les paul tone from SG ???

[Blueline]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

If a pickup swap isn't doing it for you
I could custom build you one of my double cutaway models lefty for you and tailer the wood and the pickups for an LP tone or anything in betwee. I don't know the cost of a gibson custom shop, but I'm pretty confident i'm less expensive.
I'm doing a similar thing for Pureoldsound as we speak - he's another lefty in need.

if you do go pickup route - might i suggest that instead of getting a pickup like the one in a LP, thinnk of the tone of the wood and wht the pickup is trying to emphasis or counter then go from there
LPs are thick and warm and muddy and the pickups usually a5 or ceramic bring some life and bite to that
find what the sg is missign and counter that

Cheers

[mongrollo]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

cool - thanks for the responses guys !

May I ask you which type of bridge do you have in your SG? Does it has tailpiece or is it just a waparound? Because this it is goin to play a very inportat role in the tone.

Anyway, Are you interested in hight output pickups? If not may be you could check the APII (alnico pro model). From the tone chart it seems that they have a good degree of bass. And it seems this is what you need to move the tone response towards a LP. They are Alnico II as Dr. Barlo suggested. Clearness, arliculation and dynamics guaranteed.

[slate]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

cool - thanks for the responses guys !

anyone tried active EMG's in an SG ?

[papersoul]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

SG has a thinner body with a thinner neck (comparing to 59 and early 50s taper LP necks). In comparison to SG, LP has a huge mass of wood. The weight should reflect that anyway.

SG does not have that much mids, it sure has uppermids, but not that much lowermids. Hence a LP sounds bigger, sounds with more base, deeper... In order to offset too deep a tone, Les 'the magnificient' Paul came up with the maple cap, to restore some of the bite that might be lost with an all mahogany construction. Sure the customs are all mahogany, but then they have ebony boards, which add bite to its tone.

Hence, CC would compensate for the lack of lowermids on a SG.

I always was not comfy with SGs. The bridge as I said can be done with a CC or Ant bridge or a 59 with an a2 magnet. Yet the neck position is what annoys me. It simply is too bright, and no matter what I have done I could not get a LP neck tone out of it. Looks like I don't like 24fret neck positions, even tho some may love them.

B

Thanks for the clarification. I would also think you would want a pickup with good bass for the SG, no??
My personal current favorite SG pickups are the stock Gibsons in the Special and the Classic 57 in the '61 reissue.

I hear ya on the Texas sizzle and the upper mids, but the BBQ has worked wonders in all of my other guitars. Mostly my Dean Evos which are extremely similar to the PRS Singlecut. I should be trying the C-5 or BBQ in my Dean hardtail.

[sanrafael]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

If the primary differences between the LP and the SG are frequency response (different levels of mids, etc.), then you can make them similar if you can find a pickup that has a frequency response that "corrects the problem". Why do this with the pickup? Why not use the tone controls on the amp or get a preamp with a better equalizer if necessary? To make the question more general, why do you ever need to change a pickup to get a different frequency response? Surely if you can compensate for wood with a pickup, you can compensate for a pickup with an equalizer.

[RG 2570]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

one guy here had a SG that no matter what pup he tried it sounded anemic
he put in a dimarzio breed and loves it now?

[dr.barlo]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

BTW by the same token, my humble opinion is that due to that issue with uppermids, PGb in the bridge of a SG does not do that well. The same issue as that of BBQ, yet the magnitude of that with PG is way less. I think that texas sizzle ain't no good for SGs.

B

[dr.barlo]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

SG has a thinner body with a thinner neck (comparing to 59 and early 50s taper LP necks). In comparison to SG, LP has a huge mass of wood. The weight should reflect that anyway.

SG does not have that much mids, it sure has uppermids, but not that much lowermids. Hence a LP sounds bigger, sounds with more base, deeper... In order to offset too deep a tone, Les 'the magnificient' Paul came up with the maple cap, to restore some of the bite that might be lost with an all mahogany construction. Sure the customs are all mahogany, but then they have ebony boards, which add bite to its tone.

Hence, CC would compensate for the lack of lowermids on a SG.

I always was not comfy with SGs. The bridge as I said can be done with a CC or Ant bridge or a 59 with an a2 magnet. Yet the neck position is what annoys me. It simply is too bright, and no matter what I have done I could not get a LP neck tone out of it. Looks like I don't like 24fret neck positions, even tho some may love them.

B

[MattPete]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

Try a Blues Saraceno trembucker. It will add body/low-end and some of the high-end that the LP gets from a maple cap.

[Dirtyking]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

I had a 500t in my SG which was too muddy and loose on the bottom end. I then tried an Invader which is an unholy pup. Lots of bass and mids with punch and sustain, but lacking the vintage touch for me. I'd look into an Invader or a Custom.

BTW, I ended up with a Demon pup that hit the spot. But I still may switch to a Custom in one of my SG's.

[sanrafael]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

I think that the type of body a guitar has makes a real difference in the sound, but am interested in what everyone thinks. The LP has a small but heavy body, very different from the SG, and I do not think they can sound the same. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

[papersoul]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

The only reason I don't like the idea of a CC in an SG is that an SG is loaded with mids, and more so than an LP. Doesn't the CC have a boat load of mids? I would think that would be overkill. Doc, you would know since you have had both.

Personally, I have had the BBQ in about 5 guitars and it is the best pickup I have used thus far for all styles. I actually don't find it as dark as people suggest. I think it has more than enough highs, thick mids, and solid bass. Still, not as much bass as the C-5. I never hear the upper mids people talk about but I also never hear that in the JB. My ears may not be able to differentiate various mids.......only mids in general.

[papersoul]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

He already has a Les Paul!
John

D'oh!!

[dr.barlo]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

I definitely don't think that BBQ will be the answer to what you are looking for. Yes it is dark yet you need body. BBQ has lots and lots of uppermids and that does not help in getting a LP tone from an SG, because those uppermids on an SG will be more pronounced. The result ain't bad tho, immediate early 90's angus tone. How do I know, well I used a BBQ texas set for over 3 years now, on an SG that I have sold I might add.

Anyway, I'd say check CC, that's what I think you would love. Smooth creamy mid heavy (not particularly uppermids, but more on the lowemid side) smooth spongy bass. On an SG the intrinsic amount of highs help CC deliver a LP kinda tone. I think you'd get pretty close.

On the other hand an antiquity bridge version has the same +s, and is more open, better for clear stuff. Can do the gain excellent. Think of a might fine 490T! The stock dun-aged magnet will help to wash off exessive highs from the body of the SG. Check them out.

I'd say forget all a5, and ceramic buckers for what you want.

B

[Thames]

Re: les paul tone from SG ???

I dont think a SG can sound like a LP, maybe close, but never equal. I've been torn between SG and LP over the last year... bought a SG, sold it for LP, sold the LP, bought another SG, and then re-sold the SG for a LP

I agree with the Rio Grande suggestion. The BBQ/Texas set adds some LP-like thickness to a SG. I tried 'em in mine last summer, and yes, they are great for that!