Pick Ups in a Nautural Finish

[Mark 7]

I just got this today (Chris - if you could re-size for me?):

HRG7 Prestige SOL from Ikebe.

Very nice - hard tail 7 with a Prestige neck and stock Ibanez pups. Has a far more different sound than I anticipated - no bad, but different. The only natural finish I see out there is Leon's 7621 or Dav321's HRG7. Anyone else have a natural finish? It's a clear, but lower tone. I would think a TZ7 for a mahogany body (as I have them in most of my guitars) and a Blaze always seems better suited for basswood, but in both of these cases the wood is finished.

Leon - what's in yours? Evo7? That's basswood, yes?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jim777]

Very nice!

 

[darren]

Wow... it's like an RG321MH MOL but with the correct number of strings!

It's not so much the natural finish that affects the tone as the fact that the body is mahogany instead of basswood. Cream pickups would look really nice in that.

 

[EdgeCrusher]

That guitar is badass! How much did it end up costing you? Id say go with the D Sonic 7 when it comes out, liknkin park uses the 6 string version in a mahagony PRS, and it sounds pretty good, though that pickup should sound good in either wood.

I love natural finish guitars, my 7621 has been in peices for the last month cuz I didnt like the white paint. I just finished sanding the last of the paint last night and I put on the first coat of stain this morning. Its looking pretty damn nice, the basswood grain is much nicer than I expected, though that is some soft ass wood! It was hard to not sand too much, but it was worth it. Ill post pics when i get ahold of a digital camera.

 

[eaeolian]

Nice. I'd say Duncan Custom, personally, since I like them in mahogany guitars, and a Jazz for the neck. Darren's right, creme PUs would look great in that. Zebras would look even better, IMO...

 

[noodles]

Zebras would look even better, IMO...

 

[Drew]

Agreed re: zebras, but that means you have to go Dimarzio, not Duncan, as they do black-only for 7's.

A TZ is the LAST pickup you want in a mahogany 7. Trust me on this, it sounds very different from its 6-string counterpart (apparetly, never played one), and is all lower mids with little true bass or treble. It's a good enough rhythm tone through a scooped amp, but worthless for leads.

Try a Blaze bridge (clear, defined) or an Evo7 (clear, "screaming") if you want Dimarzios. A Jazz neck mated with either a JB or a Custom would probably rock for Duncans, too.

You want something WITHOUT overabundant mids (or at least lower mids) in mahogany. the secret is to compliment, not augment, the natural tone of the wood.

 

[noodles]

Agreed re: zebras, but that means you have to go Dimarzio, not Duncan, as they do black-only for 7's.

The SD custom shop will make you a Zebra, because they are one-offs, not production models. However, you'll pay a lot more for it.

 

[Mark 7]

It's not so much the natural finish that affects the tone as the fact that the body is mahogany instead of basswood. Cream pickups would look really nice in that.

I A/B'd it against the HRG4 and 2027 and it is different - but the HRG4 has a maple top so I figured the 2027 being all mahogany would be as close to similar as anything else.

And yeah - I never thought about creme pups in it. That would look nice!

I've been banging away at it for an hour to settle it in a bit - I have practice tonight so I'll se how it sounds in a louder environment. Always drives me fucking crazy to hone in to a tone. I'm thinking it will be a great drop tuning compliment with the 2027.

Oh - er, 118,701 JPY was the price tag which included wire fees and shipping - shipped from Japan Tuesday, here today (the shipping never ceases to amaze me and I always brain cramp half to fucking death trying to figure the time differences and traveling the opposite way the earth rotates, etc.)

 

[Freddie]

Wow that looks great. I'd go for cream pups though...

 

[Leon]

i run Blaze Custom / Air Norton in my RG7621. i had also wanted to get a TZ7, but on recommendations of several on the board, i went with the Blaze Custom. it sounds great!

and yeah, it's basswood. the previous owner just took a stock RG7621BK and junked the BK

 

[The Dark Wolf]

+1 Drew, and +1 Eaeolian. The TZ isn't the best pairing for mahogany in a 7 (although, listening to Opeth alot lately Drew, the TZ7 in mahogany sounds alot like their tone, if you notice, and that's ain't bad.)

Also, the SD Custom does sound really good in mahogany.

 

[nyck]

Creme all the way man. My RG321MH has an X2N in the bridge and it sounds awesome for mahogany. I recommend the X2N7.

 

[Mastodon]

Purdy.

 

[Ibanez_fanboy]

Creme all the way man. My RG321MH has an X2N in the bridge and it sounds awesome for mahogany. I recommend the X2N7.

very nice

 

[ibanez.shredder]

I A/B'd it against the HRG4 and 2027 and it is different - but the HRG4 has a maple top so I figured the 2027 being all mahogany would be as close to similar as anything else.

Umm I can't see any maple top? looks like natural mahagony to me

 

[metalfiend666]

I had a mahogany Schecter with a TZ7(b) & PAF7(n) combo. I'm still dialing the pickups in as they're recently fitted, but the TZ sounds pretty wimpy and thin whereas the PAF just kills. I'm not a big fan of neck pickup tone, but in this setup the PAF gives me the big thick heavy rhythm tone I've been searching for for years. I'd really reccomend getting a PAF7, and suggest giving it a go in the bridge as well.

 

[Mark 7]

Umm I can't see any maple top? looks like natural mahagony to me

The HRG4 referred to is a J-Custom 7 string I have (<see avatar pic) - the natural shown in this thread is an HRG7 Prestige.

 

[Mark 7]

I had a mahogany Schecter with a TZ7(b) & PAF7(n) combo. I'm still dialing the pickups in as they're recently fitted, but the TZ sounds pretty wimpy and thin whereas the PAF just kills. I'm not a big fan of neck pickup tone, but in this setup the PAF gives me the big thick heavy rhythm tone I've been searching for for years. I'd really reccomend getting a PAF7, and suggest giving it a go in the bridge as well.

Well now I have a lot of pick up changing & testing to do. The HRG4 JC came with PAF7's (which I thought would be too weak) and I replaced the bridge PAF7 in it for a TZ7 and put the PAF7 in the neck of my 2027, which had a TZ7 in it forever. I always liked the tone of the TZ7 in my 2027 I think that's why I went with it in the HRG4. I ordered a Blaze Custom and AN7 for the HRG Prestige and I'll see how that sounds. Jesus - can anyone follow WTF I just said here?!

 

[7StringofAblicK]

I think a TZ7 with no tone pot or a 500 would brighten it up a bit and clear out any mud (if you like the TZ). But, i'd like to hear a Blaze in Mahogany...i bet it would own.