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Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ
But you`re right, pickups are not Super 58`s of old. I believe they ere not ceramic either as said by some other member in this thread.
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10-25-2017 11:46 AM
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I love my MiC AS-93 for playability, fit, and finish; its price/quality ratio is great. The only thing I'd change about it are the pickups -- Super 58s according to Ibby's page on the guitar, presumably MiC as well. They are a little brittle, a tad too much on the chimey side of things. They're serviceable and if I work the controls I get passable tones.
I'll probably swap one or both out in the next six months. I'm thinking a P-90 style for the neck and an SD or Gibby 57 Classic for the bridge.
Other than that, I love the guit.
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I purchased a 2015 AS93 today used from Guitar Center. Very nice guitar and a good deal.
I also have an AMV10 with Classic Elite pickups. (I bought it for the beefy neck. Absolutely love the playability.)
I read through the forum, and like everyone, am confused about the pickups. There is no stamped ID on the pickups, suggesting that they are Super 58's. I looked up the part number and it is a little different from the AS153 (I am also considering, and have ordered one. I plan to compare head to head.): 3PUS58N1-GDG for the neck; the 153 is 3PUS58N4-GDG. No clue if the small difference is significant, but it suggests that they are the similar or the same pus.
I did a head to head comparison with the two guitars, the AMV10 and the AS93; same amp, same settings on the guitars and amp. I can not tell the difference. Granted this is a cheap amp, but I would think that there would be a discernible difference. I am curious if anyone else has found the same thing.
I really love the AMV10 and it has made me an Ibanez fan. But they really make it difficult to compare guitars. I am looking to move up in quality, but I am starting to think that all of the Chinese models will be similar.
As an aside, I have played dozens of guitars and have yet to find one that plays as well as the AMV10 with regard to comfort and action. I tolerate the cheesy distressed finish, but at least I don't need to worry about scratches.
I will likely return the AS93 since it doesn't seem to be a significant upgrade. As I mentioned, I plan to try the AS153 and maybe the JSM10 or 20. If anyone has an opinion on this I would be interested.
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All those guitars you mentioned are sort of "almost guitars" meaning you want the sound and so on of an AS200 but see these cheaper MIC guitars and you can afford them. No way no how is any guitar under 2k gonna have the real Super 58s of yore... What is with people that think hey the Chinese copied them and they're the same. No they're not...
If you want the sound and feel of an AS200 go buy one... If you look around hard enough you can find one, just save your money and be ready to do it when you do find one. Usually the older ones (early 80s) may have had the pickguard outgas and that would have corroded hardware, the binding might be a little funky in places and so on...
Wish I had a penny for every time some kid said how he thinks the cheaper guitars have real deal old time Super 58s...
Now I'll get off my soapbox and go smoke a cigar...
Big
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The AS93 I bought new, several years ago, had the ceramic ACH pickups as standard. This was correct Ibanez spec at the time. They were not great and I swapped them for some Seymour Duncan.
A few years later I bought an AS153 with the standard Super 58 Customs (i.e. Chinese made). These sounded great and stayed on the guitar until I sold it.
Hence the pickups on the standard spec 93 and 153 are different and to my ears certainly sound different.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
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I have posted in other threads on this topic.
I own an 2014 AF125. I was never very happy with the tone of the stock Super 58 Customs and was considering selling the guitar.
I recently replaced the stock pickups with a set of Bartolinis and the resulting improvement is absolutely breathtaking.
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Thanks Newsense. I think I will try the 153. My main interest is playability more than sound, but the 93 and amv10 are the same in this regard, with a slight edge to the AMV10 for its significantly lighter weight. Thanks also FredC for your observation.
I compared the AS93 and AMV10 on a better amp this morning. Only a slight difference, maybe due to the size. I would be interested to open the pu's on both to see if they really are different. Does anyone have an opinion on what is the best way (settings, etc.) to compare these?
