Pickup recommendations for an SG?

[Jon Pearson]

Yo! So I've got an old faded SG that I'd like to make into a more fuzzy, meaty metal machine. I don't want tight, I want fat! Tasty solo tones are priority. I would love to cop tones more like Mastodon's last few records, Baroness is another good example. That kind of stuff.

Currently, it's got DiMarzio Transition B+N in it (had them sitting around from another guitar), and they are cool, but not really what I'm going for - I'd like something with a warmer sound in both positions. This guitar had the 490/498 set originally, and those weren't so bad tonally but kind of wimpy.

I've honestly thought that even a fat HB-sized P90 might be the ticket - that might be a cool alternative.

Thoughts?

 

[Manurack]

Can't go wrong with the versatile great for all styles Seymour Duncan JB!

 

[Jon Pearson]

Can't go wrong with the versatile great for all styles Seymour Duncan JB!

Funnily enough, even with all the guitars and pickups I've had, never had anything with a JB in it.

 

[Manurack]

Also if you haven't seen this, Keith Merrow did a great video showing the difference of 15 Seymour Duncan pickups.

 

[Jon Pearson]

Also if you haven't seen this, Keith Merrow did a great video showing the difference of 15 Seymour Duncan pickups.

I've definitely watched this one before, thanks for the reminder though! Between him and Hauch we have a great cache of pickup demos

 

[budda]

Anything labelled PAF will theoretically work. My lp’s have 3 different sets and all do what you’re asking about.

Try a burstbucker 2 or 3 or a 57?

 

[Jon Pearson]

Anything labelled PAF will theoretically work. My lp’s have 3 different sets and all do what you’re asking about.

Try a burstbucker 2 or 3 or a 57?

Given that I don't really know much about the whole universe-worth of PAF options, what are the differences between the ones you mentioned? Some higher powered? More bass, more treble, more ____?

 

[budda]

Given that I don't really know much about the whole universe-worth of PAF options, what are the differences between the ones you mentioned? Some higher powered? More bass, more treble, more ____?

Bb 2 and 3 are different outputs yeah. Really the guitar and setup will likely determine what will work best. I have a 57 in my s2 prs and it doesnt sound a world apart from my gibsons.

Do you know the tonality of the sg? Ex my goldtop sounds the most vintage/wooden of my lp’s.

 

[Jon Pearson]

Bb 2 and 3 are different outputs yeah. Really the guitar and setup will likely determine what will work best. I have a 57 in my s2 prs and it doesnt sound a world apart from my gibsons.

Do you know the tonality of the sg? Ex my goldtop sounds the most vintage/wooden of my lp’s.

The SG is a really bright sounding guitar as far as I can tell - the pickups in it now were previously in other guitars and they sounded much more balanced. Great attack, very clear, but a tendency towards thin.

 

[budda]

The SG is a really bright sounding guitar as far as I can tell - the pickups in it now were previously in other guitars and they sounded much more balanced. Great attack, very clear, but a tendency towards thin.

Messed with pickup and pole piece heights yet?

 

[Jon Pearson]

Messed with pickup and pole piece heights yet?

Sure sure. It helps a bit, but in the case of these pickups I think they are a little too mid-focused for the guitar. I'm thinking something on the darker side would balance it out nicely.

 

[cmpxchg]

Keep in mind that SGs will sound different to LPs because the pickups are located in a different spot vs the bridge. You might want to try a hotter A2 pickup.

 

[Jon Pearson]

Keep in mind that SGs will sound different to LPs because the pickups are located in a different spot vs the bridge. You might want to try a hotter A2 pickup.

Any particular examples to look at? I've always been a ceramic high gain guy, so this is my first instance of pickup shopping where I'm looking for less aggression and more fatness.

 

[Necky379]

I’ve had my SG the longest out of all the current guitars I own. It’s seen a lot of different pickups.

With your requirements in mind, I second the JB recommendation for something low cost and easy to find. You’ll get a big, although a bit loose and washed out low end and lots of high mids that work well with fuzz pedals. Metal, doom, stoner rock, it does it all great. Tight modern sounds can be a chore but you’re not looking for that anyway.

An Invader would be another great choice. Massive low end that is punchy, fog horn mid range. The high end on them in my experience is very dependent on the guitar’s electronics. I’ve used 500k with tone, 500k without tone, 1 Meg and I’ve gone straight to the jack with them. Like every other pickup, the less the electronics load it down the more the high end comes out. Straight to the jack in a bright, snappy guitar for example the famously dark sounding Invader can get piercingly bright. 1 Meg pot, pretty much the same thing. I generally prefer 500k volume no tone pot with them. I like them set fairly low but not very low unless it’s wired straight to the jack.

I have a Duncan Custom Shop in mine right now that is an A2 El Diablo, small hex Invader hybrid. I’ve used custom High Orders in it too, the most notable one was spec’d something like a slightly underwound Duncan Custom, like 12.5k with a ceramic magnet, PAF on roids pickup. A standard Duncan Custom will sound great in it.

If I didn’t have the Custom Shop in it right now I’d go back to using a Peavey Wolfgang bridge pickup. That’s been my favorite SG pickup so far besides the CS. Gibson just released their version of these pickups in a collaboration with the original designer Jim DeCola. They’re calling them the Eruption line. I haven’t heard these but they’re spec’d just like the old Wolfgang’s with a couple minor changes. If they sound like the old ones I’m very confident you’ll love that pickup in the SG for just about everything. I don’t care if it sounds crazy, my #1 recommendation is find a Peavey bridge pickup. I would try the new Gibson Wolfgang’s in a heartbeat if I hadn’t been buying up and hoarding the Peavey ones for years. Think overwound Custom 5 with short screws: slightly fuller mid range, big but controlled low end, prominent cutting upper mids, bright top end that rolls off in the perfect spot.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Came here to also recommend the Duncan Invader, but also the DiMarzio Tone Zone

 

[budda]

Can also throw a neck labelled pickup in the bridge and see how that goes.

 

[Jon Pearson]

Came here to also recommend the Duncan Invader, but also the DiMarzio Tone Zone

Do really enjoy the Tone Zone! Always been a go-to for me for general purpose rock pickups.

 

[Jon Pearson]

Can also throw a neck labelled pickup in the bridge and see how that goes.

Done this before, usually the neck pickups (in my experience) have even MORE high end though tp compensate for their position, at least in my experience.

 

[budda]

I did a tone test when i had two sg’s, i will see if any were doomy.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Any particular examples to look at? I've always been a ceramic high gain guy, so this is my first instance of pickup shopping where I'm looking for less aggression and more fatness.

Do you want less aggression or are you assuming it's a necessary trade-off to get more fatness?

If it's the latter, you might want to consider BKP Warpig (Alnico). I don't have any first-hand experience with Warpigs, but can confidently say they wouldn't leave you lacking presence in the lows.