[corypheus]

Hi guys,

Recently got into the talk with a local buddy, he spin his old album from Racer X, Technical Difficulties, and been wondering about tone on it.

I vaguely remember from the time, Paul used the weird basswood Ibanezes with cello hole stickers on them, and I remember he rocked a Laney amp back then, but the info on pickups is lost with me. I *do* remember they were DiMarzios - just not exactly sure on the model. I think they were Tone Zone and Paf Pro... but nowadays internet says SuperD+Paf Pro, 2 Paf Pros or even two Tone Zones or SuperD paired with a Tone Zone... endless possibilities.

Help me out remember, what was he using at that point, as far as guitar pickups go?


Cheers,
Cory

[jazzfromhell]

Paul has used countless guitars with various pickup combinations over the years. TD came out in 1999 so if he was using his signature models stock back then, here are the possible alternatives:

PGM100: 2 PAF Pros
PGM200: same as PGM100
PGM300: same as PGM100
PGM400: Tone Zone/Humbucker From Hell
PGM500: same as PGM400
PGM90HAM: 2 Tone Zones
PGM600: 2 Super Distortions
PGM700: same as PGM600
PGM800: 2 Tone Zones

[corypheus]

Hi,

Thanks for help. Yeah that's alot of combinations. Do you know or can you guess which one he did specifically for the album? Or een better, for the self-titled instrumental song from the album?
 Sounds like a Tone Zone on the bridge to my ears... but with processing mixing and mastering, it's really hard to tell...

Regards,
Cory

[jazzfromhell]

Nah, I can't hear which pickup is used. I'd just be guessing.
How about this for a long-shot: I have a few clinic videos of him from 1998 (around the time that album was recorded) and he used his blue beautiful PGM90HAM with Tone Zones then exclusively. Maybe he also used it on the record because he liked it so much?

[corypheus]

Hi,

May very well be.
Check the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-wj4pRpIE
He gets very convincing sound as on the album... obvious on solo specifically which PG model is that?

Cory

[jazzfromhell]

That's not an official signature model. It's gotta be a one-off build of some sort.

Here are all his signature guitars.
http://ibanez.wikia.com/wiki/Portal:Paul_Gilbert_series

I forgot about the PGM800 and added it to the list above. It also has Tone Zones. Given the fact that that was the newest production PGM at the time (along with the extremely limited PGM90HAM) and the fact that he played the PGM500, which ALSO has a Tone Zone in the bridge, along with the 800 in the Terrifying Guitar Trip split-screen video intro where he played that song....well, I think you're right. I'm guessing Tone Zone too.

[corypheus]

Hi,

I doubt we're both wrong, guess it really is a Tone Zone.

Thank you for the help!

Cory

[Guitar74]

During his early Racer X days it was Super Distortions wired in parallel. He talks about it in his first instructional vid.