how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

[aeroslepperin]

when i used to have my les paul, i would always notice how much brighter it could get over my sg. so i'm wondering which pickups would squeeze some more high end out of my sg? i'd like to get as close to an lp sound as possible, while retaining the playability of the sg.

any suggestions on pickups? or any other suggestions short of buying a les paul?

thanks...

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

What's in your SG now? The 500t really made my SG's thick, but nowhere near an LP.

 

[gripweed]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Your LP was brighter than your SG? I would have guessed that you were looking for a thicker sound. My suggestion if want brighter would be the '59's. I'm not sure you'd want PGs in an SG, but they are also bright pickups.

It would helpful to know what kind of pickups you have in the SG now and what kind of amp and what kind of music you play.

 

[aeroslepperin]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

i have the stock pickups in, which i are the 490R and 498T...not sure which is neck and which is bridge off the top of my head.

i feel like the sg pushes more mids than highs, no? am i crazy?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

i have the stock pickups in, which i are the 490R and 498T...not sure which is neck and which is bridge off the top of my head.

i feel like the sg pushes more mids than highs, no? am i crazy?

Normally the LP would be a bit darker,but it would have a fatter tone and more overall sustain because of the thick profile body..

 

[sosomething]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Normally the LP would be a bit darker,but it would have a fatter tone and more overall sustain because of the thick profile body..

Maybe on the internet.

In real life, LPs tend to have more high-end detail than SGs. Maybe it's due to the maple top (probably) and maybe it's some other factor, but that's been my experience FWIW.

As for the SG - the stock 490R and 498T pickups sound like TV-dinner diarrhea IMO. Put something decent in there like 57 Classics or SD 59s and you'll be in business.

 

[DepecheMoses]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

If you really want more brightness, you can get adapter covers that allow a single coil to be mounted in a humbucker ring. There's some on www.guitarpartsresource.com I know.

 

[fullfistrock21]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

if you want brightness try a jb or a dimebucker both have lots of treble end in brige...a duncan distortion would sound good as well......although you may have 300k pots in your sg as gibson uses that as their standard....usually with the 490 498t setups, so see if you have 300k pots and work from there

 

[brit84]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

burst buckers sound incredible too. Just borrowed my friends lp for a while and its soo nice though i still hate lp necks.

Gibson uses 500k pots

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Maybe on the internet.

In real life, LPs tend to have more high-end detail than SGs. Maybe it's due to the maple top (probably) and maybe it's some other factor, but that's been my experience FWIW.

I think you're generally right on a maple-top LP. The SG is all-mahogany which is fatter and warmer than maple. I don't have an SG but I do have an all-mahogany LP Special and it's definitely darker and fatter than my LP Standard. Which is why P90's sound so good in the Special, or in just about any all-mahogany guitar.

My recommendations:

1) Just a little bit brighter: Pearly Gates. They sparkle and sizzle on top without too much bite.

2) A lot brighter and you don't mind more bass: 59's. I don't like the 59 much myself, but they do tend to sound good in an all-mahogany guitar.

3) A lot brighter but don't add much bass: Jazz

 

[jeremy]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

i used sgs for years. the thinner body and double cutaway seem to leave the sg sounding less thick than the les paul even though the lp is brighter.

i used a 59n/custom setup for a long time and then a pgn/c5 and both worked great in an sg. try the c5, the boosted bottom/pulled back mids/strong top balance well with the inherent mids in the all mahogany

 

[aeroslepperin]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

i used sgs for years. the thinner body and double cutaway seem to leave the sg sounding less thick than the les paul even though the lp is brighter.

i used a 59n/custom setup for a long time and then a pgn/c5 and both worked great in an sg. try the c5, the boosted bottom/pulled back mids/strong top balance well with the inherent mids in the all mahogany

'scuse my dumbness...but what's the c5? :smack:

 

[aeroslepperin]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

I think you're generally right on a maple-top LP. The SG is all-mahogany which is fatter and warmer than maple. I don't have an SG but I do have an all-mahogany LP Special and it's definitely darker and fatter than my LP Standard. Which is why P90's sound so good in the Special, or in just about any all-mahogany guitar.

My recommendations:

1) Just a little bit brighter: Pearly Gates. They sparkle and sizzle on top without too much bite.

2) A lot brighter and you don't mind more bass: 59's. I don't like the 59 much myself, but they do tend to sound good in an all-mahogany guitar.

3) A lot brighter but don't add much bass: Jazz

never factored in the maple top...it makes sense tho. out of these 3 scenarios, which'll get me closest to an LP?

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Agree with Jeremy.

On SGs the bridge pickup I think is a little bit closer to the bridge, and that plus the thin body, I would say, gives definitely a thinner tone. That's why I think SGs need hotter pickups.

B

 

[PoorMan]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Top wrapping the bridge will get you much closer to LP tone.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Maybe on the internet.

In real life, LPs tend to have more high-end detail than SGs. Maybe it's due to the maple top (probably) and maybe it's some other factor, but that's been my experience FWIW.

As for the SG - the stock 490R and 498T pickups sound like TV-dinner diarrhea IMO. Put something decent in there like 57 Classics or SD 59s and you'll be in business.

In my case the LP is darker and like I explain,as I own both guitars...Guess it depends on alot of factors though? :13:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Agree with Jeremy.

On SGs the bridge pickup I think is a little bit closer to the bridge, and that plus the thin body, I would say, gives definitely a thinner tone. That's why I think SGs need hotter pickups.

B

Yep....and I still find the Brobucker to be the perfect bridge pickup for my own Gibson SG...It's ballsy but yet still articulate and not overly wound as to be too hot and far away from being a vintage type pickup.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

In my case the LP is darker and like I explain,as I own both guitars...Guess it depends on alot of factors though? :13:

Hi John, As you know, it's a matter of balance between bass, mids and treble.

If two guitars have the same amount of treble but one has alot more bass and mids, then that guitar with alot more bass and mids will sound like it has less treble than the other guitar. Probably sound "louder" too.

It's like the guys who insist the 59B has no mids...it has plenty of mids...but it also has alot of treble and bass and because of that it gets described as having scooped mids. IMO, it's the other way around: the 59 doesn't have scooped mids...it does have more treble and bass than some guys want though.

Hope you like that Verbzilla! :laugh2:

Lew

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

Hi John, As you know, it's a matter of balance between bass, mids and treble.

If two guitars have the same amount of treble but one has alot more bass and mids, then that guitar with alot more bass and mids will sound like it has less treble than the other guitar. Probably sound "louder" too.

It's like the guys who insist the 59B has no mids...it has plenty of mids...but it also has alot of treble and bass and because of that it gets described as having scooped mids. IMO, it's the other way around: the 59 doesn't have scooped mids...it does have more treble and bass than some guys want though.

Hope you like that Verbzilla! :laugh2:

Lew

Good analogies Lew...I Like the SG better because it's light,has great upper register access,and it sits right between my Love Rock and a strat in it's tonal delivery....But of course a strat is number 1 with me always! My SG is a brighter sounding guitar over the Love Rock LP I own however I look at it though.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: how do i make my SG sound more like a Les Paul?

'scuse my dumbness...but what's the c5? :smack:

The SH-14 Custom 5.