Modifying a Gibson SG Jr.

[@LiLi-or2gm]

It's easy to see why that pickup is highly desired for slide- it sings so sweetly!

[@MarkMcCluney]

That turned out rather well. We felt that the instrument has a friendly sort of tone. Thank you Ted, that was very enjoyable.

[@guitfidle]

Digging the sound from that DeArmond!

[@Gnaus76]

It sounds awesome

[@Slamgod]

Yeah! Real nice fat, smooth and crisp tone on that pickup. Sounds fantastic!

[@damiendyda8608]

I agree. Very chimney and thin sounding. Beautiful!

[@PDInfantryman]

Ditto. The tone instantly warmed. Nice work!

[@junkmonkey4686]

Just wanted to say that I love your videos. I see too many people on KZbin grumbling and complaining about the repairs or mods they need to do. It's nice to see someone who takes pride in and enjoys the work that they do.

[@chuckshipley9917]

Content creators like you are why I love KZbin.

[@jetobey5656]

In a recent comment, I offered an old racer's "mantra"-- "Attention to detail wins races." For you, I will modify it---:Attention to detail wins respect and reputation." When I get my shop moved into my basement, I will have much less time to watch, but for now, I can spend all day watching your fine work. Thank you.

[@tedfurlo2268]

Would you believe that I found a smash up, ruined tenor guitar in the gutter years ago that had a set of two of these wired in. I took it home and disassembled it and kept the parts for years. Recently I revisited those parts and simply mounted them side by side in the sound hole of a Blueridge flat top. I ran the input out the tailspin hole and mounted the control/input at the tail pin. Without ANY modification to the guitar I succeeded in touting two VERY hot single coils to this guitar AND IT NOW SCREAMS!! Fascinating video! I admire your creative(trouble shooting) mind and resolve. Your an INSPIRATION, Ted Furlo

[@deanmccaskill5495]

I love the smell of books and used bookstores!! I know those scent nostalgia trips too man. Just wanted to comment and say I think you are a master craftsmen and an artist sir.

[@BenPrevo]

Great work ! Hi from Dublin -- you can easiy change the phase on any gibson pickup by flipping the magnets and leaving the wiring intact -- peace

[@PhilAlbinus]

I thought adding that pickup was heresy but it sounds sooooo good. Wonderful work!

[@rustyaxelrod]

I see where you (and this customer) are going. Derek Trucks is one of my favorites on slide.

[@sjorsvandermeulen4285]

Having an SG myself I regularly find dings in strange places that have nothing to do with an attempt of relicing. It's just what happens when using the thing.

[@jonrossi5110]

agreed, my 05 that ive had for 7yrs now has hardly ever seen outside my bedroom and has quite a few. but my bedroom is tight and I can recall a handful that I accidently put on it

[@stepvanjoe3469]

My Les paul studio goes everywhere and seems to mostly get thrashed at home on the corner of the coffee table

[@bldallas]

Bravo! Another fascinating modification. You never cease to amaze me; you have such a keen eye for detail, a library full of experience and knowledge, and amazing craftsman skills on even the most delicate of procedures. Love your videos, please keep them coming.

[@gumguppy1123]

I have no future in lutherie, but it's always a joy to watch a master at work

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

Yeah, I just pulled mine because it’s microphonic and it’s a neck pick up in the bridge but it’s bright as I’ll get out because they didn’t wax it. I’m wondering if you could just pour wax into the cavity and then push the pick up in there and get some kind of result.

[@donhanson6774]

I enjoy watching you. You were wondering about the little random divots in the SG. Unfortunately, I have caused very similar dents and divots in one of my Les Paul's. The metal strap locks attached to the ends of a slim leather guitar strap have clunked the surface of my guitar when I wasn't careful. Similar dents occur from the plug of an instrument cable accidentally swinging into the finish of my guitar. What irritated me the most about the strap locks is that they are intended to keep my guitar from harm, yet they have caused more cosmetic damage than anything else my guitar has been exposed to. I've come to accept the blemishes. At least I don't obsess over them like I used to.

