Guitar modification

[stendhal]

i'm looking to modify my Ibanez Iceman into something... better.

I'm trying to find out what would be best as far as pickups. How much of a difference would that make? If significant, what am I looking at price-wise, and what would you recommend?

Are there any other ways to ensure a better sound?

Btw, I'm looking for a nice warm tone.

any help is appreciated.

[freshapricots]

i think as far as pickups that are a lot warmer i'd recommend looking at gibson pickups like '57 classics. one pickup is about $120 on musicians friend. sounds real purty. gibson has a bunch of good pickups to look at.

it most likely won't sound equal to a les paul, but it'll probably sound better than it sounds now with those pickups

[patrickhowell]

Pickups are about 95% of your sound on an electric guitar, so that's definitely the place to start. If you want something warmer, you should probably get pickups with AlNiCo magnets instead of ceramic. Check out Vintage Vibe pickups (http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/pickup_hum.html). They're really nice, handwound pickups, and they sound great.

[freshapricots]

^you should probably listen to this guy i had never heard of these before but they seem like a really awesome deal

[patrickhowell]

Yeah, I'm actually going to get him to custom build a new neck HB for my strat.

[stendhal]

Pickups are about 95% of your sound on an electric guitar, so that's definitely the place to start. If you want something warmer, you should probably get pickups with AlNiCo magnets instead of ceramic. Check out Vintage Vibe pickups (http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/pickup_hum.html). They're really nice, handwound pickups, and they sound great.


Which of those would you recommend? And would you recommend having a professional install them? If so, what would you ballpark the installation fee?

[stendhal]

Thank you both for your help!

[patrickhowell]

Which of those would you recommend? And would you recommend having a professional install them? If so, what would you ballpark the installation fee?

The first 4 are all the same pickup with different covers. Those are the ones you want if you're looking for some nice warm vintage Gibson tone, just pick which style you like. Because VVG pickups are designed so that you can switch the magnets for different tones, Pete will send you 2 different types of magnets for each pickup. You can choose between AlNiCo II, III, V or Ceramic 8. AlNiCo II will sound the warmest and most vintage, and the Ceramic will sound harshest and most modern. You probably have ceramic magnets in your guitar now. If you want a hot vintage sound, I'd go with AlNiCo V, and if you want a basic vintage tone, you should check out AlNiCo III. Or you can mix and match for slight differences in the bridge and neck position.

As far as installation, if you can solder, you can do it. There isn't any danger of high voltage or anything, and you don't have to worry about permanently damaging anything. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, guitar shops usually charge a high hourly rate for repairs - something like $75/hour, and I would assume between 30 minutes and an hour for installation.

[miketrondson]

Would up-grading the tone and volume pots help as well?

[The Boathouse]

http://www.lollarguitars.com/

You'll thank me later.

[patrickhowell]

Would up-grading the tone and volume pots help as well?

It would make a small difference, but I don't know if it would be worth it. Changing out to different value pots, changing the tone capacitor, or setting up a new wiring diagram can make a pretty big difference though. Stendhal, would you be into setting up your guitar for both Les Paul and Strat tones? There's even a lot more than those two that can be done with 2 humbuckers and a couple switches...

http://www.lollarguitars.com/

You'll thank me later.

Those look nice too, but way more expensive than Vintage Vibe...

[stendhal]

It would make a small difference, but I don't know if it would be worth it. Changing out to different value pots, changing the tone capacitor, or setting up a new wiring diagram can make a pretty big difference though. Stendhal, would you be into setting up your guitar for both Les Paul and Strat tones? There's even a lot more than those two that can be done with 2 humbuckers and a couple switches...



Very, and I think I'll definitely be going with the AlNiCo II.



Thanks again for your help... I know next to nothing when it comes to guitars.

[patrickhowell]

Very, and I think I'll definitely be going with the AlNiCo II.

Thanks again for your help... I know next to nothing when it comes to guitars.

AlNiCo II sounds good, that's what Slash from G'n'R uses in almost all his guitars. Also, if you want those strat tones, you'll need to buy a couple push-pul pots and hook up some coil-tap switches. That will allow you to get so many great sounds from one guitar.

[stendhal]

AlNiCo II sounds good, that's what Slash from G'n'R uses in almost all his guitars. Also, if you want those strat tones, you'll need to buy a couple push-pul pots and hook up some coil-tap switches. That will allow you to get so many great sounds from one guitar.


Would any run-of-the-mill guitar shop have those?

[The Boathouse]

Those look nice too, but way more expensive than Vintage Vibe...

Price does not matter...just tone.

Sorry, I've been gear snooping all morning.

[patrickhowell]

Would any run-of-the-mill guitar shop have those?

If they don't have them in stock, they can definitely order them. Something like that would take a little longer to wire up, and the pots are a little more expensive, but it's definitely worth the extra cash.