Gibson SG 61 RI pickups

[guipaes]

Hi Guys,

I´m a happy owner of a Gibson SG 61 RI, for about a month. I also have a Gibson Les Paul GEM with P90´s (for something like 3 or 4 years) that used to be my main guitar (now the LP has to share it´s space).

I´m using an Orange Tiny Terror or a Marshall 2061x with a 2x12 Celestion V30 speaker cabinet (pretty dark and full sounding amps).

I Play classic rock in a two guitars + bass band. I dont use distortion pedals at all, my drive come from my amps and a LovePedal AMP50 that I use in something like 10 or 11 o´clock (light overdrive).

Well, the case is...I really dig the sound of the SG, it´s more full and powerfull, but I have an issue that is, in the band, I miss some of the clarity I have with the P90´s, that help me to stand out in my solos and some parts of songs that I have to be a little bit "in front" of the other guys.

I tend to think that Humbuckers pickups are a little bit overcompressed, and missing some articulation and clarity. Despite the fact that I know that the Classic 57 are some of the best Humbuckers Gibson provide, I´m thinking in replacing them.

My thoughts are turning to the Burstbuckers #1 + #2 combo or the Seymour Duncans Antiquities. Both of them are unppoted, uneven coils and are famous for having more clarity.

Do you guys think that the SG will sound "nicer" with these pickups, given the information I provided ?

Does anyone have any thoughts or have tested these pickups in a Gibson SG ?

I´ll do the "operation" in december (money issues), but if was today, I´ll choose the SD´s Antiquities.

Thanks.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Gibson SG 61 RI pickups

You cant go wrong with either imo.. i have tried burstbuckers in a old SG and they sound freakin sweet! Burstbuckers sound much better than 57s imo.. they have more clarity and when you push em they have a very distinct growl that i just loved, very fun sounding pickups altho im pretty sure ants are just as good if not better? ive only tried ants in a les paul and tbh its a difficult choice between both.. they are both great PAF replicas and would suite your SG perfectly. Keep in mind that the Ants have aged magnets and are designed to look and sound LIKE an old 50 year old pickup, burstbuckers supose to have the same theory behind it but i personally think they sound less mellow than ants.. which isn't a bad thing it just depends on what you want. Don't disregard Seth either btw.. they are also great sounding PAF pickups

 

[mudpuppy]

Re: Gibson SG 61 RI pickups

If you want a humbucker sound sometimes, but sometimes wish it sounded like a P90, why not consider a PRails with a split switch?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Gibson SG 61 RI pickups

I like the '57s in Les Pauls, 335s, and in the '61 SGs. I'm not sure about the BB 1&2 in the SG--I think they might sound too bright and edgy, though again, love them in my Historic LPs. Ants and Seths are great too, though my experience with them is limited to LPs.

I have read many good things about the '59 set in SGs, and I'll throw that out as a possibility for your '61. I think that these would sound "crisper" and more articulate than the '57 Classics, yet still retain a vintage vibe.

There are some other things you can address, besides pickups. You might want to consider a change in tubes, too. For example, swapping in an Electro Harmonix 12AX7 for a JJ tube in your V1 socket might provide a little extra brightness. Even changing a guitar cable can add a little extra crispness and clarity. Shorten up those cable runs, and use cabling with a low capacitance rating to give you the most high end. Using pedals that are true-bypass or that have bufferered outputs can reduce pickup loading that decreases highs. I know that when I started using EL84-based amps after years of using 6L6 amps, I missed some of the high end clarity of the 6L6s. After a while, I learned to appreciate the "roundedness" of the EL84, and the softer fatness.

You may need to make a live, room mic'ed recording of your band to actually get a better idea of what the guitar is sounding like from the audience's perspective. In the end, I suspect those Classic '57s are going to sound just fine.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Gibson SG 61 RI pickups

if you want more top end clarity, there are a couple of things you could do before you buy pickups. first, have you tried lowering the pickups and raising the adjustable screws? that gives humbuckers a slightly thinner, stringier bite to them with more clarity. or, you could always just switch out the alnico 2 magnets for alnico 5 magnets since new magnets only cost $5 each +shipping. a2 mags have more mids, a rounded top end and softer lows whereas a5 has more top end, less prominent mids, and tighter lows which would, imo, solve your clarity issues.

of course if you want to go ahead and buy new pickups you could do that too