I knew it...

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.

Gold covers

I've been giving this guitar some TLC & it received a new pair of pickups plus some other minor changes. This is my Gibson LP Studio Premium Plus which made it to Davis GMC somehow, 21 years ago. I remember them telling me they have just displayed the guitar before I walked into the store & bought it on the spot. No questions asked.

The main highlight here are the new pickups in this guitar; a pair of Gibson 490 humbuckers. These were originally uncovered, double black units. I purchased a pair of gold covers to match the other gold hardware of the instrument. As you can see above, these are simply add ons, no extra wax potting were done, the covers were not soldered to the base plate as well. It's a tight fit but still allows pickup height adjustments. 

The strap buttons are now a pair of Dunlops. These are significantly bigger than the original buttons equipped by the manufacturer. I encourage LP owners to do this swap as we read horror stories of how straps gave way during movements on stage resulting in countless broken Gibson headstocks. I just wish Dunlop would supplement gold screws with their gold buttons. The one depicted here is the original screw that had been polished & showing its true nature; a chrome finish. 

The truss rod cover was also replaced with a black version so it looks flushed against the headstock. If you know me by now, I dislike the cover displaying the guitar's model. It adds some expectations relating to the guitar's performance which should not be the case to begin with. A fresh set of Harmony strings this time round.