2005 SG Standard w/ 57 Classics Question

[bluezguy]

Hi Folks,

Since I got my ES335 Dot with stock 57s, I went nuts - can't believe this thing. It IS my main guitar now!

I was so smitten with the 57s in this particular instrument, that I ordered a new set from MF to install in my favorite 2005 SG Standard.

Well ... they DO sound great however, they are no where near as 'powerful' as the 57s in the 335. Is it the wood & the body construction that makes that difference?

I even upgraded the pots, caps & wiring to RS CTS stuff w/ paper & oil etc.

Have any of you experienced this?

 

[dbb]

I ordered a new set from MF to install in my favorite 2005 SG Standard.

Well ... they DO sound great however, they are no where near as 'powerful' as the 57s in the 335. Is it the wood & the body construction that makes that difference?

They should read similar DC resistance to the 335's if you have a meter; the body construction has no bearing on the pickup's output power.

Perhaps check the wiring again.

 

[turd ferguson]

de-pot those classic 57's and be amazed !

 

[skeeterbuck]

Are they adjusted the same? If the ones in the 335 are set closer to the strings, the pickup will sound louder. Also, the gauge and type of strings may also play into this. Steel strings and/or heavier gauges can make a pickup sound louder as opposed to pure nickel strings and lighter gauges.

My understanding is that all Gibson pickups are wound by machine, so I would thing that the output would be similar. There's also the chance that somehow the pickups were mis-labeled or mis-packaged.

 

[oldrockfan]

classic 57s should sound awesome in your SG standard. They are my favorite humb pups no doubt about it. Love them in a 335, LP or SG. If the ones you bought have weaker output than the 335, you might have got a bad pickup. As mentioned, make sure you have the strings close to the pups and if it still is weak, check the wiring and soldering. If that all checks out, I'd send them back. Classic 57s should be great in an SG.

 

[likea45]

de-pot those classic 57's and be amazed !

What do you mean by "de-pot"...as in unsolder the pup wire ground to the pots?

 

[turd ferguson]

by de-poting i mean heat them up and melt out the wax. they didnt start potting p/ups til the 70's..... so if ya want those classic tones....

 

[Rowdymoon]

by de-poting i mean heat them up and melt out the wax. they didnt start potting p/ups til the 70's..... so if ya want those classic tones....

Any suggestions on how to approach that ?.....

 

[sgtbeefheart]

Any suggestions on how to approach that ?.....

Slowly and carefully, with a very hot stick. :)

 

[Rowdymoon]

Slowly and carefully, with a very hot stick. :)

hehe ..let me reword that....what do you use to melt the wax?

 

[skeeterbuck]

Rowdy,
In the past, when I needed to melt the wax out of a pickup (it needed to be repaired) I've used a hair dryer. It will get hot enough to do the job without harming anything else. Good luck!

 

[Col Mustard]

and have a thick stack of newspaper under the p'up, so all that wax has a place to go that isn't your wife's favorite table cloth, or your couch fabric etc...

but I'd also check the wiring, expecially if you did it yourself. bad solder joints could cause the output to be less than it should be, and might be hard to see. that would be my first guess at the problem's location, given my own soldering 'skills..'

good luck. I also have '57 Classic and Classic+ in my SG and the sound is stunning... It is a dramatic and authoritative voice that lives up to the SG's appearance, which is still radical 50 years after it was pooh-poohed by Lester Polfus, who's now daid. *shrugs

good luck, don't give up till you have what you want.

 

[Biddlin]

" bad solder joints could cause the output to be less than it should be, and might be hard to see."
Probably the most common signal killer in the whole route form strings to amp, is the cold solder joint . One of my first experiences with modern epis, my Silverflake LP was sold as not-working because of cold solder joints at the p/u switch and output jack . I now make swapping out switches and outputs part of the routine, since it gives me a chance to check the rest of the wiring at the same time . I like the modular set up in newer models .
Biddlin ;>)/

 

[tolm]

I'd definitely check the wiring/soldering before taking a hair-dryer to the '57s!!

I've got 57 Classics in my '61 Reissue and it freakin' roars. :)

 

[Dave]

Are the new onse 4-conductor?
If so, you may have them wired to only be using one coil or maybe parallel vs series.