SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Yeah true that, it's a difficult situation :\ I know there's a huge difference in body size with the EPIPHONE SG and then the GIBSON SG..the Gibson one is much thinner I find, the Epiphone Sg has a fairly thicker body, quite thick actually haha I'd say it's as thick as most Schecter guitars at least. I find with the JB in the guitar I got, it has some pretty chunky low end when palm muting, maybe TOO much low end. It's not clear though, like I said when I play power chords and sounds poor I find. I just want a good pickup for my tone, I don't wanna go through exchanging 1000 pickups lol

Here are a few references to my guitar tone.
(all my videos)

1. My cover of Unholy Confessions by Avenged Sevenfold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mNizRMMoT8

2: My cover of Your Betrayal by Bullet For My Valentine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXDEDFa26I

3: My cover of Saint Veronika by Billy Talent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c74HAt5yzXo

Maybe that can help explain what I'm sort of trying to go for with my guitar tone. Ignore the fact you can hear my strumming in all of them haha My camera picks up sound really well and even if I crank my amp it still somehow picks up my strumming...go figure haha But yeah, my sound sort of has that heaviness, yet clarity when I play single notes, power chords, lead, anything. It has that punchiness sound, enough low end with power chords, enough treble for good lead and again, that punchiness with single note rhythm.
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Really? It's that good?? Yeah that's the thing though, I like the 59's cleans, but not to use ALL the time, I like the higher end cleans sometimes that only a bridge pickup can deliver. Which is why im super desperate for a pickup in the bridge that can deliver what I need with the distortion with the bands I named, yet can do nice cleans. Like if you know much of Avenged Sevenfold, something clean enough to play the intro to Buried Alive, or the cleans of Seize The Day (I know live and on record it's an acoustic guitar, but you get what I mean haha) or something that can play the intro of Fade to Black or One by Metallica. You know ?
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Go with either the Distortion or a Invader in the bridge and just use your neck for cleans. I'm familiar with most of the bands you mentioned and aside from the amp either the Distortion or Invader will give you what you want.

More Importantly what tuning or tunings are you mostly using? That will determine which pup may be better suited to your needs?
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Haha to be honest I play in a ton of tunings. Mostly Drop D. But at times I drop it down to Drop C, sometimes tune up to Standard E but not often. Mostly Drop D for the most part. But again, as much as I like the cleans of the neck, I don't like it for ALL my cleans, I don't always like that warm clean sound, I sometimes like that more trebly clean you know ? I was originally going to get the Invader instead of the JB but I figured it might have too much high end and sound tinny or something for me. Maybe not I really have no idea any more haha
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Josh.L said:
Yeah true that, it's a difficult situation :\ I know there's a huge difference in body size with the EPIPHONE SG and then the GIBSON SG..the Gibson one is much thinner I find, the Epiphone Sg has a fairly thicker body, quite thick actually haha I'd say it's as thick as most Schecter guitars at least. I find with the JB in the guitar I got, it has some pretty chunky low end when palm muting, maybe TOO much low end. It's not clear though, like I said when I play power chords and sounds poor I find. I just want a good pickup for my tone, I don't wanna go through exchanging 1000 pickups lol

Here are a few references to my guitar tone.
(all my videos)

1. My cover of Unholy Confessions by Avenged Sevenfold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mNizRMMoT8

2: My cover of Your Betrayal by Bullet For My Valentine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXDEDFa26I

3: My cover of Saint Veronika by Billy Talent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c74HAt5yzXo

Maybe that can help explain what I'm sort of trying to go for with my guitar tone. Ignore the fact you can hear my strumming in all of them haha My camera picks up sound really well and even if I crank my amp it still somehow picks up my strumming...go figure haha But yeah, my sound sort of has that heaviness, yet clarity when I play single notes, power chords, lead, anything. It has that punchiness sound, enough low end with power chords, enough treble for good lead and again, that punchiness with single note rhythm.
Click to expand...

