Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

[Blood Orange]

Hello,
I am new to the site and relatively new to guitars. I got a Epiphone G-400 about a year ago and I know that I will most likely change out the pickups on the guitar. I have been leaning towards a Jazz SH2N in the neck and an SH-5 Custom in the bridge. However I've heard the SH-4 is a good bridge pickup as well. Just wondering which one might sound better. For you information I would like to be able to play a good clean Jazz sound but also pour out thrash metal and old-school death metal tones as well. A sound not unlike Alex Skolnick's sound on the Testament album Practice What You Preach.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

C8/59 is the most recommended choice for SGs here on the forum.

C5 is a stock model and some people just use the C5. I like P90s :headbang:

Welcome btw!

 

[blueman335]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

C8/59 is the most recommended choice for SGs here on the forum.

+1. Hard to beat; works for more genres than most bridge PU's.

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

i'd go 59 in the neck C5 in the bridge over the jazz and jb. the jb gets a bad rep in mahogany and the jazz can be bland.

 

[beggar_guitar]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

i'd go 59 in the neck C5 in the bridge over the jazz and jb. the jb gets a bad rep in mahogany and the jazz can be bland.

+1

I can't speak for the Jazz/JB combo as I have never had them.

But a 59/C5 is a great set. I had them in my Dean Icon and Loved it.

Played a lot of Alternative rock and a little bit of metal back then and it was a perfect combo to my ears.

 

[lex666]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

+2 Jazz/JB combo didn't work for me.

I much prefer the C5/'59n combo. I put that same combo in pretty much all my Les Pauls.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

+2 Jazz/JB combo didn't work for me.

+3. It's not reliable (the JB anyways) in mahogany and leaves some players with a bad taste in their mouths. The Custom family is made for mahogany and your best bet for a high output bridge.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

Hello,
I am new to the site and relatively new to guitars. I got a Epiphone G-400 about a year ago and I know that I will most likely change out the pickups on the guitar. I have been leaning towards a Jazz SH2N in the neck and an SH-5 Custom in the bridge. However I've heard the SH-4 is a good bridge pickup as well. Just wondering which one might sound better. For you information I would like to be able to play a good clean Jazz sound but also pour out thrash metal and old-school death metal tones as well. A sound not unlike Alex Skolnick's sound on the Testament album Practice What You Preach.

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

What kind of music are you playing? Do you play clean or with a lot of distortion or overdrive? What amp are you using? All this can make a difference in how you can go.

I have a JazzN & 59 bridge in a Telecaster shaped guitar, but it is more like a 335. It is a Mahogany back & sides with a maple top. The JazzN & 59B is a great combination but I think it does depend on what you play.

 

[mwalluk]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

What kind of amp you using? That will make a huge difference in tone as well.

 

[allstarrme]

I'm gonna go against the grain here and recommend a full shred neck and Duncan distortion bridge. The full shred neck is often overlooked as its very articulate and warm while still full and bright. Great cleans despite the shred name.

The customs are great for classic through modern rock sounds but if you want metal, especially thrash or faster stuff you can't beat the distortion for clarity and bottom end under high gain. I have no love for the JB in mahogany, it's thin, with a flabby low end.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

Jazz and Custom are a great pair, but for an SG? I'd probably lean towards a 59/Custom 5. Custom 8 is masterclass, but you are "new to guitar" so I think you should get your feet wet with a custom 5. The jazz will be pretty bright in the neck position of an SG, the 59 has more balls and still does fluid metal solos.

 

[Blood Orange]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

Cool thanks for all the advice. By the way I was thinking of getting a Peavey 6505+ 112 combo amp. I've heard the 59's good, but will it give me a nice warm sound for cleans? And to answer BluDave's question I'd be playing both clean and heavy distortion, but not super deathcore distortion. I'd like my distortion to be thrash metal heavy with a kind of a "hard rock" sound. I also want more lows articulate, but my highs thick without overemphasis on attack.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

Cool thanks for all the advice. By the way I was thinking of getting a Peavey 6505+ 112 combo amp. I've heard the 59's good, but will it give me a nice warm sound for cleans? And to answer BluDave's question I'd be playing both clean and heavy distortion, but not super deathcore distortion. I'd like my distortion to be thrash metal heavy with a kind of a "hard rock" sound. I also want more lows articulate, but my highs thick without overemphasis on attack.

