happens when your going on 23 hours no sleep.

 

[z1ggy]

Play it first...

But personally I've always had rosewood fingerboards, but guitars will feel very different between brands. I like narrower necks because I have smaller hands.

What type of music are you playing?

 

[gorcorps]

Play it first...

But personally I've always had rosewood fingerboards, but guitars will feel very different between brands. I like narrower necks because I have smaller hands.

What type of music are you playing?

Right, the geometry of the neck and frets make a much bigger difference than the fretboard IMO. Since the OP is torn between two color variants of the same model (and ONLY this model), I'm assuming everything is the same size and it's just a color preference.

 

[ZOXXO]

Based purely on aesthetics of the two options I prefer the rosewood on a dark body with white pickguard.

 

[z1ggy]

Right, the geometry of the neck and frets make a much bigger difference than the fretboard IMO. Since the OP is torn between two color variants of the same model (and ONLY this model), I'm assuming everything is the same size and it's just a color preference.

No the "M" one has a maple fretboard & neck apparently, while the other has a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. I imagine the maple fretboard would feel harder to the touch than the rosewood, but I've never owned anything but rosewood. Also a minor difference is the markings on the fretboard...One has the simple dot (maple) and the other has some kind of upside down looking mountain things (rosewood).

Personally, I don't even like Ibanez guitars. I own a Schecter and I think they make some of the best low to mid budget axes out there.

 

[MentalIlness]

What type of music? Just assume 80's big hair band music. lol

 

[smackababy]

If price is a factor, I believe Alder is cheaper. EDIT: misread that. Thought you were talking body type.

And, as everyone has said, you should play both first and pick whichever feels the best.

 

[gorcorps]

No the "M" one has a maple fretboard & neck apparently, while the other has a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. I imagine the maple fretboard would feel harder to the touch than the rosewood, but I've never owned anything but rosewood. Also a minor difference is the markings on the fretboard...One has the simple dot (maple) and the other has some kind of upside down looking mountain things (rosewood).

Personally, I don't even like Ibanez guitars. I own a Schecter and I think they make some of the best low to mid budget axes out there.

That we can agree. I still don't care for active pickups, but I love my Hellraiser regardless.

 

[MentalIlness]

I have played both. My brother has these guitars. And as I am sure most can tell a difference in them, I on the other hand...couldnt.

 

[Chapbass]

I have played both. My brother has these guitars. And as I am sure most can tell a difference in them, I on the other hand...couldnt.

Then I would get whatever you prefer the look of.

On dark body guitars I prefer Rosewood fingerboards. On basses thats another story (specifically because of the Music Man series basses).

Edit: Just googled the two ibanez's you have listed...I prefer the maple one myself out of those two, but both are decent. That said, not my style of axe for my playing

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I don't really know any specific tonal distinctions between the two. For me, it'd come down to strictly aesthetics.

My Strat has a rosewood finger board, my Les Paul has maplewood. I like both.

 

[smackababy]

On dark body guitars I prefer Rosewood fingerboards. On basses thats another story (specifically because of the Music Man series basses).

That is because you've never had an ebony fretboard. =)

 

[MentalIlness]

This here, will be my second guitar.

http://www.zzounds.com/item--GIBLPSSVM

And for the Ibanez, probably pick up a aftermarket pickguard from here. I like the mirrored ones.

http://www.pickguardparadise.com/mirror.html

 

[MentalIlness]

By the way, is there a significant difference between Infinity pickups and Dimarzios?

 

[BlitzPuppet]

I have 2 guitars that have Ebony
2 With Rosewood
1 with composite/plastic (Fretlight)

I generally stick with the darker woods just for looks, I don't have any desire to own a maple fretboard.

 

[Platypus]

I've got guitars with all types of fretboard wood. I prefer maple myself as it tends to be brighter/snappier.

 

[Fritzo]

I really prefer rosewood because it feels more "grippy" to me. It's mostly a physiological thing.

I also love applying wood oil to the rosewood to clean it once a month. It gives me a sense of satisfaction seeing that deep red/black come to life

 

[Fritzo]

I have 2 guitars that have Ebony
2 With Rosewood
1 with composite/plastic (Fleshlight)

I generally stick with the darker woods just for looks, I don't have any desire to own a maple fretboard.

D:

 

[BlitzPuppet]

D:

 

[lxskllr]

Rosewood feels better to me. Maple will probably be a little brighter. Maple is a more sustainable wood. If it were me, I'd get two guitars. Humbuckers with rosewood, and single coils with maple. That way you get the two extremes in tone.

 

[phucheneh]

Rosewood feels better to me. Maple will probably be a little brighter. Maple is a more sustainable wood. If it were me, I'd get two guitars. Humbuckers with rosewood, and single coils with maple. That way you get the two extremes in tone.

You're trying to say that the fretboard material is going to have an effect on sound? On an electric?

Eh. no. I would go as far as even arguing that even on a body, something exotic like ebony isn't going to sound a damn bit different from Ash or whatever is used in the cheapest of solid body guitars.

If it doesn't somehow effect the way the strings vibrate, it's not going to do shit to the guitar's amplified sound.