assquatch20
New member
I've got an old SG that has been routed out to accept a fullsize hum at the bridge, with the original mini humbucker in the neck. Problem is, the mini is some kinda disguised single coil or something. Other people with the same guitar have similarly noted that metal rolls right to the center.
Regardless, it feels good for a Norlin era budget guitar, and it's got a JB in the bridge (I think, might've been a '59 but I don't think that's common?), probably from the 80's. It also had a pink strap and humbucker ring when I got it, so I hope whoever did that only did it in the 80's.
While I'd like to fill the bridge route and go back to minis, I like the sound, and I don't wanna mess with a good thing. The neck pickup hardly works, the sliders are scratchy, etc. so I just wanna do a new neck pickup and guts.
I'm really leaning towards a Firebird pickup, but I don't know enough about minis to really be sure. I'm looking for something that will round it out where I can cover just about any tone, to a degree. With a volume, a tone, a 3-way, the humbucker, and something mini sized in the neck. Doesn't have to be amazing, but a jack of all trades.
And with a mini/full combo, or a firebird/hum combo, what value pots am I looking at needing (remember, 1 volume, 1 tone) and would capacitors benefit me? I'm an idiot on capacitors.
To give you an idea, I like to go for very heavy metal with the bridge pup in there, but I'd like to be able to hit the middle position for country tones, and get on the neck pickup for a "Sunshine of Your Love" sound, slide, and the Hendrixian single coil feel.
I'm used to tweaking volume and tone while playing to help the sound along, but I'm probably gonna be limited to 1 of each on this guitar, given the space I've got. So something dramatically weaker than the JB might not work.
Anyway, it's wordy, but I've been wondering on this for months now. Thanks in advance for the feedback, and thanks already for reading this much.
EDIT: Something else I was wondering to help me out a bit: The SM-1 is being recommended at a good match, but what is it, by definition? A mini with the pole pieces hidden or a Firebird pickup?
Regardless, it feels good for a Norlin era budget guitar, and it's got a JB in the bridge (I think, might've been a '59 but I don't think that's common?), probably from the 80's. It also had a pink strap and humbucker ring when I got it, so I hope whoever did that only did it in the 80's.
While I'd like to fill the bridge route and go back to minis, I like the sound, and I don't wanna mess with a good thing. The neck pickup hardly works, the sliders are scratchy, etc. so I just wanna do a new neck pickup and guts.
I'm really leaning towards a Firebird pickup, but I don't know enough about minis to really be sure. I'm looking for something that will round it out where I can cover just about any tone, to a degree. With a volume, a tone, a 3-way, the humbucker, and something mini sized in the neck. Doesn't have to be amazing, but a jack of all trades.
And with a mini/full combo, or a firebird/hum combo, what value pots am I looking at needing (remember, 1 volume, 1 tone) and would capacitors benefit me? I'm an idiot on capacitors.
To give you an idea, I like to go for very heavy metal with the bridge pup in there, but I'd like to be able to hit the middle position for country tones, and get on the neck pickup for a "Sunshine of Your Love" sound, slide, and the Hendrixian single coil feel.
I'm used to tweaking volume and tone while playing to help the sound along, but I'm probably gonna be limited to 1 of each on this guitar, given the space I've got. So something dramatically weaker than the JB might not work.
Anyway, it's wordy, but I've been wondering on this for months now. Thanks in advance for the feedback, and thanks already for reading this much.
EDIT: Something else I was wondering to help me out a bit: The SM-1 is being recommended at a good match, but what is it, by definition? A mini with the pole pieces hidden or a Firebird pickup?
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