Which bridge pickup for Gibson SG Std? (Hardcore, Metal)

[botch]

Hi guys, my first post here, it seems like a very knowledgeable place! I've done a bit of reading in some of the past posts and I'm thinking a miracle man may be best for making my SG better at hardcore and metal. The kinda tones I'm after are modern, smooth, highish output and tight. Nice, big and powerful sounding I guess. Some clips of bands whose tone I'm into can be found in the links below. Any suggestions at all are welcome. I've never owned a BKP but I've heard so many good things that I've gotta have one  :D

www.myspace.com/normajean
www.myspace.com/underoath
www.myspace.com/botch
www.myspace.com/ohsleeper
www.myspace.com/miserysignals

[HTH AMPS]

first off, I love Botch - great band.

you'll want a ceramic magnet BKP for those tones and the fast, syncopated riffs. I'd say Painkiller, it's got plenty chunk, but good note clarity too.

[noodleplugerine]

Botch are awesome - So are norma jean.

Painkiller is tight as they come, and also quite bright.

[Nolly]

I'd say ceramic Warpig or ceramic Nailbomb, depending on how open a sound you're looking for. Both have super-tight low ends, with great clarity and plenty of lower-mid chunk, a well as grindy upper-mids.
The PK could well be a good choice as well, it's definitely a bright pickup, but your guitar should be alot darker than the one I had my PKs in.
What do you tune to, and what amp do you use?

Also, Botch and Misery Signals FTMFW

[AdamB]

I use an SG with a ceramic warpig, really great for heavy stuff!

My clips - http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=12204.0

[botch]

Hi guys, nice to see some Botch fans around here! Nolly, I play through an old (REALLY old - R0050) 2 Channel Dual Rectifier. These are a lot smoother, brighter and less scooped sounding than the newer ones. This is why I'm tempted to stay away from the PK. My set up is a stock SG Std into the old Dual Rec which runs a Marshall 4x12 w/V30s. I tighten things up with a Bad Monkey infront of the amp. With this set up I have to roll a little treble off the pedal and keep the presence on the amp super low and it still sounds bright!

It's odd how nobody's suggessted the Miracle Man because from my reading yesterday it sounded like it would be just right for me. Obviously there's a few more options to look at!

[Nolly]

Hi guys, nice to see some Botch fans around here! Nolly, I play through an old (REALLY old - R0050) 2 Channel Dual Rectifier. These are a lot smoother, brighter and less scooped sounding than the newer ones. This is why I'm tempted to stay away from the PK. My set up is a stock SG Std into the old Dual Rec which runs a Marshall 4x12 w/V30s. I tighten things up with a Bad Monkey infront of the amp. With this set up I have to roll a little treble off the pedal and keep the presence on the amp super low and it still sounds bright!

It's odd how nobody's suggessted the Miracle Man because from my reading yesterday it sounded like it would be just right for me. Obviously there's a few more options to look at!

Cool, I've heard nothing but good things about the older 2-channel rectos.
I guess the fact that no-one has recommended the MM yet is a testament to how good Tim's range is - to be honest you could go with pretty much anything from the contemporary range and most of the vintage hot, and be satisfied. Tim described the MM as a kinda inverse of the PK to me - loads of upper mids, and smooth uppers, contrasted with the PKs spiked uppers, and smooth lowers. By all accounts it's super tight and very clear.
The more I think about it, the more I think a standard Nailbomb set might suit.. The alnico should tame the high-end whle providing some really great midrange grunt. The low end is still very tight, just not as insane as with a ceramic magnet.

If you haven't already, I'd send an email to Tim (or better, call him), and see what he says. If you give him plenty of detail about the gear you have, sound you're looking for, from both pickups, his recommendation should be spot on. I've not heard of anyone being unhappy with his suggestions.

