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Author Topic: SG pickups  (Read 4438 times)

Vilches3

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SG pickups
« on: February 26, 2009, 05:32:11 AM »
Hey, I was wondering how these pickups would sound through a later gibson SG model as most reviews I find for SG's are riff raffs and MQ's and the pickups mentioned I usually only find reviews for strats, prs and les pauls.........and for like......Zeppelin, AC/DC, Maiden and VAN HALEN (mostly and majorly VAN HALEN but i figured the VHII's wouldnt have the Van Halen type tone since ed used ash and maple)

VHII
Mules
Rebel Yells
Stormy Mondays
Abraxas

its cool if you guys dont have answers.
Thanks for your time

Rob (again)
« Last Edit: February 26, 2009, 06:20:02 AM by Vilches3 »

Roobubba

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2009, 08:45:43 AM »
I believe the general consensus with SGs is to either have HIGH output pickups, or low output pickups - stuff in the middle doesn't work too well.

This is 3rd-hand internet forum information, so may be totally wrong :)

Applying that theory, some stormy mondays (some love here for AlNiCo II SMs I believe) might be ideal from that list.

But as I said above, take with a pinch of salt, because I don't have first-hand experience of this :) Someone who has will chime in soon enough.

On another note, weren't you looking for a tele a while back? Had a chance to get over to mainland Britain to play some guitars, yet, then? :)

Roo

ericsabbath

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2009, 10:50:45 AM »
what's your amp? do you use a mid booster before it?
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat

Spitfire

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2009, 12:40:03 PM »
I put a nailbomb in my SG, and its very nice.
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Fourth Feline

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #4 on: February 26, 2009, 01:23:21 PM »
Hi ,  :)

Yes as Roo mentioned, go low output or high - as the thin / wide solid mahogany mass darkens  the middle ground. As an S.G. owner myself, I note that it will make any pickup sound darker and warmer than a Les Paul.  For your tastes, avoid the Stormy Mondays, as I have had Alnico II and AIV types, which sound lovely in an S.G. - but smooth , thick and rounded , as apposed to ( for example ) a mahogany body / maple cap Les Paul, where they sounded much brighter and more open.

I am thinking ( but not from direct experience ) - VHIIs ( very open - almost single coil sound , due to the larger offset between coil windings ) - Cold Sweats ( bright ) or perhaps Rebel Yells ( same reason ) .  I have Mules in a Les Paul - and feel that those , and the Abraxas are just taking you back into a thick 'middy' sounding tonality - when used in an S.G.

Mississipi Queens are great in an S.G. -  but there again ( as you noted ) fat sounding , albeit with an attitude if used right.

I am mainly saying avoid the Mules , Stormys, and M.Qs for what you want - for as great as they are, I have used them for the very opposite purpose, especially in an S.G.


Vilches3

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #5 on: February 26, 2009, 03:00:33 PM »
what's your amp? do you use a mid booster before it?

uhh ive got a lame vox valvetronix 30 and a vintage fender princeton with an overdrive pedal............Im really looking for that sort of brown sound but i have no clue what the VHII's would be like.

thanks

hunter

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2009, 03:06:07 PM »
what's your amp? do you use a mid booster before it?

uhh ive got a lame vox valvetronix 30 and a vintage fender princeton with an overdrive pedal............Im really looking for that sort of brown sound but i have no clue what the VHII's would be like.

thanks

SG and VHIIs might be too bright I think.

RiffRaffs are great, but rather low output. Gotta bring them close to the strings to have a hot tone.
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ailean

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2009, 09:30:05 PM »
My wife has a 2008 SG Standard which is loaded with Cold Sweats and it sounds great.
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Vilches3

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2009, 10:23:37 PM »
My wife has a 2008 SG Standard which is loaded with Cold Sweats and it sounds great.

as good as the cold sweats sound to my ears, all my guitars besides this one are contemporary metal machines......i wanted to make this one more rock n roll oriented to play at home. I wanted something bright but not too bright with extremely great harmonics and a pretty overdriven clean tones like Eddie Van Halen but not necessarily literally its just you gotta start somewhere before making adjustments for your own tone. So yeah I guess im a little stuck? just want that brown sound to come through my SG

Twinfan

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2009, 10:31:17 PM »
The Riff Raffs do that clean/overdriven thing - it's similar to what Angus Young does too.  Riff Raffs are a great option  :)

If you're near Manchester you're welcome to try my Riff Raff'd SG out.

Philly Q

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2009, 10:33:12 PM »
I think this is a tricky one, because you're wanting a maple-neck-Strat-with-humbucker sound out of an SG.  Which isn't to say you're being unreasonable or anything, but if you try the same pickup in both of those guitars it's going to sound completely different.

It's the type of very specific question that's maybe best discussed with Tim.

(Sorry, I'm not trying to be unhelpful!  :wink: )
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Vilches3

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2009, 10:34:04 PM »
The Riff Raffs do that clean/overdriven thing - it's similar to what Angus Young does too.  Riff Raffs are a great option  :)

If you're near Manchester you're welcome to try my Riff Raff'd SG out.

Manchester? dont think i could get to that distance from uptown manhattan with no car but thanks man. How do riff raffs sound for leads? and also why is it not good to use med-output pickups in SG's?

thanks

Twinfan

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2009, 10:37:29 PM »
Ah - you're in the US.  Sorry!  :lol:

For leads, Riff Raffs are very tight and clear.  Almost clinical at times?  But that's the great thing about them, they're really defined and don't mush out.

I think the mushing thing is a problem when using medium output pickups in a SG.  They're too warm and ill defined.

Vilches3

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2009, 10:40:57 PM »
Ah - you're in the US.  Sorry!  :lol:

For leads, Riff Raffs are very tight and clear.  Almost clinical at times?  But that's the great thing about them, they're really defined and don't mush out.

I think the mushing thing is a problem when using medium output pickups in a SG.  They're too warm and ill defined.

Is this why the stock SG pickups sound like trash?  :lol:

Twinfan

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Re: SG pickups
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2009, 08:34:35 AM »
Hell yeah!  :lol: