Chance of NGD: 75%

[Chistopher]

I found an expensive guitar incorrectly labeled as an inexpensive guitar on the "used rack" of my local guitar center's web page.

I put a hold on it and I am on my way out the door to take a look at it.

 

[jeremy]

hopefully its a successful adventure!

 

[blakejcan]

I love a good deal

 

[Chistopher]

Played it in the shop and pulled the trigger on it. Will report more when I get home from work

 

[Chistopher]

Here's a picture of it, a used Epi 61 SG that I got for the price of an SG Tribute.

My view on these things is that the good one's sound like a fatter Tele, and this is exactly what this one does.

I will be routing out a spot for a middle humbucker.

Any thoughts on pickups for this HHH? Perhaps SNS all around

 

[jeremy]

looks great! i might do the derek trucks thing for the bridge. im not a fan of hhh gibsons, but if you were gonna do it, sns neck and bridge with a wlh neck in the middle

 

[Chistopher]

I kinda like the Derek Trucks thing. I will consider it.

Man, I plugged this thing in at home and it sounds great clean and distorted. Neck is warm yet clear and the bridge sounds HUGE. Middle position is okay, but not really unique from either other position on it's own.

If I'm going HHH, I'm stuck on how I'd wire it. Doesn't help that I can't find the original Gibson wiring

 

[jeremy]

thats part of my issue with hhh gibsons, the switching. i want normal hh gibson switching and controls, but adding the middle pup does offer cool options, but how, without messing other things up... six way switch, three volumes, and one tone would be my way forward

 

[Securb]

That is a pretty guitar. I think it will look cool 3 PU

 

[Chistopher]

thats part of my issue with hhh gibsons, the switching. i want normal hh gibson switching and controls, but adding the middle pup does offer cool options, but how, without messing other things up... six way switch, three volumes, and one tone would be my way forward

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

Another idea would be three volumes and a master tone control, a normal three way toggle, and have the middle position blend in out-of-phase. Thats a bit unconventional though

Also I can't for the life of me find a diagram of the traditional wiring

 

[Mincer]

Orpheo builds a lot of HHH guitars, so I bet he has some good ideas about how to wire them.

 

[AdrianSD]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

Another idea would be three volumes and a master tone control, a normal three way toggle, and have the middle position blend in out-of-phase. Thats a bit unconventional though

Also I can't for the life of me find a diagram of the traditional wiring

You still at 75% chance? Asking for a friend.

 

[Coma]

What kind of sound do you get out of a middle position HB?

 

[Chistopher]

You still at 75% chance? Asking for a friend.

SG has been procured.

I'll say, these things are a lot better than people would have you think.

It looks cooler than an LP
It sounds just as good
It has better upper fret access
No baseball bat neck
Lighter
More comfortable contouring
Neck dive is not as bad as people say

Only downsides are the vibrola sucks (but feels better to rest my palm on than a stop bar) and the pickup selector is in a bad spot.

 

[Chistopher]

What kind of sound do you get out of a middle position HB?

In the original wiring you never get it by itself. It's just bridge and middle out of phase.

The only middle hum I've had any considerable time with beyond playing at a guitar store was a Nightswan. Middle on it's own was good, middle and bridge in parallel was a bit too many coils right next to eachother for me.

 

[Coma]

In the original wiring you never get it by itself. It's just bridge and middle out of phase.

The only middle hum I've had any considerable time with beyond playing at a guitar store was a Nightswan. Middle on it's own was good, middle and bridge in parallel was a bit too many coils right next to eachother for me.

I have one HSS guitar with EMGs where every pickup has its own on/off switch. That middle pickup on its own may be the most useless sound I've ever gotten out of any guitar. It doesn't even sound all that great when used in tandem with any of the other pickups. 11 different combinations, and I only ever use two