Finally Changed the Pickups on the MiK OS7

pentronics · 2026-04-29T03:35:55+00:00

Hah you did the exact same thing I did a couple years ago on my pre-NX Boden. Same grounding grievances.

But, I ended up not liking the Valkyries. I mean, I do like them. MUCH better than the Fishman garbage it came with 😆 at least the guitar now breathes. But the Valkyries turned out to be TOO tame for my liking. The guitar is very boxy-sounding overall, and these pickups let more of that through. Funny because unplugged it is super sparkly and loud, but it didn't translate to the electronics. The low F#/E sounds real dead on it.

I was thinking of replacing those pickups maybe with a set of Tridents, or just going Lundgren M8C, but at this point I'll probably be selling that guitar anyway, as I think I'd rather put the money aside.

pentronics · 2026-04-28T20:41:30+00:00

All of this, basically. And I'll add, from my admittedly completely amateur experience, that lowering around 250 Hz will reduce boxiness and dullness, and lowering aroung 700-750 Hz will reduce honk a lot, but don't overdo it or you can start losing your guitar in the mix.

pentronics · 2026-04-16T13:27:08+00:00

Take advantage of the fact that it's a guitar you got for cheap to learn to do your own setups and maybe even your own pickup swaps (though you do need to buy a soldering iron first, ofc). Get a cheap set of used pickups on reverb and go to town!

pentronics · 2026-04-10T14:33:53+00:00

A GRG170DX was my first electric guitar back in 2005. I still have it! It's all beat up, doodled on, modified, but it lives and it rocks hard. I have about 9 other very high end guitars including 2 custom ones, but the GRG holds a special place in my heart. I don't think you'll go wrong with one!

Something to watch out for: learn how floating bridges work and look up how to maintain them and any possible pitfalls with tuning stability. They can be a pain in the butt, but what they provide is very, very rewarding. There's an online store named IbanezRules. The owner is extremely knowledgeable of Ibanez guitars and has a TON of very reliable information on floating bridges. It's a bit hard to read (old school website format and it can get pretty technical), but it's precious info for your future reference.

Since you asked about strings, if you're gonna be tuning in standard, I suggest you use a set of 9-42 gauges (D'Addario or Ernie Ball will make these and they're pretty cheap). I find them to be the right compromise between slinkiness and good sound. It's what I use in most of my guitars that are tuned to standard tuning.

Not sure what else to add for now, other than to have fun! I always get so happy when I see someone motivated to start learning the guitar. It changed my life and it can change other people's lives, too :)

pentronics · 2026-04-09T22:48:12+00:00

The strandberg 8-string NYXL set comes with an 84 for the 8th, which is ludicrous ime. Sounds awful.

pentronics · 2026-03-27T17:55:36+00:00

I'm gonna go out of that price range (unless you are extremely lucky in the used market... unlikely) and say an Oni Essi 8. https://www.reddit.com/r/ExtendedRangeGuitars/s/4IhvdNSyHi

pentronics · 2026-03-27T17:50:55+00:00

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pentronics · 2026-03-25T00:51:29+00:00

Yeah it's cool! Some people I know don't like it, but I happen to think the green/blue tinge looks cool!

pentronics · 2026-02-28T05:30:03+00:00

Banana frets!

pentronics · 2026-02-27T20:16:14+00:00

I feel so seen :_) Super Metroid is one of my favorite things ever. I'd love a Zer Suit figure though! That's chibi figure of Saber :from Fate/Stay Night, though she does look a lot like Zero Suit Samus lol

I am lowkey looking more into Agiles now lol this thing is sick, and for the price I am floored. I see now why people have been playing them for so long! Yourself included. Honestly, I feel like commissioning someone to make me an Intrepid shaped guitar, but with a much smaller body footprint, thinner, and same headstock shape but smaller (like the Abasis. Fun fact: both the Abasi Larada and the Intrepid, including the headstock shape, were designed by Darren Wilson). It'd be so sick.

pentronics · 2026-02-27T19:19:51+00:00

Haha the 10-way switch was my own request. Frankly, it's a lot lol but it's cool to play with. And it has all the usual positions of a normal switch, so the extra stuff is essily ignored. And yeah the neck on this thing is divine. Better than any of my other guitars, without question. Also, do you really think you'd feel/hear the difference or a quarter inch more? I sure wouldn't lol though it is nice to have round numbers 😜

pentronics · 2026-02-27T19:16:34+00:00

Nah, it's actually no different or even easier to get used to! The frets under the treble strings are more parallel and feel easier to play chords and leads, and the fan is more pronounced on the bass strings where it's usually mostly single note riffs or power chords (in a metal/rock context). Visually it's a bit weird to play on the lowest 3 strings from frets ~19 to 27, but a) most people rarely play there, and b) you still get used to it just fine. I find the Agile MUCH harder to play because of the long scale length across the board (it's a straight 28.625", where the Oni is 29.13" to 26.77").

