Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: _tom_ on January 04, 2010, 08:47:17 PM
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Well as you may or may not have read my parents wanted to buy me a good guitar for my 21st last November and its taken me til now to find what I wanted! My sister had to hand in some coursework at uni (southampton) so I went along and went into The Guitar Store.
Really nice guitar shop btw, loads of guitars and really shows how poor the shops round here are. Played a few Faded Worn Browns, then had a go on this. It really did blow them away in terms of feel and tone. Much richer/bigger sound and the neck is a lot better. All of those I tried were nicely balanced on the strap - no neck dive on any which I was surprised about.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/4245096389_b4fffb292e_o.jpg)
I didn't used to like the bigger PG's but this has really grown on me. Same goes for cherry, I saw it on their website and didn't like it, but in person it looks really good. Not too dark/deep a red which is probably why I like it :) Looks a lot browner than a normal cherry, that pic above is photoshopped to look more like it as it was far too "deep cherry" in the photo :lol: I'll get some better ones tomorrow in natural light, since it looks different depending on the light and angle you look at it from.
Oh and the pickups actually sound great, need a bit of height tweaking though. Overall very pleased though :)
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Looks nice Tom. I'm not really a Gibson man but do like the look of the SG.
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This is so exciting!!!!
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haha it is, my first new guitar day in about 2 years!
Played for ages when I got home. The guys in the store didn't let me crank the amp very hard ¬_¬
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Very nice, i've always fancied an SG, but have been put off by the neck heaviness. Glad to see you found a good 'un!
Also, could this be the first NGD of the new year?
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Really nice... you deserve to have a very nice New Guitar Day!
I hope it's a keeper with the birthday connection - it will be good to have in your life and age together. :)
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Nice!
SG's are sweet :D
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Yeah I think it is a keeper, feels great apart from being strung up with 10s, that'll be sorted out soon though.
Ted N Leo, give some new ones a go, none of those I played (about 4-5) had neck heaviness issues.
btw, will this guitar/its finish be ok on a Hercules wall hanger? I remember ages ago reading about how some stands can affect the nitro finish of Gibsons..
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sweet :D what is it, SG standard? I like SGs, but I have a couple of other guitars I'd need to get first (!)...
i've read conflicting things about those hercules stands, some places say it's nitro-friendly, some don't (like thomann). I generally put some cloth over the contact points, but that might not be too safe with a wall hanger. EDIT: just email hercules to ask.
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better safe than sorry. wrap the contact points anyway :)
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yeah, that was my thinking, but i'm not using wall hangers. Would cloth over the contact points affect its holdey-on-ness (technical term)? not much point in being uber cautious about the finish if the guitar falls and the headstock breaks...
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Hey Tom, nice guitar :)
I did a lot of research into whether Hercules hangers (and other brands) would mark nitro when I had my SG faded. Basically, the consensus from various forums was "I wouldn't do it", while those who actually had used Hercules with their nitro guitars had had no problems. I heard no horror stories about Hercules; only about those cheap and nasty floor stands, where the foam rubber basically comes apart in your hands after a year or so anyway. Understandably, Hercules themselves were reluctant to guarantee that their foam rubber is nitro-safe, because there are so many different sorts of nitro, but they did give the impression that odds were that it would be fine.
I know all of that amounts to very little certainty, but it might save you some legwork coming to the same conclusions. Personally, I'd hang it, but I wouldn't really be concerned by some discolouration, so the utility of the hanger would definitely outweigh the risk for me. YMMV!
I'd imagine that putting cloth over the contact points would actually increase it's security, since it'd effectively make the guitar thicker and less able to squeeze through. Just make sure not to foul the little holdy-mechanism-thingers, 'cause that would stop the hangers operating correctly.
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How about masking tape on the hanger supports? The hercules ones kinda "lock" the headstock in with the weight of the guitar so it won't slip out.
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Nice one, Tom! :D
I have to say that's the "brownest" new SG Standard I've ever seen. Is it really that colour?
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It's a little bit redder in person as I went a bit heavy handed in photoshop, but its pretty close. Depends on the lighting really.
What are some good straplocks for an SG? Schallers are gonna stick out way too much on the back I think.. grolsch bottle rubber seal?
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Nice one, the aesthetic qualities of a standard are far superior to the fadeds i reckon. Not that it means much overall, but we all know we like having guitars that look and sound good.
I never play my sg anymore since the only band im in requires floyds, bit of a shame to have it sitting unloved above my wardrobe.
