Weird SG Question

Drunken Bowling

Drunken Bowling

New member
Bear with me, this might get a bit hairy.

I bought a 2017 Gibson SG a few months back. Not long after getting it, I had the stock pickups (57 Classics) taken out along with the quick connect wiring. That was replaced with an Emerson Customs harness and a set of WLH's. I also had the stock nut replaced with a bone nut. The WLH's are nice pickups, but they're too "rounded" sounding for my tastes in this particular guitar. My conclusion has been that they'd be better suited in a Les Paul or similar guitar.

Upon researching what other pickups might sound the best in an SG, the two most mentioned pairs are the 57 Classics and 490r/498t set. Now, that got me curious...

Would a set of Gibson 57's, hardwired - not that new solderless method, sound better than what came stock in the guitar? Would a 490/498 set sound better than 57's? The reason I say this is that people have said that the way Gibson wires the new stuff (solderless) has a detrimental effect on the overall tone.

Are there other pickups that might work even better than the two sets I mentioned? I'm new to SG's.

I'm not trying to make the SG sound like a LP, and I'm also not trying to copy Angus' tone. I just want to get some good, cutting, non-mushy hard rock out of it. I also don't want any humbuckers that sound like single coils.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

57's will sound just the same irrespective of connection method or PCB etc.

Different pot values can make tonal differences brightening with higher values.

And to the pickups.....well those two suggestions would rate for me as Gibsons worst ever pickups in history.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

No. No offense but 57 classics sound like a kazoo being played in mud. That's the amount of clarity and low end response I found with them. While it is true they were on my Les Paul, I'm pretty sure you will have the same experience I did.

I would consider the angus young set, even if you don't play that style of music. Is it such a bad thing to have legendary tone coming through your guitars output jack? Never.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Weird SG Question

I just took the board out of a Tribute LP. There were 3 sets of pickups that I crimped Molex connectors to, plus the stock Dirty Fingers, so they could easily be swapped in and out of that guitar. The last set in there connected to the PCB was re-installed to the new wiring when I replaced the board. I believe that Gibsons PCB's are modern wiring. I vintage/50's wired the new pots. The only difference I could tell was the way the pots behaved. Tone wise, I cant say there was a difference but if there was, it was very subtle. The Gibson volume pots were 500K audio taper pots but the volume pots both measured a bit low, around 460K. All the CTS pots I used measured just above 500K expect for one which was about 490K. So, I don't think you will notice any significant difference between the 57's direct wired and when they were connected to the PCB that couldn't be accounted for by tolerance variations in the components, and maybe the tone caps used (if you believe in those things). Does this mean you wont hear a difference at all? No. But if you didn't like the 57 classics before and you have to take it to a tech to put them back in, I think you will still be disappointed. If you can do it yourself, then quell your own curiosity and try it.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

I have always had the best luck with 59's in SG's or at least a good A5 mag pup towards the vintage side.

I am not a fan of most modern Gibson pickups. 57's are pretty good but I wouldn't think that hollow-ish tone would work well in an SG, at least for me. I think the 490/498 set is kind of harsh in any guitar. If you want more pop from the bridge I'd probably go Custom 5 or the 59 Hybrid.

If I am living on the edge I give the new Saturday Night Specials a try, A4 mags with a bit of sizzle.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Something no-one mentions.

Your Emerson harness is wired 50s style. Gibson stock harness' are not.

57 classics respond very well to 50s wiring- modern wiring really muds up the low mids. In my 2014 classic I put a set of 57s back in once I rewired the guitar 50s.style. They suited it much better than the slash set (flat, no growl) and my wlh set (too compressed) Now my son has the guitar, and frankly I wish I had it back ;)
 
Re: Weird SG Question

PCB won't change the tone. But the pot values and wiring, as mentioned can.

498/490 can sound good, but they need to be set up to stock heights, and everything else in the chain has to be impeccable - e.g straight into a Marshall with a Celestion 4x12. Soon as you go emulation, the response changes and what's not good about them gets exposed. Also IME age is a big factor. When I bought my Les Paul in 1994, the bridge was loud and bright, the neck was dark and they didn't match. Now after 25+ years they are even. Don't know why/how that's possible, it's stock wiring but I do notice corrosion around switch lugs and it's been played out in various environments; summer festivals, long hours in the sun, cold weather too, etc. I have studio recordings from when I bought it all the way up to now, I even have some of the same amps (that have been serviced) to compare - and it's different - much better 20-25 years on. Then a few years back I bought an SG Standard with 498/490 and it sounded just like my Les Paul did when it was new back in 1994.

