Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

smauk43

smauk43

New member
My daughter just gave me her Epi SG 400 since I sold all my stuff (Gibby Les Paul Traditional Plus, Fender Tele, Gibson Explorer) due to a wrist injury and not being able to play. So I'm trying to get started again and this guitar is really surprisingly well built...But the pickups are a little muddy and lacking to me. I always left the stock Gibson pick ups (57 classics, 498/500) in my previous stuff, but thinking about going with some Duncans for this guitar. Any suggestion for this? I'm currently using a Vox Valvetronix VT 60, so will a pick up swap really even matter? I'm pretty much a one track mind when it comes to what I play as well...It's all 80's hair, Marshall JCM 800 stuff....any suggestions? Thanks!
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

My favorite setup is a Gibson 498t in the bridge and a Duncan 59 in the neck. If those are the covered pickups that come in the G-400, they will sound much better if you remove the covers and get all the wax off the top of the pickup. I've always thought the g-400 set were fairly decent for stock pickups.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

I have a '59 set in my G400.

Alnico 8 magnet in the bridge pup, and Alnico 4 in the neck. Sounds fabulous, has a well balanced EQ, and is tremendously versatile.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

For the bridge in an SG, you just can't beat the Custom 8 (any of the Customs with an alnico 8 magnet). For what you play, even a straight-up Custom (with ceramic mag) would work wonders in your guitar.

For the neck you have many options that will be fine for what you play. My first recommendation would be a Pearly Gates. Also great would be a Screamin Demon (don't let the name fool you), or a C/59 hybrid. I personally like any of those better than a regular 59 (with an A5 mag). The 59 is better with an A4 (or even an A8 if you have it paired with a Custom or C8 in the bridge).
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

Another suggestion for the bridge...Duncan Distortion. Great pup for what you play. Very good EQ with strong mids and highs and with very good articulation and note-to-note separation.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

GuitarDoc said:
Another suggestion for the bridge...Duncan Distortion. Great pup for what you play. Very good EQ with strong mids and highs and with very good articulation and note-to-note separation.
Click to expand...

How does the distortion compare to a Dimarzio Super Distortion? I had one in an Ibanez SZ 520 a few years ago and liked it in that guitar
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

For what you are playing I would go SH-1 '59 neck / SH-5 Custom bridge in that guitar.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

^ good.

I personally don't like A5's in an SG at all...don't much care for the boomy bass or the biting treble or the scooped mids. As has been suggested, the 59 may be a good choice, but with an A4 it is a better choice. When paired with an SH-5 (or C8) or a Dist, the 59 with an A8 makes for a better match...tonewise and outputwise.

Also, I don't play metal so I don't care for the ceramic sound, but if the OP plays 80's hair, then the SH-5 would be an excellent choice. Either that or the Distortion. Neither of these has an A5 (obviously) but they work great for what the OP wants. Don't care at all for the Custom5 (A5 mag) at all however. Go figure.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

For that kind of music, DImarzio is maybe better.
SD are very good for Rock and Blues in my opinion, but when it comes to `80 metal, nothing beats the Dimarzio pickups.
For P.A.F. replica`s SD is the best I tryed so far, but that is not what You are looking for.

G-400 is a very particular Guitar that needs some boost on the Bass side and some qieter mids, so try to find something that will compensate for that.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

For the A5 discussion: I think A5 p90s works very well in SGs, so the stock 59s. None of them would be a good choice for the op.

For the OP question: 59n/Custom 8 (or even the regular custom) will get you there. But, I must agree with the one who said that DiMarzio may have nice options too.

I don't have experience with them, but, by the description, wouldn't the hot ceramics by Gibson be a good choice? (496r / 500t)
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

Hair metal? You want the Distortion set or a Dimarzio Super D and a PAF Pro.....Maybe a Super 2 for the neck.....
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

Blueman, you never met an a5 pickup that you ever liked, nor a pickup where you didn't want to swap a magnet. So just grow up already. Just because you have an opinion, it doesn't make you right. In fact you just sound like a conceited jerk.

When it comes to things like pickups, it's all so subjective anyway.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

Hi all--new to the forum, but I have the same guitar , epi g400 ( mine's a mid 2000s 1966 reissue) and I also want to put in different oick ups. The stock ones are ok, but the neck is louder than the bridge. The neck is also very dark. The bridge is pretty good, but seems to be missing just a little something. Combined they sound pretty good. Maybe I should try too de-wax the tops per Mr. B's suggestion.

Aywhoo, I do not play hair metal. I do play AC/DC, Zeppelin, old Sabbath, the Dead, Stones, Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse, and even some newer stuff like the Flaming Lips and New Pornographers. I know that's pretty diverse, and I also have a strat I play for some stuff.

The tone wizard suggested an SH5 custom bridge and SH 14 59 neck. But I see this package of Hot Rodded pickups that seems like that may be what I am after.

Thanks in advance for any help

Oh I play through a Roland Jazz-Chorus 50 that I got new in the mid 80s.
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

gripweed said:
Blueman, you never met an a5 pickup that you ever liked, nor a pickup where you didn't want to swap a magnet.
Click to expand...

Wrong again, Elvis. I have a lot of A5 magets, in bridge and neck PU's, HB's and P-90's.

I thought you had a sense of humor...
 
Re: Replace pickups in an Epi SG 400?

Ok, another thread I found while searching the epi SG seemed to lean toward the '59 set. Seems reasonable.

Then I saw the Whole Lotta Humbucker set. Almost 2x the price of the '59s (with chrome covers). The video was of a Gibby LP, not an SG, but it sounded great to me. Specs seem to indicate to me (a newbie in the world of pickups) that they are 59s with just a little more.

I guess I am asking if the improvement over the stock pickups in this guitar is going to be worth it in an ROI point of view. I have no doubts that either set of SD pickups would be improvements. I am not a regularly gigging musician. The stock pickups are decent in the Epi. Close, but not completely where my old Gibson SG was. The '59 set is a reasonable investment in an oriental-made guitar, price wise, to me. The Whole Lotta have an awesome sound, but they seem to deserve to be in a better guitar. Are they almost 2x as good as the ’59s?
 
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