I just use schaller strap locks on mine, they stick out a bit but dont really stick into me when playing so have never bothered getting some lower profile ones
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It's a little bit redder in person as I went a bit heavy handed in photoshop, but its pretty close. Depends on the lighting really.
What are some good straplocks for an SG? Schallers are gonna stick out way too much on the back I think.. grolsch bottle rubber seal?
They are Poly finish, so there should be no issue.
I use Schaller strap locks on mine, doesn't actually disturb me in any way.
Nice score there, congrats!
So you like the 498/500T?
Well, let's see how long before you throw in some RRs :)
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They're not a poly finish Hunter - the SG Standard has nitro. The Hercules hangers should be fine (I use their stands) but I do cover the pads with old socks. I wasn't going to bother for the relics, but then I gigged the Modern Eagle and didn't fancy chancing it bubbling the finish! :lol:
I'd use Schaller locking nuts Tom - I've used them on my Epi SG for several years gigging and they've been spot on :D
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+1 to Schallers. I suppose it depends how you hold the guitar, but I find my thumb goes between the strap and the back of the guitar, so the straplock doesn't get in the way at all.
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hmm, maybe I'll give em a go then. currently it seems like the bit you pull to unlock would dig into your hand when playing higher up. Do you have to get shorter screws as well? I think I remember reading an "internet horror story" about some guy who screwed too far in and cracked the fingerboard, haha.
hunter, I do really like the pickups at the minute, but haven't really got the chance to crank the amp yet. RRs would be cool, but not really something I can afford right now! Oh and according to the site they're 490R(neck) and 498T(bridge)
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Do you have to get shorter screws as well?
No, the Schaller screws will be fine. Just don't use Fender neck screws!
Oh and according to the site they're 490R(neck) and 498T(bridge)
They are indeed. Poly, 500T, Hunter's having a shocker tonight! :lol:
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Alright thanks. I have an old (broken) set of schallers I can try so if they feel alright I can get some new ones :)
Here's another pic btw, just because I can :lol: Makes a nice background as a full size image. didn't make it so brown this time which is about how it looks in person now. For some reason cameras seem to make it look really red.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4245384199_93b6dd5756_o.jpg)
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Do you have to get shorter screws as well?
No, the Schaller screws will be fine. Just don't use Fender neck screws!
Oh and according to the site they're 490R(neck) and 498T(bridge)
They are indeed. Poly, 500T, Hunter's having a shocker tonight! :lol:
LOL, well I have one of these, the finish feels like Poly to me, and the 4xx/5xxTswhatever have been in the drawer for too long ... seems I am just badly informed here and sorry for that.
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Nice looking guitar you have there _tom_
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Well done Tom-looks like you made a great choice and you waited til the right one came along too. As I have often said, I used to dislike SG's but I absolutely love them now.
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Lovely guitar :)
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Very nice, Enjoy!
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Thanks everyone :) I'm very happy with the guitar.
Here's a really sloppy amplitube clip of it, playing the only suitable first bit of riffage for an SG:
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sgsab2.mp3
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Thanks everyone :) I'm very happy with the guitar.
Here's a really sloppy amplitube clip of it, playing the only suitable first bit of riffage for an SG:
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sgsab2.mp3
you cheeky bar-steward, your parents actually bought your dream guitar for you?
Cheers to you!
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haha yeah I'm very lucky :) I'm paying about a third towards it as I feel a bit guilty/cheeky getting my dad to fork out that - the guitar thing was mums idea though :lol:
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Thanks everyone :) I'm very happy with the guitar.
Here's a really sloppy amplitube clip of it, playing the only suitable first bit of riffage for an SG:
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sgsab2.mp3
That's nice, very Wolfmother :)
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Just got to crank my amp, sounds awesome! Here's a quick clip, playing is nothing special but sounds fairly similar to how it does in the room, only a bit fizzier and less lively.
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sg1.mp3
Now I just need to get the nut filed to fit 11s!
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Classy looking geetar there Tom.
Really glad you found the right one :D
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Very nice guitar Tom! I bet with that guitar and your GH50L you can do Iommi and Angus to a tee. I love SGs they are so playable. I just got one too NGD thread soon to come 8)
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Yeah great guitar. I love the colour. Sounds really good too. Anyone playing AC/DC is is a good un in my book.
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Cool, all these nice SG's and I'm getting GAS. Nice one.
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That's a really fantastic guitar and it isn't often that a Gibson turns my head these days. Very cool.
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Congrats _tom_ - looks like a nice SG indeed, happy you enjoy it :D
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Very nice Tom!!! Like the color a lot!!!
