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i got a epi sg.i need really bad a decent pick up.
what duncan is the best overall vintage tone for a sg?
i mean classsic sg sound,
i play classic rock and SANTANA .
THANKS A LOT !!

The Custom is a great SG pickup,but I found I Love a Dimarzio Fred with a nickel cover in my own SG's bridge position with a stock 59N pickup....I took out the one row of allen screws and put standard slotted screws in their place and then put a cover on the pickup...I Love this pickup..It's an A5 and measures around 10k(Close to a Scremon Demon)...This pickup has great harmonics,mismatched bobbins,good lows,is a bit toppy,but never harsh,and great mids...For me,this pickup has been perfect...I've tryed many pickups in my SG,but I've settled on the Fred..I'm solely a Duncan pickup user,but I Like the Dimarzio Fred alot...I've been using this same fred pickup in different guitars since the pickup came out in or around 93...

The SG needs help with mids and more overall lowend or the sound is too toppy,thin,and shrill in the bridge...The neck pickup is easily fixed with either a 59 or a Seth though,but the bridge is alot harder to dial in...

Other good choices would be the Custom Custom,or the C5....I feel like you'd need one of the Custom series Duncan pickups to get everything that quot;somequot; SGs lack in the bridge spot...

I have always liked 59's in a SG. When I think SG I think of Clapton and Cream. The 59's are very similar to what Clapton had in his '64 SG. Lew

Im with lew, a set of 59s would do you well

1 for the 59!!!! I love that pup...


Originally Posted by Boleslaw Gers 666Go with '59s or something. But if you can do non-Duncan, I'd say go for the Alnico II's that come in the SG special standard made by Gibson. That gives classic SG tone for sure.I would disagree with that. Stay with an alnico 5 pickup (or ceramic if that;s your thing) in an SG. SG's tend to be kinda bright guitars and lack a bit of bass...Alnico 5 pickups will make an SG sound very full and much more aggressive that an alnico II pickup.


Originally Posted by the guy who invented fireI would disagree with that. Stay with an alnico 5 pickup (or ceramic if that;s your thing) in an SG. SG's tend to be kinda bright guitars and lack a bit of bass...Alnico 5 pickups will make an SG sound very full and much more aggressive than an alnico II pickup.

That's my opinion too. SG's can be kind of thin and twangy sounding and alnico 5 or ceramic magnets give a pickup strong deep bass response. That said, I'm not sure Derek Trucks uses alnico 5 in his SG...those might be A2 57 Classics. He sounds just fine! Lew

I agree with Lew, the '59 is a good choice.

Personally I'm loving the set of Seth's in my SG/LP. Probably more mids and slightly warmer than the '59, but either is a good choice.

I've not tryed an actual 59B in my own SG(Shame on me) but I Like having a pickup in that position of around 8.5k to 10k....My findings have been that due to the placement of the bridge pickup on an SG,it does make the sound thin,plus it messes with the mids...My fix was to use the Fred with an A5 magnet,rated for 10k...This gave me slightly more mids,and the unbalanced coils gave me tightness and strong lows...This pickup also gives me great harmonics! I'm not a Dimarzio fan,but I Love this pickup..The Scremon Demon is very similar(And I use this pickup also)to the Fred,but the SD is toppier in the highs...The fix for this toppyness with the Fred and the SD is to replace one row of allen screws with the standard slotted screws...it beefs up the tone and removes alot of toppy highs...

Another pickup that would probably even sound better to my own ears,would be this Hybrid A5 Custom bobbin/59B or PGB screw bobbin pickup like I have in my Love Rock...It's got plenty of balls,stays tight and articulate,and has extra output...Great pickup...Not everyone likes this Hybrid,but I've been using 2 of em ever since quot;Bachtorockquot; turned myself and several others onto them..

I have Demons in both of my SG's. In my SG X the Demon is a monster thats very full and open. Its got bite and great harmonics and responds well to how hard you pick and volume ajustments.

The Demon in my Gothic SG is a little disappointing. Both SG's have 500k pots. The only difference between the 2 is the Goth has an Ebony fretboard. It sounds thinner than my SG X and doesn't match with the '59 neck that well. I think the remedy will be a Custom or Distortion. The trick is to get a pup that is as open and full as The Demon but with more bottom.


Originally Posted by DirtykingI have Demons in both of my SG's. In my SG X the Demon is a monster thats very full and open. Its got bite and great harmonics and responds well to how hard you pick and volume ajustments.

The Demon in my Gothic SG is a little disappointing. Both SG's have 500k pots. The only difference between the 2 is the Goth has an Ebony fretboard. It sounds thinner than my SG X and doesn't match with the '59 neck that well. I think the remedy will be a Custom or Distortion. The trick is to get a pup that is as open and full as The Demon but with more bottom.

It always goes to show that one man's trash is another man's treasure...Pickups are dependent on the guitar,the wood,strings used,and what amp and effects you use...I've very seldom run into any guitar that I've bought and have been 100% happy with the tone until I've spent time matching the right pickup to the right guitar...Sometimes I'll get the neck position dialed in,but I'll be scratching my head about how to get the bridge position right...I Like my humbuckers to have ballsy tone and great lows,but I also want note clarity and no mushy,muddy tones..

John