pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

[tonybvw528]

I am a first timer here so be kind. I am really a home player and at a medium level. I do own a few guitars though. I bought the Epiphone Faded SG because frankly I hated the neck on the far more expensive Gibson Faded Sg... but it did sound much better due to whatever pickups Gibson puts in. So the question is,,, the Epi is a keeper but I want better pickups,, which Seymores would you put in it?? I tend to go towards your classic rock or a bluesy feel. Would like pickups that maybe come close to the SG factory pickups??? They did have nice punch to them. Appreciate any input on this...

Tony in Maryland

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

welcome tony! well, what do you like about the stock pickups in particular? what amp do you play through? is there any particular tone you want? i'm very likely at the same level as you(intermediate bedroom rocker:fing2, and also have an SG faded, though it's the gibson version. overall, i'd say get something medium output for the bridge at the very least. SGs lack a bit of low end compared to a LP, but has more upper mids. despite this, a good setup for an SG would be a '59 in the neck, and a C5 in the bridge.

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

The best pickup combo I've found to work well in my SG's are '59 neck/ Custom bridge. Compared to the stock 490's the '59 is cleaner and more balanced, while the Custom is alot hotter and meatier.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

a good setup for an SG would be a '59 in the neck, and a C5 in the bridge.

Yes.

Welcome BTW. :1:

 

[blueman335]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

I'm a classic rock/blues player & have a few Epi SG's. They sound much better with high quality PU's. Here's what's worked best for me:

High output:
- C5/'59N great pair for mahogany guitars
- C8/'59N more mids & less treble than a C5
- 498T (A8)/490R (A5) Gibson version of the C8/'59N

Vintage sound:
- 490T (A8)/490R (A5) extra output & warmth from A8
- 490T (A4)/Phat CatN (A5/A4) warm PAF bridge, open single coil neck
- Phat CatB (A8/A4)/Phat CatN (A5/A4) for a late 1960's SG Special sound

Most of these rinvlove mag swaps, which are cheap & easy to do (lots of info online to help). SG's thin bodies means they don't have the low end & sustain of a Les Paul, so the best-sounding PU's tend be a little hotter & warmer in tone.

 

[tonybvw528]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

Hey Ryan, I play actually through two amps. I have a 40 watt Fender Hot Rod Deluxe,,plus I have the G-Dec 30. I play in a condo ,,, cinder blocks walls thankfully. When I played the Gibson, theres just way more punch to the Gibsons, the Epiphone just seems so underpowerd. I have Duncans in my American Strat about 13 years now, and when they were installed, ,,and problem is, I don't know WHAT he put in,, but the guitar is awesome. I want to get my SG more Gibson -like. I just beive it or not didn't like the way the ****ed thing FELT in my hands! It SOUNDED great,, warm tones, punchy, ,,,, undertsnad,,, I am a big Danelectro fan, so I have varied tastes in guitars and sound. My thing is,, I can onlt play so loud without offending the through the wall neighbors...

Tony Barbaro

 

[tonybvw528]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

I will look into the Custom for the bridge. Duncan wrote me back about using the 59',,, but either matching a pair of 59's or putting a SH-4,,apparently also a good match. I really can't play too louds as I live in a condo, but the factory pickups as well as the pots,, really have to go. The sound with factory pickups seem more muddy,, if that is the right way to describe it. I play into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe but condo dwellers aren't supposed to piss off the neighbors. I need to have thye lower volume, but still get the clear sound that has punch.

Tony

 

[tonybvw528]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

OK,, I'll bite,, can you explain what a mag swap is to begin with?? BTW,,, this is my 3rd Epi. I HAVE the first EP{I Les Pauls when they came out about 13 years ago,, not a scratch in it, but same thing,, the pots and pickups,,especially the pots I need to trash. I have a Sheraton,, like the Gibson ES 335,,my favorite guitar,, that is the next project maybe with Pearly Gates??? Same thing with pots though,, really funny. I play mostly in the house, in a 9x12 room,, in my condo, so volume is an issue and not piss off the neighbors???

Tony B

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

mag swap is swapping the bar magnet inside of a humbucker or p-90. they all sound different from eachother to some degree, and most types of magnets are trying in most pickups. each magnet in general:
a2 is rounded with tons of mids and smoothness
a3 is like a2, but slightly tighter with a bit of chime
a4 is flat-eq'd, kinda fat sounding
a5 has tight lows, bright highs, and somewhat scooped mids
a8 is big sounding, like a mix of a4/a5 with a ton of mids and more output

 

[blueman335]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

OK,, I'll bite,, can you explain what a mag swap is to begin with?? BTW,,, this is my 3rd Epi. I HAVE the first EP{I Les Pauls when they came out about 13 years ago,, not a scratch in it, but same thing,, the pots and pickups,,especially the pots I need to trash. I have a Sheraton,, like the Gibson ES 335,,my favorite guitar,, that is the next project maybe with Pearly Gates?

I have a Sheraton myself, with a C8/'59N in it, and it sounds warm, but with plenty of bite & midrange punch. I put an A8 magnet in a C5, to get a fuller, less scooped sound.

There's 5 kinds of common alnico magnets, all of which have a warmer, more oprganic tone than ceramics. Just because a manufacturer built a PU with a certain magnet, doesn't mean that the only choice, or even the best choice. No one knows how a PU will sound in your guitar (due to variations in wood composition) and thru your amp & effects, along with your playing style & genres of music. You may like certain tonal qualities it has, but not others. If a PU isn't quite what you want, you can replace it, which gets expensive after you do this several times for a guitar, or you can modify the EQ & output with magnets. Due to the mix of metals, the magnetic fields have different shapes & detect different areas of string vibrations & energy, making each type of magnet produce a different sound in a PU. To change the EQ, you can soend $75 to 100+ on another PU, that may not sound any better in your guitar, or you can try a $5 magnet.

Those players that swap magnets tend to get their guitars sounding better than those who don't. Plus it's much faster, and cheaper to use magnets. You can change a magnet in 10 minutes, and try it out. If the PU is a reasonable choice for what you want, odds are with magnets you can get it dialed in an evening at most. If you try several different PU's, you'll spend hundreds of dollars and wait weeks (if you order online), and still may not have the tone you want. Magnets let you change a big variable in a PU's tone, so you're not totally helpless.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

btw, if you're gonna change pots/caps, you can find high quality parts for that, along with magnets, here:http://www.wymoreguitars.com
if you've got an order over $50, shipping is free, and if you enter sdforum for your coupon code, you get an additional 7% off.

also, if you want to stick with the same diameter holes, then check out http://www.stewmac.com. they sell alpha pots that are sized for metric guitars, whereas wymore stocks 3/8" CTS pots which you would have to drill larger holes for. both websites sell alpha pushpulls, just in each website's respective diameters.

 

[Thunder]

Re: pickup suggestions 4 epiphone SG

welcome tony! well, what do you like about the stock pickups in particular? what amp do you play through? is there any particular tone you want? i'm very likely at the same level as you(intermediate bedroom rocker:fing2, and also have an SG faded, though it's the gibson version. overall, i'd say get something medium output for the bridge at the very least. SGs lack a bit of low end compared to a LP, but has more upper mids. despite this, a good setup for an SG would be a '59 in the neck, and a C5 in the bridge.

+1 for sure!