Pickups for a 1980 Ibanez AS50

[GNAPPI]

Forgot to address a question a few posts back. Yeah Ibanez DID switch to two adjust screws on the Super 58s (used to be two screws on the left and one (centered) on the right... Also not long after THAT they stop stamping Super 58 on them. So it's hard to truly spot them like in the old days.

So are you saying definitively that if they are stamped Super 58 on the bottom AND have the three screw mounts on the pup frame they are very likely to be genuine?

[Stringswinger]

I am a big fan of Duncan 59's. They are not the same as 57 classics though their architecture is very similar. The Alnico 5 magnets of the Duncan 59 produces a way more "detailed" sound than the 57 Classics, which are an Alnico 2 Pup.

If I were looking for Pups for a semi-hollow, Duncan 59's would be my first choice.

[Jx30510]

This is what they look. I watched every S58 I could find, not one matched
What do you think?

[Jx30510]

Sorry the Aria Pro II FA-STD shouldn't have been there!!
Well I'll take advantage of my error to link it with the thread. This is the guitar I put Classic 57 in.
The best Es175 I,ve ever had, really stunning player!

And below those Super 58 coming from a 1997 AF200, well they are supposed to.. 100€ the pair. What do you think, genuine?

[Jx30510]

I looked closely, the construction does definately look like S58, but I can't find that "MIJ" inscription on any pictures on the Web.

[Ray175]

Thank you very much.

Il n'y a pas de quoi

[BigMikeinNJ]

?Tell me how you like how it sounds when you put them in... That's what really matters. I looked and Duncan does sell Seth Lovers with nickel covers, if you ever decide to go that route with this, or another guitar. For the money they're great. Everyone has favorites, mine are the Seth Lovers, Super 58's and the Classic 57's, Lollar Low Winds also are tasty. But the Alumitones in my RED GB5, those are worth looking into... But that topic sorta fell on deaf ears.

Big

And good luck telling if those are real Super 58s from your photo, thus my first sentence... It's one of the things that has irritated me into gravitating away from Super 58's... how Ibanez changed the back cover, muddied the descriptions of lower end models to make you think you're getting them in a $500.00 guitar, ect. Not nice to fool with such a huge Ibanez Fanboy as BigMike there Ibanez... tisk tisk ...

[Jx30510]

The guitar is on the way, it should arrive by thursday.
One thing I noticed on the photos the guy sent me, and that I didn't really see at first, is that kind of gap at the neck heel where it meets the body.. it's hard to clearly see if it's big, and by experience, cellphone photographs can exagerate certain details .. my AS200 was pretty messed up at that place (paint crack, chipping, and a gap) but was very stable.
well I hope I'm not going to have a bad surprise.. The seller doesn't have any knowledge about guitars, it was very difficult to explain to him when I asked him to take close ups of the frets, the nut.. the guitar has been given to him by a friend in the 80's, never played it
can you see that gap?

[Jx30510]

[Rhythmisking]

Wow, I really like the sound of the Fralin P-92's in that 336 video!

If you can find original MIJ Super 58's for a reasonable price I'd use those. Keep the guitar in it's own family and they're great sounding pups.

The Super 58 Customs are a completely different animal; brighter and thinner with a weird upper-mid spike that I find particularly unpleasant and is impossible to get rid of completely even with elaborate EQ. Like a tiny splinter in your eardrum; completely annoying. Did I mention I hate them?

The best current 'PAF-type' pup that I've found is the WCR Darkburst. Spot on great PAF tone with just a bit extra sparkle and clarity to make them really special. I have them in my SA 2000 which is not too different from your AS.

[Jx30510]

Well I've got the AS50 for a few days now.
I had quite a cleaning work and a healthy amount of elbow grease to revive a guitar that obviously had been sitting in a attic for the last 20 years (that's what the seller told me)
It is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, on par with my 81 AS200 in every way, and with any of the best Gibsons I've played (may I say better?)

It plays flawlessly, the action is so low with the strings vibrating and body resonnating, it's unreal. The neck is a dream, the best I've ever played, the maple top is pretty thin, and this seems to accentuate the resonnance?
The electronics are very high quality, just a bit of lubricating thing and they work like new. I really like the volume tapper and the tone range, it can get almost wah wah like.

Now for the bad things : the pickups and the tuners (in a lesser way)
The V2's are way too hot for this guitar! I lowered them all the way but they just atomize the input of all my amps.. they enhance pick attack, just a horrible pluck on each attack it is really disturbing (and I imagine it's worse at high volume).
This is less apparent on very high gain, and I think this is what these pickups are meant for.. in a high fuzzy gainy cascade of notes that pluck on each pick attack lets your melodies a bit more articulate.
But I don't play high gain, hardly slight overdrive breakup at most.. so these pickups suck in such a high grade semi hollow jazz/blues/soul machine WTF Ibanez?
Well those were the eighties I suppose..

