Trying to Decide on Pickup Swap

[ThreeChordWonder]

Gibson SG Standard, currently has a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge, a Jazz in the neck. Both have zebra covers and I want to go back to nickel.

Epi Les Paul, currently has a Whole Lotta Humbucker set, nickel covers, 4-wire leads.

A set of Seth Lovers arrive tomorrow. Single core braided sheath leads, as you'd expect.

The Les Paul can accommodate a proper 2×3 push-pull and currently I have one in there that phase flips the neck. Nice but not vital.

The SG can only accommodate the slightly shorter (with the lugs folded over) Gibson 2-pole push-pulls, so I could coil split the WLHs, but be honest I'm not really that fuseed one way or the other.

So...

Which body gets the Seths and which one gets the WLHs?

 

[Artie]

Both of those sound like they might be sweet. Maybe a new guitar for the Seth's. (335 style, maybe?)

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Both of those sound like they might be sweet. Maybe a new guitar for the Seth's. (335 style, maybe?)

Like my Epi 335? Already fitted with Seths

 

[Artie]

Exactly. :9:

 

[beaubrummels]

I wouldn't change WLH or 59/C-Jazz for Seths myself. I've cycled through all those combinations in my SG and LP Studio. WLH stayed in my SG for over a year. 59/C-Jazz stayed in my SG for a good 6 months or more. Seths only lasted 1-2 months in my LP and then I wanted a different bridge. The Seth neck, however, I paired it with almost everything in the Duncan line I had. The Seth Neck stayed in for more than a year or two. The bridge didn't do it for me in either solid body. The Brobucker was a better Seth bridge than the Seth bridge.

 

[Mincer]

You can get covers for the pickups in the SG. You didn't mention there was anything wrong with the sound of the SG or LP. I think the Seths deserve something semi-hollow.

 

[Aceman]

I always believe that if I ever get an SG I'll put Whole Lottas in it.

Seths + LP = Win. Ignore fancy wiring.

 

[Chistopher]

I always believe that if I ever get an SG I'll put Whole Lottas in it.

Seths + LP = Win. Ignore fancy wiring.

Seconded. Emphasis on "ignore fancy wiring"

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, with Seths, you don't need fancy wiring (and would need 4 conductor, anyway).

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I decided to leave the WLHs in the LP. They've got a phase flipping push-pull I don't fancy trying to wire again, but I'm going to put in a coil splitter push-pull as well, just for fun.

I also realized I have a set of Pearly Gates in a drawer.

I'm going to try those in the SG, no fancy switching.

 

[beaubrummels]

I decided to leave the WLHs in the LP. They've got a phase flipping push-pull I don't fancy trying to wire again, but I'm going to put in a coil splitter push-pull as well, just for fun.

I also realized I have a set of Pearly Gates in a drawer.

I'm going to try those in the SG, no fancy switching.

Pearly Gates set works really well in an SG. My understanding is the Angus Young set is a very near neighbor, and I can believe it. PG set can cover a lot of ground in an SG. It's a pretty quintessential Gibson PAF sound.

 

[jeremy]

yep, a pgb is great for angus stuff. he doesnt really use the neck pup much

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Follow up question - is it worth putting in coil splitting push-pulls?

I can do it easily enough, as Ive found some shorter SPST push-pulls that will fit under the SG's back plate, and my PGs have 4-wire plus ground leads.

Just wondering if it's worth it, or if PGs just dont sound good split.

 

[Chistopher]

I have never cared for the sound of split humbuckers, especially PAFs

 

[Mincer]

I have never cared for the sound of split humbuckers, especially PAFs

I don't like it much, either, but 2 split PAF-type pickups in parallel is a good sound.

 

[jeremy]

i think its worth wiring in splits, even if you dont use them much. you can always do partial splits if its too weak sounding

 

[GuitarDoc]

PG split is an ok sound, but neck and bridge together in parallel (both split) sounds really good.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

The PGs are in the SG, just waiting for the push-pulls to come in from Stewmac. I've ordered the CTS versions of the "genuine Gibson" SPSTs, so they should fit under the back plate, all be it with the push-pull tabs bent over and with individual push-pulls for each humbucker. 9 bucks a pop instead of 25, still CTS brand.

While I was at it, I rewired the WLHs in the LP with one regular DPDT push-pull to phase flip the neck, a second to split both humbuckers at the same time.