Big, Thanks for the lecture, but I think you are missing the point. We are only trying to figure out what Ibanez is doing with their pu's. They seem to change constantly and they are very opaque. I am certainly not looking to compare these to MIJ's (Scofield plays an old MIJ instead of his MIC signature model. Enough said.). Guitar is my hobby and I like looking for bargains and "hidden gems".
As an aside, I wish I was a kid!
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So I took back the AS93 and ordered a used AS153 from Guitar Center, which I received yesterday. It has stampings on the pu covers, like one would expect for Super 58 Customs. A sound test confirms that they are significantly different than the Custom Elite pickups in my AMV10. This suggests the AS93 does not have the same Super 58 pu's. They appear to be different pickups than the classic versions of the Super 58 family.
I now understand the comments about the Artcore pickups sounding muddy. The Super 58's are definitely more clear and less restrained.
On a side note, the first thing that I noticed with the 153 was a terrible buzz when played unplugged. It appeared to be a combination of non-optimum setup and possibly a loose pick guard. There was also the sitar like buzz coming from the G string. The salesperson at GC said there was nothing wrong with it, but of coarse you couldn't hear yourself think with all of the mini concerts going on. When I pressed, they gave me a $50 credit to take it to a tech of my choice to get it checked out. My local luthier immediately noticed a bunch of setup issues. I should be getting it back in a day or so.
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Do you think this is could be super 58 made in China? I had a buzz problem too every time i play 1st strings on Bb or B but after i tighten the small screw under the pickguard the problem solved.
Originally Posted by Knuckles
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My tech found a problem with the bridge. It seems to be ok now, but he also found a high fret. The pick guard was ok. I will likely return it to GC and get something in better condition. It was listed as Excellent but it definitely was not.
The pu’s sound really great. I don’t know where they are made. I suspect China. They have the stamped ID so they are the Custom 58’s. I really enjoyed them with overdrive.
The Ibanez website says the new AS 153 comes with ACH pus. Why would anyone spend the extra money if this is the case? Seems like a really bad marketing decision. I was going to buy one new with a coupon from GC but not now. I am going to look at JSM 10 next.
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Originally Posted by Knuckles
Good hunting!
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After playing the AS153 for about 4 hours, I am having second thoughts about exchanging it for something else. It is a very nice instrument, even with the problems. I am going to ask GC to give me a discount for a new bridge and also some money towards a fret level. Otherwise, I will probably get a new JSM10 with a coupon. It would be about the same money as fixing the AS153.
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My conclusion on the Custom 58's on this 2007 AS153 is that they are very good, much better than the ACH humbuckers. With some overdrive, they are fantastic with all sorts of "foil-on-fillings" harmonics that just blow me away. The clean sound is also very pleasant, with a smooth woody voice that one would expect from a quality Ibby (although I couldn't get the same voice that I have heard from Scofield or some others. This could be my amp, but no doubt the vintage MIJ 58's v Chinese 58's could be the main reason.). The AS153 is a very nice guitar. The AS93 that I played for awhile was also a very nice guitar, but did not have the same pedigree of PU's, so the sound was disappointing. Besides the pickups, the other differences between these two are not striking. The AS153 has a bone nut and the coil splitting toggle. Both seem to be very well made and are a step above the AMV10. I like the weight and thick neck of the AMV10 (its my arthritis guitar), but it is an ugly bugger. My guitar tech did a great job with the setup and fret level, so it plays like butter (~$100 or so additional). Ibanez seems to have these priced about right: $500, $650, $1000.
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I received my new JSM10 yesterday. There are no stampings on the PU's, but they remind me very much of the AS153 with stamped Super Custom 58's that I had a few weeks ago. I compared directly to my AMV10 with Custom Elite's and the JSM10 clearly has better pickups. It's hard to say if they are the same as the AS153 since I returned that guitar, but the part number for the neck pickup is the same. The bridge PU has a slightly different number so it could be different. The Classic Elites sound like the JSM10 if you were to throw a heavy blanket over the amp. a fairly striking difference.