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happy xmas tom ! the late great f zappa's weapon of choice without too much gain, a la joe's garage, beautiful old school tone. Spank y plank
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Looks and sounds great! :D
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Lovely guitar there Tom. What a 21st pressie!! :D
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Yep, well they wanted to get me something I'd get good use out of, and wouldn't get bored of :) It does need a nut dress (if thats what they're called) and a setup for 11s, I just can't get into playing with 10s haha.
Oh and if it gets BKP'd, it'll be Warpigs I reckon :twisted:
Oh yeah, just looked in the back of the guitar and it has a circuit board kinda layout for the pots.. is it ok to solder my capacitor over the exposed part of the tags, or should it be taken to a tech? Sounds too dull with the volume rolled down at the minute though so something needs to be done otherwise I won't have any decent cleans :(
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I wanna turn 21 again and get a nice SG as birthday present :D
Well my birthday is comming up soon, but surely I won't get a guitar :cry:
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Oh yeah, just looked in the back of the guitar and it has a circuit board kinda layout for the pots.. is it ok to solder my capacitor over the exposed part of the tags, or should it be taken to a tech? Sounds too dull with the volume rolled down at the minute though so something needs to be done otherwise I won't have any decent cleans :(
I think you'll be OK to do that. I'd be tempted to rewire it and fit it with new pots when you swap pickups.......
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Very nice :)
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Nice stuff Tom! I knew there would be some AC/DC being played!
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You can't have an SG and not play ACDC or Sabbath :lol:
Got some 11s put on, feels like it should now :)
Starting to see what someone said about the pickups being a bit one dimensional though. Just can't be bothered to upgrade them yet really :lol:
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Oh yeah, just looked in the back of the guitar and it has a circuit board kinda layout for the pots.. is it ok to solder my capacitor over the exposed part of the tags, or should it be taken to a tech? Sounds too dull with the volume rolled down at the minute though so something needs to be done otherwise I won't have any decent cleans :(
I think you'll be OK to do that. I'd be tempted to rewire it and fit it with new pots when you swap pickups.......
Aren't Gibbo pots rebadged CTS? Anyway, I've always been quite impressed with the quality of them - having said that these weren't on circuit board model guitars.
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Welcome to the SG club..nice buy
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You can't have an SG and not play ACDC or Sabbath :lol:
Got some 11s put on, feels like it should now :)
Starting to see what someone said about the pickups being a bit one dimensional though. Just can't be bothered to upgrade them yet really :lol:
The stock pickups do the job they're supposed to - they sound fat at low volumes (good for demoing in guitar shops). Once you get the guitar up to stage volume, they have no cut and sound way too compressed.
They're not bad pickups in the grand scheme of things, but lets face it - we're all spoiled with BKPs on this forum.
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You can't have an SG and not play ACDC or Sabbath :lol:
don't forget The Who :)
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Aren't Gibbo pots rebadged CTS? Anyway, I've always been quite impressed with the quality of them - having said that these weren't on circuit board model guitars.
They used to be. The circuit board ones are Bournes (sp?).
Good quality I believe, but I can't get past the circuit board!
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Are they using the circuit boards across the range now then? I'd assumed they were just on the guitars with all the high-tech gubbins.
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Nope - all guitars except the custom shop stuff I think?
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Well mine definitely has a circuit board and is a Standard.. so I guess most of em do.
I don't really want to replace all the electronics yet, so would adding a capacitor over the terminals on the back of the pot/board be ok? Don't want to damage anything!
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My Faded Special has the "board thing" as well...
I think you'd be alright Tom, but I'm not sure my soldering's accurate enough to attempt it on a circuit board :lol:
And start thinking about how you're going to attach plugless BKPs to that thing... I had hours of fun :roll: ... I was in "I don't really want to replace all the electronics yet" mode (and a bit of a rush) at the time...
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haha I was thinking just keep em plugged in, but cut the gibson wires as far away from the plug as possible, strip the ends and attach the corresponding BKP wires to those.. might just be easier to replace all the pots though, as I'd probably want to do push/pull coil taps anyway.
My soldering may not be accurate any more either, I got alright for a bit but I haven't done any for ages.
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haha I was thinking just keep em plugged in, but cut the gibson wires as far away from the plug as possible, strip the ends and attach the corresponding BKP wires to those..
That's exactly what I ended up doing! :lol:
It works...
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Get one of the guys from on here up your way to pimp it. Anything stock however good you think it is can be improved with a pimp job, plus you get to choose what gets done........
