rcscruff Posted August 22, 2010 Share Posted August 22, 2010 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Electro-Harmonix-Nano-LPB1-Power-Booster-Guitar-Effects-Pedal?sku=150092 The best boost I've come across, and VERY affordable. By the way, you can change a pickups magnet pretty easily, just make sure you get the polarity correct other wise you'll sound like peter green on accident. Which if the original poster is all about higher output pickups, I'd have a higher output magnet put into the existing pup's long before I put in active's. Actually I'd be willingly castrated before I put active pups in any of my guitars, or took my guitar to best buy. I'm sure if there is a best buy that sells musical instruments in your town, there is at least one extremely qualified guitar tech who will do a much better job than a best buy employee. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of active pups either. But given on the number of guitars I see with EMGs in them, I assume there's a pretty big market for em. And based on experience of just just purchasing a TV at BestBuy, I couldn't even imagine trying to deal with a guitar department. But then again, I have never been to one that sells guitars, they may have some great luthiers tucked away in a back room, you never know? I'd sell my 496R/500T for a very modest price once my customs come in. Nah, I like the alnico pickups, just the 490t isn't at the top of my list. Maybe the OP is interested in a swap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted August 29, 2010 Share Posted August 29, 2010 The pickups are not the problem. Metal was invented on guitars like the SG and with low output PAF pickups like the 490T. IMO, the 490T is very versatile as you can get the great blues, hard rock and clean tones you'd expect but it also takes high gain settings/amps very well. The 490T doesn't have the uneven vintage windings of the burstbucker but, like the '57 classic, it's wax potted to prevent squeal. It also has the advantage of having four conductor wires for coil splitting if you want it. I'd look in to getting a good valve amp like a Blackstar HT5 or a Marshall Class 5 (assuming you want lower volumes.) You could then start experimenting with overdrive, distortion and EQ pedals to tweak your tone. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom brown Posted August 29, 2010 Share Posted August 29, 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqy4DTHGqg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Owl Posted August 30, 2010 Share Posted August 30, 2010 Man, I am so glad I don't like or play metal and don't have all these problems getting their "Sound". My SG Standard's stock pups are perfect for how I like to sound. Good luck to you getting the sound you want dude, the only advice I've got is that I'd double check your amp selection too. I had displeasure with my last amp because it was just a digital 15 watt amp with no soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostek12 Posted September 2, 2010 Author Share Posted September 2, 2010 Man, I am so glad I don't like or play metal and don't have all these problems getting their "Sound". My SG Standard's stock pups are perfect for how I like to sound. Good luck to you getting the sound you want dude, the only advice I've got is that I'd double check your amp selection too. I had displeasure with my last amp because it was just a digital 15 watt amp with no soul. my amp IS a 15w with no soul haha :D but what better can i get.. im 15, parents strict on money so yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Owl Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 my amp IS a 15w with no soul haha :D but what better can i get.. im 15, parents strict on money so yeah... All in due time my friend, when I was your age I got a DeArmound Guitar at a Guitar store side walk sale, and a Peavey amp with a busted connector that worked sometimes to learn to play on. Now almost ten years later I have a Blues Jr. and an SG and I love both of them. Moral of the story? Stick with it, save and it will come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom brown Posted September 2, 2010 Share Posted September 2, 2010 welcome kostek 12 My first was a strat copy "dixon" and a stage 30 watt amp the the fuse holder always fell out so i had to tape it up every day. Now i have a gibson vintage mahogney studio, and a gibson sg 3 with a line 6 75 watt spider 4. You may find if you tweak the amp and guitar controls, add a boss stomp box you can get a decent tone....for now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos Posted September 3, 2010 Share Posted September 3, 2010 I ran into this issue also. I'm currently in 2 bands. 1 is a heavier metal/hardcore band. I got my sg a couple months after I had been in the band and was psyched as hell to play it but wasn't happy with the result. Shitty sound (weak sound and tons of bad squeeling feedback) no pinch harmonics, etc. I love it for the feel and ease of play while soloing. So, I put a dimarzio super distortion pickup in the bridge which solved the sound issue. Pinch harmonics took alot. Its a major part of my style so it bugged the **** out of me. I thought I tried everything and then I raised the action a bit and they came screaming out, just in time for my band to hit the studio. I actually started a thread on this forum asking for advice on pinch harmonics which is probably 2 or 3 pages back and got some great advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostek12 Posted September 6, 2010 Author Share Posted September 6, 2010 I ran into this issue also. I'm currently in 2 bands. 