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what pickups should i get???

guitarjoo

By guitarjoo
in Epiphone Electrics

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guitarjoo

guitarjoo

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this is my first post[-X

 

i currently bought my second guitar, an epiphone sg g-400, i am no doubtedly in love with it but was thinking about a pickup change. i currently have the stock alnico v humbuckerswith chrome covers in there and it gives a good high output sound and good distortion but i get alot of humming and looking to get a little more out of my guitar. Not quite sure what i would get to replace them with, still kinda new to guitar customizing. i was looking into a classic 57 and classic 57 plus.

i play alot of rockabilly, classic rock, blues, alternative, looking for some versatile pickups to fit my bipolar music style. my budget is limited, but i would greatly appreciate some insight on the matter.

 

btw, do nickel and gold cover plates really make a difference over chrome? :-k

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gearhead

gearhead

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Welcome to the forum! I have a G400 like yours, and when I can get to it, the first thing I'm doing is replacing the wiring and pots. The pups don't sound too bad, at least for the style of music I play ( hard rock, metal). The OEM electronics aren't the greatest. And fairly cheap to replace ($20-25 if you do it), not to mention easy on the G400. Others may disagree and tell you to change the pups. Actually my Gibson Melody Maker has Epi pups, a 57CH and a HOTCH, and they don't sound bad at all. But I have the Gibson OEM "CTS" pots in it.

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guitarjoo

guitarjoo

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Not sure what you mean by "what amp?" Like I said still new not totally caught up with termonology haha

 

I think Ill take your advice and try upgrading the electronics to try and get more sustain and definition

 

Any suggestions on wat to get??

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gearhead

gearhead

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I think Ill take your advice and try upgrading the electronics to try and get more sustain and definition

 

Any suggestions on what to get??

 

 

Some GOOD braided wiring to replace the stock junk' date=' maybe some "CTS" pots (500K), you'll have to replace the knobs too, the Epi's are metric, the CTS pots are US sized. Replace your switch and jack with maybe some Switchcraft units, and don't forget the tone capacitors.

 

Here's a link to some wiring kits:

 

www.rsguitarworks.net

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android13

android13

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Oh, this thing? http://www.zzounds.com/item--MSHSTACK23

 

as for pickups, why don't you get the Gibson 490T/R?

maybe PAF Pro might suit you, or even the Super Distortion from DiMarzio.

Possibly even Burstbuckers (although I don't know if you want them just yet…)

you could get Dirty Fingers or EMGs to mimic the Prophecy line, maybe, if you like those.

 

 

Look for some demos for pickups on G-400 on youtube, I'm sure there's a lot of them.

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twanger

twanger

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For ANYBODY considering switching out pickups you might want to try some other options first.

 

For imported guitars like the Epiphones it's a sure thing to get improvement in tones simply by replacing the original pots with CTS pots and replace any switched/jacks with genuine Switchcraft parts for reliability and durability.

 

After that, well this may sound like heresy to some but your Epi pickups may not be as bad you think. Check out this link for some interesting wiring options:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/tonefreaks/558-wiring-library.html

 

I'll be trying it here in the next couple of weeks. reports from others who have tried thee wiring schemes have been most encouraging. Of course, there may be greater tonal improvements to be had with better pickups and these schemes but you can save some money and gain some great experience by experimenting on your current pickups first so if you do decide to upgrade pickups you can select which wiring schemes will help you reach your tone goals.

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incredibledisc

incredibledisc

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I hope this isn't considered thread hijacking but I didn't want to create a new thread for essentially the same question.

 

I have a 96 Sheraton and was thinking about switching out the pickups as part of an upgrade. The problem is I don't know what kind to go for!

 

I have an Epi Les Paul that I put some Seymour Duncan Seth Lover's in and it made a big difference to the sound.

 

I could go Seth Lover's again but would that make the Sheri too much like the Les Paul?

 

I've heard good things about Kent Armstrong P90s also.

 

Alternatively, there are Seymour Duncan Jazz humbuckers or a combo of Jazz humbucker and JB

 

So many options!

 

I play mostly modern sounding rock (QOTSA, Pixies, Foo Fighters etc) through a Boss Blues driver Vox AC-30 cch and 2x12 cab along with assorted effects.

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gearhead

gearhead

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I have a 96 Sheraton and was thinking about switching out the pickups as part of an upgrade. The problem is I don't know what kind to go for!

 

 

Just remember that if you put pretty hot pups in a hollow body you'll have more problem with feedback!

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incredibledisc

incredibledisc

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Thanks for the reply Gearhead.

 

I'll show my ignorance here - can you clarify which of the ones I mentioned are classed as "hot"? or are all those ones ok?

 

I thought the Seth Lover's at least would be close to what was fitted into Gibson 335s back in the day or is the lack of wax potting going to be an issue with the semi-hollow body?