Yeah Warpigs sound good if you can roll off all that output. You could go from George Harrison to Electric Wizard and all points inbetween with a slight touch of a finger. :lol:
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I like to play around with my volume controls so I'm sure I could make em quite versatile. I made a thread about it ages ago and people reckoned the Warpigs would work for me with some coil splits to get the most variety.
I'd probably get Wez to do a rewire of the pots etc (if he'd be available) as he was very helpful when I was asking about getting a custom SG made, I almost feel bad going for this over one of his due to the amount of emails sent to and from! :lol:
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i never mind that - you think i mind chatting guitars ;) generally it gives me something to do when i am at the other job... although i have got slower at responding as i get busier
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Here's a clip I just recorded with it :) The track is very 90s brit-pop rock I think..
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sg_track1.mp3
To make this a bit useful, will warpigs be too metal voiced to get a similar tone to that? I like it at that volume, but any louder and the guitar sounds a bit too raspy and fake when compared with BKPS (Mule or Pig 90)..
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Here's a clip I just recorded with it :) The track is very 90s brit-pop rock I think..
http://hc.bloodyvelvet.com/files/254/sg_track1.mp3
To make this a bit useful, will warpigs be too metal voiced to get a similar tone to that? I like it at that volume, but any louder and the guitar sounds a bit too raspy and fake when compared with BKPS (Mule or Pig 90)..
you'll be able to get that general EQ, but in truth the warpigs are somewhat too compressed to be ideal for that
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Sounds cool!
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This clip sounds massive!
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Well time for an update now I've had it longer (and as I'm bored!)... the guitar has had a couple of gigs now and after a setup it's easily my No.1. Each time I strap a les paul on I think "why did I ever like this so much?" :lol: a pleasure to play and I really do enjoy playing a lot more with this over my others.
Definitely not going to "upgrade" the pickups, it sounds great as it is and I actually prefer it to my bkp'd guitars :o Livelier, more character which is surprising and I just prefer the more cutting/modern tone than the smoothness of the bareknuckles. Not going to sell either of those guitars yet but they hardly ever get used any more and I could do with a bit of money for a new bike I'm planning :P
I still want to sort the pots out as I can't get a very clear clean sound as they just get muddy when you try to roll the volume down. Not really sure how to do that with these pickups as they have the ever so useless gibson circuit board/plugin interface rather than proper wires.
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threadnomancy ...
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I still want to sort the pots out as I can't get a very clear clean sound as they just get muddy when you try to roll the volume down. Not really sure how to do that with these pickups as they have the ever so useless gibson circuit board/plugin interface rather than proper wires.
That's because of the pickups. The Gibson pots are very good.
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I still want to sort the pots out as I can't get a very clear clean sound as they just get muddy when you try to roll the volume down. Not really sure how to do that with these pickups as they have the ever so useless gibson circuit board/plugin interface rather than proper wires.
That's because of the pickups. The Gibson pots are very good.
+1
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I still want to sort the pots out as I can't get a very clear clean sound as they just get muddy when you try to roll the volume down. Not really sure how to do that with these pickups as they have the ever so useless gibson circuit board/plugin interface rather than proper wires.
That's because of the pickups. The Gibson pots are very good.
+1
+some more
I replaced the circuit board in my Faded SG because I wanted to experiment with different types of capacitors (settled on PIOs for my current set up). However, the swap from circuit board to CTS etc made not much difference.
The swap from Gibson pups to Riff Raffs (well, I bought the guitar to do that!) made much more of a difference. Summed across various amps and modellors, the Riff Raffs give me much more. And especially better response on using the volume and tone controls.
I did think the Gibson pups sounded ok, just "less". I did actually get a shock last November though. When I was trying out the AC4TV amp I bought, I used a stock Faded to try it out. It was fabulous. When I finally got round to using my Riff Raffed Faded through it... it was VERY disappointing at first. Basically, AC4TV seems to work best for me with single coils or... the stock pups that Gibson put in SGs! I've got my Riff Raffed Faded set up so I know how to get what I want through the AC4TV now - it's just a bit thicker than stock pups would do. Bear in mind we're talking about me using the AC4TV in its attenuated settings - I can't run it at the 4W setting most of the time. That "thickness" disappears as you get the amp doing what it's meant to do - and the stock pickups would suddenly start sounding thinner... Through my Laney, though, any volume, the Riff Raffed Faded just rules... :lol:
I read on here a while back a theory that stock pickups aren't voiced for gigging/professional. They're voiced for selling guitars - in other words sounding good/enticing in a busy music shop...
