Ibanez GB10 - Replacement Pickups

[Cunamara]

I'd have to measure again, IIRC my 1981 GB10 has 11-13K pickups.

[lesyeuxnoirs]

It depends on what era you are talking about. Recent bensons have ceramic magnet, 15k winding and to me are very hot and super bright.

The older ones had alnico magnets and 7k(ish) windings and were much more mellow. I hate ceramic pickups and I think if you have one of the newer ones you'll hear a big diff when changing pickups.

100 % this. Mine is a 2017 model...and the pickups are exactly as you describe: very hot and super bright. Seems an odd choice for this guitar (with no disrespect intended to those who like these pickups).

I hate them too but otherwise really like the guitar, and so I’m hoping/confident the Armstrong pickups will make a big difference

[daveaskren]

How can us civilians get a pickup like that??

I worked at Ibanez. One thing I HAD to do the moment I started was fulfill a promise to get a GB10. So I did and yeah, I had the same reaction to the pickups. I should say that I had a Gibson Johnny Smith which set the bar pretty high for a nice sound.
I called up MJ at Seymour Duncan, she runs the custom shop and she's gracious and helpful. "We can make you a floating mini pickup sure. Do you want it neck mounted or pickguard mount? What kind of sound do you want? Like a 59? Or hotter? You want Alnico II or V? Tell us what you want, we'll wind it." And they did.
I put a mini 59 (like a PAF) on the neck mount and it sounds like a warm big jazz box with a woody attack, a really warm envelope and the GB body gives it a round sustain with an acoustic edge to it.
Completely different beast.
One option anyway.

[ruger9]

It depends on what era you are talking about. Recent bensons have ceramic magnet, 15k winding and to me are very hot and super bright.

The older ones had alnico magnets and 7k(ish) windings and were much more mellow. I hate ceramic pickups and I think if you have one of the newer ones you'll hear a big diff when changing pickups.

Wow, that's a HUGE change to make to a model... like night and day. Strange Ibanez would do that.

[jzucker]

Wow, that's a HUGE change to make to a model... like night and day. Strange Ibanez would do that.

ibanez doesn't make pickups. The pickups they were buying from dimarzio changed. Dimarzio used to make those pickups with alnico magnets but switched to ceramic. Not sure why. But because the ceramics were brighter, dimarzio compensated by doubling the wiring around the pickups. To me they are very bright and I know from a source that benson doesn't use them stock. He has them rewound with alnico magnets. It's not rocket science to do that. My local repairman can do that really cheaply. He charges $25 for a rewind. I'm guessing it's not a huge amount of money to rewind and swap out the magnets...

[Cunamara]

ibanez doesn't make pickups. The pickups they were buying from dimarzio changed. Dimarzio used to make those pickups with alnico magnets but switched to ceramic. Not sure why.

Cost (ceramic magnets are cheaper)? Perhaps some problem with their supplier? Different production manager took over and had a different way of thinking about pickups? Unless somebody on the inside joins the forum, unfortunately we may never know. It does seem like an odd thing to do with one the flagship models, though.

[jzucker]

Cost (ceramic magnets are cheaper)? Perhaps some problem with their supplier? Different production manager took over and had a different way of thinking about pickups? Unless somebody on the inside joins the forum, unfortunately we may never know. It does seem like an odd thing to do with one the flagship models, though.

I'm a dimarzio endorsee. I asked them about this 10 years ago and they told me that with the additional windings they put on there, the pickup has the same freq response as the original alnico ones. I think we all know that's not true but manufacturers often hook things up to scopes and meters instead of asking players their opinions...

[SR67]

Writing with another update -

Well, I took the decision to sell the guitar rather but nobody seemed interested (despite pricing in line with other sales etc.)

Took that as a sign that I ought to hold onto it and give it another chance to realise its potential

And so I approached Kent Armstrong to re-wind them, who referred me to his son - Aaron - who is in the UK (as am I) who is going to do this for me

I have high hopes for this and will report back

In the meantime, thanks all for your input and wisdom

Hey Evan, signed up just to reply to this post.

The GB10 is certainly next level in wow factor as far as guitar fit, finish and feel go ... but the sound ... some days it fits with me others not so much.

Have you considered running you guitar through something like Bias FX 2.

For those days you want to break out of the Jazz box run through the simulator. For me I have found playing with a signal chain consisting simply of a noise gate, compressor, 66 super leed head, green 25 amp, and a modulator i can get some eye watering awesome rock tones ... and i am a novice.

cheap and fun option to experiment with

hope this helps.

Simon

[lesyeuxnoirs]

Hey Evan, signed up just to reply to this post.

The GB10 is certainly next level in wow factor as far as guitar fit, finish and feel go ... but the sound ... some days it fits with me others not so much.

Have you considered running you guitar through something like Bias FX 2.

For those days you want to break out of the Jazz box run through the simulator. For me I have found playing with a signal chain consisting simply of a noise gate, compressor, 66 super leed head, green 25 amp, and a modulator i can get some eye watering awesome rock tones ... and i am a novice.

cheap and fun option to experiment with

hope this helps.

Simon

Thank you Simon

That is really kind of you

But I actually sold the guitar to somebody who approached me

all best

David