[Alex]

Miracle Man.
 :D

[ericsabbath]

Hi guys, nice to see some Botch fans around here! Nolly, I play through an old (REALLY old - R0050) 2 Channel Dual Rectifier. These are a lot smoother, brighter and less scooped sounding than the newer ones. This is why I'm tempted to stay away from the PK. My set up is a stock SG Std into the old Dual Rec which runs a Marshall 4x12 w/V30s. I tighten things up with a Bad Monkey infront of the amp. With this set up I have to roll a little treble off the pedal and keep the presence on the amp super low and it still sounds bright!

try greenbacks with it
I had a single recto and it sounded awful with v30's and my century vintage, but it sounded a lot clearer and tighter through greenbacks
they clean up the harsh treble, tighten the loose bass and beef up the mid, but don't get nasal
I'd say it was a 30% improvement in tone

It's odd how nobody's suggessted the Miracle Man because from my reading yesterday it sounded like it would be just right for me. Obviously there's a few more options to look at!

I will
don't know how it will sounds in a SG, but works great in les pauls (i tried it in two)
my friend that owns my ex-les paul sold the miracle man set of the guitar to my bandmate, but he got another miracle man and a painkiller from WITH FULL DISTORTION
his impressions was exactly the same of mine
the painkiller has a lot more mids and the highs are nicer, but the miracle man definitely has more low end punch and just a bit more tightness, so he went back to the miracle man
but note that his guitar is a huge brazilian mahogany les paul with imbuya top, so it's all bass and mids
maybe I'll get his painkiller in a  trade, so I'll make another fair comparison in the other les paul (that has a cold sweat right now, but had the miracle man, holy diver and a bunch of duncans, gibsons, emg's, gotoh)
I'm loving the cold sweat in the les paul and I think it will work for what you want too, specially if you're looking for something between the miracle man and the painkiller, but a bit less extreme

I just installed the holy diver bridge and cold sweat neck in my gibson sg faded
I bought it on ebay for very cheap without any hardware, so they're her first pickups
I'm really really surprised and impressed by this guitar
I don't know if I got lucky, but I always thought that the faded and other "special" models had poor construction and cheap asian wood, but at least mine definitely doesn't
I checked the cavities and this is definitely true honduran mahogany (swietenia macrophylla), which is the same brazilian mahogany species, and it smells, looks and feels exactly like the les paul I passed to my friend
its acoustic ressonance is really impressive (unplugged)
I had a lot of mahogany guitars and played other gibsons, including higher priced les pauls and sg's from different times, but only this, a gothic flying v and the brazilian les paul had this ressonance
I was decided to sell it until yesterday to buy another amp head, but when I played it... wow!
the holy diver and specially the cold sweat neck worked very well with it too
I might try the cold sweat bridge on it someday

[botch]

Hi guys, nice to see some Botch fans around here! Nolly, I play through an old (REALLY old - R0050) 2 Channel Dual Rectifier. These are a lot smoother, brighter and less scooped sounding than the newer ones. This is why I'm tempted to stay away from the PK. My set up is a stock SG Std into the old Dual Rec which runs a Marshall 4x12 w/V30s. I tighten things up with a Bad Monkey infront of the amp. With this set up I have to roll a little treble off the pedal and keep the presence on the amp super low and it still sounds bright!

It's odd how nobody's suggessted the Miracle Man because from my reading yesterday it sounded like it would be just right for me. Obviously there's a few more options to look at!

Cool, I've heard nothing but good things about the older 2-channel rectos.
I guess the fact that no-one has recommended the MM yet is a testament to how good Tim's range is - to be honest you could go with pretty much anything from the contemporary range and most of the vintage hot, and be satisfied. Tim described the MM as a kinda inverse of the PK to me - loads of upper mids, and smooth uppers, contrasted with the PKs spiked uppers, and smooth lowers. By all accounts it's super tight and very clear.
The more I think about it, the more I think a standard Nailbomb set might suit.. The alnico should tame the high-end whle providing some really great midrange grunt. The low end is still very tight, just not as insane as with a ceramic magnet.

If you haven't already, I'd send an email to Tim (or better, call him), and see what he says. If you give him plenty of detail about the gear you have, sound you're looking for, from both pickups, his recommendation should be spot on. I've not heard of anyone being unhappy with his suggestions.

Yeah, the 2 channels really do sound better than the newer ones, it's not just hype. Less fizz, tighter, more definition etc...really good amps. Thanks again for the great advice, I'll be sending an email to Tim very soon to see what he suggests.

