Ibanez Powersound

PSND1 / PSND2 humbucking pups

Guitars with PSNDs installed: Ibanez RG320, Westone XL10 (Les Paul copy)
Positons: neck / bridge

After all the negative ratings let me say something good about these pups. I had these as stock units in my 2004 Ibanez RG320 guitar for about 3 years. To tell the truth I was not really satisfied with the clean sound they produced in humbucking mode, though distorted was ok. With the clean setting I thought they were a bit muddy, with too much mids, not really much sparkle, and also not a good volume balance between the individual strings. So after 3 years, I decided I want to make the RG320 a versatile guitar with good clean sound. I replaced the PSNDs with Seymour Duncans' "favorite combination": the SH-4 (JB model) in the bridge and SH-2n (Jazz model) in the neck. I choose them after listening to the cleanest sounding samples on the SD web page and also viewing some videos on youtube. When I decided on those I didn't even know that they could be bought in combination and that it is basically a SD preferred combination. After installation I was very excited about the clean sound they would produce. This is the point where I was disappointed a bit. I expected much more from the SDs. They sounded a bit clearer with a little bit more definiton, but the sound was by far not that much cleaner or different than the stock PSNDs. The mids remained, the muddiness was only a bit less, the string level balance remained basically the same, even after some allowable pole adjustments on the SDs. Left me still unhappy with the humbucking clean sound of the RG320.

Some time ago I bought a cheap Westone Les Paul copy guitar made in China to be used as a spare guitar besides the Ibanez. I did not expect much from the Westone tone wise and quality wise. That's why I was stonningly surprised when I first plugged it in. It had a much better clean sound with more sparkle and character, evener string level balance than the RG320. It had Wilkinson chrome plated PAF specification humbuckers looking similar to the original Gibson PAFs. There were some problems though with this cheap guitar: the inside electronics were poor quality (lot of hum due to unshielded wires running across the guitar body) and the stock Wilkinson humbuckers were uncontrolably squeling with that high pitch noise at high volumes. So I decided to change the Wilkinsons to the PSNDs left over from the Ibanez and also shield the inside electronics to get a usable guitar. Man what a difference: the PSNDs came to life! The cheap china guitar sounded even better than with the Wilkinsons and finally there was no hum and no squealing at high volumes. I tried the guitar on many amplifiers including Fender Bassman, Roland JC-120, Roland Cube 60, Kustom Quad and even A/B compared it to original Gibsons and Epiphones. To tell the truth, the sound was very much comparable to the originals. There were differences of course mainly to the preference of the originals, but if you did not A/B test the gear, you could easily be fooled by the sound of the cheap guitar with PSNDs in it. It sounded quite like the originals, sometimes even a bit clearer on the clean settings which I prefer and which I was lacking from the Ibanez :).

According to my experiences, my conclusion is this: the sound of the pickup is very much dependent on the type of guitar it is put into! A dull sounding stock pickup can come to life if put into the correct guitar, and even an expensive high-end pickup can change only a little the natural sound character of a guitar.

In my case the Ibanez RG320 is a guitar built mainly for distorted lead sounds with more mids to cut through the band. OK it also has some nice clean sounds in the coil split modes (pup switch positions #2 and #4), but the natural tone is a bit more towards the mid range, which gives it some muddiness with clean humbucking sounds. The Westone lacks that midrange but this also gives a bit more clarity and heaviness to the sound. For the clean sounds I definately prefer the Westone with PSNDs over the Ibanez with the expensive SDs.

A surprisingly good stock pickup.

just a basic stock humbucker

Ibanez DTX-120 (stock pickup)

they aren't horrible but they aren't great either

the main problem i have with them is they are a bit muddy especially the neck pickup

good enough to hold you over while you decide on the best replacements but once you replace them you'll never look back

no comment

2 humbuckers passive

GRX20L standard pickups

all positions

im not replacing them i love them

im using them

im not changing them

high output

im using a line 6 spider 3 150 watt halfstack

the tone is a bit muddy but perfect for what i play

i play heavy metal (BFMV Atreyu A7X) mostly stuff in drop c
im also in a band in wich we play in drop c

its sutibale in all positions

ive been playing for 2 years now and ive had other guitars (jackson custom kelly, fender strat, b.c. rich warlock and i love this guitar i have to give it a 10/10 it sounds great distorted and on the clean seting i just sugest everyone whos giving these pickups a bad review goes and buys a line 6 **** marshal and crate and all those buy a line 6 and youll see how good these sound

Passive Humbucker

These came in my GAX-70. I have been playing for 30 years now, since I was 12 and I have a number of guitars. This Ibanez was a gift for a practise/road guitar and with the quilted maple top I just loved the look and the sound when I tried it out. I have a Gibson Les Paul Custom (Alnico 490R and 498T), a 06 American Standard Tele and a Gretsch Electomatic Hollow body. I play through a Traynor YCV80 and I have to say, these pickups in a low cost guitar are pretty damn good value for the money. I am replacing the neck pickup with a Gibson P94 but I am leaving the bridge PSN in. I have performed live with a few bands covering Weezer, Collective Soul, STP and I always get compliments on my tone from fellow musicians I have a lot of respect for. Yes, even with the stock tubes and Celestion 70-80s in the Traynor.

Output level is about half of the Alnico 490/498 but if you have enough power in your amp it is a non issue. The mids are a bit muddy but you can do wonders with pedals. I particularly like the clean sound that my son dials in with his Jazz-style playing. You can be a techno weenie all day discussing this but if the music moves you...

Bang for your buck I would take these over a number of Seymour Duncan pickups I have played.

Humbucking, Passive

Stock on Ibanez grx20

PSND1 (was) on bridge, PSND2 neck.

The psnd1 is half decent for distorted settings. pretty crunchy, alright for pinch harmonics and the like. Has medium output. The pickups are very middy, lacking much high end, but they have decent bass.

The psnd2 is pretty much junk. terribly muddy, extreemly bassy with no tonal definition. really not good for anything.

This is all playing through a Fender Frontman 212r.

If these pickups were lost/stolen, itd be a great reason for me to get something better. I already replaced the psnd1 (bridge) with an EMG H4 and its like having a brand new guitar. I cant really describe the difference, except that the H4 owns the hell out of these powersounds. I dont want to even describe how it compares to the psnd2... refer to the "sound" category.

Ive been playing about a year, and even 6 months ago it was easy to tell the difference between powersounds and something that actually has some tonal definition to it.

Overall, replace these pickups asap. Im pretty sure anything would be better.

humbucks

passive(DUHHHH!!!!)

medium output

RG320FA
neck and bridge

as crap as it gets

i personally thought they were great at first but after listening to players like Vai, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and Satriani, these are far most the worst

no sustain in them and gets muddy when amp is cranked up
my hands and ears have to work hard to figure things out

i've broken them already after changing over to V7 & V8 i got from my 2nd hand RG550(which i placed DiMarzios in her)

for beginners it's ok but after 2 years of playing time to move on

only punk, alternative and indie geek sissy players would like these

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Unknown.

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez GAX70
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: Powersound as neck and bridge pup, probably just impedence difference.
Artists using this pickup: Do not know.
You musical style(s): Jazz-Metal Fusion (my creation). Attempt at Country-Blues-Metal Fusion.
Reason for pickup change: Will not change these PUPS.

Perceived output level: Output is entirely dependent on strings, attack, amp and speakers. I have noticed though that these Powersound pups are very easily overdriven into distortion and compression.
Tone: Pretty balanced tone, I'd say they react well to tone knob adjustments.
Sonic evaluation: Using an Ibanez GAX70 with 10 gauge strings into a Hughes & Kettner Tubeman (Telefunken 12AU7) for crunch,into a little Electar Tube 10(GE5751 and Tungsol 6L6-5881) and/or Fender Champ(JAN Philips 7025, RCA 6V6GT and Mazda 5Y3GB rectifier) into a homemade cab with a 10" WeberVST 10F150 (very tight bass and brutal punchy speaker).
These Powersound PUPS are good pickups for and type of sonic attack that relies on distortion. Due to these pups overdriving and compressing early, clean sounds are not easily attainable. These pups are alot like the S.D. SH-10's or SH-12's. I don't know this, but I wouldn't be suprised if I found out that Seymore Duncan makes these pups for Ibanez.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I fuse metal into jazz/blues, sometimes into country. The Metal is Motorheadish, the Jazz is Jeff Beck-ish, the Blues is Frank Marino-ish and the Country is mostly just a concoction. These PUPS are a good match for the stuff I am currently working on.

Comments: Overall: these pickups have recieved an undeserved negative rating here. They are not that bad. There are better pickups, but these Powersound pups have enough clarity, don't get mushy or muddy. Admittedly, they lack definition somewhat. But they are stock pups and not boutique pickups... this is something a few of my brethren here forgot. I'd always suggest going to 10 gauge strings, for everything sounds better with heavier strings. If I could make a change, I'd like to add a coil splitter to each humbucker. I don't think these Ibanez Powersound pickups are for sale. I think Ibanez uses them as stock pups in some of their economy level guitars, such as the GAX70, which also happens to be a very good guitar for under $200

Pickup features: Passive humbucker.
Impedence or other specs: I dunno.

Model of guitar or bass: GRX-40
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: Two passive single-coils.
Artists using this pickup: I dunno.
You musical style(s): Nu-Metal. Punk. Death-Metal. Jazz. Rock.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hot.
Tone: Bassy but not muddy.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a GRX-40 with a 30-watt Marshall amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Its sound is very neutral/versatile allowing it to meet most of my needs.

Comments: This pickup is best suited for ear-smashing, overdrive. Its bass is quite powerful. It sounds like a bass guitar is playing along with me. The best part is its clarity. There is no muddiness at all. However, it doesn't sound as good as other guitars I've played on the clean channel (-1). Also, the saddle for the pickup was damaged when I bought the guitar and it needed to be repaired so now the pickup teeter-totters back and fourth in the guitar (occaisionally bumping the strings.)(-1). The amp/guitar combination has a huge effect on these pickups, however, the sound of the pickups can be greatly enhanced by simply buying a good cord and the Marshall Jackhammer overdrive footpedal. I was very suprised how much that helped. If you are looking for overdrive that can go in many directions, this is the way to go. Especially for the price.

Pickup features: I'm reviewing the Powersound neck and middle single coils and the Powersound2 bridge Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: dont know

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez GRX40
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: these come stock
Other pickups on guitar: neck and middle are powersound single coils and the bridge is a powersound(2) humbucker
Artists using this pickup: Me? All musicians are artists lol
You musical style(s): classic rock, some punk
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: The single coils arent very hot at all, but the middle one is a bit more than the neck. the humbucker is hot, and a whole lot louder than the singles.
Tone: The neck pickup is bassy, good mids but lacking in deffinition; muddy. The middle has more treble, less bass; what I would expect more from the neck. The humbucker has strong bass and mids, and a biting high end. The humbucker is the most sensitve, although attack at the low end is not as clear as it could be.
Sonic evaluation: I plug the GRX-40 straight into a crate solid state 20 watt. When clean, the neck sounds bassy with a little glassiness at the top. The middle sounds like the neck with less bass. The combination elaborates the mids and lows, so it sounds darker. The Humbucker clean is kinda dirty with a sharp high end. The middle/humbucker combination is darker than the humbucker alone, and although the high end and bass feel balanced its a bit thin. When distorted, the neck gets very muddy, the definition of the tone is lost and the pick attack isn't there much. The middle distorted has more definition, but lacks low end. The neck and middle together, when distorted, has an even darker tone, and to my surprise even less pick sensitivity. The humbucker distorted has a great low end and mids that lends itself to powerchords, but for lead work on the top strings it is to shrill and biting, and thats with the pickup height pretty dang low. The middle and humbucker distorted is less shrill, but not enough low end punch. Raising the pickup height on any of these pickups doent help the tone gain much definition, it just makes them sound harsh.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play stuff by the Rolling Stones, mostly. The single coils dont have anything like a fender-ish tone, too murky, no twang to them. The humbucker is good for chunky punk stuff but not lead work as people will notice the biting harshness on the top 3 strings.

Comments: If the single coils were lost or stolen, I'd use it as the perfect excuse to get pickups with more definition to them. If the humbucker was jacked out of the guitar, I'd miss it a lil but I'm sure replacing it would be better. I like the higher output of the humbucker for distorted powerchord sounds, and the middle single coil sounds nice for clean stuff, but overall the single coils get too muddy too fast. Dont get me wrong, these still sound better than most stock pickups of 200$ or less guitars, but as I move from absolute beginner guitarist into the upper stages of novice, I need more clarity and just straight up more tone. I recently replaced the neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan SSL-1 vintage staggered strat pickup, and I'll never look back. It doesnt combine so well with the middle pickup but it's better than it was. The single coils are OK for what they are, inexpensive stock pickups. The humbucker is the saving grace, but its to shrill for my taste. I'd give it an overall 5/10, because in the world of pickups the single coils are sub-par with the humbucker being average.

Pickup features: 2 humbuckers, 1 single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: S470
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: These pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: me. for 1 gig. the day after i bought the guitar
You musical style(s): for that gig: r&b, jazz, pop
Reason for pickup change: they suck.

Perceived output level: normal. nearly the same as duncan '59s
Tone: the neck humbucker: too nasal. the mid single coil: too cold. the bridge: not clear enough
Sonic evaluation: for that gig i played: morley wah > ax1500g > fender silver face.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i dont think any gigging guitarist who cares about how he/she sounds would use these. good enough for practice at home though.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?
- nope. i had always known i would need to replace the pups on this guitar. even before i bought it. didnt like 'em at the store (i tried the guitar 4 times before i bought it). great guitar. shame about the pickups tho.
How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
- been playing for 13 years. 7 years professionally. i own a frankenstrat (now retired to backup status) that sounds awesome through anything (ok, i'm exaggerating).
What do you love about it? What do you hate?
- I HATE THEM. the cleans are totally unusable. 'xept maybe if you cloak the pickup position 2 (bridge coil tapped + mid single coil) with chorus and a touch of echo.
Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
- i've played the dimarzio evolution (smoking lead tones, ok cleans), sd antiquity (excellent for just about anything), fender 57/52 (good for everything) and duncan hotrails (great searing leads, useless for anything else). i didnt choose these, they came with the guitar. great guitar (the new zr trem is awesome), shame about the pickups tho.
Anything you wish it had?
- sure. i wish the humbuckers sounded clearer and the single coil wasnt so sterile.
Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound?
- they will be replaced soon. i'm thinking dimarzio (paf pro on the neck, cruiser in the mid, and evo or norton in the bridge) or sd ('59 neck, vintage rails mid, custom 5 bridge)
Anything else you'd like to share?
- great guitar. shame about the pickups tho