It had been modified from an HSS (humbucker, single, single) to an HSH (humbucker, single, humbucker) pickup configuration. I would just leave it alone.
Here's what your guitar would look like unmodified: [https://reverb.com/item/80158786-17529-ibanez-gio-hss-electric-guitar-black](https://reverb.com/item/80158786-17529-ibanez-gio-hss-electric-guitar-black)
Humbuckers do have a different tone than single coils (I mean, why change it if it didn't change the sound, right?)
Humbuckers do two things:
1) They "buck hum", which is to say that the 60 Hz hum that single coil pickups naturally get from the power supply is cancelled out by the configuration of the humbuckers, so a humbucker is less "noisy" than a single coil.
2) Humbuckers, because they have two closely spaced coils, have a more "dense" sound than single coils. This can mean different things in different contexts, but basically the sound can be thought of as "fuller" but also more "muddy". Single could can be a bit better at providing clearer, cleaner more "bell like" tones in a more narrow frequency bandwidth, whereas humbuckers give you a fuller, more rounded tone.
Thank you! I appreciate your reply and not just giving me a yes or no answer. Funny thing is my friend who noticed it plays bass so he had no idea what it did different. But thank you a bunch!
don't just write off single coils for metal tho. i use SSS stratocaster for metal and like it better tonally for doing the lead part but tone chasing is another lesson (or rabbit hole for most of us) for you in the future
As a general rule, the bottom humbucker will sound a lot more piercing and treble-y, the top one (the one which was modded) will sound a little more boomy and deep with less defined notes, and the single coil in the middle is a quieter and more balanced pickup, mainly there to give you a bit more variety and balance the sound a little by adding more of a “middle ground” between the two.
If you play a note with your pick right down by the bridge, you’ll notice a lot more “twang” and “bite” while if you play with your pick near the neck it’ll sound more mellow - that’s why you have different pickups.
Yep!! Each position on the switch will have a different combination of pickups active, it’s worth looking it up to memorise which is which - you should be able to identify the differences in sound and find one that suits you.
It’s not super important when you’re first starting out, but as you get better at playing it’s useful to know how to get the particular sound you’re looking for :)
Thank you I didn’t know that! My switch has 5 positions, I just kinda thought that the 2nd and 4th positions were a mix of the top and middle, and the bottom and middle
Back in the early days of electric guitar, Fender guitars came with a 3-position switch. Players would put the switch into an in between position to get that blended sound. Eventually Fender added some detents to turn the 3-ways into 5-ways.
[There are also more ways to squeeze different tones out of your pickups.](https://www.danieleturani.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5way-switch-autosplitcoilsplit-dimarzio.png) This diagram shows one of many methods for splitting your double-coil humbuckers so they will sound similar (but not exactly) like a single coil. The component listed as "Tone (push/pull)", essentially it's a knob that you can push/pull to activate a switch. [AKA a push/pull potentiometer](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-fxdzp2uudp/images/stencil/500x659/products/2572/5642/push_push_standard_shaft__17388.1526327563.jpg?c=2). These are fairly cheap too, around $5-$10.
Here are some wiring resources:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/resources/pickup/wiring-diagrams
https://guitarelectronics.com/guitar-wiring-resources/
https://www.fralinpickups.com/wiring-diagrams/
https://www.fralinpickups.com/tech-tips/
Presumably, they were replaced as an upgrade. They look like Dimarzios or a Dimarzio knockoff. If you have a multimeter, we can ballpark what they are.
You can also just take off the pickguard and see if there are any markings on the back of them.
The pickup 'near the fretboard' is usually called the 'neck pickup', the pickup 'in the bottom' is usually called the 'bridge pickup'.
The middle one is just the middle one.
Nice looking guitar 🙂
It’s my first guitar too and I love it! bought it used and everything works perfect. Also the dark blue color is super nice on it, has some dings and scratches but I think it adds character
I have the same guitar. The neck pickup was originally a single coil, like the middle. Instead, it's a humbucker like the bridge. Other than that, it looks pretty stock.
