Hmmm... Calibrated set or Mix and Match?

[iGouger]

Hello All:  Brand new here at the forum, although I've been reading posts (and learning a ton) for quite a while.

I've got an 2009 SG Special with stock 490R/490Ts. I've decided to go with BKPs for my replacement. After much deliberation I thought I settled on a calibrated set of Mules. Here's my dilema: Several people have suggested that I go with a Mule in the neck and a Riff Raff in the bridge. Today someone strongly urged I go with a Mule and a Rebel Yell. I'm confused as hell.

If YOU were replacing YOUR SG pickups would you go with a calibrated set or would you mix and match? Why?

Play mostly Rock and Classic Rock. Always seem to be a little dirty but am totally obsessed with the ability to achieve beautiful clean sound.

Thanks so much!

[Dave Sloven]

SGs can be a bit fiddly.  They have a number of issues that make them hard to match pickups for.  One of them is the tendency for the neck pickup to overpower the bridge, this is why sometimes people put a bridge pickup from a more powerful set and a neck pickup from a less powerful set.

We had a contributor here a few years ago (she doesn't seem to be around any more) who tried a Rebel Yell in her SG.  She found that it didn't have the bottom end that she needed.  SGs don't have a lot of bottom end in themselves.  The can also be quite middy and this can make them sound honky or raspy.

I have a Warpig (A) calibrated set in one SG and I had a Cold Sweat set in another SG. I have since changed the bridge Cold Sweat for a bridge Miracle Man but left the CS neck in.  It took a while to balance the neck pickup with the bridge but in the end I got it to sound good. I always liked the Cold Sweat in it but I was going for a heavier sound so I installed the MM.

To be honest though I think the best combination in an SG Is a Stockholm bridge and Supermassive neck.  They are pretty hot though. A more classic sounding version of the same idea would be Blue Note neck with Nantucket bridge.

[Slartibartfarst42]

The key thing with an SG is to either go for a vintage set or a really hot set but not something that occupies the middle ground. I think a Riff Raff bridge and Mule neck sounds like a fine option if you want something that is essentially PAF in nature.

[Telerocker]

Mules will do. Kravitz uses them in his V, for as far that counts. The Mule-bridge is tad less bright than the RiffRaff. I use Mules for all kind of styles. Very balanced pickups. Dynamic and clear, not shrill.

[darkbluemurder]

SGs can be a bit fiddly.  They have a number of issues that make them hard to match pickups for.  One of them is the tendency for the neck pickup to overpower the bridge, this is why sometimes people put a bridge pickup from a more powerful set and a neck pickup from a less powerful set.

This is not necessarily an SG issue but a general issue with dual humbucker guitars. The reason is that the strings vibrate less over the bridge pickup than they do over the neck pickup so the neck pickup sees a much stronger string signal with much more bass content. That is why the original Super Distortion was so successful but there are just as many people who like two (almost) equally strong pickups and compensate with the volume and tone controls. Both fine but a different approach. I personally prefer a stronger bridge pickup.

To the OP: if you are content with two equally strong pickups then both Mule set or RR/Mule should be fine. If you want/need a stronger bridge pickup I would normally have recommended the Abraxas or Rebel Yell sets but I noticed quite a few posts saying that either is not ideal for pairing with an SG.

Cheers Stephan