So I have found a neck pickup. My choice went for (helped by a good deal next my place) a Seymour Duncan Antiquity.
I listened to a number of demos, read many reviews, and the consensus seems very favorable. Clear sounding, very articulate and with high dynamic response to picking nuances.. no wax potting (while feedback resistant) that will let a little more of that semi hollow sweetness go thru the amp.. what do you think about this choice?
I will receive it next week so I'll have to be patient .. Santa Claus :-)

So now I've got to find a match for the bridge. I'm thinking about the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover .. it has the same output as the Antiquity bridge PU (8,2) so it should probably do the deal?

And as for the tuners, I'd like to upgrade them to locking tuners
They are the big Velve Tunes from Ibanez, and don't really match the quality of the overall instrument, they are a bit loose and the ratio is too low.
I've heard that Grover Rotomatics are a perfect fit (thats what I want, no drilling nor drooling..) ? Do you have any advice?

I'm going to post pictures of the tuners to help

Thanks to everyone for this great forum by the way
I

[Jx30510]

[Jx30510]

Here are pictures of the tuners. If an Ibanez expert can chime in to help me find the right aftermarket replacement.

[Jx30510]

Second report for the V2's
I spent half my weekend trying to find a sweet spot on those PU.. no way, I just can't cope that hard plucky attack, taming the volume on the guitar or the amp has no effect, lowering them all the way down, nothing.. they're just crap.
Ibanez made a big mistake in my opinion.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Those V2's are for the shredders with poodle haircuts man...
Get yourself some Seth Lovers or Duncan Antiquities. Plenty of good PAF clones out there that'll give you that fat yet punch sound of a PAF which would be perfect for this guitar...

Those should be the old metal Velve tuners. eBay might have some. Or get the replacement tuners for a GB10 via Guitar Center (they can look it up and order them for you). You might have to fill/stain the old screw holes with a bamboo skewer and some stain stick but ya gotta have tuners that hold tight.

Big

[Jx30510]

Thanks BJM
This AS50 is a freaking good guitar, you know when you've got a good axe in your hands, this one is a pure gift, no way I'm gonne leave it
Antiquity for the neck, Seth lover in the bridge
For the tuners I'm gonna take my chance for the Grovers, a guy told me so on a Ibanez forum

"Ibanez tuner guide"

I'll take it for granted

[Jx30510]

Well I put the Seymour Duncan Antiquity in the necj position yesterday
Great great great, no comparison, no more pick plick, huge dynamic range, very clear and warm sound. The pickup reacts fabulously to volume and treble adjustmenrs, unbelievable array of sounds just on the neck pickup alone

Yes, because I still have the V2 in bridge position, I'm waiting for the Seth Lover SH55 to arrive in a few days.. can't wait!!

So I am able to do a real comparison on the guitar between the 2 pickups Neck/SD Bridge/V2.. gosh night and day, that Ibby PU is so harsh and brutal.

And I got a nice private post here from a guy from Australia (thanks again!!) and he confirmed that the Grover Rotomatics 102 are the perfect swap
I should recieve them with the Seth Lover..
The AS50 is becoming THE guitar I've always been looking for!
A wonderful instrument.

[Graicebara]

So do you still have the AS-50 and if so how did the pick ups work out?

[pingu]

i’ve got an af120 as my main jazz box
the pickups are ok/good ....
certainly not harsh ....

maybe they’re different to your V2’s

yes i think i remember that they are korean s58 don’t know if it’s samick or cort tho

its got the narrow headstock (as per yours ?) parallel ish string pull which
helps with tuning stability

the tuners are good on mine tho ....
didnt need to swap them

yes these af/as 50/120 korean guitars ARE great aren’t they ?
not up to the japanese as/af 200
apparently but pretty great anyway
and WAY cheaper

so glad you’re digging yours man !

i got mine years ago as a learn some
jazz box .... intending to get a ‘proper’ box if/when i took to the jazz thing , i did take to the music but i never felt the need to upgrade the instrument

you don’t have to pay a fortune to get a great axe

caviat ....
in mine i’ve had to upgrade the jack socket
and the sel switch (to switchcraft items) cod the originals became noisy and unreliable .... after a couple of years

ive now after many years got to do a full on new harness for it because its
developed an intermittent loud elec buzz cured effectivly at the moment
by thumping the top with the heel of my hand ....

a bit bit embarrassing on gigs !

[Graicebara]

So I picked up one of these a model build in 1980 with the original pickups still in it. The V2s are over the top. Very Dimarzio Super Distortion style. Want to move the guitar in a less assertive direction. I was wondering if the Seth Lover Bridge and Antiquity neck were still the way to go. I have a Tom Shaw PAF from my 80's LP Heritage hanging around (I switched to a Texas BBQ in the LP as I wanted a bit hotter of a pick up in that guitar) that I may toss in. But I am open to any other thoughts.