[@American_Jeeper]

The biggest issue I’ve had with conductive paint is that, over time, the paint starts to deteriorate, and the graphite dust (or whatever the conductive material is) gets all over the pots, switches and pickups.

[@thebooda]

You sir, are a joy to watch! Thank you for your efforts and time on these videos!

[@jackpasternak7586]

whatever i don’t learn in the shop through trial and error, this channel teaches, and for that i’m grateful

[@ernestone7357]

It’s so refreshingly enjoyable to watch your work. Very nice.

[@thestrum71]

Great job there! And both pickups together sound phenomenal! Owner must be happpy! Love your videos!

[@britlitemail]

Fantastically interesting to watch, and that DeArmond ended up sounding amazing. More and more thinking I need to change the P90 housing humbuckers in my special back to regular old P90s. Thanks for your videos, always make the day a bit better.

[@robertwillett4122]

Just found your blog. Very interesting to me, been playing guitar for fourty years. My only job i have ever had was a finish carpenter. Happily retired loving life and enjoying your show. Glad to see there are still craftsmanship alive and well. I have watched the quality of craftsmanship almost disappear. Keep up the good work. Try to teach a younger kid your skills. Take care.

[@free-birdrocker8809]

I have the jr's older brother SG and it sounds pretty good. Your mod sounds awesome. Good work1

[@larsdahl6594]

Impressive craftsmanship. You are a very skilled (and brave!) man. I picked up this as a hobby way too late in life to ever reach your level. Nice job!

[@masongregory278]

The end result is a fantastic sounding guitar. Plucky, chimey and glassy. No muddy midrange, no woofy low end and no brittle highs. I dig it.

[@AiMR]

One of the tips I discovered about copper tape is that you can buy the stuff intended for snail repellent for a lot less than that specific for shielding.

[@paulcowart3174]

Very cool 👍 I just got a 66 Jr project and was going to get some of that tape DIY pest control stores ?

[@TinkerToneworks]

but that won't have conductive adhesive on the back.

[@daaara]

surprisingly Fender-y sounding for an SG! Both the bridge P90, and especially the DeArmond. Great work, as always

[@JC-11111]

Wow. Nice job once again, Ted! You, sir, are a master of your craft. 👍😎 Wow. That pickup didn't turn out to sound half bad. Works for me. 😆👍

[@Curtislow2]

Always learn something valuable here. Thanks for the time and effort you impart to us.

[@matthewf1979]

*THIS ONLY WORKS WITH P90’S* To match an older pickup “phase”, It would be easier to disassemble the P90, flip the coil over(longitudinally), swap the leads and then reassemble it with the correct magnet orientation. Ive done it on a handful of P90 equipped guitars for people who wanted a noiseless middle position, it works fantastically. Matching phase may require all of those steps, or one. Entirely depends on what you’re working with.

[@twoodfrd]

You invert the entire coil, not just the bar magnets??? Intriguing.

[@johnnypk1963]

Matt Fields why would u have to swap lead wires after flipping the magnet? I’ve installed some PRS 5 way switches, that required opposite polarity pickups and I’ve had to flip the magnets before but I’ve never “swapped leads”

[@corneliuscrewe677]

Wait, does that in effect make it “reverse wound,” or is that to correct or create an out of phase sound?

[@HBSuccess]

Good solution- never considered that!

[@matthewf1979]

johnnypk1963 like I said, you might have to do all of the steps, but at minimum flipping the coil.

[@tomkirk6942]

You sir are a hell of a craftsman. Enjoy your videos. Cheers.

[@bryantcrawford214]

I wish I was half as good at guitar repair as you are.you make it look so easy.people that hasn't been bit by the bug doesn't understand but it's addictive.i love working on guitars and building them.ive been doing it for a little over 10 years now and would love to do it for a living.but anyway thank you for what you do for us.i don't miss a episode.cheers from Tennessee

[@johnb5519]

That was a brave move drilling that large hole. With my luck it would have grabbed and spun out of control. Your attention to detail is second to none.

[@prinskipperskipple]

That neck pickup sounds good 👍 Great work. I enjoy your channel.

[@doppler55]

Such joy to watch a true craftsman. Canada's proud!

