Which modern pickup for my SG?

[Fikealox]

Hey guys,

This week, I'm coming into possession of an SG Special in faded cherry, and I'm naturally looking for a set of BKPs for it. I apologise, because I know there have been a lot of SG threads already, but I've read through them and I'm still not sure what I want. I've had a lot of PAFs this last year, and I'm a little bit over the vintage sound, so I'm really looking for a more modern character for the SG, despite the fact I mainly play blues, ballads, rock, etc (not metal). Ideally, I want a ballsy, fat, compressed tone in the bridge, and a thick, smooth, articulate tone in the neck. Under gain, I'd like a pickup that "grinds" and is still fairly smooth under medium gain, and crunchy under higher gain, rather than screaming or getting fizzy on top... but I'd still like excellent harmonic response.

My first thought was Nailbombs, as I seem to remember them having most of those qualities in an LP I had, but I don't want to leap to a decision unduly. I've never used Cold Sweats, but people seem to have a high opinion of them in SGs, but the last ceramic pickup I had was a Painkiller, which I found a bit thin, trebly, and nasal. Warpigs are a complete unknown to me, but I suspect they might well fit the bill.

I'd be really interested to hear your opinions!

Thanks,
-Liam

[edit: changed the thread title... it had far too many acronyms!]

[ericsabbath]

Ideally, I want a ballsy, fat, compressed tone in the bridge, and a thick, smooth, articulate tone in the neck. Under gain, I'd like a pickup that "grinds" and is still fairly smooth under medium gain, and crunchy under higher gain, rather than screaming or getting fizzy on top... but I'd still like excellent harmonic response.

omg, you're a psychic!
that's a full detailed description of you playing your future warpig set!  :lol: :lol: :lol:

[James C]

SG + Warpig = match made in heaven (or should that be Hell? :twisted:)

[Fikealox]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys :) I leaning toward Warpigs earlier, and then I started to second-guess myself after not having much luck finding decent clips of Warpigs doing anything but metal. You guys think they do blues (etc) fine though?

I've got this mental image of Warpigs being sort of like hotter Nailbombs, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

[ericsabbath]

SG + Warpig = match made in heaven (or should that be Hell? :twisted:)

in heaven AND hell!
fool, fool, fooooooool!
look for the answeeeeeerrrrrrr
 :D :D :D :D :D

[dheim]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys :) I leaning toward Warpigs earlier, and then I started to second-guess myself after not having much luck finding decent clips of Warpigs doing anything but metal. You guys think they do blues (etc) fine though?

I've got this mental image of Warpigs being sort of like hotter Nailbombs, but I'm not sure how accurate that is.

warpigs have nothing to do with nailbombs, at least through my ears... if you manage a way to split them - i did it with a 5 way switch in an ibanez RG - they sound great for blues... i never tried playing blues with a full warpig sound, but... why not? i looked a bit and found this: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=514.msg5146#msg5146 but i bet there are more clips...
if cold sweats are still an option, you can hear me playing (badly) blues rock with a CS loaded SG here: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=16058.0

[Fikealox]

Thanks Dheim :) I think that track sounds awesome. I had ruled out the Cold Sweats (well, it was relegated into third place), but now they're back in the running, and i have no idea what I want to do. Argh!

[discofudge]

One word, Crawlers.

They sound perfect for you. Full thick tone, no fizz from overwinding, able to drip with blues tone at then switch to hard rock through simply pick attack. not a metal pickup in the conventional modern sense, more like the hardest Zeppelin you ever heard.

Still able to have full round clean tone. I'd fit them both in the neck and bridge.

[pagan7]

 the last ceramic pickup I had was a Painkiller, which I found a bit thin, trebly, and nasal.

[edit: changed the thread title... it had far too many acronyms!]

Surely some mistake !! ??   :D

[ailean]

I'd have said 'bombs or Cold Sweats. Cold Sweats will give a vintage edge to your sound, 'bombs are contemporary.

I really like pigs, but they work best in dirt and sludge, personally I'd keep them for a war machine.

[Fikealox]

Thanks for your advice, guys :) I gave all the options a lot of thought last night, but I figured since I've already got an Abraxas-loaded guitar, and since I lived with SMs for ages last year, I wanted a decidedly modern sound from this guitar. I wussed out a little bit, and ended up settling on a set of Nailbombs (although with dual hex polepieces).

That said, I've still got an ESP Viper that I'm sure I'll want BKPs for before long (I will inevitably get tired of its Blackouts), so I might pick up another set of contemporaries once I have a better grasp on the SG sound.

Regarding Painkillers: I had them in a bright-sounding, maple-boarded strat last year, and I just never got along with it. It was awesomely tight and articulate, and not bad in any objective sense... but it was totally unsuited to my style, which is more Gilmour than Gilbert ;)

[ailean]

I'll be very interested to hear what you think of them in the SG. I just put my set of 'bombs in a friends GS (took them out of my LP to try Black Dogs for a while), he seems to like them, but he's not lived with them yet.