SG crossed with Les Paul Recording

[Biddlin]

oops

 

[dbb]

oops

Wrong thread? Or bad idea to make an SG Recording?

 

[Relic61]

Dave, I have one that was crossed with a 335 but not an SG, just to stir things up a little. It doesn't have as many fancy schmancy switches but it does have 3 impedance selections and two outputs for stereo. Here's a pic.

Unlike the original LP, this guitar is also capable of putting out a hot sounding humbucker tonality that takes on a liveliness as its turned up due to the semi hollow body's resonance. At the right volume it can be really inspiring to play & almost hauntingly alive with its note's evolving under your fingers into new tones by added harmonic overtones that beckon a creative adventure. I could see one developing a whole new style of playing coming from using this guitar as their main axe. Reminds me about Ted Nugent having the floor taped so he could find his various spots to stand so to bring out his guitars harmonics or desired feedback. Although this guitar is capable of that, it is also capable of so much more because of the pickups, selector and stereo output.

So why wasn't this done in an SG format?? Was it because the low Imp was a Les Paul thing & he wasn't crazy about the SG? Do I see an SG build in your future Dave?? The SG dbb Low Z Stereo Recording model by David Brown Guitars??

 

[dbb]

It would never be David Brown guitars - I'd have guys like Lou or others of my own buddies that are builders do the heavy lifting. If money is no object it may even be the neck-through SG body I've thought about.

I at best an a tech and can do some serious mods, which is what I was planning...getting a basic SG body, gutting it, and installing the LP Recording pickups and wiring.

The pickups in the amazing guitar in the picture are pretty close but not exactly the same ones, but they are close, the same family that's for sure.

Nice axe.

 

[Relic61]

The pickups in the amazing guitar in the picture are pretty close but not exactly the same ones, but they are close, the same family that's for sure.
QUOTE]

The pups in that Les Paul Signature are actually very unique mini humbuckers. I believe the real deal Recording Les Paul pups were large single coils. I don't know if they had wire taps like on a transformer or if the impedance changes were done with caps & resistors or both?? I guess its time to read up on them. What info do you have Dave? How did they achieve the multi selections settings? Did the pups have taps in the wind??

 

[dbb]

The pickups in the amazing guitar in the picture are pretty close but not exactly the same ones, but they are close, the same family that's for sure.
QUOTE]

The pups in that Les Paul Signature are actually very unique mini humbuckers. I believe the real deal Recording Les Paul pups were large single coils. I don't know if they had wire taps like on a transformer or if the impedance changes were done with caps & resistors or both?? I guess its time to read up on them. What info do you have Dave? How did they achieve the multi selections settings? Did the pups have taps in the wind??

The ones I am interested in were indeed the large single coils, and the guitar had a built-in transformer with a switch; the earliest model needed an outboard transformer if not plugged into a low input on a mixer or special amp.

All the tone changes are passive electronics.

 

[dbb]

 

[Relic61]

Cool pics Dave. I love this stuff so I appreciate the thread and your quest. Les sure loved these low impedance pups and they sure had there variations on the theme over the years. I was always interested in these as well as his playing style & sound. Here's some interesting pics off the www.

and let's not forget Les' penchant for going over the top...

 

[dbb]

OH, the guitar with the "Les Paulverizer" tape controls.

 

[nbeersiii]

Man i been wanting to replly to this thread for two days. My other phone took a crap. What about the 70s sg2? It has low impeadance pickups i think

 

[dbb]

What about the 70s sg2? It has low impeadance pickups i think

Uh, really? I had no idea.

Still it's exactly the pickups I once owned - in a guitar that was to me unplayable sitting or standing - that I am looking for. I really do not recall seeing an SG with the Les Paul Personal/Recording pickups.

 

[nbeersiii]

Yeah it's the sg that has th lp pick guard. I would post a pic if I could

 

[dbb]

If it's this SG II then that's not it, the pickups are not the same.

SG Guitar Forum | II

 

[nbeersiii]

Well maybe I was wrong the sg2 seems to have mini hums

 

[nbeersiii]

I know for a fact thee old melody makers from the 60s had them cause I played one at guitar center. It sounded good too.

 

[dbb]

Mini humbuckers have a lot of fans, but I am not one of them. I like humbuckers, P90's and those damn low Z Les Paul pickups!

 

[patsanger]

One fun thing about the pickups are that you could prob make them yourself since they are so low in turns -

"The LP Lo-Z pickups use 28 gauge wire, and have about 600 turns on each coil
(it’s a stacked humbucker)." Main - Woody's Gibson Les Paul Recording guitar page Kalamazoo, Michigan MI

 

[bea]

You might dig into the following pages for more info (that guy actually seems to own a LP recording)

Praktische Infos zu Technik + Sound von Elektrogitarren + Elektrobässen für Spieler, Liebhaber, Sammler, Hersteller, Bastler, Freaks, ... - GitarrenElektronik.de - Niederohmige Pickups

What i would do: take some cheap humbucker sized P90 and replace their windings with some 500 windings of thick wire (i am using 0.2 mm diameter, but it does not really matter). Make a compensation coil for hum cancelling.

In the framework of an SG body i would still use the toggle switch, and add a 6x RC-Switch to manipulate the resonance frequency. IMPORTANT: the resonance peak may become really sharp - they need to be damped to sound good. I run the Lo-Z Tele-PU into a load of 2.8 kOhms or less.

Amplification: You can either do a symmetrical output - such a guitar can be played directly into microphone inputs - or add active electronics in order to compensate for the low sensitivity of the PUs. You need about 20 dB additional gain.

All this can be put into the guitar while retaining its visual appearane.

Played through fullrange speakers such a guitar will sound almost acoustical as long as the PU resonance is above the range of our ears.

 

[smitty_p]

You might dig into the following pages for more info (that guy actually seems to own a LP recording)

Praktische Infos zu Technik + Sound von Elektrogitarren + Elektrobässen für Spieler, Liebhaber, Sammler, Hersteller, Bastler, Freaks, ... - GitarrenElektronik.de - Niederohmige Pickups

What i would do: take some cheap humbucker sized P90 and replace their windings with some 500 windings of thick wire (i am using 0.2 mm diameter, but it does not really matter). Make a compensation coil for hum cancelling.

In the framework of an SG body i would still use the toggle switch, and add a 6x RC-Switch to manipulate the resonance frequency. IMPORTANT: the resonance peak may become really sharp - they need to be damped to sound good. I run the Lo-Z Tele-PU into a load of 2.8 kOhms or less.

Amplification: You can either do a symmetrical output - such a guitar can be played directly into microphone inputs - or add active electronics in order to compensate for the low sensitivity of the PUs. You need about 20 dB additional gain.

All this can be put into the guitar while retaining its visual appearane.

Played through fullrange speakers such a guitar will sound almost acoustical as long as the PU resonance is above the range of our ears.

You better be careful, Bea. Talking like that, some of our single forum members may start to fall in love!

 

[dbb]

I hadn't though of winding them, but you guys make it seem possible, although it would be nice to have the "real thing".