Single cutting it

Ah... making good use of my days off to attend to my guitars (what else?!) 😎

Managed to do a 'mileage' check on my Ibanez FR420:

• re-string, please!
• neck was flex-bowed, required truss rod adjustments
• action was too low, choked notes when bending strings, action required revision

I took a big risk of rectifying the anomalies listed above based on the old set of strings in the guitar. Pro techs would advise doing so based on a fresh set of strings so the guitar could adapt to the quirks manifested by the newer string set. I was half way through when I realized this so it was done till everything was addressed & then the fresh set of strings came into the picture. A set of John Pearse 9 - 42 this time.

This is one of those Ibanez guitars of mine with a deserving set of Seymour Duncans in there to manifest the tones that I want to hear; menacing top end when it comes to solos in the neck (Distortion) & deep, roaring riffs in the bridge without sounding bass excessive (Screamin' Demon). 

My thoughts on the FR

It's one of those familiar body outlines we relate to a specific non-Ibanez guitar, we know too well what that guitar is. The Standard FR models have already been phased out from the Ibanez catalog, you need to spend good money on either an Iron Label or Prestige version which many of us would not do considering the after-market value of this guitar. For that amount, we'd rather spend on something else with a stronger re-sale worth. Why is this the case? This single cut design does not sit well with the Ibanez name, which is more known for the RG, S, Jem & Satriani models (among others). In fact, the more radical designs propelled the Ibanez name further than this traditional take. Examples would be the Iceman & Destroyer outlines which we are more compelled to spend on than the FR. Compounding this bleak outlook would be the fact that the FR feels like an RG with a different body design. 

Re-string holiday

Nothing like re-string therapy on a holiday. My Ibanez RG471 gets a fresh set of strings & moisturized fretboard. This is one of my guitars sporting a very low action profile with a set of 009s. 

The Screamin' Demon/ '59 pair is really something here. I like how the squawking midrange of the Demon gets offset by the ask body's trebly response. 

Ibanez: FR420 (4)

As mentioned previously, I'm not obliged to like whatever the manufacturer has to offer in my Ibanez FR420...

... so out went the default CAP humbuckers. The pickups you see here:

• Bridge: Screamin' Demon
• Neck: Distortion

I'm working on a simple formula; the Demon worked well in an ash body guitar so it should work well here unless something potent gets in the way. The Distortion neck is my favourite pickup for lots of distortion & clarity, it's not about an immaculate, warm, clean tone. Totally happy with this combo :-)

The great demon

This is my first Seymour Duncan pickup- a Screamin' Demon. It's more than a decade old, still going strong. I always give my guitars a wipe-down every time I stopped playing, the pickups get the same attention because they are the ones that get sweaty so they need a bit of cleaning before being put away.

I bought this pickup when Beez was still working at Yamaha, there were only 3 humbuckers left, one was white, the other wasn't a Trembucker model so it was my default choice- like there was much to begin with. Anyway, that 'Screamin' Demon' label was rather intriguing, my initial take was that it's one of the meanest, highest output pickup Duncan has to offer by virtue of its label. This was the age before the internet became ubiquitous so I couldn't check the specs to confirm what it had to offer. 

I love this pickup, honest. George Lynch associations aside, I consider it a well thought of model, good warmth, great definition & more importantly, it reacts well with distortion, quite differentiated from the standard high output units in this aspect, simply because it's not a high output model.

Duncan talk: Screamin' Demon

The Screamin' Demon (SH-12) humbucker was originally a Duncan custom shop unit for George Lynch. The objective of its conception was to preserve the open voicing of the '59 model with more output to supplement distortion-driven applications & a deeper thumping tone when employed clean- Jeff Golub has the Lil' Screamin Demon in his '60s Fender. Contrary to the name implication, the SH-12 is not the meanest pickup in Planet Duncan, although the allusion to some treble end malevolence, is there. There is a slight scooped setting to be heard when in use, especially under intense distortion. I like the SH-12 for its clarity, some of us might find this a little excessive but it's something we can tame via EQ meddling (your amp's EQ section/ pedal EQ). The SH-12 sounds rather generous in the lower frequency range (better manifested in clean mode) but coupled with the augmented treble bits, the pickup simply sizzles. I didn't buy this pickup because of George Lynch (no offence sir, I am still a fan of your techniques & licks), I want a humbucker with some top-end sting without being devoid of bass entirely & the SH-12 does it for me.

Manufacturer's notes:

• Pickup's default EQ settings: Bass- 5/ Midrange-4/ Treble- 9
• Magnet type: Alnico V
• Output: High

My experience with this pickup:

• Guitars currently sporting the Screamin' Demon: Ibanez RG1550 (Trembucker version)/ RG471AH

This pickup used to be in the following guitars:

• Gibson LP BFG/ Ibanez RG560/ Ibanez SZ320

For those of us who wish to embed this pickup into our guitars with a dual action, locking whammy bridge unit (Floyd Rose or its derivatives), please reinforce some bottom end. For the rest of our guitars with fixed bridges, this is unnecessary.