Hawkesman Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Just wondered if anyone else out there has mucked about with the fundamentals of their SG? You know, not just changing the easy bits, i.e. tuners, pups, pickguard, bridge, pots, etc. but something a bit more radical. I've always loved the look and feel of SG's, but could never get on with the 'toppy' sound of the bridge pickup due to (in my view) its close proximity to the bridge. I've played quite a few belonging to others in the last 35 years (mainly through Marshall 2203's and 4's), but just couldn't get the thicker sound I like, so mostly stuck to Explorers which did what I needed. Anyhow, a few years ago I had the opportunity to pick up an ebony Special, very cheap - great condition, but really badly set up. The Explorer is just getting too heavy for me in my old age (bad back/knees/shoulder), so I wanted something lighter. Anyhow, long story short, I adjusted the truss rod, leveled a couple of frets, sorted out the nut (boy was that bad to start with!), and adjusted the intonation to get it spot-on. Played great after that - action really low. However the sound of that bridge pup still bugged me. So I replaced the 490 with an SD, a Dimarzio, and a few others and finally settled on a 498 which helped a fair bit, but not enough. So I went for broke and decided to move the pup nearer the neck so that it was placed in the same relative position as the Explorer. Made a new pickguard (3-ply unfortunately - I couldn't find any 5-ply), and cut the bridge pup hole 5/16ths of an inch nearer the neck than the original. Had to shave a bit of wood from the cavity to make it fit, but not much. What a difference! I hardly touch my other guitars now as the SG sounds so good. Best instrument decision I ever made! Just thought I'd share in case anyone else was in the same boat. Cheers, H. PS - I wonder if CB will roast me for my impudence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkesman Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 A couple of (poor quality) pics to illustrate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will I Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Nice pics, made me relook at my new to me 2003 sg, I mainly use the neck pickup, mine also was set up poorly when I got it. Love it now. Light weight but sturdy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG player Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Here is my customized SG STD Ltd ebony fretboard, I like the cream finish + white pickguard + gold hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkesman Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 That's a beauty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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