DU guitarists- I have a question about pickups.

[Beware the Beast Man]

I have an Epiphone G-310 (the lo-cost SG knockoff) with two open-coil humbucker pickups, and have come to the realization that the tone is shite. I'd love to get a whole new guitar, but money is an issue. What brand/style/etc of do you recommend? Currently, the G-310 has a very "heavy metal" tone to it that I can do without. I'd like to get something that that has less low-end when playing clean, yet not as metal-sounding when using distortion. I know what I want to hear, but I'm having a difficult time putting it into words.
Thanks for your help!

Cross-posted in the Lounge and Musician's group.

[Sammy Pepys]

1. Try something in a P-90

Epiphone Casino, Gibson SG Classic/Junior. You should be able to score any one of those for under $800 new and even cheaper used.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Look Into Seymour Duncan

They have a WIDE variety of pickups with a selection of output power and tone. The higher the output, generally speaking, the more the highs get rolled off. So, the lower output pickups will be more in tune with what you're describing you'd like.

The last poster mentioned P-90's. That's not a bad idea, but they do get noise levels closer to a Fender. So, if you're really sensitive no noise, you have that in your cost/benefit equation.

I have Duncans on one of my Strats, and they are really clean and clear. Lots of sparkle, but of course, they are single coil. But, i've got Duncans on my Schecter with coil split, that i like a like. The front pickup has that "oooh" sound to it without any boominess, even with chords, and the bridge has plenty of cut but isn't at all harsh. Then with the switching, i can have the bridge dominant over the neck but both single coil, out of phase, or the opposite. So, i can get fairly quiet single coil sounds too!

That will cost you WAY less than a new guitar. I've seen their pickups for about $70 a piece.
The Professor

[bullimiami]

3. as the prof says. high output pickups are chunkier, louder but less highs.

one possiblility which is virtually free is to disconnect one of the coils in your current humbuckers.

depending on how the pickups were made there could be 2 sets of leads coming off each. with a little creativity you could make either of them run as a single coil or by adding switches have the option to run single or dual on each pickup.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Remember Though. . .

. . .that whether these are wired in series or parallel, three things:

First, the output impedence of the pickup is dependent on the pickups being wired together. Many times, the coilsplitting circuit has a resistor in the pickup that engages when in single coil mode to maintain the output impedence.

Secondly, The wire size * windings on a humbucker is specifically selected to have all those windings in place. So, it won't quite sound like a single coil pickup, and may be a little light in high end for a single coil sound.

Thirdly, the two coils on a humbucker are wound in opposite directions. So, you have to be sure which of the two coil wires you're snipping, otherwise if using the "both pickup" position, the sound will be out of phase. That might be cool, but you might hate it too!
The Professor