Pickup Recommendation for Ibanez AZ

[A.JohnHayes]

I recently got an Ibanez AZ (NGD thread incoming when I get a chance to take half decent photos/videos).

I’m enjoying the single coil tones a great deal, but I don’t particularly like the Hyperion bridge pickup. It feels very warm, round, smooth, not particularly clear. For contrast, I have the BKP Polymath in my Mayones, which sounds incredible, and the Dimarzio X2N in another guitar which I also really enjoy.

For this guitar I’m staying in E standard, I’m mainly playing high gain lead or thrashy stuff. I don’t care too much about how the pickup balances with the single coils, as I use entirely different tones/presets for those.

I’m looking for something bright, aggressive, ideally quite clear. First thing I’m wondering is if the Duncan Distortion will get the job done, since it’s a reasonable price on Thomann and I’d get to keep the guitar all Duncan, which is kinda fun. Open to literally any suggestion, though!

 

[Crungy]

Have you tried changing your pot values? Like a 500k or 1k? That really opens things up.

 

[Lemonbaby]

Can't go wrong with the Seymour Distortion.

 

[will_shred]

I agree with what @Crungy said, instead of replacing the pickups replace the pots with 1m (not 1k). That will make everything brighter and cost less $$.

 

[A.JohnHayes]

Have you tried changing your pot values? Like a 500k or 1k? That really opens things up.

I have not! I just got the guitar a week ago, and I’ve been playing around with pickup/pole piece height, and different amps/settings etc. So far nothing has helped with the very polite, round character of the pickup.

It’s worth a shot! I think both pots are 500k (for both humbucker and single coils), but I’d need to double check.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

If you want bright, aggressive and good for thrash it's hard to go wrong with a Distortion.

1 meg pots will open up the sound a bit, but so will cutting or changing the capacitor on tone pot (provided it has one soldered on it).

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I would expect you to be fairly content with the SD Distortion. DiMarzio D Activator would also be a good option.

 

[Crungy]

I agree with what @Crungy said, instead of replacing the pickups replace the pots with 1m (not 1k). That will make everything brighter and cost less $$.

Yes, 1m not 1k! Thank you @will_shred !

 

[budda]

Fresh strings? Pick still has a tip? Hydrated?

 

[A.JohnHayes]

Fresh strings? Pick still has a tip? Hydrated?

All of the above are sorted, but I am never quite as caffeinated as I want to be. That’s not the pickup’s fault, though.

 

[will_shred]

IF you're comfortable doing this you could also just swap out the magnet to a ceramic magnet

 

[Marked Man]

Duncan - The Hunter.

It's a Lynch sig model that reminds me of a leaner, meaner Distortion (less bottom).

 

[S4M4R1N]

EMG 81X

 

[Marked Man]

Also forgot to mention, make sure you bypass your tone control if you have one. It's like lifting a blanket placed over your speakers. Essential on my guitars.