Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

[Diego]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

I'll go one further and say I've never played a PRS I liked, ever.

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Now that's something.

I might not like current SE models, but as I said, I loved an early PRS Singlecut SE a friend had.
Also, I freaking LOVED a S2 Singlecut (not the Standard which is kinda ugly) I once tried, and a PRS Hollowbody II is quite probably the best guitar I've ever played, alongside a Gibson LP '58 Historic Reissue.

But I don't get the same feel from the current SE offerings, sadly, whereas my Les Paul does kind of get me in the ballpark of that badass Gibson I tried.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

Now that's something.

I might not like current SE models, but as I said, I loved an early PRS Singlecut SE a friend had.
Also, I freaking LOVED a S2 Singlecut (not the Standard which is kinda ugly) I once tried, and a PRS Hollowbody II is quite probably the best guitar I've ever played, alongside a Gibson LP '58 Historic Reissue.

But I don't get the same feel from the current SE offerings, sadly, whereas my Les Paul does kind of get me in the ballpark of that badass Gibson I tried.

Current. Maybe that's it.

The three SE's I've owned were all from before 2010.

Like a said: they all needed new pickups and an hour or two of set up work.

But after that, they became first rate professional instruments.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

Why anyone bothers with Epis when they could get a used PRS SE Singlecut for under $400 is beyond me!

Probably a nicer guitar, if you like PRS, but their pickups are no better than Epiphone's



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[Masta' C]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

I've never seen a short thread go on so many tangents.

What was the point of this thread again?

:dunno:

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

Regardless of the manufacturer, some guitars come out great and some come out not so great. Well, maybe a slight skew toward the latter for the current USA Gibsons, if we're being truly honest...:lmao:

As far as pickups, the beauty of the sound is really in the eye of the beholder...and the amp...and the pedals...and the speakers...and the fingers...and...and...

Even the lowest quality Epi pickups can sound great in the right setup and a lot depends on what the player considers acceptable in response characteristics and voicing. If the stock pickups don't work for the OP, then that's the way it goes. Doesn't necessarily mean they're "bad" pickups (but they indeed might be!). Who knows.

I've personally witnessed a pair of older, brass-baseplated, Chinese-made, 2-wire Epi pickups sound utterly brilliant in one Epi LP I had. I still remember the way it sounded...so warm, yet clear and natural with a dynamic top end and beautiful note bloom...very "musical" and inspiring, like an ideal "PAF"! No way to explain why those pickups worked so well in that guitar other than "they just did"! However, it drove me crazy because I had another, almost identical Epi LP at the same time, barely a year apart in manufacture, made in the same country with the exact same pickups and it lacked everything that the other guitar had! Swapping pickups and electronics really brought the second one to life!

As far as Epi pickups go, most older Epi guitars up until the mid-2000s with typical "Epiphone" or "BHC" branded pickups were single conductor (aka: "2-wire" per this conversation), unless coil-splitting was offered on a model, etc. Some older designs, such as the Alnico Classics first introduced in the '90s, were revised in the mid-2000s and those, including the more recent "Pro" series models tend to be 4-wire by default.

Also, if you don't like PRS guitars, that's cool. You're probably a bit loony in the head , but it likely just means there's something out there you like better (or you unknowingly played a counterfeit and thought "man, USA PRS's really suck!").

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

Regardless of the manufacturer, some guitars come out great and some come out not so great. Well, maybe a slight skew toward the latter for the current USA Gibsons, if we're being truly honest...:lmao:

I'll be honest. I'm a luthier/repair person. I've seen some horrible new Gibsons.

As far as pickups, the beauty of the sound is really in the eye of the beholder...and the amp...and the pedals...and the speakers...and the fingers...and...and...

True, but my minimum requirement is that when I plug the guitar in, it still has the character of the guitar unplugged.

I've replaced quite a few PRS pickups for customers. The stock pickups are just not very good. The HFS just barks. The vintage bass neck pickup sounds like someone put a blanket over their amp. I think they went to making their own pickups just to save money.

Also, if you don't like PRS guitars, that's cool. You're probably a bit loony in the head , but it likely just means there's something out there you like better (or you unknowingly played a counterfeit and thought "man, USA PRS's really suck!").

I'm tired of looking at them. But they are well made. But why play the same guitar as everyone else. But at least they aren't a Strat or LP!

Right now this is my main guitar. I replaced all the pickups with my own pickups. [emoji3]

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[Masta' C]

Re: Played a Epi SG G400 the other night - pickups are horrible

...my minimum requirement is that when I plug the guitar in, it still has the character of the guitar unplugged.

And that's where subjectivity comes in. Even if we all wanted "the character of the guitar unplugged" to come through, every player would define that characteristic slightly different!

Yes, some pickups are genuine crap because of poor materials or quality control, but even the "bad" ones work for some people. Also, you may not like the HFS, but there are countless players that DO!

This "quest" is all about finding what we like as individuals. Tastes in pickups are as varied as tastes in guitar finishes, body shapes, tone woods and hardware colors!

I dig that P-series Parker, by the way! Great finish on yours.

One of the few guitars I really miss is my early Parker NiteFly. I had a couple top-end, feather-light, neck-through Parkers and always felt my red NiteFly was nearly the "perfect" guitar in every way! Been strongly thinking about grabbing a MAXX-Fly at some point. Kinda dig the revision to the upper horn on the newer ones