In the world of electric guitars, few names hold as much weight as the SG. From the early days of rock 'n' roll to the golden era of "classic rock", the SG became the instrument of choice for countless pioneering musicians. Its distinctive sound, sleek design, and versatility made it an indispensable companion for artists who sought to break boundaries and redefine the music scene. But with those 60+ years of models, and other brands making copies, you can find yourself needing to tweak yours to get that distinct sound. Here are 5 ways to refine your SG.

1. Pot value:

Gibson for a long time used 300k Pots to “tame their humbuckers. There’s nothing wrong with that. But it can cause a strong response towards your pickups. What we mean is you either love or hate it. Raising the pot value to something like 500k can help let your pickups breathe, and maybe stop you from swapping out a pickup you might have liked – Want to learn more about Pot value? Click here

2. Pot taper:

This is mainly on a limited number of Gibson models, but mostly for import or non-Gibson SGs. Basically, these guitars use linear volumes, which we have found tends to make people assume the electronics are bad or "cheap". Switching to Audio can greatly change the feel of the controls. Take it the other way. Maybe you hate your Audio pots. Switch to Linear! Want to learn more about Pot tapers? Click here

3. Filter circuit:

Stock you have modern, or what we call a low pass filter. All that means is it saves the low end. If you hate how the guitar sounds using the controls, you might think about changing it to a high pass. We recommend 50s if you are a player who mainly touches your volume, or Treble bleed if you tend to use both the volume and tone. Want to learn more about filter circuits? Click here

4. Pickups:

Now realistically this is a personal taste thing. I would suggest staying away from focusing on the trend of its “this” style of pickup and mainly look at pickups through the eyes of their EQ.

5. Switch mods:

Sometimes, we can like how a guitar plays or sounds. So much that we want to use it on all different songs, whether they used that style of guitar or not. Adding Switch mods like coil cutting, phase, or series can be a great way to make that guitar blend in, or at the least give you a sound you were not expecting. One thing to note about this option is SG's come in a wide range of thicknesses. You will want to double check if your cavity can fit push pulls.