1 is a heavier metal/hardcore band. I got my sg a couple months after I had been in the band and was psyched as hell to play it but wasn't happy with the result. Shitty sound (weak sound and tons of bad squeeling feedback) no pinch harmonics, etc. I love it for the feel and ease of play while soloing. So, I put a dimarzio super distortion pickup in the bridge which solved the sound issue. Pinch harmonics took alot. Its a major part of my style so it bugged the **** out of me. I thought I tried everything and then I raised the action a bit and they came screaming out, just in time for my band to hit the studio. I actually started a thread on this forum asking for advice on pinch harmonics which is probably 2 or 3 pages back and got some great advice. THANKS! are the super distortions passive? :3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin4195 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Or maybe it is because people judge the SG by it's shape. It is not a metal guitar. I can play metal with the stock 490 and 498, but it is not intended for metal. It is a solid classic rock/hard rock guitar, and you can get almost any sound out of it. For some reason I get angry when I see people asking what they should get in forums and saying SG or (Insert Guitar Name Here), and having people say "if ur gonuh play metle get the sg, Anything else get (Insert Guitar Name Here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcscruff Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Or maybe it is because people judge the SG by it's shape. It is not a metal guitar. I can play metal with the stock 490 and 498, but it is not intended for metal. It is a solid classic rock/hard rock guitar, and you can get almost any sound out of it. For some reason I get angry when I see people asking what they should get in forums and saying SG or (Insert Guitar Name Here), and having people say "if ur gonuh play metle get the sg, Anything else get (Insert Guitar Name Here) Not a metal guitar? Just about any guitar can play metal with the right amp and right pickups. I would say the SG is no different. Try a google search on Best Metal Bands (or albums) of All Time, you will find a notable SG player on almost all the lists. Black Sabbath, AC/DC... And yes I know different people will have many different opinions on what to consider "Metal" Also the 490T in the special and the 498T in the standard can sound quite different. _________________________________________________ Anyway I was thinking about this old thread just this weekend. Earlier on I had expressed a dissatisfaction with the 490T in my 95 special. When I was playing it this weekend my bridge pickup fizzled out on me. I will probably open it up next weekend and see if anything is loose. So its possible the crackly poor distortion I was getting was not from the inherent qualities of the 490T pickup but maybe just a faulty pickup, pot, solder job etc. I'm excited to find out and maybe breathe some new life into an old friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPAULPITT Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 thanks for the reply guys, i think im gonna get the emg 81/85 or 81/89 combo, i havent yet decided completely what pickups to get but anyways, my main concern now is that since it has that circuit board in it since its post 2008, how would i change the pickups? i looked on the internet and they said something about a plug? any ideas? I just put some EMGs into my LP faded. The whole circuitboard comes right out and the new solderless EMG system is beautiful. Dont buy the Zakk Wylde set because they come with long shaft pots. Buy the Kerry King set or just buy them individually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPAULPITT Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Not a metal guitar? Just about any guitar can play metal with the right amp and right pickups. I would say the SG is no different. Try a google search on Best Metal Bands (or albums) of All Time, you will find a notable SG player on almost all the lists. Black Sabbath, AC/DC... And yes I know different people will have many different opinions on what to consider "Metal" Also the 490T in the special and the 498T in the standard can sound quite different. _________________________________________________ Anyway I was thinking about this old thread just this weekend. Earlier on I had expressed a dissatisfaction with the 490T in my 95 special. When I was playing it this weekend my bridge pickup fizzled out on me. I will probably open it up next weekend and see if anything is loose. So its possible the crackly poor distortion I was getting was not from the inherent qualities of the 490T pickup but maybe just a faulty pickup, pot, solder job etc. I'm excited to find out and maybe breathe some new life into an old friend. Metal was invented on an SG by Mr. Iommi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin4195 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Not a metal guitar? Just about any guitar can play metal with the right amp and right pickups. I would say the SG is no different. Try a google search on Best Metal Bands (or albums) of All Time, you will find a notable SG player on almost all the lists. Black Sabbath, AC/DC... And yes I know different people will have many different opinions on what to consider "Metal" Also the 490T in the special and the 498T in the standard can sound quite different. _________________________________________________ Anyway I was thinking about this old thread just this weekend. Earlier on I had expressed a dissatisfaction with the 490T in my 95 special. When I was playing it this weekend my bridge pickup fizzled out on me. I will probably open it up next weekend and see if anything is loose. So its possible the crackly poor distortion I was getting was not from the inherent qualities of the 490T pickup but maybe just a faulty pickup, pot, solder job etc. I'm excited to find out and maybe breathe some new life into an old friend. Oh, I agree, almost any guitar can play metal, but the SG can obtain that metal sound, but it isn't a metal guitar by sound. It is a very versatile guitar, but it is a hard rock guitar, not a shred, floyd rose and locking nut guitar. It has that classic crunch sound, but no ceramic crazy distortion pick ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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