After listening to your covers I would say either a Distortion or Alternative 8 would be up your alley.
The Distortion would give you clarity and all out aggression. The Alt 8 is not as aggressive but very tight and focused and will give better cleans then the Distortion.
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

So the Alt 8 is just mostly better for the cleans? But the Distortion would give me a similar sound I had before? (but obviously better quality) I mean im not THAT picky to the point it HAS to sound like what I had before, cause obviously they were factory pickups so there were obviously some quality problems to an extent haha its just something that gives me something similar to that you know. Something that's not too dark, not too bright, a good balance. Can play more punkish stuff like Billy Talent, more hard rock like Skillet or three days grace, or more metal like avenged sevenfold and metallica (or maybe even Slayer, I covered Raining Blood before with my old pickups and even that sounded good with those pickups haha)
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

If you're that concerned about cleans, get the custom. They excel in SGs.
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

I mean, im mostly concerned about a great distortion tone that can deliver what I said, but it'd be preferred if it could have some nice cleans yet still deliver the heaviness I want when my distortion gets flipped on haha
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Josh.L said:
Really? It's that good?? Yeah that's the thing though, I like the 59's cleans, but not to use ALL the time, I like the higher end cleans sometimes that only a bridge pickup can deliver. Which is why im super desperate for a pickup in the bridge that can deliver what I need with the distortion with the bands I named, yet can do nice cleans. Like if you know much of Avenged Sevenfold, something clean enough to play the intro to Buried Alive, or the cleans of Seize The Day (I know live and on record it's an acoustic guitar, but you get what I mean haha) or something that can play the intro of Fade to Black or One by Metallica. You know ?
Click to expand...

The distortion can do it fairly well, but only if it's on a super clean amp. What kind of amp are you using?
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Peavey Bandit 112 80 watt combo. I use the clean channel of course haha. But I eventually wanna get a Mesa halfstack or a Marshall JCM halfstack OR a Mesa head with a Marshall cab haha
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Yeah? Thing that sucks is I cant really try pickups before getting them haha And even if I COULD they're usually in guitars that aren't like mine. Like I tried the SH-4 JB in a Jackson at the shop, it sounded decent in that, but sounds totally different in my SG of course. The Invader only thing I've tried it in was the Syn Custom which is a sick guitar to begin with but again nothing like mine haha
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Josh.L said:
Yeah? Thing that sucks is I cant really try pickups before getting them haha And even if I COULD they're usually in guitars that aren't like mine. Like I tried the SH-4 JB in a Jackson at the shop, it sounded decent in that, but sounds totally different in my SG of course. The Invader only thing I've tried it in was the Syn Custom which is a sick guitar to begin with but again nothing like mine haha
Click to expand...

I really wish I could post a video or something to give you like a general sound of it. I only have my Hamer with me at college. The JB is finicky in Mahogany. You have to have it set just right. It's a lot better in alder or ash. I would take back the pickup and say hey I need a new swap. SD has a 30 day return policy, so take advantage of that while you can.
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

SD has the return policy yet when I told my local shop about the return policy they were like "Once they're installed we can't take them back" ? ! Like...wth? lol I dunno what to do about that....but yeah, and so the JB COULD sound good in my guitar but itd be extremely difficult to find that sweet spot basically? haha but yeah I wish I could hear how the Distortion sounds in an SG before getting it
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

dude. bottom line: you're gonna be happy with either the distortion or the custom.

Don't agonize over it. If I were you I'd rather get the Distortion, because I can live with OK clean tones, but the high gain tones have to be perfect.

As far as being nervous about the switch. At some point you gotta realize that it's just a pickup. Not the end of the world if you happen to not dig it. You can just change it again. Bit of a pain in the ass, yes, but it's not like someone cut your hands off and you can't play guitar anymore.

Pretty sure you'll really dig the Distortion or the Custom, whichever you end up getting.
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Yeah if my local shop will actually let me exchange i'll probably do it haha not sure which one, leaning towards the Distortion but hopefully I can at least try it in a guitar there just to hear it in person at least. Also, it costs me $$$ to get them to change the pickups for me, I suck at all that technical crap haha I just stick to doing what I do best, playing. So if I were to exchange I wanna be 100% sure of myself
 
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Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

U will be happy with either. And i bet down the line when u buy another guitar, u will get the other PU u dont have for another flavor
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

I live in Canada, haha the link to check for authorized dealers is only for the US :\
 
Re: SH-4 JB in Epiphone SG (G-400) HELP!

Then I'm not to sure it works, but I'm sure some other Canadian users can pitch in on it.
 
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