Ibanez RGA121 pickup replacement

CaptainFail!

CaptainFail!

CaptainFail!

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Hey guys

I'm looking to replace the pickups in my Ibanez RGA121, i'm getting a little bored of the muddy tone the stock pickups are giving me, but i'm a little confused as to which pickups will give me the sound i'm after.

I've been looking at Seymour Duncans and Dimarzio but there are so many I have no idea which ones will be good for me :confused: I know about EMG's but personally I think they'd spoil the look of the guitar. I play a lot of metal, such as Metallica, Killswitch Engage, As I lay Dying, Machine Head etc

So fellow guitarists, which pickups do you think will suit my style?
 
Looks come 2nd, don't dismiss EMGs that quickly, I'm no expert on them but an awful lot of metal bands use them.

I had 2 RGA121s, one with DiMarzios (Breed neck, D-Sonic bridge), the d-sonic is a great metal rhythm pickup, lots of high end, very tight and cutting, the breed was a good clean/lead pickup - quite smooth, sounded good when coil tapped. My 2nd RGA had Duncans, a 59' neck and JB bridge, this combo had a great rock tone.

Google for Jemsite, search the forum there for 'RGA121 pickups' or something like that, I used to post on there a lot and there are countless threads with opinions, at the end of the day it's extremely difficult to recommend pickups as there are so many variables involved, most notably; personal opinion and the spec of the guitar they're being fitted into. You may end up buying/trying out/reselling pickups until you find ones you really like, but that's part of the fun :)
 
Well I also have an LTD KH-602 which has got dual EMG 81's, so tbh i'm mainly looking for going along the passive pickup route, and i'm mainly a rhythm guitarist so those DiMarzios you're talking about sound like a good option for me, guess I could go to a few guitar shops and try out some Ibanez RG series with DiMarzios already fitted :p

I'll have a look on the Jemsite now :) cheers for your help
 
Aye trying out other guitars is always a good idea, but remember your RGA has a mahogany body, maple top, maple neck, and importantly, a fixed bridge, so it'll have a very very different sound to most RGs which are basswood with floating trems.
 
More or less. Only differences that I can see are that is that the RGA321 has a figured top whereas the 121 doesn't. The RGA321 has binding and better Ibanez pickups. Still doesn't justify the insane price tag.
 
Fair enough, I was just thinking of finding one in a shop and having a quick go to see what the pickups would be like in the RGA321 to compare with my 121

I had a look at those Bareknuckles, quite like the look of the Zebra PainKillers! :D
 
My Jackson came with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge, and a Seymour Duncan Jazz in the next position. This combination is used by Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, I believe.

I also have an Ibanez with an EMG81 in it. I find the 81 sounds slightly better than the JB in my Jackson, but not by much. Certainly not enough to warrant paying for another 81 for my Jackson.

I regularly play a lot of metal, Including a lot of Amon Amarth stuff. They play in B standard tuning, and the Seymour Duncans sound great, even with these low notes.

Hope this helps.
 
I have an RGA121 myself and also agree the stock pickups aren't anything special. I like Seymours and Dimarzios also so might check what options are available. I can't really offer any advice though as i'm thinking the same thoughts myself.
 
EMGs bypass the tone of the guitar entirely due to their active nature.

Pretty good for metal and I find the 81 in the bridge gives a nice country twang when clean too.
 
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