new strings

So I want to change my stock Ibanez strings. Thinking about going with Ernie Ball Slinkys. Good choice,or bad. I don't know. Will it make a difference in the sound of my guitar? If not, what is the benefit of changing strings if the others aren't that old? And, Since I'm broke, can I just change one of my pickups? I can't afford to put a really nice set on but one is in the budget.

• "Ernie Ball Slinkys, good or bad?"... dunno. Some people like them. I use D'Addarios myself.
  



• "Will it make a difference in the sound of my guitar?"... New strings always have more clarity, and richer tone, than old strings. There are some subtle differences in sound among the different brands. A lot of that is related to the fact that not all brands use the same gauge for each string number in their sets. And some sets have a plain G string, while others use a wound string. Generally, if you istall a new set that has the same size high E string, you should be OK. Changing to a lighter, or heavier, string set may require a fresh setup of your guitar to acommodate the difference in total string tension on the neck.
  



• "can I just change one of my pickups?"... Of course you can. If you decide to change only the neck pickup, make sure that the output is lower than the stock bridge pickup. Other than that, put in whatever you like. If you post again, giving some idea what kind of music you play, I'm sure lots of people will offer their opinions on what kind of pickup is suitable.

I love to play Steve Vai, For the love of god,and hand on heart. Another favorite is Santana's Europa. Something that is smooth but yet you can really crank it.

If your guitar is a 6-string, I recommend the Di Marzio Tone Zone. (Now I'll stand back while everyone jumps in with their counter-offers! :D )

thanks for the tips, I'll sure look into those strings. For a pickup, whats an all around good one. Metal,bluesy,something your not going to here every pick of a string with. Pretty low standards huh!

Well, lets just say that's an unusual request. Most pickups get replaced because people are looking for something more responsive to pick attack, which is why I suggested the Tone Zone.

For something more general-purpose, (and more predictable), you might find that replacing the bridge pickup with a Super Distortion will float your boat. I've been using one in my Yamaha SBG 1000 since 1986, and it covers just about any style I want to play. I have it wired for switch-selectable series or parallel coil connection, which gives me humbucking tones ranging from chirpy twang to doomsday crunch.

I've been using DiMarzio pickups for long enough to have some idea what to expect from them. Other members here can offer their experiences with other brands. Seymor Duncan, for instance, has a lot of happy customers here. I just don't know enough about their product to offer an opinion.

Don't be in too much of a hurry about new pickup(s). Put a fresh set of strings on your Ibanez (what model is it?), and spend some time listening closely to it. Make some notes:

• Does it sound good 'clean'? What do you like about it? What would you like to change?
• Does the sound change in nice ways when you change the volume setting on your guitar?
• When the guitar volume is turned up full, do you get the kind of overdriven distortion you want?
• Is the sound balanced across the strings? Do you want more/less bass?

The amp you're using is a very imporatnt part of your sound as well. What do you have? Do you plan to get something else soon?

Well my amp is a peavy transtube 258. It is 25watts but it has almost every effect I could want, but yes, I probly sacrificed some quality compared to a fender,etc... My guitar is a cheap Ibanez grx20x, a wopping 163.00$ but when I bought it I compared it with Squire, (around the same price) and the ibanez won hands down according to me. I really like the playablity, it's fast,sleak,thin,and it seems to be a great starter guitar but,it doesn't sound like some of the others when I here them play a trick. I plan on a new one but not for a while. I don't need the best but descent would be nice. Thanks.

If you want good strings try Elixirs

I ended up going with ernie ball slinkys and they sound pretty much the same except a little more sustain and a little brighter. elixers are pretty good huh. Maybe next time I will try them. Thanks.

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