For what you are trying to do, just from the pickups I have experience with, I would recommend trying these combos in an SG

Pearly Gates bridge / Jazz neck
Pearly Gates bridge / Seth neck
59 bridge / Seth neck
59/Custom bridge / Seth neck
78 Model / Jazz neck
JB / Jazz neck
500T / 496N
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Now that I think about it, the Pickup Lounge may have been a better place for this.

Anyway, I'm mulling over everyone's suggestions, and also thanks for the advice about modern pcb vs non-pcb wiring.

Pearly Gates are especially tempting because I've never tried them personally but have heard nothing but good things about them, that they have a good raunchy tone. I'm going to be playing the guitar through an EVH LBX II but not using a buttload of gain like in some of the demos. THis year there's a bona fide clean channel. At this point I prefer old school organic tones over more modern metal. A guitar player buddy of mine recommended 59's with unpolished magnets. Not sure if I want to spend the extra money for the Custom Shop route, or for boutique stuff. The availability and relatively low price of production line Duncans is too good to pass up.
 
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Re: Weird SG Question

If I were to spend real money, I'd go for Custom Shop Pearly Gates, but I always come back to the stock Gibson Burstbucker 1/2 set that came in my SG. They just have the tone I like in that guitar.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Drunken Bowling said:
Now that I think about it, the Pickup Lounge may have been a better place for this.

Anyway, I'm mulling over everyone's suggestions, and also thanks for the advice about modern pcb vs non-pcb wiring.

Pearly Gates are especially tempting because I've never tried them personally but have heard nothing but good things about them, that they have a good raunchy tone. I'm going to be playing the guitar through an EVH LBX II but not using a buttload of gain like in some of the demos. THis year there's a bona fide clean channel. At this point I prefer old school organic tones over more modern metal. A guitar player buddy of mine recommended 59's with unpolished magnets. Not sure if I want to spend the extra money for the Custom Shop route, or for boutique stuff. The availability and relatively low price of production line Duncans is too good to pass up.
Click to expand...

Get a set of 59's and buy a few diferent mags and see what works best. Mag swaps are cake
 
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Re: Weird SG Question

490s were among the worst pickups I've ever used (had them in a Howard Roberts Fusion). They emphasized everything I didn't like about that guitar. Blech!
 
Re: Weird SG Question

JeffB said:
Something no-one mentions.

Your Emerson harness is wired 50s style. Gibson stock harness' are not.

57 classics respond very well to 50s wiring- modern wiring really muds up the low mids. In my 2014 classic I put a set of 57s back in once I rewired the guitar 50s.style. They suited it much better than the slash set (flat, no growl) and my wlh set (too compressed) Now my son has the guitar, and frankly I wish I had it back ;)
Click to expand...

Very good point. 50s wiring just seems to bring out the best in some pups.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Drunken Bowling said:
I just want to get some good, cutting, non-mushy hard rock out of it. I also don't want any humbuckers that sound like single coils.
Click to expand...

And you don't want too "rounded" sounding

So, you don't want humbuckers that sound like single coils, but you want cutting, clean, and with some hard rock bite. Have you considered a single coil that doesn't sound like a single coil? Namely a P-90. P-90s sound absolutely amazing in a SG.

But if you are determined to have a bucker, the C/59 or Custom 8 are terrific for an SG bridge position. For the neck there are many good choices: Jazz, Screamin' Demon, Pearly Gates, 59 (with UOA5 mag), WLH, A2P, etc., etc.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Hi
What GuitarDoc said. 59/Custom (does so much) and a 59 UOA5 neck.
Or a Seth bridge with UO roughcast A5, and a 59 UO"RC" A5 mag neck
Steve B.
 
Re: Weird SG Question

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm just going to put the original wiring and pickups back into the sg. Then I'm going to trade both the sg and my amp (another tonal abomination, the story for which I'll save for a later date) for another LP - maybe a studio or an older Classic from the 90s. I'm also going to get either a Marshall code 25 or 50 and then I'm calling it a day as far as gear goes. I'm sick of buying stuff only to be disappointed with it then selling it to buy more stuff that I also end up being disappointed with. I blame nobody except myself. In any case, It's time to start saving money again. There should be a lot more in my checking account, but the quest for tone hasn't been conducive to saving money.
 
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