I think the 59's are a great pickup for all around rock & blues, for anything really heavy I think they tend to get a bit muddy. I have a set of Alnico II slash in my Les Paul and I love them, but I am more of a blues player and I really don't play with too much gain. I play through a Deluxe Reverb and I use an MXR classic overdrive that makes my tone nice & rich with enough balls to begin to feedback if I want it to. The details work for me. It might not be a bad idea for you to see about finding a guitar that is equipped the way you are thinking to go BEFORE you buy any pickups. The realty of it is if you put ANY Duncan in your guitar it is going top sound a lot better then what you have in there now so I don't think you can make a mistake. You just want to make sure you get what you are after.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

I've heard the 59's good, but will it give me a nice warm sound for cleans?

Yep, but the treble is very present. If you don't like turning down the tone knob to tame the highs you might want to opt for an alnico 2 pro.

I'd like my distortion to be thrash metal heavy with a kind of a "hard rock" sound. I also want more lows articulate, but my highs thick without overemphasis on attack.

You just described the Custom 8. Hard rocking metal tone, or some might call it bluesy metal. The forum can help you change out a pickup magnet, but you've got to start with something stock so custom 5 is my recommendation.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

You just described the Custom 8. Hard rocking metal tone, or some might call it bluesy metal. The forum can help you change out a pickup magnet, but you've got to start with something stock so custom 5 is my recommendation.

+1. Custom 5 (SH-14) is very good in SG's and mahogany. If you want more mids and less treble, then put in an A8 magnet and you'll have the great C8. For what you're doing, I'm thinking a PAF in the bridge is probably not your best option. I use C8's for blues and classic rock, other guys here use them for metal. Cleans up well too. It's warmer than a bridge PAF, with thicker highs. Very versatile PU. With forum members scattered all over the world, you may not find anyone local that has Duncans in an SG, so don't count on testing them first in someone else's guitar. I think we'd all be shocked if you didn't like a C8/'59N pair.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

I'm gonna go against the grain here and recommend a full shred neck and Duncan distortion bridge. The full shred neck is often overlooked as its very articulate and warm while still full and bright. Gr)eat cleans despite the shred name.

I will attest to this - the full shred brings so much massive woolly (when played under distortion) and articulate tone.

Clean, it's boggling

I had it on a Japanese RR3 (yes, I6 wasn't always a roots rocker), and it was glorious

 

[Blood Orange]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

blueman335 - "Custom 5 (SH-14) is very good in SG's and mahogany. If you want more mids and less treble, then put in an A8 magnet and you'll have the great C8. For what you're doing, I'm thinking a PAF in the bridge is probably not your best option."

If a C8 is pretty good then wouldn't it be easier to just get the C8 instead of upgrading a C5? Or is it either more cost effective or different to do so? And I'm not sure what you mean by a PAF, but I imagine the SH-4 has or is one? Thanks for all your help.

 

[Blood Orange]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

To Immortal Six,
How exactly does the full shred sound? Is it good for many different types of playing or just metal?

Also in general I don't mind rolling back the treble settings for the 59's but are they that much better than the Jazz SH-2N?

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

seth lover.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Upgrading an Epiphone G-400

If a C8 is pretty good then wouldn't it be easier to just get the C8 instead of upgrading a C5? Or is it either more cost effective or different to do so? And I'm not sure what you mean by a PAF, but I imagine the SH-4 has or is one? Thanks for all your help.

PAF basically means low output vintage style pickups. Usually always great in the neck regardless of your style. As for the C8, you can't buy it because it is not for sale. We, on the forum, just buy other customs and install an alnico 8 magnet. You can't buy a custom 8, you have make it yourself. This is why I recommend buying the custom 5 because you have to buy something right?