Pickup recommendation for SG with 3 humbuckers

[FuzzyDuck]

Hey guys,

This is my first topic in this forum and I need recommendations for my Epiphone G-400 Custom with 3 humbuckers. Since I have 3 pickup slots I think we can spice things up with something different in the middle.

First of all as stock my guitar has 3 volume knobs and 1 master tone knob. And 3 way switch works as normal SGs but middle pickups is always active. Only way to disable middle pickup is set its volume to 0. I don't want to change how it works but its not a strong opinion.

I have Orange Crush 60 Combo and I do not have any pedals for now :c

As soundwise I can't say a band or guitarist that I want replicate because she is my only guitar for now. But I always like to play Black Sabbath, Sleep, Kyuss kinda stoner stuff.

Humbuckers with cover options will be much more cooler

 

[Artie]

Welcome to the forum. Everyone's tastes will be different, but I always thought it would be cool to put a single, or single-sized 'bucker in the middle of a 3-hum axe. Lots of options.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Use a push-pull to defeat the middle. Wire the pickup hot to the common tab, then the push tab to the volume pot.

As for pickups, 59/Custom bridge, Jazz neck and another Jazz or something else in the middle, Saturday Night Specials, Whole Lotta Humbuckers..

 

[Artie]

A Phat Cat also adds a nice symmetry when place in between two covered humbuckers.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

You mentioned the Sabs.

Iommi + SG + Sabbath = P90s.

If your body is rooted for humbuckers you could try P-Rails (personally, I didn't like them in Mt SG and sold them on, but...) or Phat Cats - humbucker sized P90s.

 

[beaubrummels]

I would do Custom 5 bridge, 59n in the middle and Jazz for the neck, then roll the tone off to 7-8 or so. For Sabbath/Sleep, IME an Orange/Matamp is a lot of 'that' tone. (Before anyone says those are all bright pickups, the 59n has a famous tubby bottom end and in the middle it's always-on, so mixing that with the others would be a nice thickener. Plus, there is a tone knob.)

Or if you need it warmer and more mid-heavy before hitting the amp (I don't know what a Crush sounds like), I'd do Custom Custom bridge, Alnico 2 Pro neck in the middle and Pearly Gates neck in the neck, and adjust the tone knob as needed. (Before anyone says the PG is bright, the A2P is in the middle and always on, so mixing that warm mid-bump of the A2P with the clear PG neck should yield a nice warmer neck tone. Plus, there is a tone knob.)

 

[Mincer]

I agree with the Phat Cat here. It can get some great Sabbath tones, and it is bound to look great in the center of that guitar.

 

[FuzzyDuck]

I really loved the idea of a hum sized p90 in the middle. It will be a nice variety to have something different.

While searching Phat Cat demos I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph3UmNykWZk It's so funny that I found with a similar guitar and the exact position.

 

[beaubrummels]

Keep in mind P90s are singles, so they hum. I had PhatCats in my LP Studio for a while, and while they were the quintessential Gibson sound, I ripped them out and sold them in less than a month because I couldn't deal with the hum I was getting with gain. The other issue I had was the bridge was too weak and the neck was too strong to balance the levels. I had to have the bridge up so high the strings were almost hitting the cover and the neck had to be so low in the ring it was almost off the adjustment screws just to get the levels balanced. But YMMV

 

[eclecticsynergy]

IMO a 59N would be great at the neck in an SG - neck pickup on those is closer to the bridge than on a Les Paul.
But for heavier stuff the Distortion set would rule.

I have my switching wired like a two-pickup model, but still three volumes and a master tone. One knob is a push-pull.
When pulled it gives me middle pickup only. I preset the middle volume for a cleaner tone on demand.

I used the tone knob as the push-pull so if necessary I could tweak it in one motion when pulling.
If I were doing it today, though, I'd wire it so the tone control only affects neck & bridge pickups.

 

[Clint 55]

I really loved the idea of a hum sized p90 in the middle. It will be a nice variety to have something different.

While searching Phat Cat demos I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph3UmNykWZk It's so funny that I found with a similar guitar and the exact position.

I would go with the pups he has.

 

[Condemnedsoul]

Maybe try a 59/Custom in the bridge.


"I have Orange Crush 60 Combo and I do not have any pedals for now :c"

I've got one of these amps. After a couple of weeks, compared to my other amps, the Orange started to sound like a blanket was thrown over it. After very little consideration, I swapped to an Eminence version of the V30. This speaker really opened the amp up.

It might be worth your while to investigate other speakers that might work in your amp.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

My SG, 2015 Gibson, has a 509/Custom bridgep and a Jazz neck. Its a great combo for classic rock / moderate crunch, probably not post melodic death polka though.

There are LOADS of options for the bridge and neck, but the real question here is what the OP wants in the middle.

Also, IIRC, the middle is always on with standard wiring, so the middle has to have a similar output to the bridge and neck or it will just get swamped.

This is unless the OP wants to fit a push pull or two to be able to select the middle only, or fit something like a rotary / chicken head selector switch to get more than three settings.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

My SG, 2015 Gibson, has a 509/Custom bridgep and a Jazz neck. Its a great combo for classic rock / moderate crunch, probably not post melodic death polka though.

There are LOADS of options for the bridge and neck, but the real question here is what the OP wants in the middle.

Also, IIRC, the middle is always on with standard wiring, so the middle has to have a similar output to the bridge and neck or it will just get swamped.

This is unless the OP wants to fit a push pull or two to be able to select the middle only, or fit something like a rotary / chicken head selector switch to get more than three settings.

Never been happy with the standard Gibson wiring in three-pickup LPCs and SGCs. The OP's arrangement seems better.
You raise a good point that if blending the middle in, it has to be powerful enough to stand up alongside the others.

Another switching option for the OP might be one of those six-way toggles from Freeway.
More complicated to wire up, but the possibilities are endless...

 

[elelpe]

CC bridge - Phat Cat middle - PG neck

 

[orpheo]

I think I have owned over 100 3humbucker guitars in my life, so allow me to add some insights.

I'd go with 2 push pull pots to control split + middle pickup. I'd get the FullShred Neck, or the Jazz Neck if you want one with a cover. Low output, super bright: that's what you want in that spot if you want some in-between stratty style tones!

The push pull pots will engage one coil of the middle humbucker and split the neck or bridge pickup automatically.

or: one push pull pot to engage the middle pickup (rout the signal of the middle pup coil to the volume pot of the respective pickup you want it to work with) and then another PP to split.

that's the most versatile option with a third pickup without interfering too much in regular operations.