Ibanez Prestige RG custom modified with Suhr S90 (P-90) pickups

[720guitars]

Hello, I just finished this project and I’m starting to put together some photos and videos I took during the process. I thought I would post to some of the sites that have helped me out many times in the past.

This is a 2008 Ibanez Prestige RG2550Z I picked up on kijiji. I wanted to do something really different with this guitar. The plan was to swap out the original HSH pickups with a pair of new P-90’s (I ended up going with Suhr S90s, which are an option on the Suhr JM Classic), install all new electronics, and make a new pickguard to give it a very different vibe.

In other words I pretty much wanted to take this guitar in the opposite direction from what people tend to do with RG’s, most tend to take what is already a pretty aggressive guitar and make them even more aggressive, in both look and sound. I kinda wanted to go the opposite way and make it I guess you could say more nuanced. The thing is I really love these guitars, they play amazing, fantastic necks especially, great trem systems, and just super well made overall, just not the overall character I was looking for.

So I found some 3D CAD models of a stock RG on Grabcad and used them as a starting point to create the new design in SolidWorks. I also had some tortoise shell pickguard material kicking around that I thought would work well here. When I get a chance I’ll post some pics of the actual work.

 

[Blazer]

Great Idea, go for it.

I did some similar to a shredder Yamaha RGX model.

 

[720guitars]

Here are a few pics on the workbench. I was surprised how little routing of the body was needed to fit the P-90’s. I opted to use the drill press and dremel rather than the router and it made pretty quick work of it.
Greg.

 

[720guitars]

I made a trial pickguard using a 3D printer from the CAD files, and I’m glad I did because after using the guitar for a couple of weeks that way I decided to make a few changes to the design. Most notably I switched the locations of the tone pot and selector. Final pics of the finished guitar and demo link still to come.

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

I've never seen a shredder guitar with P90's. It looks pretty friggin' awesome.

 

[720guitars]

Here are some shots of the finished guitar.
And if you are interested a video where you can hear it in the studio...

 

[richey88]

Dive bombing P90's.....hmmm. Seems cool, I don't really get a P90 vibe with as much gain as was there. Do a clean vid? Nothing like a P90.

 

[720guitars]

Dive bombing P90's.....hmmm. Seems cool, I don't really get a P90 vibe with as much gain as was there. Do a clean vid? Nothing like a P90.

I actually really like P90s with a little gain. Too much gain and they lose their character, but with moderate gain they get this kinda brassy sound that you don't hear with other single coils or humbuckers. And that's what I was after with this setup.

 

[stormsedge]

Very cool! I just acquired a new Strat with P90s x3, so this is inspiring.

 

[Jakedog]

I actually really like P90s with a little gain. Too much gain and they lose their character, but with moderate gain they get this kinda brassy sound that you don't hear with other single coils or humbuckers. And that's what I was after with this setup.

I’d say you nailed it. Sounds excellent to me, and definitely nothing like a high output humbucker shred guitar, or a traditional single coil axe. I dig it a lot.

 

[mexicanyella]

Wow, that looks great! Love the white/tort/rosewood/black P-90 visuals. Cool pickguard shape, too.

I have a RG-shaped EX3700 here in HSH/locking trem configuration, and it looks like it came from Las Vegas or something: transparent red flame finish, cream binding and pickups, gold hardware, maple fretboard. Nice neck but too busy for my tastes in visuals and protruding doodads. Your guitar is my idea of how a RG-shaped guitar should be set up...only my version would have a top-load hardtail bridge in it.

 

[Buell]

Hello, I just finished this project and I’m starting to put together some photos and videos I took during the process. I thought I would post to some of the sites that have helped me out many times in the past.

This is a 2008 Ibanez Prestige RG2550Z I picked up on kijiji. I wanted to do something really different with this guitar. The plan was to swap out the original HSH pickups with a pair of new P-90’s (I ended up going with Suhr S90s, which are an option on the Suhr JM Classic), install all new electronics, and make a new pickguard to give it a very different vibe.

In other words I pretty much wanted to take this guitar in the opposite direction from what people tend to do with RG’s, most tend to take what is already a pretty aggressive guitar and make them even more aggressive, in both look and sound. I kinda wanted to go the opposite way and make it I guess you could say more nuanced. The thing is I really love these guitars, they play amazing, fantastic necks especially, great trem systems, and just super well made overall, just not the overall character I was looking for.

So I found some 3D CAD models of a stock RG on Grabcad and used them as a starting point to create the new design in SolidWorks. I also had some tortoise shell pickguard material kicking around that I thought would work well here. When I get a chance I’ll post some pics of the actual work.

Dude! New here, but that is awesome! My main is an RG550 and I get what you say about it being aggressive. I agree that the neck is amazing and the locking tremolo means I rarely go out of tune. So one question, how did the tone/sound change after your alterations?

 

[720guitars]

Dude! New here, but that is awesome! My main is an RG550 and I get what you say about it being aggressive. I agree that the neck is amazing and the locking tremolo means I rarely go out of tune. So one question, how did the tone/sound change after your alterations?

Hey thanks Buell, of course the sound is completely different now. I did post a video clip previously if you want to get a sense of it. I hope you’ll post some pics if you decide to go for it.

 

[Zepfan]

Reminds me of EVH's guitar on VHIII album. The Supersport Axis with 2 P90's and a Floyd.
Tort looks great on White and I like the shape you came up with.