This evidence suggests that all the Chinese Artstar guitars have Super Custom 58's (or similar pedigree) and they no longer stamp these.
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Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
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I've owned quite a few Ibanez hollow and semi-hollow - AGs, AKs, AFs, ASs, AMs, and an LGB30. All of them sounded similar - and great. I've always been pleased with the sound of the Ibbys with S58s, not so much with those that came with ACHs. The one exception is the new AS73OLM (Olive Metallic) which came with the Classic Elites. They are better than the ACHs, but not as clean or clear as the MIC S58s. I have followed and chimed in on the Super 58 topic several times as this is always of interest to me. I've played many other hollow and semis from Eastman, Epiphone, Guild, Gretsch, Gibson, DiAngelico, etc, pretty much all of them. I own an Epi ES-175 Premium w/ USA Gibson 57s, luthier set up, flatwounds and amazing action. But it sounds different than my MIC S58s. Then recently I decided to spend a few hundred bucks and conduct an experiment. I purchased a set of authentic Made in Japan Super 58s, the same ones found in Pat Metheny and George Benson Japanese models (Prestige) and installed them into my MIC LGB30. I took the MIC S58s from the LGB30 and installed them into my AS73OLM ($400 from Sweetwater, they actually set up the guitar before they ship it!). The results were astounding. The Made in Japan Super 58s are cleaner, clearer, more articulate and more defined than the MIC S58s or the USA Gibson 57s. Even more so than Seymour Duncan JBs that I installed into my AK75D Goldtop (I just had to buy the goldtop when I saw it! Wow!). My LGB30 was set up by a luthier and the neck is astounding. Add the MIJ S58s and I can't imagine a better playing or sounding guitar out there. Additionally, the MIC S58s in the AS73OLM make this guitar every bit as great as my (still regret selling) AS253. Interesting thing to note, I also have an AF155 AA with MIC S58s, with slightly different part number according to the listing on the Ibanez website, and they do sound a bit different than they MIC S58s from my LGB30 that I now have in my AS73OLM. (I hope I'm not too confusing.) I emailed Ibanez and asked, they said that there shouldn't be any difference, but they could not explain why the slight difference in part numbers. The AF155 is such a great player - it feels just amazing, and I'm thinking about changing those pups for Seth Lovers, just so I have a different tone than the other guitars. At any rate, to wind up this Super 58 long post, there is a definite difference between the MIJ S58s and the MIC S58s. The former are smooth and crisp without any hint of shrill in the high strings (B and e) and solid bass lines in the low strings (E and A) and great middle string balance. I was told by a few players that I was not going to ever make my LGB30 an LGB300 by just replacing the pups w/ MIJs, so I also replaced the bridge with a wooden bridge, and the tuners with Japanese Gotoh locking tuners, but it's still an LBG30, however, having played the Japanese LGB300, GB10 and a vintage-ish Ibanez Joe Pass, I can honestly say, I cannot feel any difference, and now, I cannot even hear the difference. By the way, the pups set me back nearly $400. I bought the LGB30 used for about $625, no lie! I know, such a great price for a near mint, w/ case, LGB30. A used LGB300 will set me back about four times that much, and I'm in no hurry to spend too much money! Thanks for reading.
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Mocee,
I found the pickup description for the AS153 in an add for Ibanez. I must admit that I can't find it anymore. The add actually pushed me toward the JSM10 instead of the AS153. Maybe I dreamed it? If I ever come across it again I will post a link. Assuming that I am not hallucinating, maybe they tried this for awhile? The 2007 AS153 that I had for awhile was definitely not ACH.
i appreciate your post on your experiments. This helps all of us understand the confounding world of Ibanez. I have an AS93 that I'm thinking about juicing up with some new pickups. I may try the MIJ 58's, although I have a JSM10 with MIC 58's. maybe too similar.
