installing burstbuckers

[IwishIhadanSG]

Hi I'm new to the forums and I was just wondering if the gibson burstbucker pro humbucker pickups can be installed into an ibanez destroyer. Im getting tired of my stock pickups and i heard these were good.

[LV Kid]

Hi Iwish, Not being familiar with your particular guitar I would say/ask first and foremost is your axe equiped with a humbucker? If so head to a guitar store the sells the Burstbucker of your choice and compare its size dimensions with yours. A lot of humbuckers are simular in size and mounting. But there are differences due to patents and the like. Mponting problems can be overcome in most applications by a good guitar tech. Often the major difference is in the mounting ring which actully holds the p'up. It may or may not match screw hole patterns in the top of the guitar. And there is a possibility of some needed body routing being involved. You should go play a Gibson outfitted with Burstbucker Pros and get a good idea of their sound ahead of any changes to your own axe.

[elessar820]

Yes it can be done, quite easily actually. I've never had a humbucker that didn't fit in a humbucker equipped guitar, and I've swapped out a lot of different brands of pickups in the last few years. The dimensions of basically all humbuckers are the same, any variance is minute and there is no need at all to do any body routing, LV Kid is very misinformed here. The only difference may be the screw holes on the mounting rings, older Ibanez guitars have three holes, so may have to replace the pickup rings. As for routing, unless it's routed for a single coil or you're adding an EMG 7 string pickup (obviously you aren't) it definitely doesn't need to be done. If it doesn't fit because of longer screws (some Strat bodies are routed pretty shallow). look for a smaller screw or cut them down. Anyway, Burstbuckers are single conductor pickups so they only have a hot lead wire and a braided shield around them that you would solder to the back of the pot as a ground. If you have any experience soldering or a little patience to learn how to, pickup swaps are easy, just get a diagram from Seymour Duncan's website under the support tab and the wiring diagrams page. I have a Burstbucker 3 in my Les Paul BFG and it's a great pickup, but a little noisy. If you want a similar sound and no noise (and save some cash) look into a Seymour Duncan '59 set or a '59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates or Screamin' Demon for the bridge, the Demon is a little hotter, but not nearly as hot as a Distortion.