Looking for something new for my G400

StratTom

StratTom

New member
I'm looking for a new sound for my G400. Right now I've got a Custom in the bridge and it's a great pickup for hard rock, punk, and metalish stuff. I have a very limited exposure when it comes to pickups and am thinking about going for something a little less agressive. With that in mind, should I rule out high output pups or maybe those with ceramic mags? I'd like to be able to play some Beatles tunes but also be able to pull off the power chord driven punk stuff. Any suggestions?
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

59, Custom custom, custom 5, Jazz bridge ( i think theodie is a big advocate of the jazz bridge)
maybe a stagmag?
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

i had a custom 5/pearly gates setup in my sg and i was very happy with it
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

jeremy said:
i had a custom 5/pearly gates setup in my sg and i was very happy with it
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Cool! I think I recall some saything that combo works well in LPs too.

How do those pickups work when split? I'm having the crazy idea of installing some push/pulls so I can get some single coil action as well. :)
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

jeremy said:
i had a custom 5/pearly gates setup in my sg and i was very happy with it
Click to expand...

+1. I've got a few G-400's, and the C5 or C8 is a great bridge PU for that guitar design. I tried a Custom and didn't like it, and later found out the culprit was the magnet, not the PU. Too harsh, bright, and aggressive. Too "in your face." But with an alnico you get more character & color in the sound. The C5 is the most highly recommended bridge PU for SG's here.

The best advice you'll get here is: "Work with what you have." Don't chase your tail buying one PU after another, hoping that one will eventually work for you. Magnets are cheap and change the EQ & output of PU's; Duncan also uses the Custom coils with an A5 (C5) and an A2 (CC). You can make your Custom a C5 by taking ten minutes and putting an A5 in it. Some of us like the wildcat C8 (Custom with an A8 magnet). Odds are you can get some great tones from your Custom with a magnet swap (10 minutes and $5).

If that doesn't turn out to be what you want, there are PAF type PU's ('59, PG, '57, 490, Virtual PAF, etc) that are vintage low output. Some players find them too thin on an SG (but great in a fat LP).

A third option is medium output PU's, and Dimarzio has a good selection of them. I just put a Fred (10,000 ohms) in a G-400 this week, with 250K pots, and it sounds great. Full sound with lots of crunch & bite. I paired it with an A5 PAF-type in the neck. If the PGN is working for you now, great. Lots of guys here love them. If it's a little soft in the low end or not as lively as you want, you can try an A5 in that too.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

blueman335 said:
+1. I've got a few G-400's, and the C5 or C8 is a great bridge PU for that guitar design. I tried a Custom and didn't like it, and later found out the culprit was the magnet, not the PU. Too harsh, bright, and aggressive. Too "in your face." But with an alnico you get more character & color in the sound. The C5 is the most highly recommended bridge PU for SG's here.

The best advice you'll get here is: "Work with what you have." Don't chase your tail buying one PU after another, hoping that one will eventually work for you. Magnets are cheap and change the EQ & output of PU's; Duncan also uses the Custom coils with an A5 (C5) and an A2 (CC). You can make your Custom a C5 by taking ten minutes and putting an A5 in it. Some of us like the wildcat C8 (Custom with an A8 magnet). Odds are you can get some great tones from your Custom with a magnet swap (10 minutes and $5).

If that doesn't turn out to be what you want, there are PAF type PU's ('59, PG, '57, 490, Virtual PAF, etc) that are vintage low output. Some players find them too thin on an SG (but great in a fat LP).

A third option is medium output PU's, and Dimarzio has a good selection of them. I just put a Fred (10,000 ohms) in a G-400 this week, with 250K pots, and it sounds great. Full sound with lots of crunch & bite. I paired it with an A5 PAF-type in the neck. If the PGN is working for you now, great. Lots of guys here love them. If it's a little soft in the low end or not as lively as you want, you can try an A5 in that too.
Click to expand...

Thanks blueman. Maybe I'll try swapping magnets. I've got the old bridge pickup from that guitar that I could use to practice on. I wanted to go with new look and have black pickups instead of nickel or chrome. Maybe I'll get lucky and find that I have a black pickup under the nickel cover.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

you can pull the nickle covers off the pups you have and ill bet they are black underneith. youd have to remove them to swap magnets anyway
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

Awesome, thanks Jeremy! Ok, next question...where can I buy some magnets?
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

Another vote for a C5 - awesome in an SG.
I'd be interested to know how an A2Pro sounds in an SG. I'm blown away with mine every time I use it. Just been playing Megadeth's "Tornado Of Souls" with it and it gets a great tone even on something as heavy as that.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

Is that Valvetronix the only amp that you have? If so, I think that's what's making you feel that the Custom is limited to your ears. Those 8" speakers aren't gonna give a full sound of what that pickup can really be capable of.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

I don't think it's the amp so much as that I am looking for more versitility since I am really down to just one guitar right now. Don't get me wrong, I like the Custom, but I want to see what else is out there.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

StratTom said:
I don't think it's the amp so much as that I am looking for more versitility since I am really down to just one guitar right now. Don't get me wrong, I like the Custom, but I want to see what else is out there.
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You'd be surprised what an amp (preferably tube), along with speakers, can drastically change your tone, moreso than a pickup swap.

It wouldn't hurt to test that theory. Just bring that G-400 to your friend's place, or better yet, your local GC or Sam Ash, and play through some tube amps.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

i have a g-400. i think it might be an iommi. i bought it used.

i put a p-rail in the neck with a triple shot p/up ring. i put a duncan distortion in the bridge, also w/ the tripleshot p/up ring (look up tripleshot to see the genius of s. duncan)!. 300k pots w/ a capacitor so i could lower the volume w/o losing tone. i also installed a gibson fine-tuner tailpiece, which improved sustain and tone.

this set-up produces 24 useable combinations, w/o touching the amp! i can go from metal to country w a flip of a switch.
IMG_2287.jpg
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

gnuyu2 said:
i have a g-400. i think it might be an iommi. i bought it used.

i put a p-rail in the neck with a triple shot p/up ring. i put a duncan distortion in the bridge, also w/ the tripleshot p/up ring (look up tripleshot to see the genius of s. duncan)!. 300k pots w/ a capacitor so i could lower the volume w/o losing tone. i also installed a gibson fine-tuner tailpiece, which improved sustain and tone.

this set-up produces 24 useable combinations, w/o touching the amp! i can go from metal to country w a flip of a switch.
IMG_2287.jpg
Click to expand...

Very nicely done. A man after my own heart.
 
Re: Looking for something new for my G400

i think the amp might need a trade-in. a rivera clubster doce 25w 6V6 oughta make that epi roar. i'm also partial to a jcm800 2x12 combo, but you might need a pedal to growl it up. it's all about options...
 
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