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| SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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With many thanks to our friend and on-site guitar maintenace guru, Chuck. Chuck with his expert hand and well equipped basement shop did the pickup swap for me. Thanks Chuck!
For my birthday, my wife encouraged me to get a new set of pickups for my SG. Took a while to get them as they come from England, but I am a Bare Knuckle Pickup fanboy and knew it'd be worth the wait. I have set of painkillers in my Les Paul and a pair of Miracle Mans in my 7 string RG. I kind of wanted to my old favorite SG, my new favorite once again. So after consulting the dealer (Nick from the Axe Palace) I settled on a set of Rebel Yells. These are Steve Stevens (of Billy Idol fame) signature pickups. Since I loath all things remotely confederate, I refer to them as Steve Stevens pickups. 
These pickups have a brushed chrome finished, recommended by Nick. I think they look really slick and match the existing hardware nicely.
They sound fantastic. Lots of growl, bite and harmonic charactor but very clear and articulate - even under gain. Not quite as heavy as the painkillers, but very alive and organic. The stock 57 classics were really good, but these are even better.
This is a '61 Reissue Gibson SG, which I got used. I think this is Gibson's nicest SG model, except for the SG Supremes or something from the Custom Shop. They have single piece mahogany bodies and single piece mahogany necks. The neck joint is positioned low, and fret access is ideal.
I included a slew of pictures also to show the other upgrades I did previously. Tonepros locking tuners. A bone nut. Schaller strap lock buttons. Tonepros locking bridge with Graphtech saddles. Tonepros locking tailpiece - aluminum with nickel plating. To make it the best SG it can be.
 
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/21/2010 @ 10:37 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
jbow00
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Looks great. 
A 61 Reissue SG? Weren't they still called Les Pauls in 61? 
| Post Date: 7/21/2010 @ 11:12 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
mdw3332
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What a beautiful instrument, and it must sound like a dream. Congratulations.
Now, if you had a Tele......... 
| Post Date: 7/21/2010 @ 11:28 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Julia_343
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The SG Std in the Heritage Cherry is also a one piece body. At least mine is. I was told the ebony standards are 2 piece bodies by the Gibson rep, and that's the reason for the difference in price between the two -- they have to use a better looking wood for the cherry finish than the solid.
So Zug, what are you going to do with the 57 classics? Not that I can afford to spend any money or anything like that. Just wondering.
The 61 reissue is a beauty.
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--- Soudružka Julia of the Vocal Assassins
--- Disclaimer: pay no attention to tonal advice from this poster if you are under 40 and play thrash.
How about a Costa Rican flag?
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 2:58 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
goatbreath
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I am saving up for my Bare Knuckles for my trans amber Les Paul.Can't make up my mind between Stormy Mondays and Mules.Or possibly a Mule in the Bridge and a Stormy Monday in the neck.i'm tempted to experiment with paper and oil Caps too.
Regards Goatbreath.
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 4:27 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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Julia_343 said:
The SG Std in the Heritage Cherry is also a one piece body. At least mine is. I was told the ebony standards are 2 piece bodies by the Gibson rep, and that's the reason for the difference in price between the two -- they have to use a better looking wood for the cherry finish than the solid.
So Zug, what are you going to do with the 57 classics? Not that I can afford to spend any money or anything like that. Just wondering.
The 61 reissue is a beauty.
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The 57 classics went to Chuck for a price that took into account all the help he gave me. I wanted to clean them before handing them over, but Chuck prefers them "reliced." lol He still plans to find a deal on a Zoot Suit SG and put the 57s in there. I hope he does.
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 7:16 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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mdw3332 said:
What a beautiful instrument, and it must sound like a dream. Congratulations.
Now, if you had a Tele.........
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Oh you mean like one of these? 
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 7:20 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Chuck King
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I am excited to have Zug's old 57 Classics, which I think are some of the best humbuckers around. But I have to say, that guitar sounded quite sweet with the Bare Knuckles in it.
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My music blog: http://chucksmusicblog.blogspot.com
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 9:00 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
six string for hire
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Zug-uitar said:
I settled on a set of Rebel Yells. These are Steve Stevens (of Billy Idol fame) signature pickups. Since I loath all things remotely confederate, I refer to them as Steve Stevens pickups.
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six string for hire said:
I bet they would sound good on some Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes
With a Rebel yell
yeah yeah yeah
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| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 9:14 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
six string for hire
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On a serious note
Thats one heck of a nice SG
wish I could hear it (play it actually)
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 9:22 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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six string for hire said:
On a serious note
Thats one heck of a nice SG
wish I could hear it (play it actually)
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Thanks.
That girl looks awful in that offensive bikini. I'd insist she take it off immediately.
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 1:48 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Julia_343
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that's a good one Six String, but now we're going to have ban you.
Okay, now we'll wait for the selective Photobucket policy to remove that photo. I remember my 6505+ photo spam using a woman in a bikini since I was goaded for not getting enough attention to my spam, and got the "violated photobucket policy" warning -- nudity.
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--- Soudružka Julia of the Vocal Assassins
--- Disclaimer: pay no attention to tonal advice from this poster if you are under 40 and play thrash.
How about a Costa Rican flag?
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 4:57 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
DeathCharge2
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there's pickups in this thread? there's an SG?
:S
congrats zug, brushed nickel is a good call!
I think I might do brushed nickel when I swap out the pickups in the SE Cu24, if it's an option.. I think it is.
CLIPS, FOO'!
Mr Saucey Cool Hand
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 6:58 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
TripleJ
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Very nice zug, love the slim profile on the '61 RI's and the classics are a great set of pups gratz Chuck. I've been looking to get a pair of BKPs for a while now but I'm saving for a mesa atm. As for the 1 piece body thing julia it must be only in their ebony standards as my classic white is also a one piece.
| Post Date: 7/22/2010 @ 8:07 pm |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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Triple, how's that white SG working out for you? It looks nice alright.
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/23/2010 @ 9:31 am |
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RE: SG love & NPD (lots of pics, 64K stay away) |
Zug-uitar
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Update: these pickups sound really good! 
The guitar may need a setup though... there's a littel bit of buzzing I can't quite fathom.
this rig requires something with a little more kick... plutonium!
| Post Date: 7/24/2010 @ 9:34 am |
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