 

Jazz and JB didn't strike me as being "hot" either but like I say, I'm pretty clueless about this stuff - the word "hot" just makes me think of EMG type pups

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gearhead

gearhead

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Myself I usually consider any pickup with a higher resistance than about 9k ohms to be a "hot"pup. The old Gibson PAF pickups were around 8k, giving you some overdrive on the old tube amp but still a nice clean sound. My g-400 bridge pup is about 15k. WAY too much for a hollowbody in my opinion. The resistance is sort of a measurement of how much wire is wound on the coils. The more windings the higher the output. Magnets play a role also, the Alnico II magnets have a "sweeter" sound than say a Alnico V, which has a bit brighter, stronger sound because of the stronger magnet. The ceramic magnet pups are HOT! "Steely" sounding? Very bright with BITE! Like i said, I'd look at all the pups you're interested in and see what the specs are, resistance, output voltage, magnets etc. and what kind of music they recommend them for. One other thing is that the same pickup installed into different guitars will sound a bit different in each one. So I guess with all that said I haven't helped you out very much............keep your eyes on this thread, others have the same guitar modded with other pups and can probably guide you a little closer to what you want!

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Stevie Nazarenie

Stevie Nazarenie

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many, many choices out there but it depends on what you want. me, i like classic tones. i put my g400 pups in a strat. i always wanted to try that combo... it works well. they are pretty good pups all in all but i think i prefer a 7/8k set not the 7/14k set in the g400. i currently have 2 mean 90's in the g400.

anyway a magnet swap can take you softer with alnico 2's or the opposite end is ceramic. i got 2 alnico 2 magnets off ebay for £10 inc postage! the guy i got then from had alnico 2,3,4,5, 8. (8?)

other notable pups= gfs minibirds. hotter ceramic minihums in a firebird format.

gfs=minhums (normal ones, alnico or ceramic.)

gfs mean 90's. this is the cheap experimental zone... then again how about some p rails?

 

if you are doing a replacement get some tappable pups. that make it extra worthwhile. i just ripped out the 3 magnets from the gfs power rails and put an alnico 3 and 5 in. kinda fuzzy but good sounding!

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guitarjoo

guitarjoo

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Here's what im thinking...

 

a set of ceramic zebra 496R/500T Gibson Humbuckers with a Premium Vintage SG Electronics Upgrade Kit from RS Guitarworks (I was thinking of finding push pull Knobs for the tone and volume..is this difficult to incorporate into the upgrade?) and should i buy new nickle humbucker covers (currently chrome) or leave them exposed, i've heard speculation over a loss of clarity and tone with the addition of cover plates as apposed to exposed humbuckers.

 

Thanks everyone for the great input so far, hopeful to hear more good insight.

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sFLsniper

sFLsniper

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Im using a Marshall MG Guitar Amplifier Half Stack with MG100HFX Head and MG4X12A Cabinet

 

I just got a used epi LP plus that someone put in the Epi version of the 57's (from an epi classic lp). I play through an MG50. I was so upset because it was way muddy compared to my other, stock, epi lp. Yesterday I picked up a modded valve junior and man- the guitar has awesome tone- the amp made all the difference...

If I only bought the EVJ first- I wouldn't of ordered the wiring kit and pups last friday!

 

If you want to get a good wiring kit- talk to Jonesy at tonemojo.com. I ordered GFS (guitar fetish) alnico 2's. I have heard good things about those and they are only $35.

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Hector Arcadius

Hector Arcadius

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For what's worth and although they don't come cheap, I love my Gisbon Burstbucker Pro in the bridge of my Les Paul Studio. It's Alnico V and can get you anywhere from mild bluesy crunch to classic metal territory with ease and great sound. I wouldn't replace it.

 

for the neck, the same pickup is not bad at all, but perhaps I could consider an Alnico-II based pickup, for some more ward, southern-rock kinda sounds.

 

 

But, generally speaking, take a walk through the Seymour Duncan website and spend time listening to some audio samples, which will guide you better at the tone YOU are aiming at.

 

And if you're on a tight budget (nothing wrong with that!), I suggest that you shop from GFS (Guitar Fetish). GREAT prices and everyone seems to be raving on those pickups, so, at least for the money, I don't think you can go wrong.

 

 

good luck.

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antwhi2001

antwhi2001

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You haven't got poor pick ups, you've got average pick ups but a poor amp and speakers. The Marshall MG series are nothing like the quality of their pro-standard models....they are cheaply made Asian solid state versions. I use one of them as a practice amp and I gigged with an MG100DFX for about 10 months. Looked good, sounded crap.

 

The Gibson ceramics will give you some improvement for heavy rock / metal tones but if you want cleaner bluesier tones as well, you won't get anything good out of that pup and amp combination. Ceramic pups tend to have power without warmth, and the speakers in those MGs are not the Celestions you usually get with Marshalls, they're an anonymous cheap speaker that doesn't handle clean tones very well at gig levels.

 

If I was you I'd leave the guitar alone and invest the cash in trading up to a better amp. All-tube Marshalls are expensive, but there are others, and you can buy secondhand. The AVT series are a good compromise. The MGs are out there to catch the beginners who want the Marshall logo and can't afford a real one. I traded up to an AVT, then eventually my JCM2000 TSL when I could afford it. Bear in mind an all-tube 25-30w amp will be as loud as an MG100.

 

The stock Epi humbuckers are usually alnico 2s and quite versatile with a good amp. If you ever get the chance, plug your Epi into a Fender Twin and it'll probably blow your mind.

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