[@alanturner6239]

Wow, an incredible good job. Never seen this channel before, but I definately would trust my guitars with this repair man!

[@BertGrink]

Interesting project that was nicely executed, and hey man! Your soldering skills are definitely up to the task.

[@GIBKEL]

Mine smelled the same way. I thought of trying this in a tele. Never did I ever think of this in an SG? It’s a great sounding pickup. Unique!

[@markymark560]

Very nice job. New pickup looks great.

[@jasonteqja7262]

Wonderful craftsmanship and playing!

[@plasticrap4577]

You do really great work my man! If you lived in the states I’d give you some work! Thanks for all the tips! Well done!

[@50Something]

I didn't expect the Dearmond pickup to sound so good! Good job buddy!

[@pskemster]

Your solder joints are flawless! Really enjoyed watching your video. As we would say Here in the south,,,you know your onions!,,lol

[@hydorah]

That's really nice! I love what you and your customer have managed to come up with there!

[@SmiTTyy-sh8nc]

Excellent work, the extra care taken after drilling for the jack taking time to super glue the finish to keep from future chipping ✔ And shielding the wiring cavities and.... backside of the cover plate very nice. Enjoyed your take on the premature ageing "Unless someone is charging the stage with a spear, how does that happen ?" 😅 Another master class video !!

[@jts3339]

Another nice, clean job of giving your customer what he asked for, which is a rare quality. The result looks good, and sounds great. Occasionally, I would have approached some of these challenges a little differently, but I never have a disagreement with your results.

[@ozwaldmusic]

Damn that sounds fantastic. Have an old dearmond soundhole pickup in a 50s barclay acoustic and it’s amazing - looks like the big brother to that pickup

[@JeremySmith23]

My SG has has a bunch of those same little dings, they just happen. Great work on the mod, I enjoyed the video.

[@perihelion7798]

I almost looked away when you started drilling the hole for the jack. It was scary. Of course, I should have known it was a cinch for your talents. Maybe I was thinking of me... Excellent job, as always, and a nice change of subject matter from the acoustics [ which I love ].

[@grene1955]

Such sweet tones... I really loved the two together!

[@jetobey5656]

A trick I use--I solder up quite a few pots and caps down in cavities. Find a welder who has a Kevlar blanket and ask for a 12" x 12" cut from the blanket. Then, using the covers as patterns, carefully cut out cavity perimeters. Lightly tape down and go to work--protecting the finish, especially the cavity edges. PS- because in racing days, I welded a lot of chrome moly, I bought 3 ---1/2" thick, large blankets--6' x 6'. One, I use for welding, 2 I use on my bench---1 dedicated to any process that can produce scratchy bits, and 1 that is never exposed to that risk. They are pricey, but by buying 3 at once, I got a discount. They are usually black with grey flecks; when one drops a tiny part or screw with a shiny appearance it is easy to spot the escapee and they are captured by the texture.

[@killer-kane]

I know what you mean about smells/odours from your memory. When I was a kid we had a beat up old accordian, many of the keys didn't work, some of the chief buttons too. But the wood it was made of had an unmistakable fruit flavour odour, it was a delight just to handle. I think it ended up on a Guy Fawkes bonfire if I remember correctly. Many, many years later I discovered an aftershave/ Eau De twoilette called Joop Red, it was the exact same fragrence, the memories just came flooding back. Whenever someone asks me what I'd like as a gift I always ask for Joop Red.

[@miket.220]

That sounds great. I was always a fan of John Lennon's modified LP Jr with the "Charlie Christian" pickup, but I like this one even better. And the client is right, no tone knob needed on the DeArmond.

[@thomasburnett4712]

A great example of very nice precision and careful workmanship!

[@chipper442]

Both pickups sound pretty nice together. You do amazing work, I enjoy your channel, and have a ton of respect for your attention to detail and care for the instruments, no matter the value. Thank you.

[@marcusaurelius49]

A 10yr old Gibson without a broken headstock? Quick, call Guinness World Records!

[@hokehinson5987]

Great job! That funky DeArmond is sweet!🤩

[@symonf1966]

Fantastic video! Very educational and also I think you made that guitar sound so much better. Thank you for posting.

