Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Coin

Coin

New member
My guitar is an Epiphone SG copy and I love it to bits and i've had it nearly as long as i've been playing guitar. As I get better at playing and am now wanting to record with it, I am noticing that it doesn't sound all that good.
I've another thread about it but now I have recordings to better facilitate some advice. I am thinking the more advice I get from the more people, the more impartiality I can get. :)

In terms of guitar music I like Led Zeppelin, Black Keys, Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, Cream, Pixies, early Fleetwood Mac and lots of Japanese rock nobody here's probably heard of or wants to hear hehe

I suppose with all the stuff I like, I need a good classic rock tone but also a nice balanced tone for clean rhythm, so quite versatile?

I think the sound is quite weedy in terms of lead but at the same time quite boomy on any setting for rhythm while at the same time being quite twangy! It's driving me crazy as I don't see how something can be too thin AND too thick and muddy. Perhaps it may even be okay and it's just me and i'm expecting too much of a relatively cheap guitar.

Here are the tests at different pickup settings. The pickups are both Alnico Vs according to the Epiphone site, and the body is Mahogany.

http://www.putfile.com/erinsaito

I'll thank you not to think too dismally of my guitar playing :)

Thanks to those who have already given opinion before I had audio samples!
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Hello, thanks for your suggestion. Are those not both Alnico Vs? http://www.seymourduncan.com/compareTones/matrix.asp How much better will they be than Gibson ones considering that they're not cutting it in my guitar?

I was listening to the Tone Wizard and going through all the vintage pickups and they all sounded the same to me except the Jazz.

Of the high output pickups I listened to, I thought only the JB and the Custom Custom really stood out as being clear on single notes. Then I realise that they are both for the bridge only heehee
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

The 59's sound perfect for Gibson style guitars. The other possibility is a PGn/CC combo. I've tried both in my Tokai Love Rock and the 59's just do it for me! The stock Epi pickups just have that hollow sound, there's no escaping it. The 59's, while still alnico V, will be much warmer and full sounding.
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

I just recently bought an SG myself. I switched the Gibson pickups pretty quickly, they just weren't doing it for me. I went with a Pearly Gates in the neck for clarity, and a leftover hybrid in the bridge. The 59 is your most "classic" choice for the bridge, but for the neck, I've heard a 59 can get a little bassy. Maybe an A2pro or a Seth?
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Thanks guys, but this brings me no closer to a definitive decision, although Pearly Gates is looking like a good choice for the neck. Maybe the downside to getting lots of opinions is that everyone tells you something different, not one person i've asked yet has agreed on the same pickup, let alone combination hehehe
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Seems nobody else is going to put their 2 1/2 pence in, so can I take the samples down now?
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

I´d leave them up a bit, not everybody checks in everyday.... I´d recommend something, but I´m more of a "distortion specialist", sorry... ;)
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

I never asked, but do you mainly play clean?

Luke
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

It's about half and half, but it's got to sound good clean to sound good dirty, right? I'm just guessing..
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Luke Duke says
Neck: Pearly or Alnico II Pro
Bridge: Custom Custom

I like the idea of the Pearly Gates rich tone, but I am told that Slash's tone is amazing and he exclusively uses Alnico II Pro.

Songs for The Deaf album by Queens of the Stone Age was probably done at least in part with a real SG with a Custom Custom in the bridge.

Perhaps i'm too much of a big-name-whore -_-
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Pearly Gates neck and Custom Custom sounds exactly what you're looking for. Those are the first that jumped into my head just from reading your first post. That seems to be exactly the sound you're looking for. They are great!

The alnico 2 pro is good, but it doesn't cut as well as the PG, plus it can sound muddy in that guitar.
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Woo, now to find them cheap! But not second hand as that'd take money away from SD, right? ;) Thanks everyone!
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Coin said:
Woo, now to find them cheap! But not second hand as that'd take money away from SD, right? ;) Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

Folks gotta eat! If I get only afford em used I wouldn't think a second thought about it. Besides, it's not like you're getting Dimarzios! :chairfall

Luke
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Are second hand pickups okay? I mean if someone's had them in their guitar for years there's no way that they could have 'abused' them?

I thought Dimarzio did strings, who am I thinking of?
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

you are thinking of d'addario strings ...

as for your Q, yes the duncans will be light years better than the stock pups .... just because they share a similar magnet formulation does not mean that the pups wont sound much better ... and while you're in there, switch out the pots and caps and jack for higher reliability, less noisy ones ...

do not be too taken by 'the slash' comment - his AIIPs are in a les paul, not an SG ... totally different beast ... the range of bands you mentioned leaves me puzzled as to the ultimate choice for you ... you name modern stuff at the same time as classic stuff ... can be hard to do in the same axe ...

all that said, a set of 59s would be quite 'spot on' for the classic stuff

part of me wonders if an A2P(n) and JB(b) would be quite good for the variety you want ... i have that combo in an all mahogany guitar and like it quite alot ...

hope this doesnt throw you too far for a loop

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

Is it this sort of pots and switch I am looking for? http://www.seymourduncanuk.com/Tone_Pots.htm They'll be good enough? Only each one of them is a meal's worth in price so it's gotta be worth it :)

Nooo, don't put me in a loop again! with the double 59s and 'classic' do you mean lo-fi or something else? I think i'd have to go with the PG and the CC for clarity and versatility anyway, I can always subtract but I can't add!
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

yes, those (or their equivalent) are the ones - 500K ... if the ones you have now are 'good enough', then you neednt change them ... then again, unless the guitar is going to make you money, i am not sure a pup upgrade is the best value choice if meal money is in question

by classic, i meant traditional PAF-ish sound as would have been contemporary to led zep, cream etc. (from your list) .... as distinct from hot rodded or modern pups ... it isnt lo-fi (my guess is that the stock pups are more lo-fi, if anything) ... i am sure that you will enjoy the PG/CC set ... they are great pups

your comment about adding/subtracting is confusing ... the pieces of wood and construction (plus hardware, etc) establishes a baseline for the tone of the guitar ... to a certain extent, one can emphasize or de-emphasize aspects of the tone with a pup change ... but one cannot completely arrive at some radically different tonal spectrum from a guitar simply by changing pups ... so yes, you can add a little ... and you can subtract a little ...

and it is important to consider the amp that will be used

and it is vital to consider exactly how picky/faithful/critical one intends to be to some tonal target ... it is not too hard to get pretty damn good / close enough ... if one has 'dog ears' it canbe damn near impossible to get 'exact'

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Pickups recommendation for my guitar? Audio samples included

If you can afford to wait a bit (though it sounds more like you can´t afford not to, lol), I can get CTS pots a bit cheaper than that link (4.5€/pc) . Considering you´d need 4 it may be worth it to go that way. I may well also be able to procure the pickups for a lower price than in the UK, and I can also pre-wire the harness for you if so desired.

LMK if you´re interested.
 
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