Nothing much, just spending time with the SG Special (2017). Taking it easy. Had been having negative vibes all week (since last Friday; broken items, called-off appointments, failed transactions, cancelled trip, etc.)
I bloody dislike the 490 humbuckers, one of the worst for high gain, almost no clarity in the neck. If you are into that woman tone, maybe these are for you. However, I'm the type who likes to tinker & give a second chance to many things so these lemons deserve another chance.
Took the guitar down to Beez for a complete electronics overhaul. Nothing you see here are from the Gibson end of things; Japanese 3-way toggle, Chinese input jacks & pots & Panasonic Gum Drop capacitors. More importantly, I replicated what worked elsewhere, namely, the A500K pots & .022uf capacitors.
I was right. The pickups sound better with those parts on board. On that note, the pickups sound like how I want them to be; clarity retention at high gain setting & top end definition. A trusted pack of Darco 10s to make my day.
Folks, when you buy a Gibson or any other brand of guitars for that matter, you are buying the manufacturer's set up & what they perceive to be the best manifestation for the instrument. Reality check - you may like the instrument but you detest the tone. If it's within your capacity, swapping out parts could be the answer but it entails extra costs. To level this out, acquire a used instrument so the extra expenditure on your preferred parts / accessories are worth the considerations. Happy ending today.
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