[@streetmoto1384]

Nice work again! Lovely sounding pickup!

[@walterw2]

for the switch you wanted what gibson actually uses here, a "deep nut" that reaches down enough to catch the switch threads awesome as always, and for a "non-electronics" guy your soldering is lovely. i especially appreciated your pointing out the risks of going too deep with a neck pickup rout on an SG, that funky dearmond was therefore the right choice wasn't it? also it looked like you had no washers on the jack mounted in the electrosocket, also cool because at least with a regular switchcraft #11 that leaves just enough clearance for a right-angle cable plug to fit.

[@paolociccone4024]

Sounds lovely. Great job, thank you for sharing this, it's very much appreciated.

[@didpip]

Wow, especially considering the variables the mod looks great!

[@rogerlawson4516]

Thats going to be a great sounding slide guitar. Nice work.

[@Epiphone100]

Looks and sounds fantastic........brilliant job indeed, I would certainly be chuffed with that !

[@tommypetraglia4688]

Was really hoping for a slide piece at the end, but still was rocked to sleep with that sweet little lullabye

[@ctld5266]

I always shield jack embase cavity. In my experience with tone and volume pots that's were you reduce EM noise the most .

[@jipes]

Very nice customisation I like the way you keep the original pickguard ! The Dearmond pickup seems to sound very warm Cool job Congrats !

[@sharkman4928]

Very nice work and sounds GREAT as well!!!! I love how you left it with the SG Jr. look!!!!

[@martinmcgimpsey9750]

You do awesome work! Enjoyed the video!

[@stepvanjoe3469]

Wow I watch your channel quite a bit never commented until now that DeArmond pickup sound really good 👍

[@robertrosenfield405]

Does sound good. Very clean install. Thank you for the lesson.

[@kathrynwhitby9799]

lovely complimentary tones.

[@bigbasil1908]

What are you on about 'a frankenstein'? That neck pickup looks straight enough to me lol. It looks like it was always there. Damn. You perfectionists. You are great Ted. 98% of people aren't going to notice what you notice.

[@mooseteets]

i use a spade drill bit for those tunamatic bridges, i ground the pointy bit flat and it works a treat, i originally made that bit as a screwdriver for fitting the plug into a sink, spade bits are nice because they have a hex shank and will fit into a ratchet screwdriver or a hex handle.

[@MrOccamRazor]

The front pickup [the DeArmond] was a gorgeous sound.

[@aaronvanderhorst6773]

Great work. Gotta say, changing the polarity of a P90 is very easy. Take out the magnets and turn them around.

[@garywhitt98]

Wonderfully done Ted!

[@michaelinglis8516]

Looks like a Fralin diagram. I used one of their diagrams for the tele I just built. It was their 4 way tele mod diagram. I liked that it added the extra series middle position in the 3rd switch position rather than the 4th like the typical 4 way wiring. Just makes more sense to me that way. It allows me to still be able to switch full up quickly for the neck and full down for the bridge which are the most common positions I use. Bit I can see the logic behind having the extra series position in the 4th switch position since it's the loudest and possibly darkest depending on your pickups. With the set of Fender pure vintage 64's I used the series position isnt too dark at all. Just louder/fuller. I was skeptical since series/parallel wirings are always hit or miss in my experience but when they hit it's a great extra option.

[@johnparker2636]

Another expert job - very enjoyable to watch. Love he tip about the bridge adjuster (hardwood dowel= genius). Bit surprised about the jack output location though- if the owner ever changes his mind re sitting (or decides to sell) its going to be a PITA re trying to fit a strap.However as they say , the customer pays, the customer says.....

[@JesusROCKS365247]

I don’t work on guitars, except for my own. Your videos are so enjoyable though because I love guitars and you do fantastic work. Plus, I like your narration. It relaxes me to watch and listen. Keep up the great work!

[@henryhunter5026]

Nice job, with pre-planning and a lot of skill everything turned out very well. I particularly liked the the choice of an electro socket it was a particularly good one, it’s virtually invisible when viewing the guitar from the front. I own a few SG guitars and I’m amazed that the neck/body joints hold up as well as they do, I believe that Gibson had to move the neck pickup on the original double cutaway Les Paul Special due to it compromising the neck joint although I don’t think that the shallow rout you had to make to fit the Dearmond pickup will cause any problems.

