Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

King IzzO))) said:
I would not in a million years put a demon in an SG, and I would not ever recommend it to someone who wants less harsh and more low mids, sheesh.
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You have a totally different perception of the Demon than I do. Are you sure it is a SD Screamin Demon that you have experience with? Do you even have any personal experience with the Demon or are you talking about your suspicions of what you think the Demon would sound like. Before I actually used a Demon, that is exactly what I expected it should sound like.

Several yaers ago I was looking for a pup that had very bright highs and reduced mids and lows. I tried the Demon and was very disappointed because it sounded so fat and DIDN"T have the highs that I was looking for. So I returned it.

Over the years my tastes have changed. A few months ago I got another Demon because I was looking for a warm, fat pup with even tonal response over the entire spectrum...clear highs with NO shrill raspiness, strong warm mids with no muddiness, solid lows with no boominess. I wanted a very articulate and touch sensitive pup. I got ALL of this in the Demon.

Very strong low mids, NO harshness AT ALL!! The very thing the OP was asking for.

I tried it first in the bridge and was exceptionally pleased with it's fat strength, its clarity and articulation, and its total LACK of harshness. It sounded absolutely gorgeous. The '59 that I first had in the neck was too bright/harsh there so I put a UOA5 in it and moved it to the bridge. I took the Demon from the bridge and moved it to the neck and to my very pleasant surprise, it sounded great there too. In fact it sounds perfect there and that's where it will stay.

I just for the life of me cannot believe that you are talking about a pup that is even remotely similar to either of the 2 Demons I have experience with both in a LP and in a SG.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

I was also going to try to beat Blueman in suggesting the Custom8 in the bridge of an SG. But I couldn't resist suggesting the Demon. I have always been an advocate of the C8 in SGs. Tried every option of magnets available at the time and ended up with the C8. I haven't tried a UOA5 in the Custom yet. I don't know if I will ever get around to it. Mainly because I am SOOOO pleased with the C8.

I've got several SGs with different pups in the bridges of each (C8, Demon, P-90, Mini Hummer, Dirty Fingers). I love them all, but if I were to list them in order of preference it would be:
1)...C8 and Demon (tied for first)
2)...P-90 (a VERY close second)
3)...Mini humbucker (also very close)
4)...Dirty Fingers (again, very close. Just a bit too much gain, not quite as clean as I sometimes need it to be).
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

King IzzO))) said:
To me beefy hot pickups sound best in an SG bridge position. A Demon would sound thin, and probably shrill unless you drop the presence/treble down a lot. For sure, if an A2P is "harsh and raspy", then no way is the OP is gonna like a Demon.

I don't mean to bash the Demon, I just like darker pickups, and it sounds like a single coil to me. I thought it was alright as a neck pickup, a couple things I didn't like, but I like it better than the jazz, 59, or 490R/A5.
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I agree that "beefy hot" sounds best in an SG bridge. That's why C8 works so well there. The Demon does not sound thin, shrill, nor single coil-like by any means.

But "beefy hot" definitely describes the C8 or Dirty Fingers.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Doc, you have ME wondering if we're talking about the same pickup. Maybe you're used to strats with single coils, I have no idea, but yeah, I have had several Demons over the years, mostly in ESP Lynch guitars, hated it in every single one of them. I got one last year when it was repeatedly suggested as neck match for a El Diablo, which it isn't, at least not for me.

Yes, I find it to be thin and too sharp on the highs, even in the neck. If you dig it, cool, but I still think it would suck in an SG.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Yes we ARE talking about the same pup. But you are talking about the wrong guitar.

There's the difference....

You have an ESP Lynch! Maple body, maple neck, maple or ebony fingerboard, Floyd Rose.

You have a very bright guitar. The Demon IS going to sound bright and thin in THAT guitar.

The SG is mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, TOM bridge.

The SG, even though not as thick and warm as an LP, is going to be much warmer than your guitar. The OP has a Gibson SG. All of my posts were regarding the Demon in the same guitar as the OP.

You need to remember to compare apples to apples or you aren't going to be helping anyone on this site.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

GuitarDoc said:
I was also going to try to beat Blueman in suggesting the Custom8 in the bridge of an SG. But I couldn't resist suggesting the Demon. I have always been an advocate of the C8 in SGs. Tried every option of magnets available at the time and ended up with the C8. I haven't tried a UOA5 in the Custom yet.
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I've got UOA5's in Customs in an LP and SG, and personally like it even better than a C8, although a C8 is undeniably an excellent PU. I like the additional dynamics that you get from an UOA5. A8's have been said to have some of the better qualities of a ceramic and therefore are more modern-sounding, while UOA5's have some of the better qualities of an A2, and are more vintage-sounding. Both are warm mags, just different flavors. Let's not forget that RC A4's are a candidate too.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

In the last 6 months I've used it in the neck of an SG special, a LTD EC, and a Heartfield RR. All are mahogany, all have mahogany necks, 2 have set necks. Agreed on the Lynch guitars though, worst pickup choice ever for a maple bodied guitar, especially the neck thru Kamikaze, holy lolz.

Sorry to the OP for the hijack, I still say a Super D or Custom/8 would make you happy.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Custom or Air Zone. I know some folks are wary of trying an Air Zone in a mahogany guitar, but it sounds great in an SG.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Yeh, like I said earlier, and like many other forumites have suggested, the C8 is a great bridge pup for the SG. I have no reason to doubt Blueman's experience with the Custom UOA5 and may even get around to trying that. I certainly love the tone of every pup I've tried it in so far.

And also like Blueman has said, you can get the best of A2 and A5 with the UOA5.
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

I just did a comparison test between two of my SGs...one with a Custom8, the other with a '59 UOA5. To my surprise, the Sg with the '59 UOA5 sounded way bigger, fuller, more articulate, had a brighter top end without being harsh, has a big and solid low end without any muddiness, takes gain/overdrive/distortion exceptionally well. It nails anything "rock" that I send its way.

I think I'm getting off the C8 wagon and switching my endorsement to the '59 with a UOA5 mag as the best humbucker for an SG. (I still think the P-90 is the best of all pups for an SG bridge).
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

This an old thread, haha -- I have been exploring the Custom and Custom 8 in my maple necked SG-style guitar with a Floyd -- I wonder how in the long term you felt about '59 with a UOA5 mag, etc.?
 
Re: Fav bridge pickup in an SG?

Securb said:
I love the sound of my stock 498T in my SG.
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I like 498T's, especially with an A8 or UOA5. The problem is it's paired with a 490R, which isn't a good match, unless you put an A5 in the 490R. But, make those mag changes, and you have a much-better sounding guitar.
 
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