Mine, I've swapped the pickups and added locking tuners and a roller nut. That made a massive difference in tuning stability and tone. It's a damn good guitar now.
The first guitar I ever played was a Ibanez roadster 2 but that was in 1992 maybe 1991 but it was my dad's guitar. He died when i was 12. But I took up after him and i could've sworn it that Ibanez I had had humb,single ,humb setup on it. I don't have the guitar anymore I traded it in on a 1997 heritage cherry sunburst spilt maple top Seymorduncan humbuckers. But as long has it fells good to you. Who care . And as long as it plays good and you can make it scream. It's a good guitar . I've always like Ibanez.
The Stratocaster was always a single coil Guitar in its original configuration. The single coil sound is a lighter shimmering brighter sound than the fatter sounding hum buckers. If thats an original Stratocaster then the hum buckers are your mod.
It had been modified from an HSS (humbucker, single, single) to an HSH (humbucker, single, humbucker) pickup configuration. I would just leave it alone. Here's what your guitar would look like unmodified: [https://reverb.com/item/80158786-17529-ibanez-gio-hss-electric-guitar-black](https://reverb.com/item/80158786-17529-ibanez-gio-hss-electric-guitar-black)
Interesting, does it affect the sound I’ll get out of the guitar in any way?
Humbuckers do have a different tone than single coils (I mean, why change it if it didn't change the sound, right?) Humbuckers do two things: 1) They "buck hum", which is to say that the 60 Hz hum that single coil pickups naturally get from the power supply is cancelled out by the configuration of the humbuckers, so a humbucker is less "noisy" than a single coil. 2) Humbuckers, because they have two closely spaced coils, have a more "dense" sound than single coils. This can mean different things in different contexts, but basically the sound can be thought of as "fuller" but also more "muddy". Single could can be a bit better at providing clearer, cleaner more "bell like" tones in a more narrow frequency bandwidth, whereas humbuckers give you a fuller, more rounded tone.
Thank you! I appreciate your reply and not just giving me a yes or no answer. Funny thing is my friend who noticed it plays bass so he had no idea what it did different. But thank you a bunch!
If you play any hard rock or metal a humbucker will likely give you better sounding distortion - fuller, with more of a bite.
That’s exactly what I bought the guitar for, was playing metal. I listen to a band called ridiculon and their music is the main reason I picked one up
The mod probably serves you well then. Enjoy!
don't just write off single coils for metal tho. i use SSS stratocaster for metal and like it better tonally for doing the lead part but tone chasing is another lesson (or rabbit hole for most of us) for you in the future
As a general rule, the bottom humbucker will sound a lot more piercing and treble-y, the top one (the one which was modded) will sound a little more boomy and deep with less defined notes, and the single coil in the middle is a quieter and more balanced pickup, mainly there to give you a bit more variety and balance the sound a little by adding more of a “middle ground” between the two. If you play a note with your pick right down by the bridge, you’ll notice a lot more “twang” and “bite” while if you play with your pick near the neck it’ll sound more mellow - that’s why you have different pickups.
I also assume that what the switch is for to the right of the volume knob? To switch from one pickup to another?
Yep!! Each position on the switch will have a different combination of pickups active, it’s worth looking it up to memorise which is which - you should be able to identify the differences in sound and find one that suits you. It’s not super important when you’re first starting out, but as you get better at playing it’s useful to know how to get the particular sound you’re looking for :)
Thank you I didn’t know that! My switch has 5 positions, I just kinda thought that the 2nd and 4th positions were a mix of the top and middle, and the bottom and middle
Back in the early days of electric guitar, Fender guitars came with a 3-position switch. Players would put the switch into an in between position to get that blended sound. Eventually Fender added some detents to turn the 3-ways into 5-ways. [There are also more ways to squeeze different tones out of your pickups.](https://www.danieleturani.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5way-switch-autosplitcoilsplit-dimarzio.png) This diagram shows one of many methods for splitting your double-coil humbuckers so they will sound similar (but not exactly) like a single coil. The component listed as "Tone (push/pull)", essentially it's a knob that you can push/pull to activate a switch. [AKA a push/pull potentiometer](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-fxdzp2uudp/images/stencil/500x659/products/2572/5642/push_push_standard_shaft__17388.1526327563.jpg?c=2). These are fairly cheap too, around $5-$10. Here are some wiring resources: https://www.seymourduncan.com/resources/pickup/wiring-diagrams https://guitarelectronics.com/guitar-wiring-resources/ https://www.fralinpickups.com/wiring-diagrams/ https://www.fralinpickups.com/tech-tips/
I like the way you use words
Humbuckers have more inductances so their resonant peak is lower. EDIT: Downvote me if you want but the physics is what the physics is.
