Ibanez ORM1 Pickup Question

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 1:47 pm

Howdy, new to the forum -- I'd like to try out a short scale guitar, I've been playing LP Jrs for over a year now after a couple of years on a Strat (still a beginner hack), and was looking to try a 24" scale just as an experiment. My question is, is it possible to change the pickup in the ORM1? From what I've heard its a fairly well-made and still affordable guitar, but that pickup to me looks a little limited (I may be wrong) and I play and learn best with single coils, P90s especially. I love harmonic overtones. Any info? I might go with a used Fender 24" but I'd prefer the Ibanez just for fun (and I'd get to pick my own pickup, if there are any out there that fit). Thanks in advance --

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 2:47 pm

I'm not an expert, but there's no reason I can think of that you wouldn't be able to switch the pickup.

There are a lot of humbucker-sized P90s out there, which sounds like what you're looking for. The GFS Mean 90 is a popular choice, and is relatively inexpensive.

bradzeera · Post by **bradzeera** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 3:23 pm

I know that the pickup route is strat single coil sized but a little bit smaller than normal. So you will have to route the body if you are gonna go for a P90 style pickup.

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:07 pm

Freddy V-C wrote:I'm not an expert, but there's no reason I can think of that you wouldn't be able to switch the pickup.

There are a lot of humbucker-sized P90s out there, which sounds like what you're looking for. The GFS Mean 90 is a popular choice, and is relatively inexpensive.

Yeah, I don't have any experience with humbucker-sized P90s or blade pickups of any kind, so I really didn't know. I've never seen this guitar in person either to check out the way the pickup is mounted, from pictures it looks "glued in" which obviously it isn't but the obvious screws of a soapbar or dog ear aren't evident. I imagine the pickup goes in with the pickguard, as with a Strat. Thanks for the recommendation of a pickup -- the P90s I use (Wolfies and Manlius, and Gibson of course) don't make a blade or this shape of P90, as far as I know. I'd really like a Strat neck pickup for that slot, I'll look around. Also finding a used OMR1 isn't easy (there's one on auction at the 'bay but it's kind of overpriced for used and for this particular guitar). Cheers --

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 10:49 pm

Nope, I was wrong, saw a close up picture and the pickup's not mounted through the pickguard, which is split anyway -- man I need some new glasses ...

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 12:10 am

Oh shit, I didn't realise the stock pickup was single coil-sized. In that case you've got a lot more options. Ignore my previous suggestion as that won't work! Haha, oops...

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:10 am

Pen's put a JB junior in his Omar Ibanez and I believe it fit fine.

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:31 am

You can always try a Duncan Quarter Pounder or even a Burns Tri-Sonic maybe. P-90 soundish....

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:10 am

Noirie. wrote:Pen's put a JB junior in his Omar Ibanez and I believe it fit fine.

I think that's what Omar's got in his, if I find one I'm going to try that! Thanks --

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:03 pm

I just bought a white ORM1 today, myself. $199.99 CDN. In good shape. Pickup isn't bothering me yet, but I'll probably have some ideas for mods soon and go for it. A dog-eared P90?

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:39 pm

wadeaminute wrote:I just bought a white ORM1 today, myself. $199.99 CDN. In good shape. Pickup isn't bothering me yet, but I'll probably have some ideas for mods soon and go for it. A dog-eared P90?

Wow how'd you find that? Is it big enough for a dog-ear? If I found one, I'd be happy with any kind of single coil, I'm just no good with humbuckers. On a tangential note, I put a WTB ad for one at TGP and some anonymous somebody's been emailing me trying to get my address and an offer -- the guy doesn't have an account at TGP and referred me to some amp tube forum for feedback yadda yadda ... scammy, too bad the photos look good but it'd probably be a guitar-sized box of sand in the mail. No dice.

wadeaminute · Post by **wadeaminute** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:44 am

I should start my own post so as to not hijack this one, but to answer your question, I found it at a guitar store here in Winnipeg for $249, and offered $199. When they said yes, I also demanded a brand new gig bag for it, and they gave me a decent Fender one.
I'm not sure, pickup wise. Just thoughts for now. It sounds OK. I have a GFS Fatbody Tele pickup that I could put in there with a little dremeling. It reminds me of a LP Junior, sorta, so some sort of single coil goodness.

mulvavroop · Post by **mulvavroop** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:17 am

wadeaminute wrote:I should start my own post so as to not hijack this one, but to answer your question, I found it at a guitar store here in Winnipeg for $249, and offered $199. When they said yes, I also demanded a brand new gig bag for it, and they gave me a decent Fender one.
I'm not sure, pickup wise. Just thoughts for now. It sounds OK. I have a GFS Fatbody Tele pickup that I could put in there with a little dremeling. It reminds me of a LP Junior, sorta, so some sort of single coil goodness.

Crazy deal. I've only been playing LP Jrs for a year now, and wanted to mix in strats, which I learned on, but I'm struggling with the scale difference. I saw this guitar, which looked kind of interesting, even though the scale was in the opposite direction from a strat. And it's a neck pickup guitar, like an LP Jr, and I barely moved out of neck pickup position on a strat anyway. I reckon I'm trying to convince myself to abandon strats altogether, and I love the LP Jr anyway. But great find, cheers.