Grateful Dead Music Forum

What do you guys think?

I'm looking to mod an SG with a full tiger circuit sometime this spring. I'm not going to butcher a vintage guitar... looking at something more modern. Not thinking Epiphone. I could go with an SG3... or, in addition to routing the back side, get a regular two pickup model and route the front as well.

Looking for suggestions and to benefit from your experience.


Thanks!

That would be cool in my opinion. Anything with a control cavity would be sweet to Tigerize.
Bright mahogany tone. All cool

+1

A tiger modded SG sounds awesome. I modified my SG a little while back. I did not do a full on Jerry mod to it but if I can provide you with any details that may help you let me know. There's a thread here on the board of my mods (Gibson SG Modifications). Not sure how to link it. I used an SG Faded that I purchased new about 10 years ago. I routed out a spot for a center pickup using a Dremel router attachment. I used the same router to route through the pickguard and it worked well. I did not need to route out any additional room in the back for my project. I'm not a luthier or advanced woodworker and I am happy with the results.

I have a Super 2 in the middle and Gibson 490s in the neck and bridge. One thing I like about the 490 bridge pickup is I can get some late 60's Garciaish SG sounds out of the guitar and then the Super 2 works great for the more modern stuff even on an SG, but I don't have another Jerry guitar to compare it to. There's probably an even better pickup option than a 490 for the 60's tones. Being able to get those early years SG tones of out the guitar maybe somehting to consider as well if that's of interest to you.

Chris

T-tops would be better than 490's for 60's SG tone, but if Tiger is what you want then you must go DiMarzio.

Thanks guys... I have a faded SG with the cresent moon inlays... not planning to mod it. I might buy a new one for this... always like that brown mohogany finish.

Right now I have jmrolph '61's in and they are really nice. Have tried the Lollar low winds and they sound close as well. I'll probably use one or the other of those pair for bridge and neck, even though I have three of the super twos sitting here.

I want an obel set up, so I figure I might as well take it all the way. I also have all the parts including the buffer board from Waldo.

I have thought about a SG just to have at my dad's place. I have not pulled the trigger, i just dont know. I think maybe a small body acoustic makes more logic. But if the price was right I always wanted an SG. Then it could become a project guitar. I have been to distracted lately.

I am watching this other thread as well.
forum/viewtopic.php?f=309&t=12619&hilit ... ifications

"bright mahogany tone" - ??????

I do not believe I have ever encountered that phrase

"dark" mahogany tone, sure - as well as "warm" mahogany tone - but it is the least "bright" I can think of

am I wrong?

I've wondered about the SG Supreme. It has a carved maple top and is really nice looking. I haven't played one but I would think the maple would make it a touch brighter. They're not cheap but if you can find a good deal one it might be a nice platform for such a project. I would love to get my hands on one someday.

Mahogany is surely darker than ash or maple (start), but the SG is much brighter than any les paul. An ebony fretboard brighten the SG up a bit, a maple neck even more. Right now I spend most of my time on the neck pickup of my SG... shifting that to the middle, well that's the big question for me. I'll probably not bother splitting the coils of the neck and bridge pickups which should free up a bit of space in the control cavity. BUt the battery and the buffer board will push the limits of the existing route.

bzbz...

That was really a transposed acoustic (dreadnought) comment. I think of a Rosewood acoustic as warm, and a mahogany dread as being more mid-rangy & bright. I have a mahogany LP converted to Tiger wiring. When I get it off the bench, I'll have to adjust my adjectives appropriately. My recollection is that is was bright, and I tend to think of SG's as bright-ish.

But...if we relate wood to it's relative hardness (Janka rating) which is somewhat equivalent to density, we find that Honduran Mahogany sits at about 800. Ash = 1300. Maple (Eastern) = 1450. African Mahogany = 830. Cocobolo = 1136. Ebony = 3220.

Well, that doesn't tell me much, now that I've typed it. My thought was that mahogany was in the ballpark with Ash, which it's not. And that Cocobolo would be harder (which it's not). Nothing. Nadda. So much for that thought.

So. When the Mahogany LP with Tiger Wiring gets off the bench, I'll AB against this Strat. Both with Tiger Wiring.

Maybe that'll be more informative than this post. Somebody pick up the pieces of my brain.
Logic has abandoned me for the holidays.

Peace
M

pics of that LP would be cool.

How about my LP?

I think putting supers or super 2's on an sg would get you pretty close as a lot of jerry's guitar's sound definitely is those pickups along with the buffer. But the next most important part of the tone is the 25 1/2" scale- 24 3/4" gibson scale is just not going to get you the snap and low end clarity that tiger had. also, someone said something like "bright mahogany wood" up above. mahogany is definitely NOT a bright tone wood.

Gibson did have a special sg and les paul model run called the 'raw power'- they are actually ALL maple gibsons (which i think seeing a gibson with a maple neck is awesome looking) That would be a good deal closer- but still that scale difference is the big one IMO

I've been thinking about getting an sg, but not to tigerize, rather to get that good dirty warm late 60's early 70's garcia tone.