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I found the add. It is from Sweetwater, but other adds are similar. This mixes the Super 58 Custom and ACH. I read that ACH stands for Artcore Humbuckers. Not sure if this is true, but if so then this ad is misleading. The AS153 is an Artstar. This implies that the humbuckers are the same as what is on the Artcore models, which are not the same. Comments?
Super 58 Custom humbucking pickups capture electric sound and acoustic resonance, without 60-cycle humEarly hollowbody and semi-hollowbody electric guitars had wonderfully expressive tone that came with serious hum issues. That's why Ibanez and other guitar makers quickly developed special humbuckers, such as the Super 58 Custom pickups. These special humbuckers preserve your AS153 semi-hollowbody guitar's bite, but ditch the 60Hz hum and other noise. What's more, ACH humbuckers give the AS153 a unique sonic character that you're sure to have fun with.
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Hi all, i picked up a js model, the one thats 1000 bucks, not the high end one. I wish i bought the high end one! This guitar is very nice, but i hate the pickups. Glad i found this post. I am thinking of Lindy Fralin low wind PAF’s and CTs pots and a rewire.
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Hello Big Mike,
I agree, the 57 from most Epis are not the same as the USA 57 by Gibson, with one exception. Epiphone introduced for a short time, a Premium version of the ES-175 made in Korea that come with genuine USA Gibson 57 Classics installed. I was leery of this myself but I had a Gibson rep confirm for me, yes, they are in fact, the same USA Gibson 57 Classic pickups you'll find on USA made Gibsons. I was quite impressed. I've had some heated discussions online whether the pups were made in USA, and I can assure you, though the emails and images I've correspond with Gibson, it is confirmed. There have been instances where people have removed the pups from the Epi ES-175, sold them or reinstalled them in another guitar, and still sold the Epi 175 as with Gibson pups; I know this because this happened to me. Upon immediate inspection of my purchase, I discovered that the pups had been changed out for an off brand. The seller immediately apologized and accepted the return. I then found another seller who was willing to inspect the pups himself and send me proof. I also inspected that one upon purchase, sent the pics over to Gibson, USA, and they confirmed, they are genuine USA Gibson 57 Classics.
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Originally Posted by GNAPPI
I finally got to compare side by side a pair of AS-153's made one year apart with the S-58 (pup cover stamped S58 made in 2014) and another with the newer style marked underneath Super 58 neck marked 3PUS58N4-GDG made in 2015. I happen to have a 2017 ES-335 with BB 1/2 pups too.
I've never had a problem with the S-58's at all, but being able to go back and forth between the two in the same amp was enlightening. On just about every git I own I always drop the tone control on the neck pup a bit, and the later AS-153 2015 model, I really did not HAVE to, though dropping it to 8 or 9 made it even better. The tone of the pup is noticeably less harsh / trebly and a tad louder than the S58, as well as the BB in the neck of the 335. No surprise on the BB, as it's not my fave pup from Gibson.
As I said, I've had no problem wi th the S58's and they will likely stay inthe earlier model, but for future purchases this will be a deciding factor in favor of the newer pups.
PS, in political speak / parlance I guess you could call me a flip flopper, and that would be the death knell if I were running for office, but I see the ability to change one's mind as flexible and a desirable trait... I'd vote for a flip flopper any day :-)
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I've got an AS-100 (81), RS1000 (81...I think) and an AR-100 (80...I think)...the S58 in those have sooooo much more depth and responsiveness than the S58 that are in some of the newer Ibby 58s I play (103...changed to SD59's, Fender Esprit (later S58), 120 (later 58, and AM93 S58custom). They aren't bad PUPs, but they are not A2 or A3 flavor. If it isn't an older MIJ PUP...Seth Lovers, 57 classics, Bareknuckle, and some others are much nice choices than newer S58s of various types. The old ones are worth it...but as has been said...they ain't cheap. My opinion of course.
Enharmonics
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