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After a several month wait, my PM200 finally arrived yesterday. Overall, it's a great guitar! At the store, I had a chance to compare it with a PM2 using the same amp and same settings. While both are very nice sounding guitars, the PM200 had a certain 'smoothness' that is hard describe. Both had D'Addario 0.11 chrome flatwound strings, so it was a fair comparison.
I played the PM2 first and set the amp to neutral EQ settings and a medium volume level. Great tone on all strings and in various positions along the neck. The volume and tone controls felt smooth, but a bit loose, or 'light', compared to other guitars I'm used to. My regular arch top is an Ibanez AG95 and the PM2 had a much wider tonal range and deeper bass due to its larger size. The AG95 is a lot smaller with a 14.5" body and is thinner. Overall, the PM2 is a great guitar except for the very yellow color of the finish. The finish on that particular guitar almost seemed fluorescent yellow, not an 'antique' yellow.
Next, I plugged in the PM200, played one chord and had to quickly turn down the amp. The Silent 58 pickup in the PM200 had considerably more output than the PM2. Since the PM200 had just come out of the box, then intonation was slightly off, unlike the PM2 which had been in the store for awhile and had been properly adjusted. The PM200 played very well in all positions and the special 'prestige' fret treatment was very nice. All frets were highly polished and all edges were extremely smooth. Of course, the Gotoh tuners and other hardware were first-rate. The natural finish was very neutral and highlighted the figure in the maple body. The PM200 was also heavier than the PM2.
The sound of the PM200 was definitely 'different' than the PM2. I can't find the right words for it, but it did seem 'smoother'. The big difference was in how the tone control behaved. Instead of taking the sound from dark and muddy to harsh and brittle, like many others do, the PM200 control only seemed to effect the very highest frequencies. At first, I wasn't sure the control was working at all using the amp at the store. Later, when I returned home, I used an Acoustic Image Coda and could easily hear what the control was doing. Although subtle, it produces a variety of very nice tonal changes.
The fit and finish of both guitars were very good. The only exception was on the PM200 under the fretboard extension (see image below). I had never looked closely at a guitar with a gap below the fretboard before, so it's possibly normal, since it's just unfinished wood with a bit of a rough edge were the actual finish begins. It would be nice to know if other's have seen similar issues on other guitars.
Neither guitar has a pick guard / finger rest. Since I play both with a pick and finger-style, I originally thought a pick guard would be nice, but the strings are high above the body, so there is little chance of scratching the surface with a pick. As an added benefit, the longer finger nails on my right hand tend to hit the pick guards on my other guitars and makes an annoying 'ticking' sound that I have to watch out for. No pick guard, no problem.
Overall, it's a bit hard to justify the extra expense, but there is no doubt that the PM200 is a quality high-end instrument.
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09-19-2013 03:21 PM
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Congratulations! I just got a PM2, but if I had the cash I'd definitely make the same choice you did. I'm mystified as to why they call the PM200 pickup 'silent', as I thought all humbuckers were. What do you think they are referring to?
I like your description of smoother...
Anyway, once again, congratulations. Very exciting! I hope you have years of great music making ahead of you.
Rob
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Hi Rob,
Congrats on your purchase as well.
I've been trying to find out specifics about the pickups, but no luck so far. Perhaps, with the higher output, you don't have to turn the amp up as loud and as a result, less noise? I don't recall the model of the Fender amp I used at the store, but with both guitar's volume set to 10 (wide open), the pm200 only required the amp volume barely above 1, while the pm2 needed to be set almost to 4. A surprising difference to me.
Does your PM2 have the gap under the fretboard? If so, does it look like mine?
All the best,
Greg
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Here's mine. It has a definite curve. Looks OK to me.
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I've ordered another pickup I'm curious about - the Harmonic Design Z-90 - which is a single-coil in a humbucker casing. I wrote to them asking a for a big warm bass with definition, and they suggested the Z-90 over the Classic Vintage Humbucker they do. LINK to both. Worth a try, maybe.
If the Super 58 Silent Pickup was available to buy, I might have gone for that instead...
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Rob,
The neck on mine is a straight ramp. Perhaps the curve on yours allowed them to get the finish under more of it.
I went back to the store just now and the pm2 they have looks just like yours. Tomorrow, they will call Ibanez to see if that's normal for the 200.
Greg
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I'll swap you if you like?
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Rob,
Thanks for the swap suggestion. I'll let you know tomorrow after they talk to Ibanez !!!
If the pm2 that the store has was the same color as yours, I would have purchased that and been happy. However, the 200 is very nice.
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As far as pickups go, the Ibanez site (US Version) shows that the Silent 58 is available as purchasable part. Did you try there?
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No, I didn't. Too late now, but thanks for pointing it out. Maybe in the future.
I'm sure the 200 is a superb guitar. If it's good enough for PM...
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If you think about it, 'humbucker' is probably the more odd choice of name for a pickup invented back in the '50s when they were looking for a quieter pickup than the single-coils and P-90s of the time, i.e., one that I'd figure was going to be comparatively 'silent'. ("Wow, man... that really 'bucks' the hum!" I mean, who says "bucks", anyway?) Ibanez might be thinking that "Silent" also implies an even further deluxe extension of "hum-bucking", too.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
It seems to me that the original name could very well have ended up as "silent" pickups instead!
Really, I think that humbucker is just what we're all used to saying by this point. There are so many odd words and expressions in the language that nobody ever even thinks about, y'know?
Hey, it's gotta beat calling that pickup the K4557B, right?
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My PM35 isn't the exact same guitar, of course, but, FWIW, mine looks like Rob's above. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Here's mine. It has a definite curve. Looks OK to me.
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Congratulations for the Pm200.
Could you please measure the body depth of the PM200 and report to us?
I am curious to know.
Thanks
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Can you not find it (Silent 58 PU) here?
http://en.euroguitar.com/accessory/i...ck/125120.html
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Thanks for the link!
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The thickness at the edge is 80mm (3.15") and approximately 95mm (3.75") at the thickest part of the lower bout. It was a bit difficult measuring the lower bout, so the value may be a bit off.
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a : Length 20" b : Width 16 1/2" c : Max Depth 4 1/4"
The reason I ask is because the Ibanez website reports the above pictures and related measurements.
4 1/4 " is about 10.8 cm, so almost 11 cm.
When I saw that number I thought about a possible mistake.
I have to compare with my 175. I always forget the body depth of the 175.
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BTW, I like the no-pickguard option. I don't like pickguards, or, possibly, I like small pickguards.
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I thought I'd miss having a pickguard on my PM2, but I don't miss it at all.
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I have not been keeping up -- are Super 58s truly not available anymore? Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
JB
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Yes, they are. See above thread links.
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Rob, being in the UK as you are, did you not consider Bare Knuckles Pickups, Bulldog Pickups, Aaron Armstrong (son of Kent) pickups or Shed Pickups? They would be a damn sight cheaper and faster for you to procure, won't they?
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/
http://www.bulldogpickups.com/
http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/
http://www.shedpickups.com/
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Sure...but I chose the Z-90. Looking forward to it. There's no hurry :-)
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Oh, all right. Just wanna be sure that you are aware of them.
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Sorry, I should have said thanks for mentioning them. Thanks! I was a bit sleepy this morning. I have a great UK neck pickup by The Creamery on my Tele, which I absolutely love and recommend.
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I had a look at the website. Which one did you order? Do you recommend The Creamery pickups? Never heard before.... Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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