[Octacoil]

Please suggest a new pickup set I can try. My Ibanez RG927QMZ currently have DiMarzio illuminators in it. I like the distorted sound but it doesn't do cleans very well for my taste. The highs and pick attack are too rounded.

I'd like to have something that does better on cleans, thick/warm but not too rounded highs with more bite and good sustain/harmonics. (If such pickup exists.)

I play mostly instrumental stuff and play through a variety of amps depending on the venue. I sent this to dimarzio support but I'd liek to hear your suggestions! Thanks!

[buddroyce]

Are you looking to swap both or just one? The Ionizer might fit the job.

[Octacoil]

Thanks budd! Looking to replace both, what I didn't like with the illuminator7 is it has too much midrange and the highs are too round. Sounds thinner less lively compared to its 6 string version. I also find it difficult to control its loudness, there's a huge difference in the volume when picking too soft and picking hard.

I was thinking of Blaze or CrunchLab for the bridge and PAF7. How does the ionizer compare to illuminator and crunchlab? how does the ionizer neck compare to paf7?

[DarthPhineas]

The original Blaze sounds like a bag of cats after a snake is thrown in.   It seems that there are some that like it, but it’s generally not a first choice.

Bud is going to have a little more expertise in the 7 strings options, so he’ll know the score. I have a set of PAF 7s and a set of Illuminator 7s, but I’ve got a set of Titan 7s in there right now. The Titans are very much like the 6 string version, which would be like a very powerful PAF.

About to put the Ionizers to work, to run them up against some Fishman Abasi pups, so I’m also looking forward to Bud’s comments on the Ionizer.

[buddroyce]

My experience with the Ionizers was actually only with the initial 8 string version in an RG8. I'm assuming the 7 string version is identical. If I recall, it's still got that PAF vibe and doesn't sound anything like the Blaze or Blaze Custom if that's what you're trying to avoid, definitely closer to the Illuminator but with more versatility and by that I mean a lot better cleans.

I was really interested in these when they first came out as a friend of mine who's pretty close to Tosin Abasi said these were essentially DiMarzio's take on the BKP Cold Sweat, which I think is pretty accurate for the bridge. The neck pickup is something completely different. Closest thing that I can think of is probably a PAF Joe or some other humbucker that's got more of the single coil qualities to it.

I'd totally grab a set if they did them as a 6 string humbucker. I barely touch my RG8527 these days and it's already got a set of BKP Cold Sweat/Aftermath pickups in them. Although now that I think of it.. I might just get an Ionizer 7 neck to replace the Cold Sweat 7 I have in the neck.