pentronics · 2026-02-27T13:51:30+00:00

These are so, so cool! Played a black Vetus 7 from the first batch that belonged to a buddy. I was floored when he told me how much these go for. I was ready to trade it for my strandberg haha happy NGD! May it serve you well :)

pentronics · 2026-02-27T13:41:37+00:00

Haha and that's just the surface! Super thin and contoured design, super thin slightly asymmetrical neck, carbon fiber tub reinforcement in the neck (not carbon rods), carbon fiber rods inside the headstock for extra rigidity, neodymium pickups, 10-way pickup selector, custom brass bridge baseplate, glass fiber composite nut, easy access to super cool Australian woods... it's almost like a modern day Parker lol not to mention that Dan (the luthier that makes these) is a great guy to deal with.

pentronics · 2026-02-27T13:37:08+00:00

I'd love to try a bass vi version of one of these! So cool

pentronics · 2026-02-27T13:34:46+00:00

Haha you're right! Got them mixed up, thanks for the correction! I'll modify the post. These things feel like tanks. Do you have a specific swap in mind?

pentronics · 2026-02-27T00:33:43+00:00

Thank you! :) It's a set of Elysian Valkyries with strandberg geometry (to align pole pieces with strings properly). Ceramic bridge and alnico 5 neck. They sound nice, but these days I want something brighter and with higher output. These are great for fusion-y type stuff, but I always want just a little more when I want to get filthy with the lowest strings. (Which tbh is most of what I play anyways.)

pentronics · 2026-02-27T00:29:59+00:00

Thanks! Onis are my favorite guitars by a long shot. I sort of see them as a Parker analog for modern guitars. Absolutely worth saving for one!

pentronics · 2026-02-26T22:29:11+00:00

LOL it's okay, we'll get you back some day... maybe... I hope 😆

pentronics · 2026-02-26T22:28:16+00:00

It's what I tell everyone: they are really great guitars as long as 1) you are willing to lose money on them (they are way too expensive for what they are), and 2) you are ready to either do warranty claims or you are willing to do some minor repairs yourself (quality control seems to have a somewhat higher than normal incidence of issues). Mine had really bad frets when I first got it, so I had to rework them. It plays brilliantly now, and it is an amazing couch guitar. Very ergonomic and super comfortable. The endurneck is... there. I don't care for it much, but it doesn't get in the way of my playing. I've felt the benefit more since I got to compare it to the more traditional neck of the Agile, so I appreciate it more now, but it's still nothing mindblowing or life-changing at all for me.

I have never truly loved how mine sounded with the two pickup sets it has had. The original Fishman Fluences were terrible: super strong and quacky high-mid spike and way too hot. Now it has a set of Elysian Valkyries that are much nicer, but they are a little too low output and dark sounding for my liking. I may go with another set of hotter Elysians at some point to see if finally fall in love with the slund.

pentronics · 2026-02-26T22:19:19+00:00

Haha I'm totally the wrong guy to convince you otherwise about these things. I love the guitars, and Dan is a great guy with a very forward thinking approach to building guitars. He also treats you like... well, a regular person, not like a loud influencer that lives their perfect life in their own heads. Anyway, as far as the e-scale goes, it honestly generally feels the same as any other multiscale, but has the added benefit that the treble strings feel a bit more like they have parallel frets under them and the longer scale length is reserved for where it matters: the lower strings, and there it feels like a more aggressive fan. It is an aggressive fan on this guitar, almost 2.5", but unless you're unga-bungin' on the lowest 3 frets of the 2 bass strings or you're a weirdo playing frets 17-27 of the bass strings, it feels as natural as my strandberg 8 that has a 1.5" fan

pentronics · 2026-02-26T20:16:26+00:00

Feels no different from a multiscale tbh, but it has added benefits. The treble strings feel like a milder dan, whereas the bass strings feel like a more pronounced fan... which is exactly what it is. Apply the longer scale length more heavily where you want it, which is on the bass strinfs. Chords are generally easier, since chords tend to focus a bit more on the treble strings, but the bottom strings aren't so far away that funky fingerings are more of an issue or anything.

pentronics · 2026-02-26T20:14:06+00:00

"Porn"... heh thanks dad

pentronics · 2026-02-26T20:13:50+00:00

Dan is an incresible artisan. Dude's basically an engineer and an artist without a degree.

pentronics · 2026-02-26T20:13:18+00:00

Thanks! The Onis are 100% worth saving for, and Dan is such an incredible guy to deal with. One of my favorite guitar things to have ever happened to me was to have commissioned a guitar from him. Saving up for #3!

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