Re-string Sunday

Wanted to go for an early morning walk but it poured, breakfast was indoors as well. Gave my S570B a re-string. Had not been playing this one for a while because I'm not really into 24-fretted S-Series any more; these just turn me off. This one, I  kept because it sounded awesome after the pickups swap: Seymour Duncan Jazz / QP Staggered / Custom. Also, bought Curt Mangan strings to re-live the moments. Not returning to this brand due to the price increase. 

The Custom is an interesting pickup, it's a ceramic magnet pickup but voiced to be medium output with a generous treble serving. Despite being scooped-sounding, I don't hear much of this through the amp. That's why we need to hear pickups in action as opposed to relying on the manufacturer's EQ spec. 

Pic: SD

RE-string Sunday: Ibanez SV

Another dead pot. This one looks rather pristine but don't let that fool you.

Was at Beez earlier today to get that fixed & fresh set of GHS 009s for this guitar. That's my last set from that 6-pack.

The pickups (Seymour Duncan, what else...): Full Shred (b)/ Quarter Pound Staggered (m)/ Jazz (n). I love how the high output single coil is able to keep up with the rest of the pack in terms of punch. Of course there's a bit of twang going since it's a single coil.

So here it is, my Ibanez SV5470. It's my first S-Series to feature a non-locking bridge/ nut as well as 24 frets. Along the way, I value my 22-fret models more because it tend to play more at the higher register than the 24. Still looking for good, used 22-fretters out there. 

Burly

Re-stringing continues. Might as well since I have the time, before work beckons. This one- Ibanez S771 with that poplar burl top which is a mere laminate cap. If you wish to invest in an instrument with a very thin laminate top, do consider a gloss finish unlike this one, which is satin-finished. The reason- it will start to flake off over time.

A little upgrade done- String Saver saddles. If you are interested in a set, do check the string spacing before purchase. It's available in standard & Fender spacing. I really thought an Ibanez required the standard spacing version, then again I should have measured before heading to the store & not make convenient assumptions. In fact. many of the fixed bridges in Ibanez instruments are actually sporting a Fender/ Trembucker string spacing. 

Final pack of Darco 9s for this guitar.

I've been using Darcos for some time now (but not on a frequent basis) & it's only this time that I felt a difference. Maybe it's the relative freshness of the strings that influenced my touch but the Darco set features a slightly thicker B-string. The .0115 is not standard in a set of 9s, it's from the 9.5 set & I'm beginning to prefer the feel of it. 

The pickups in this one: Perpetual Burn (b)/ Quarter Pound Staggered (m)/ Jazz (n). The PB is a scorcher, very distortion inclined but not as boomy for the metal mongers. It'd probably favour the black metal camp because here, the brand of metal is not bottom end reliant. I should be paying more attention to the QP in future considerations because it's a mean single coil for angry people's music- my type of pickup. 

Ibanez S970: Duncanized

These are the default pickups in my Ibanez S970; they are the manufacturer's CAP models. I don't hear what I want from them so...

... out they go. The fresh set of Duncans in there are:

• Neck: Jazz
• Mid: Quarter Pound (staggered)
• Bridge: '59/Custom Hybrid

More on the '59/Custom hybrid soon.

Duncans in S570

Goodbye- The Infinity pickups in my Ibanez S570B had their last performance early yesterday morning... They are decent pickups but they do not manifest my preferred voicings for distortion. I prefer more bass in the bridge humbucker.

In with the new:

• Neck: Duncan Jazz
• Mid: Duncan Quarter Pound (Staggered)
• Bridge: Duncan Custom

Duncan single coils come with default Strat-type mounting screws so they are oversized for the Ibanez cavity. I had to used the original Ibanez screws for it. Manufacturers should consider providing 2 sets of screws in the package because not everyone buys single coils for Strats- we have other guitars, don't we? Thanks Beez for the speedy job!

3S

3S: Satriani - Seymour Ducan - Strings... stuff bought yesterday.

Satriani: Bought Satch's latest, Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards... have not had the chance to listen to it. Yet. Soon.

Seymour Duncan: Quarter Pound Staggered for one of my Ibanez darlings.

Strings: A pack of pure nickel set with a slightly different gauge: 9-11-16-23-31-41, a thinner low-end for some wicked bends, he he...

Em... toy horse not free with any purchase.

Exposed

No, this is not a discussion of uncovered human anatomy but an area of concern that might hinder your pickup replacement efforts. The arrowed parts are the pickup's wire solder, located underneath the pickup proper. If these exposed parts come into contact with the cavity's shielding paint, it'd render the pickup dysfunctional & you'd thought there's a soldering anomaly. Experienced individuals like Beez would be able to troubleshoot such circumstances in this light. When no output was heard from my Duncan Quarter Pound pickup (Ibanez SV5470), Beez simply raised the pickup by a little bit; problem solved. I have since covered these parts with bits of masking tape.

Duncanized: SV5470

The latest Duncanized guitar here: my Ibanez SV5470

The pickups in this guitar:

• Neck: Jazz
• Middle: Quarter Pound Staggered
• Bridge: Full Shred

 The obligatory push-pull coil split switch, of course.

Beez put in lots of effort & care for this guitar in view of its tapered body design. The control cavity is shallow & careful installment had to be observed so as not to short-circuit any contacts. Salute!