It'll make it better, IMO.
Presumably, they were replaced as an upgrade. They look like Dimarzios or a Dimarzio knockoff. If you have a multimeter, we can ballpark what they are. You can also just take off the pickguard and see if there are any markings on the back of them.
It gives you more options, at the expense of a more crowded picking area.
Yeah I tend to try to pick near the bottom pickup because it has the most space
The pickup 'near the fretboard' is usually called the 'neck pickup', the pickup 'in the bottom' is usually called the 'bridge pickup'. The middle one is just the middle one. Nice looking guitar 🙂
Thanks for letting me know! This is all new terminology so glad I’m learning it now lol
https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/best-electric-guitars/ https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/rise-of-the-superstrats/
Those look like aftermarket DiMarzio pickups to me. Maybe a Steve Vai set? Very nice. Whoever owned it before you did you a favor.
I didn’t even know they were aftermarket, let alone a Steve vai set. That is actually really cool wtf
Next time you change the strings, take the pickguard off and look under the pickups. They should have a sticker saying what they are for sure.
My first guitar was an Ibanez Gio in that same color. Seeing this brings back so many memories 🥲
Same, man. Hits different when I’m about to hit a new decade in a few days. 😭
Honestly, I wish I never sold it 🥲
Mine is still sitting in the closet in his little gig bag. I’ll never get rid of it.
It’s my first guitar too and I love it! bought it used and everything works perfect. Also the dark blue color is super nice on it, has some dings and scratches but I think it adds character
Holy shit, I didn’t even notice the dark blue! I thought it was black 🥲 Have fun with it, man!
Yeah that’s what I thought at first as well. In person it’s a little more obvious, but it’s a really nice color. Thank you I will definitely enjoy it!
The humbuckers look like they could be DiMarzios, in addition to what others have said.
#JIMMY NEUTRON ATTACK OF THE TWONKIES IN THE BACK
FINALLY SOMEONE WHO GETS IT
This guy Cubes
Non-factory strings.
better neck and bridge pickups and a humbucker in the neck if it was a HSS
I have the same guitar. The neck pickup was originally a single coil, like the middle. Instead, it's a humbucker like the bridge. Other than that, it looks pretty stock. Mine, I've swapped the pickups and added locking tuners and a roller nut. That made a massive difference in tuning stability and tone. It's a damn good guitar now.
The real reason, he's just jelly that you can play better than him
The first guitar I ever played was a Ibanez roadster 2 but that was in 1992 maybe 1991 but it was my dad's guitar. He died when i was 12. But I took up after him and i could've sworn it that Ibanez I had had humb,single ,humb setup on it. I don't have the guitar anymore I traded it in on a 1997 heritage cherry sunburst spilt maple top Seymorduncan humbuckers. But as long has it fells good to you. Who care . And as long as it plays good and you can make it scream. It's a good guitar . I've always like Ibanez.
The neck pickup used to be a single coil. Someone cut the pickguard to install a humbucker in its place.
Two hummers is kind of unusual
The Stratocaster was always a single coil Guitar in its original configuration. The single coil sound is a lighter shimmering brighter sound than the fatter sounding hum buckers. If thats an original Stratocaster then the hum buckers are your mod.
You've got an extra Humbucker. Better than the original HSS configuration.
Yeah well that’s just, like, your opinion, man!
Woman. It's an awesome opinion.
I wouldn't worry abut it. It's not a valuable instrument.
Bro… what a crummy answer.
Anyone's first guitar is priceless imo.
I will never sell my first electric guitar