Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

[Empty Pockets]

All in all, I'd say I have a good rig and good tone. I use a vintage Fender tube amp, a Gibson SG, a Fender Strat and a Warmoth Strat. Now I just want to 'fine tune' my rig by getting as diverse array of pickups as i can between those axes...I've got some ideas already, but I'd like to hear what the Forum has to say.

My Gibson SG-X (mahagoney with rosewood fretboard) just has a bridge humbucker, which right now is the stock Gibson 500T. It's got a mini-switch that splits the pickup too. The tone is alright but it's really high-output and muddy...i'd like it to have more of a vintage crunch to it, as this is my 'stoner rock' guitar that i mostly use for Muffed-out Sabbath-style riffs. I've thought about the Custom Custom, the Seth Lover and the Phat Cat...what would you guys recommend for a 70's-style humbucker tone that splits well?

For cleaner and bluesier stuff I use my Fender Strat... (alder body, maple neck) it has two original 60's Fender Strat pickups that I probably won't be replacing, and Custom Custom in the bridge that sounds pretty good, just kinda hot. I've been thinking of getting something more low-output for it, like a 59 or Jazz bridge, or maybe even a Phat Cat...any suggestions?

Then there's the Warmoth (alder body, maple neck, rosewood board)...it's been out of commission for almost a year so putting it back together will be like getting a new guitar. I want something different from the other two, so at first I thought get active pickups like the Blackout set...but with so many passive humbuckers, and this thing >

the possibilities are pretty much endless. I've been thinking maybe a Twangbanger in the bridge and a 59 or a Phat Cat in the neck? Invader bridge and SSL-1 neck? Maybe just a Phat Cat set?

Any ideas and whacky wiring schemes will be appreciated...I wanna go all-out on this project and get as diverse a rig as possible. Thanks dudes.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

If it were my set up, I'd do a C5 in the bridge of your SG, an Antiquity Surfer Custom bridge in your strat with the 60's pickups in the neck and mid, and I'd use an EMG DG-20 set in your Warmoth.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

I've never heard of the EMG DG-20. What can you tell me about it?

 

[SonofaMitch]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

thats the Dave Gilmour s/s/s EMG set

~Mitch~

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

I've thought about the Custom Custom, the Seth Lover and the Phat Cat...what would you guys recommend for a 70's-style humbucker tone that splits well?....Any ideas and whacky wiring schemes will be appreciated...I wanna go all-out on this project and get as diverse a rig as possible. Thanks dudes.

:scratchchI already know what should go into that SG. It will be out in January and I can't go public right now. :27:If you'd like to pm me I can give a few more details. With that mini-toggle already in there, it's like a shoe waiting for a foot. And in January the foot will drop...Can you wait that long? Peace out :burnout:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

I've never heard of the EMG DG-20. What can you tell me about it?

The DG-20 is in fact the Gilmour set. It's 3 SA's with an EXG and SPC control. The EXG boosts highs and lows and the SPC boosts the mids. They're rotary controls, so the higher you turn them, the more they boost.

I use a set in my '77 strat and I love it for live work. I can get any strat tone under the sun, and I can also get some 'bucker and even tele lead tones, depending on how I blend the SPC and EXG. It'll cover everything from country to nu-metal, as long as your amp rig is up to snuff.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

this is my 'stoner rock' guitar that i mostly use for Muffed-out Sabbath-style riffs. I've thought about the Custom Custom,

Sounds like a good choice to me. The Custom Custom sounds like it can do stoner rock to me: I've owned one. And yes, it splits good. To hear what it sounds like under heavy distortion in mahogany, try listening to Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme plays a Custom Custom equipped guitar, and I think it's made of mahogany.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

wow thanks for all the replies guys.

you've all talked me into the CC for my SG...just need to think of a good humbucker for a strat bridge so that i can take the CC out of my Fender...but hell i might just leave that and grab another CC...

anyway, i guess i forgot to mention my Warmoth is routed for two humbuckers so i was really lookin for suggestions along that route...but it's funny you mentioned that crazy Gilmour EQ section because when i built the warmoth the first time i attempted G&L's PTB tone controls that do a similar trick passively. You think Gilmour's EQ controls would work with a set of Blackouts...?

As for the shoe you guys are making: I think i've been a forum member for about 5 years now. You should hook a brotha up with a prototype man :smokin:

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

:scratchchI already know what should go into that SG. It will be out in January and I can't go public right now. :27:If you'd like to pm me I can give a few more details. With that mini-toggle already in there, it's like a shoe waiting for a foot. And in January the foot will drop...Can you wait that long? Peace out :burnout:

I'm calling Shenanigans,'Fess Up!!!!!
:nono:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

Don't know about Fender types, but as someone who's re-wired many SG's, I'd put in a JazzN & a C5, with 250K pots on the bridge. Lots of power & punch for solos. If you use two push-pulls on the bridge, and you can do phase and coil cut, turning either coil off. Plus another push-pull on the neck for coil cut. Or you can go all out & do the 4 push-pull Jimmy Page system. With the C5, you can tweak your tone by swapping magnets (make it a Custom with an A2, or go wild with an A8).

