SD Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups

FarleyUK

Just installed a set of these in my 2020 SG Standard.... and I'm not sure what to think TBH. They seem pretty shrill and picky, which is not what I'm expecting.

I'm playing through an Axe FX 3, and while I upgraded the FW, I rolled back just in case it was that which was the issue. However, I'm still getting a pretty picky and shrill output.

Have adjusted bridge height from around 2.5mm to about 5 - 6mm as well.

Pretty certain I've wired them up correctly - I have a CTS DPDT as single coil selection on both tones.

Anyone else have these pups and have experienced the same thing?

HandwrittenHero

Not tried the pickups, but shrill and ice picky is pretty much how I’d describe Jimmy Page’s tone to be honest!

Funkfingers

Those humbuckers are intended to be installed in Les Paul guitars rather than SGs. 

They are available with or without a metal cover. This will have some influence on the high frequency response.

Cols

Given the shrill and picky response, it would be worth double checking the wiring to make sure you haven’t accidentally wired the coils within each humbucker out of phase.

FarleyUK

So I re-wired them as 'normal' (i.e. just standard 500k pots, no DPDT stuff going on), and it's the same. I've ordered a set of BK Mules to replace them with. Just think they're absolutely not right in this guitar.

mark123

Funkfingers said:

Those humbuckers are intended to be installed in Les Paul guitars rather than SGs. 

They are available with or without a metal cover. This will have some influence on the high frequency response.

this ^^^^
An SG is always a spiky trebly guitar so for a page type sound you will have to go down the Les Paul route ,whatever you put in the SG i think you will have that trebly edge sound to it.

glitterjet

Hi, I have a set of these in an early 90s Les Paul Classic Goldtop and i can concur that they are shrill and ice picky, really disappointed with them when I first fitted, they sound so different from the custom buckers in my R0, but I have kept them and worked a bit with them and can get some great tones out of that guitar.  

TTBZ

Fwiw I'm not a fan of the Mules in an SG either, they didn't have enough character to me. Loved Mules in my Les Paul (although preferred the Black Dog) but I find SGs need a bit of help because they sound a bit plain and weak in general! I've gone back to the 498T in mine and I'm happy. Duncan Custom 5 is similar but a bit more scooped sounding.

fastonebaz

I love the 61t and 61r pups in my SG.  They're perfect for me.

FarleyUK

TTBZ said:

Fwiw I'm not a fan of the Mules in an SG either, they didn't have enough character to me. Loved Mules in my Les Paul (although preferred the Black Dog) but I find SGs need a bit of help because they sound a bit plain and weak in general! I've gone back to the 498T in mine and I'm happy. Duncan Custom 5 is similar but a bit more scooped sounding.

Oh FFS.....!

Well they're arriving today, so we'll see.

tomajoha

I seem to remember having some Mules in an SG at one time and liking them -  as @TTBZ says Mules are fab pickups in Les Pauls

FarleyUK

tomajoha said:

I seem to remember having some Mules in an SG at one time and liking them -  as @TTBZ says Mules are fab pickups in Les Pauls

Yep, I've had a pair in a LP a while ago and loved them - had read that people suggested them in an SG as well. The general rule of thumb for an SG seems to be either go vintage or very hot; if you go middle of the road, it's not great.

We'll see though - if these don't work, I'll have to find something else. Any suggestions are welcome - I'm after a vintage type sound, and it'll be for classic rock so nothing too heavy.

EDIT; I'm toying with the idea of swapping the Mules out into my Les Paul Custom, and putting the Rebel Yells from the Custom into the SG.... have heard that can give good results.

TTBZ

FarleyUK said:

TTBZ said:

Fwiw I'm not a fan of the Mules in an SG either, they didn't have enough character to me. Loved Mules in my Les Paul (although preferred the Black Dog) but I find SGs need a bit of help because they sound a bit plain and weak in general! I've gone back to the 498T in mine and I'm happy. Duncan Custom 5 is similar but a bit more scooped sounding.

Oh FFS.....!

Well they're arriving today, so we'll see.

Haha well you might like them. I remember thinking they didn't sound bad in that guitar, just not much character or punch. Could just be my SG to be fair, sounds like a bit of a plank with neutral sounding pickups. Preferred the Black Dog I put in afterwards.

CHrisP86

I had Rebel Yells in the Feline SG I’ve just sold and they sounded excellent.

FarleyUK

God dammit chaps.....! I'm now leaning towards the Mules in the LP Custom and RY in the SG. That's a lot of sodding soldering though....!

TTBZ

I've had god knows how many sets of pickups in my SG now haha. Slowly coming to accept it's just not the guitar for me. Ironically ended back up with the stock 498T which sounds best to me!

imalrightjack

My SG has some 70s DiMarzios or similar and sounds great.  I've toyed with putting P90s (Mississippi Queens or the likes) in because I have other double humbucking guitars but not sure.

Rockhard

I got the UK only Custom version on release for my 2002 R8 . I really like them and they are not a one trick pony .

glitterjet

The Since Ive Been Loving You clip is exactly how mine sound, with a bit of tone tweaking they sound great and the good thing is different to my other LPs.    

McToot

For balance, I bought a PRS SE Bernie Marsden that had SD Whole Lottas in it and it sounded fan-fricking-tastic. Mellow, round and really good with drive. I liked them so much that I swapped them out of the guitar and into a Feline Lion that I had subsequently acquired. 

No idea whether they should work on an SG.

FelineGuitars

We have a set in a Lion guitar we are building and they sound good 

They do have a bit of a treble edge to them but only in the same way that Jimmy Page did