Hey guys,

I am looking to add another axe. I am currently playing an Ibanez Art100 (Les Paul style), along with a Seagull acoustic and a Mitchell electro-acoustic. I like the Ibanez neck a lot, but the sustain is not where I want it (even though it has a mahogany body), and there are several "dead notes" around the fretboard.

I am looking at an Ibanez RGA32 with active p-ups. I am trying to find a more aggressive guitar for some hard rock and metal. I also thought about just upgrading the pick-ups in my ART100 to some Seymour Duncan SH-6's (or something like that).

Thoughts about p-up upgrade or looking for a new model?

Thanks!

 

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=805730

 

Haha, 33 pages...

Any hints as to which page I might look at?

Thanks!

 

Ask a question there. He has all the answers.

(seriously though, UnkieT knows his shit about music)

 

Will do. Thanks for the link!

 

You can't go wrong with any of the RG Prestige guitars. I'm not sure what new ones go for anymore [i stopped playing seriously years ago and have fallen out of the loop.] But I've always been a metalhead and I've always used Ibanez RG series and ESP guitars.

If what you want is out of your price range, I'm a big fan of just upgrading pickups for a tremendously improved sound without forking out over a grand for a new guitar. I still have my first guitar [out of sentimental value] and I swaped in a couple of active EMGs years ago and it sounds awesome. Doesn't play or feel as well as a LesPaul, but I love it all the same.

 

Last time a thread like this came around it was me looking for something new... and the recommendation I got from ... umm... Mindcore I think? was an older RG550. I went with that, and have been very pleased.

 

Went in last night to ask about the logistics of a p-up swap versus a new guitar. Played a bunch of guitars (actives, passives, Les Pauls' RG's, etc). Ended up trading in my ART100 + a little cash for this:



Ibanez RG321MHE. Active EMG's, mahogany body, string-thru. Very solid. The EMG's scream (81 and 85 set). The store had me play the RGA32 and the RG321 back to back to hear the difference. It wasn't even close. The EMG's vs. the LoZ3's wasn't even a contest. Very happy with the deal I got as well.

Thanks for the replies!

 

cool. congrats.

 

very cool! congrats.

EMG's make the best active pickups for rock/metal in my opinion. I've always used a 81/60 or 81/85 combo in my guitars.