dizzee Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Hi people , Im new here, just need a bit of advice, my brother loves gibson sg's. i just bought a stripped sg body of ebay. i am going to by a neck ang fit it with emg pick ups and custom paint it black. with a orange fret board.. all custom with his name on i was going to search out for a gibson set of eletronics and wire the emg's into them , im brilliant with preg work, im just need a a point into the right direction, can you answer my questions if you can please 1. if i buy a neck, will it fit the body ok ? 2.should i sand it back to wood as its the wrong colour at the moment or just give it a key 3 if i did take it back to wood..grain filler fine sanding paper. paint and laquer 4. is there a certan type of paint and laquer i should use.. 5. do u think this will be hard.. 6. why doesnt any one customize on the fret board.. can i if i want to.. eg.. paint it black if someone can get the idea of what im doing n do me a little list imm be really greatfull.. any suggestions welcome many thanks callam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Short list: 1. Read some of the tutorials - they really are helpful. 2. Everything in building guitars is an exact science so that playing them isn't - a neck will fit and work provided it's scale and heel measurements match the original. 3. Finishing is it's own beast - if it's your first go - really, really read the tutorials and remember there are a few thousand of us here that can answer clarifying questions. 4. We're all a little opinionated based on experience. Read all the comments before doing anything. 5. If building/finishing guitars were like lego sets, even 7 year olds could do it (apologies in advance to any 7 year old members of the forum). 6. To answer your questions: 1) Maybe, 2) Not likely, just back to the grain filler, 3) Sure, 4) Yes, depends on what country you're in though, 5) See #5 above, 6) Because it affects playability and most of us like it smooth and toneworthy over flashy. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 i was going to search out for a gibson set of eletronics and wire the emg's into them that wont work, the EMG's use much lower pot values than the gibsons... iirc EMG use something like 50k and gibson use 300-500k. this is because the EMG's are active and the gibson electronics are passive. that is unless you are talking about the cheapo EMG selects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 Painting a fretboard sounds like a disaster to me. With a few months' playing, the strings will have worn straight through the paint! Think of old maple-necked Fenders. The strings just cut through that lacquer. It's a cool look... but on your guitar, there may not be much orange left after a few years. Besides, fingerboard woods are usually pretty attractive. I think it would be a sin to paint rosewood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripthorn Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I second the no-go on the fretboard painting. Also, WezV, you can get the EMG HZ's which are just passive versions of the 81's and 85's (depending on model number). They sound really good, though they aren't 81's or 85's (got both HZ's and actives). They are still pretty pricey, about $125 US a set or so. They blow the selects out of the water. I guess I should let it be known that I am a huge EMG fan, though. Dizzee, having gone the route of trying too much the first time or two through, all I can say is rely on the forum members after an exhaustive search of whatever troubles you. These guys know their stuff (the majority of them know it much better than myself). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 oh yeah, i forgot about the HZ range... dizzee - check which EMG's you have - most are active and will not work with standard gibson pots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzee Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 i haven't got nun of the wiring yet.. all i have is a bare gibson body.. i was going to buy the neck and wiring separate... i could make something the can use emgs right.... unless i can get a full gibson pickups and switches on the cheap...i thought it might be cheaper to make a gibson than buy him one due to where i am there round 1000 pounds.. i choose emg pickups due to the fact that i know he likes them... i am a bass player and think emgs on a bass sound to jazzy. but on a guitar. sound amazing...esp with ernie ball strings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 You can get gibson pups on evilBay or somewhere like that prob. cheaper than new/used EMGs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 different pickups sound different on different guitars. I have two pickups that look exactly the same on my new bass that i'm building, but they sound completely different in each other's positions. I'm sure an EMG 81 would sound different on different instruments as well. Same with putting a P style pickup in a solid body guitar. I think you should just use the EMG electronics and get gibson original parts (knobs, bridge, switch covers, pick guards etc.) That way it'll look right, and sound right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzee Posted November 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 will a diffrent neck fit this guitar and play great.. i dnt wanna pay for a neck thats shite.. or is it a case of getting it setup right. is it work makin my own wiring for the guitar tio suit the emg pickups, due to emg just selling pickups.. could anyone make me the wiring to fit emgs with all thegibson switches and ill pay you for the parts and a little bit extra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 The wiring is not as big of a concern as the neck. The neck has to match the neck pocket and scale for the bridge. Finding an "SG" neck is well worth the money over paying for one. The electronics are far easier - just because it's a "Gibson" switch or pot, doesn't make it necessarily superior Active EMGs (those requiring a battery) will use 25k pots - some EMG kits come with these, otherwise, they're just a few bucks The switch remains the same. The jack may need to be changed as well, but not likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 (edited) You seem to be under the impression that you have a genuine Gibson SG body, is it a set neck or bolt on style?, you haven't mentioned that. I don't know if you are aware but as far as I know, REAL Gibson SG's are all set neck guitars, ie. mortise and tenon joints. If its a bolt on then you have a cheap copy, at best an Epiphone SG. If that is the case I am sorry to have burst your bubble and I hope you didn't shell out major bucks for a "Gibson" SG body. If its a set neck then you obviously need to find a real SG neck, with matching scale length and tenon to fit the mortise in the body. I don't know if they are all identical but I somehow doubt it, so some minor mods might be needed to get a good fit. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/i...p/t-312517.html Edited November 1, 2008 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 EmMG actives ALL come with all of the wiring and pots needed for every application.it is included in the price.Get the ZW set...they are made for the les paul...they come with two tone,two volume,a three way toggle,a stereo jack,and a wiring diagram.If you are as brilliant as you think you are you will be fine. That problem is solved... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 EmMG actives ALL come with all of the wiring and pots needed for every application.it is included in the price. in deed they do... unless you happen to think you are getting a really good deal off ebay, only to discover you need to spend a bit more on the appropriate electronics. it happens although the last set of EMG's i fitted was rather special, a 25th anniversary ZW special set with chrome plated and nicely engraved covers. they certainly looked pretty... but still sounded like EMG's. good for what they do but personally i want more from a pickup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 although the last set of EMG's i fitted was rather special, a 25th anniversary ZW special set with chrome plated and nicely engraved covers. I have a set of those...I put them on my Beast...they are excellent looking pups.I may take them off that guitar and install them on one of my new projects while i try to make the beast more comfy to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 I like my ZW set, because out of the 3 guitars i've had them in, it made them all sound "better" to my ears. I've had them in a NJ Beast, an Ibanez GRX20, and an Ibanez RG250DX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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