[@74dartman13]

Nice work!👍😎🎸🎶

[@greatnortherntroll6841]

Now it's time to intentionally snap the headstock off, so you can repair it to a Stronger-than-new condition!

[@TelecasterLPGTop]

The neck will snap off before the headstock snaps.

[@Professor-Scientist]

Excellent informative video. It's long but there are no useless seconds it's all good quality.

[@TGormania]

I use a very small set of needle nose vice grip pliers (set just to contact the screws) for the bridge adjustment screws.

[@1978garfield]

Looks and sounds great! I thought for sure the headstock would break while it was resting on your foot, even before you started drilling the hole.

[@BB49]

That De'Armond sounds sweet!!!! Unexpected actually, I initially thought it might sound on the tinny side, but it's full and rich!!!

[@buckellard]

"Nostalgia Scent Memories". That was awesome.

[@nickdryad]

I know it’s a heresy to say this but I’ve made two guitars without tone pots and I didn’t miss tone control.

[@budgetguitarist]

I don't remove them, but... honestly, the treble knob on the amp always works better than the tone knob in the guitar.

[@pdp977]

I'm afraid that for most of my stuff neither the tone or volume is used a lot. Mind you, most of my starts need only have a neck pickup at that.

[@colinjohnstone7956]

Works for Tom Delonge 🤘🏻

[@calinguga]

at the other end of the spectrum, i change all my caps to 100nF (it's great for crazy fuzz. reducing the harmonic content brings down the noise and you get something like a tame square wave which i love)

[@Wolf_K]

Tone controls are useful for one thing to me: tuning. If you turn the tone all the way the tuner will detect the pitch a lot better.

[@beytone]

Lucky you that the pickups compared output volume seems to be spot on considering there’s no way of adjusting the pickups heights. Love the sound of that pickup

[@goober2969]

If watching your videos has taught me anything, it's that I could never be a luthier. I don't have nearly enough patience!

[@Expedient_Mensch]

Nice of you to use the tone light! Very much appreciated! 🤣

[@Kali-Yuga-Peace-Corp]

The mod sounded nice. Great work.

[@cjkoegl]

Great video (as always). When deciding where to place the neck PU, other than using the 24th fret as a visual aid for slide, isn't there a general practice in terms of where it will sound best, vis-a-vis harmonics along the length of the string?

[@guitfidle]

On a lot of guitars, especially Gibsons, they try to put the neck pickup as close as possible to the end of the fretboard. This puts the pickup right where the 24th fret harmonic sits. SGs have that narrow spot where the neck joins the body, so they are typically set a bit further away from the neck end. Otherwise you compromise the strength of the neck joint. Factory SGs with a neck pickup will usually have a strip or black pickguard between the pickup and neck, much like he did on this one.

[@twoodfrd]

The mathematics of harmonic nodal points gets really complex. Obviously, you wouldn't want to put the polepieces directly under the harmonic position, as the string doesn't move much there and presumably the magnetic field won't be disturbed very much, but unless you have one of those sliding pickup rails, dialing it in is usually hit and miss.

[@cjkoegl]

@@twoodfrd Thanks -- appreciate the reply.

[@terryjohinke518]

I played in a band and everyone said I should be the singer. No way UNLESS I had a guitar to hide behind. So , our keyboard player lent me an original 61 Gibson SG Les Paul Jr. in that exact shape and colour. Wow they are great. You can get so many sounds from a single pickup guitar with just a Volume and Tone control. We had old instruments as that was all we could afford in the 70s but gee they were great. We didn't realize we were playing vintage instruments that are now worth a great deal . BTW love DeArmond pickups.

[@JC-11111]

What it is...is a badass guitar! 😎🎸Awesome work, Ted!

[@ijosef]

These videos are like therapy. Better, even.

[@HBSuccess]

Great workmanship as always Ted. I’ve seen so many butcher jobs it’s wonderful to see a mod like this done carefully and thoughtfully.

[@johngrant5749]

Many thanks for a comprehensive informative video