Well I've finally installed the Mules... and gigged with them. I installed them at 4:30pm and was gigging around 7pm - still need to tweak the pickup height on the bridge a little though.
A quick comparison between the stock, late '70's Yamaha SG pups and the Mules:
The stock pickups are really hot. Very hot. Didn't realise HOW hot they were until I put in the Mules. The stock pups I had were great pickups, although the bass was a little mushy and there wasn't alot of clarity when using a fair amount of gain. But they packed a punch, and the neck pickup in particular was great, both clean and overdriven. Also the stock pups had developed a bit of a hum, were quite noisy.
Now the Mules:
All I can say is WOW. Firstly, they are as quiet as a mouse. No background hum or anything. Second - there is so much clarity - the amp settings were the same at first, but you can here all the notes plucked - everything stands out - very clear. The bass is good, the midrange sings and the treble is definately there but it's not the ice-pick in the ear treble - usually, treble is my achilles heal but now the treble seems to be prominent in the mix but softer, almost rounded.
What was good though, which was exactly why I went for Mules, is the variety of applications they can be used. Yesterday I had to do a mix of tunes, some soft, some using a eBow, some rocked out using a wah wah - The Mules excelled themselves in all applications. Still need to adjust the bridge a little to balance the output with the neck - but the neck pup is PERFECT - tone tone tone. Really chuffed.
The whole experience of fitting the pickups was a big learning curve. Never seen a braided pickup set before and the whole process was a little daunting at first, but taking the time, haveing a little patience and a steady hand was the key. At times I thought I f****d my guitar up completely, wishing I hadn't purchased the new pups, if it aint broke dont fix it type of thing - but after hearing them last night, the guitar feels like it's really come to life.
Dont get me wrong, the stock Yamaha SG pups from the late 1970's are damn good, but now the guitar sounds even better. It sounds so professional.