Another SG option! A Phat CatN & a '59B with an A4 magnet for warmth. On the bridge, use a blend pot so you can dial in how much of each coil you want; the unmatched coil theory with infinite control (the center detent of the blend pot is both coils on equally at full volume).

You can improve your 500T by putting in an alnico magnet, and you may save a few bucks there. A 500T has about the same ohms as a C5, and with an A5 magnet in there, you're close in tone. Always tweak what you have before you start laying out more cash.

 

[thucydides]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

Get a Phat Cat or two in one of those Strats. Re the 500T in the SG-X, I'm surprised at you assessment of them. I had an SG-X, and found it to be fairly crisp. But, different amps and approaches can do that. As long as you're talking new pups, I had a SD Jazz installed in the neck of my SG-X. It was killer, especially w/the split coil option on the bridge pup. I was, because a friend bought it, and now he's digging it. A case of 'something has to go...'

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

Get a Phat Cat or two in one of those Strats. Re the 500T in the SG-X, I'm surprised at you assessment of them. I had an SG-X, and found it to be fairly crisp. But, different amps and approaches can do that. As long as you're talking new pups, I had a SD Jazz installed in the neck of my SG-X. It was killer, especially w/the split coil option on the bridge pup. I was, because a friend bought it, and now he's digging it. A case of 'something has to go...'

you routed the neck of your SG-X? terrible man terrible...hahaha

I think i'm gona have to start threads that are more specific before i settle on something. thanks for the help tho dudes.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

check out the wiring for any crazy S-H-S guitar thats split . Case in point-My Gibson Victory MVX. You got a bucker split in bridge, a Single in middle and a bucker Split in neck.Plus youve got the 5 way switch allowing Humbucking/Single bridge, Single middle, and Humbucking Single neck .Also you have of course, the between position ofHumbucking neck/ single middle and Single neck/single middle, Humbucking bridge/single middle and Single bridge/Single middle. There are 5 million 3 hundred thousand and thirty two actual possible combinations.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

check out the wiring for any crazy S-H-S guitar thats split . Case in point-My Gibson Victory MVX. You got a bucker split in bridge, a Single in middle and a bucker Split in neck.Plus youve got the 5 way switch allowing Humbucking/Single bridge, Single middle, and Humbucking Single neck .Also you have of course, the between position ofHumbucking neck/ single middle and Single neck/single middle, Humbucking bridge/single middle and Single bridge/Single middle.

There are 5 million 3 hundred thousand and thirty two actual possible combinations.

Your math looks a little fuzzy. 5,332,000 combinations seems a just a wee bit high. I'm coming up with 18 for an H-S-H with coil cuts for the HB's: 3x2x3. 3 HB (series/coil cut/off) x 2 SC (on/off) x 3 HB (series/coil cut/off). Are you counting every tiny notch on the pots as you turn them? No one counts that.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

Okay, I'm going to play the devil's advocate here, please don't hate me :sword:

Are you sure you want to replace pickups in every guitar? I know, GAS is powerful, but to take your three guitars and replace pickups with forum bro suggestions to try and get some ideal functionality or tones in your head, is it really necessary? A C5/Jazz setup may be the most popular ideal setup for some forum bros' SGs, but if you put it in and its not what you want then you're back at the beginning - minus a lot of money and time. Pickups are only baselines for tone. You have pretty good setups. For your strat, have you tried lowering the Custom Custom and raising the polepieces? That would help it sound less hot and compressed. Try the polepieces at all the possible heights, as well as the heights in between. Does it sound less hot and compressed when you jam on it with the guitar volume lower, around 8 or so? I'd leave that pickup in there and tweak it to see if you can make it sound less hot - if you like the tone, keep it! The SG has the standard Gibby pickup, but you want more vintage crunch, so get some magnets - A8 if you want to keep high output but clear up the tone and make it more authentic sounding, A5, you know the drill. You don't have to replace the pickups to change the tone - you can spend an endless amount of time tweaking polepieces and magnets, trust me, and its much better to tweak those if you like the general tone that the pickup gives rather than replace and get to know entirely new pickups.

But its GAS!? Trick out the Warmoth! Go for Blackouts or something really rad like that. That will surely cure your GAS, and you can keep the Strat and SG how they are but tweak some of the smaller parameters. Those three axes will cover a lot of ground, and you already have great starts with the Strat and SG. You can get a lot of tonal satisfaction from, for example, raising all the polepieces and lowering the pickup some, then doing it again and noting the differences, and finding the many sweet spots that the pickup has to offer. Nobody else knows how your guitars sound, but you have relatively little complaints about the strat and SG, at least ones that can probably be fixed by tweaking instead of having to completely swap pickups.

Just my 2 cents, after having spent way too much money on pickups only to find that my first choices were the best, that pickups only play a minimal role in the overall tone, and that you can get more tonal variations from tweaking the heck out of one pickup than from swapping in multiple pickups.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Pickup Overhaul -- What Would You Do?

wise words. thanks man.