[botch]

Hi guys, nice to see some Botch fans around here! Nolly, I play through an old (REALLY old - R0050) 2 Channel Dual Rectifier. These are a lot smoother, brighter and less scooped sounding than the newer ones. This is why I'm tempted to stay away from the PK. My set up is a stock SG Std into the old Dual Rec which runs a Marshall 4x12 w/V30s. I tighten things up with a Bad Monkey infront of the amp. With this set up I have to roll a little treble off the pedal and keep the presence on the amp super low and it still sounds bright!

try greenbacks with it
I had a single recto and it sounded awful with v30's and my century vintage, but it sounded a lot clearer and tighter through greenbacks
they clean up the harsh treble, tighten the loose bass and beef up the mid, but don't get nasal
I'd say it was a 30% improvement in tone

It's odd how nobody's suggessted the Miracle Man because from my reading yesterday it sounded like it would be just right for me. Obviously there's a few more options to look at!

I will
don't know how it will sounds in a SG, but works great in les pauls (i tried it in two)
my friend that owns my ex-les paul sold the miracle man set of the guitar to my bandmate, but he got another miracle man and a painkiller from WITH FULL DISTORTION
his impressions was exactly the same of mine
the painkiller has a lot more mids and the highs are nicer, but the miracle man definitely has more low end punch and just a bit more tightness, so he went back to the miracle man
but note that his guitar is a huge brazilian mahogany les paul with imbuya top, so it's all bass and mids
maybe I'll get his painkiller in a  trade, so I'll make another fair comparison in the other les paul (that has a cold sweat right now, but had the miracle man, holy diver and a bunch of duncans, gibsons, emg's, gotoh)
I'm loving the cold sweat in the les paul and I think it will work for what you want too, specially if you're looking for something between the miracle man and the painkiller, but a bit less extreme

I just installed the holy diver bridge and cold sweat neck in my gibson sg faded
I bought it on ebay for very cheap without any hardware, so they're her first pickups
I'm really really surprised and impressed by this guitar
I don't know if I got lucky, but I always thought that the faded and other "special" models had poor construction and cheap asian wood, but at least mine definitely doesn't
I checked the cavities and this is definitely true honduran mahogany (swietenia macrophylla), which is the same brazilian mahogany species, and it smells, looks and feels exactly like the les paul I passed to my friend
it's acoustic ressonance is really impressive (unplugged)
I had a lot of mahogany guitars and played other gibsons, including higher priced les pauls and sg's from different times, but only this, a gothic flying v and the brazilian les paul had this ressonance
I was decided to sell it until yesterday to buy another amp head, but when I played it... wow!
the holy diver and specially the cold sweat neck worked very well with it too
I might try the cold sweat bridge on it someday

Thanks mate, I'm definately leaning towards the Miracle Man from what I've read though I'll wait and see what Tim says before I make a decision! I'll look into the Greenback thing, I've not heard of many people playing my kinda music that use those particular speakers but from waht you've said it sounds like they could benefit my sound (although I do really dig the V30's).

[botch]

Miracle Man.
 :D

Oooh, how does it compare to the stock SG pickup?!

[botch]

Just a quick update...After speaking with Tim he recommended the Miricle Man which I finally ordered today. :D Fingers crossed it'll do the job!

[Nolly]

Just a quick update...After speaking with Tim he recommended the Miricle Man which I finally ordered today. :D Fingers crossed it'll do the job!

Aha nice one mate, let us know how you get on!

[botch]

Well I insalled the pickup last night and I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. It seems colder and less powerful than the Gibson 498T I replaced it with. Maybe I was expecting a lot more from this pickup but it's certainly not the metalcore brute I was hoping for! Perhaps I underestamated how heavy I wanted the pickup to sound but at present I can't see how I can get Misery Signals tones with the MM.

I'm gonna put the previous set of strings on (I put a new, different set on after installing the pickup) to make it a truly fair test. I also think the springs that were supplied are far too long too so I'm replacing them with the springs that came with the 498T. I think this might help the pickup angle a little more in line with the strings, therefore increasing the output. At the moment it appears to be dipping down a little on the polepiece side of the pickup, which I think maybe due to the excessive amount of spring. I will keep you guys posted, but if it doesn't sound better after those two adjustments I think it's fair to say it's not the pickup for me!