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I did actually get a shock last November though. When I was trying out the AC4TV amp I bought, I used a stock Faded to try it out. It was fabulous. When I finally got round to using my Riff Raffed Faded through it... it was VERY disappointing at first. Basically, AC4TV seems to work best for me with single coils or... the stock pups that Gibson put in SGs!
Similar to what we mentioned on Ian's thread about modellers.
I did once own an SG Standard (not a very good one) with the stock 490R/498T pickups; I have a Korg Pandora PX1 with a setting called "Schenk", and bizarrely that particular guitar with those pickups would nail an absolutely perfect Michael Schenker tone. No other guitar came close. It was like magic!
I read on here a while back a theory that stock pickups aren't voiced for gigging/professional. They're voiced for selling guitars - in other words sounding good/enticing in a busy music shop...
I have to say, that theory sounds a bit Ed Roman-esque....
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I read on here a while back a theory that stock pickups aren't voiced for gigging/professional. They're voiced for selling guitars - in other words sounding good/enticing in a busy music shop...
I have to say, that theory sounds a bit Ed Roman-esque....
Or even, dare I say it, self-justification for "I/you/etc must upgrade stock pickups" :roll: :lol:
EDIT: Hey wot's with the clock? Anyone else noticed that we seem to be posting at some unearthly hour? (It's actually lunchtime here in blighty-land, 12:15, not 07:15) - I did think "wow, gwem was up early!" when I posted :lol:
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To me it sounds more like a capacitor just needs to be put across the pot, which is impossible/very fiddly with the circuit board thing. I've found that CTS pots still have a muddy roll off with BKPs without the cap across it.
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EDIT: Hey wot's with the clock? Anyone else noticed that we seem to be posting at some unearthly hour? (It's actually lunchtime here in blighty-land, 12:15, not 07:15) - I did think "wow, gwem was up early!" when I posted :lol:
I noticed that a week or so, but then forgot about it.
It does seem we're in an Empire State of Mind.....
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I read on here a while back a theory that stock pickups aren't voiced for gigging/professional. They're voiced for selling guitars - in other words sounding good/enticing in a busy music shop...
i wouldn't be surprised. I mean, it stands to sense. At the very least, they're voiced to appeal to most of the people, most of the time, by and large.
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I'd say the improvement in tone overall has more to do with a guitar with alot better woods and hardware etc than the pickups.
I've never found a pair of Gibson pups that I've liked after I've tried BKPs in the same guitar. This is just me, anyone is entitled to like whatever they want :)
Comparing a set of Gibson Pickups in a Gibson SG made with better woods and hardware etc, to an Epi (if I remember right) LP with BKPs is like comparing apples and oranges in a sense.
In your position I'd be tempted to try the BKPs in the SG, then atleast it's more of a fair battle 8)
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Yeah I thought that as well.. but it sounds great as is and tbh I can't be arsed with any faffing about and spending £200 odd on pickups and electronics :lol:
The Pearl LP actually sounds better than the SG unplugged as its a warmer sound, but plugged in it's just not as good for me. I do like the p90s though :)
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Yeah I thought that as well.. but it sounds great as is and tbh I can't be arsed with any faffing about and spending £200 odd on pickups and electronics :lol:
The Pearl LP actually sounds better than the SG unplugged as its a warmer sound, but plugged in it's just not as good for me. I do like the p90s though :)
That's fair enough, I'm not gonna argue with a guy that's happy with his guitar! :D
In your position I'd be a LITTLE tempted to try the BKPs from another guitar, to save on £'s :lol:, just to see! 8)
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Don't listen Tom! :lol:
If it sounds good and does the job, no need to mess...
I have to admit, I'd take the Brow option and start moving pickups about, "just to see" (hell, I'm even in the middle of that process on strats :roll:)... but I can tell you what it leads to - more pickups, and then more guitars for the other pickups, and... and... :lol:
If you're enjoying it as is, play it as is...
I sympathise on the circuit board thing though... I personally don't like treble bleed caps, but I know some people swear by them... and sticking a quick cap in what you've got at the moment is, er, not quick!
EDIT: Sh1t! I've just realised - "I personally don't like treble bleed caps".... I've only tried them on strats (one, and I didn't like what I lost for what I gained) and teles (most, and I hate what they do in a tele...). I've never tried them on humbuckers... they might actually do a job for me there!!
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Yeah I have treble bleed caps on both my other guitars, it works really well for humbuckers and p90s! Gives them a thinner sound (obviously) which I think is better for cleans.
I was tempted to try the Pig 90/MQ in the SG "just to see" but it's probably not worth the effort - it would be if it had a normal pot setup but it doesn't :lol: