Ibanez Powersound

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

Pickup features: humbuckers, neck and bridge
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: prs-copy by cort, name mirage m-600
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock mighty-mite
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: hee hee
You musical style(s): funk, rock, mean rock, a lot of lead work
Reason for pickup change: the mighty mite are all what I don't need: dull, mellow, midrangey, low output. And I had the powersound at hand...so I tried them, and I did well

Perceived output level: Hot. But not overly, which makes them controllable. I have to say that my volume pot has a 270pf capacitor that does wonders when rolling off
Tone: tight bass, solid mids, a little bright highs, always clear in the mix. The first neck pu I have that never gets muddy, always articulated. The bridge responds very well to your picking strength, you do what you want with it.
Sonic evaluation: sans amp classic for clean tones, sans amp gt-2 along with a nobels overdrive(or jacques tube blower, but I prefer the nobels) for rythm and soloing. The all in a power amp to 2x12 or 1x15 closed back cabs.
Powersounds are always clear and precise, even splitted they are good(but somewhat aggressive) and I really don't understand what people here are complaining about. I have several guitars whith reknowned pups in them but I really can't say that powersounds are worse or better, they have their own personality, they don't squeal or feedback, and with the volume down they are very fashionable.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For funk it cuts through the mix(aggressive when splitted, if you play alone you won't bear them), and for mean rock they are good, I really mean it. For jazz the neck with your fingers is clear and warm, but maybe too much articulated.

Comments: Sure I try to get a pair from someone who thinks they are guilty!
I play for 19years, know one thing or two about guitar playing and tone...
I noticed that whatever your gear you same how you are, and I have to admit that despite the fact I own several very different guitars I still sound the same. So long for "the-gear-that'll-make-you-a-man, son"...

Pickup features: humbucking pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG-220
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: who cares?
You musical style(s): classic rock -> metal
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Not as hot as a SD JB, but comparable.
Tone: This pickup has a very balanced tone with a bit of boost in the mid range.
Sonic evaluation: OK, this is where alot of people in the earlier posts go wrong. It doesn't mean that because it's stock it means its "bad". People have to trust their ears and not succumb to marketing techniques. Trust me, I know. I was one of those people. When I first got the Ibanez with these pickups, I did not even try them and was hastely replaced by a Seymour Duncan JB right off the box. Not until now did I actually have a chance to listen to these powersound pickups after removing the JB pickup. To tell the truth, they sound surprisingly similar to the duncan pickup! I'm not going to lie, the JB does sound better because it has a bit more clarity and output. Nevertheless the powersound pickup line arent bad at all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: very versatily pickup for two reasons: balance and output.

Comments: Like I said, these are very decent pickups. People have to trust their ears. In some reviews, people say the Gibson pickups are described as hunk of junks! Come on... Just because something is stock, it doesn't mean they are bad.

Pickup features: Passive; Bridge Humbucker, Mid Single coil, Neck Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 500k I believe

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez S370DX
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: It's stock, but I'm replacing it with some Seymour Duncans.
Other pickups on guitar: All Powersound
Artists using this pickup: None that I'd respect.
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock, Punk, Rock, anything.
Reason for pickup change: I changed these because let's face it: they blew.

Perceived output level: Bridge is so-so...but other than that..eh. Output doesn't make quality.
Tone: Mud. Pure mud.
Sonic evaluation: I obviously play through an Ibanez S370DX (now with Seymour Duncan Invader at the bridge, Duckbuckers in the middle, and '59 in the neck) with Boss, DOD, and Digitech pedals all running through a Marshall. These pickups are aweful. I have a friend that played a strat-copy in the rain and it's sounds like buzzing..I'd almost take that over these.
Don't take me wrong, I absolutely love the guitar...but that's after I changed the pickups.
They're fine for a beginner who doesn't care about sound. But if you care in the least bit, these pickups suck. Make sure when you buy the guitar, you have money left over for new pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup would work for metal (the type where you can't even differ between powerchords because there's so much distortion) or 80s metal.

Comments: If this pickup were stolen, I would have been thankful. It would most definately would have saved me trouble taking the stupid things out myself.

Pickup features: passive humbucker, stock on most lower model ibanez
Impedence or other specs: I have no idea

Model of guitar or bass: rg270dx
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: havent yet but I will
Other pickups on guitar: some more powersounds
Artists using this pickup: I hope no one is...cuz they frikkin suck
You musical style(s): jazz, rock, blues, classic rock, 80s metal, fusion, anything that requires actual musical talent
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: they are actually pretty hot pups (the bridge is atleast)...they drive anything pretty good
Tone: muddy, overly trebly, no mids, no bass in bridge position, flabby bass, no mids, no treble in neck pos, and just plain crap in the middle
Sonic evaluation: The neck pup is the absolute worst pickup I have ever heard. It is so muddy and crappy sounding. Tone is not even the word for it. For $400 for a guitar, you should get better quality pups than these (at least EMG HZs or Duncan Design)...but what do you know, you dont. The middle is noisy, tinny, and shrill. The bridge is the best sounding one out the bunch...its got good output but the "tone" is completely unacceptable. It sounds like a high output single coil thru some amps. No chug, no muted speed runs, no solid upper fret tone, no definition, and muddy as crap. My dad's 75 LP has 490 and 498 pups and they blow these things away...even on a crap amp. Try a guitar with a JB in the bridge next to this one and be floored at the difference. I play on an old Peavey 210 studio chorus amp with a DigiCrap rp300 processor and it sounds mucho crappy thru this. Yet the LP will sound decent through it. My stuff sucks but I have played a bunch of amps (mostly solid state which=crap) with these powersounds and it always sucks.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play stuff that actually requires skill. Its all original, extremely melodic, jazzy, hard rock. Not some uninspired nu-metal crap. I know what good tone is and this pickup is definitely not it. This pup is a good match for Blink 182 or Linkin Park stuff played through a 25 watt Ibanez Tone Blaster and a Boss Metal Zone pedal.

Comments: I will change these pups as soon as I acquire that all important possesion called money. I have been playing 4 years and a few years ago I didnt know what good tone was. Now I do...and crap pickups through cheap solid state amps is not good tone. I suggest EMGs, Dimarzios, or Seymour Duncans. I imagine it will dramatically improve the sound over these pieces of steaming ape crap.