Bridge pickup recommendation for a 2016 Gibson SG HP

[Artie]

Cool thanks for that....so many decisions! Torn between the Nazgul, Black Winter, Distortion, and now the Jupiter hot rails!!!

I don't mean to make your life more complicated, but you might add the Perpetual Burn to that list. Of your list, I've had the Distortion and Nazgul. Love the PB.

 

[dorq]

I don't mean to make your life more complicated, but you might add the Perpetual Burn to that list. Of your list, I've had the Distortion and Nazgul. Love the PB.

Cool thanks ArtieToo - I'll give it a listen. I might have a lead (no pun intended!) on a Mayhem set for a good price, so I might just take that, waiting to get some more pics of the pickups, specifically the serial number to ensure that they are current ones. (I think the year is the first part of the serial number).

 

[dorq]

OK so I pulled the trigger on an open box set of the Mayhem/SH-6 pickups, also ordered the 5 pin -> slim screw quick-connect adapters from Epiplug. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Slim-Screw-...53.m1438.l2649
Everything should come next week - thanks to everyone for all the recommendations and advice! I'm looking forward to upgrading the pickups. Since I have to take the pick guard off anyways, might as well upgrade both of them at the same time. If for any reason I'm unhappy with the SH-6, I'll probably go for the Black Winter in the bridge position.

 

[Mincer]

Let us know how this project turns out.

 

[dorq]

Let us know how this project turns out.

Thanks - I will Mincer . I got a pretty good deal (I think) on the pickup set, plus I had a $25 coupon from eBay for "Thanks for being with us from the beginning" which was nice. Parts should be here next Thursday, so hopefully next weekend I'll get to do the swap. Might prep the guitar before the parts come - undo the strings and remove the pick guard and old pickups. Then when the parts come in, just click everything in and rock!! I'd record some before/after samples, but don't have a real means to do so, other than a video on my phone, which isn't ideal, but I'll see... I can note the settings on the amp and where I place my phone.

 

[Iommi576]

I highly recommend an aph-1 bridge. Or, if you want something just a tad bit hotter, go with aph-2 bridge (Slash model). If you want to go high output, I recommend the Seymour Duncan custom custom.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Another vote for the Black Winter. Man, I miss that pickup.

 

[dorq]

Another vote for the Black Winter. Man, I miss that pickup.

Wow now I kind of regret getting the Mayhem set, but I think I got a really good deal on it. Came to $71 (plus tax) for both of them after my $25 off coupon from eBay. Pickups came this afternoon, they are from July, 2020, so basically brand new, and look to be in almost perfect condition. Next pickup for me will be the Black Winter it sounds like!!!

 

[dorq]

So I got the pickups installed tonight, went mostly smoothly. They both work, couldn't do a proper sound test afterwards as it was getting late, but they both work and I don't hear any weird buzzing/clicking/static/etc. so that's a good sign. One thing I did notice is that if I have the pickup selector in the middle position, and I lower one of the volumes on either the bridge of the neck pickup, the entire volume seems to go out. Maybe it was always like that, or maybe I reversed a wire when I wired up the pickups to the mini-5 pin DIN connectors? I also hardly use the neck pickup is the truth of the matter. When the pickup selector is in either the bridge or neck position it seems to work as expected. Here's a photo of the pickups installed.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions and tips! Very friendly forum here.