Epiphone Explorer goth mod!

  The Epiphone goth series guitars are very nice instruments. I have the SG G-400goth and the LP studio goth and they are both great. I have also serviced and played the explorer goth guitar. Their playability and build quality are excellent. Slim 60s style necks are awesome and the weight of these instruments makes 'em ready for stage use. Moreover, the mat black finish on the back of the neck lets you move faster up and down the fretboard's length.
  But, there is one downside on these goth guitars: the electrics... The classic Epiphone pickup selector is usually a component that's prone to failure, not only on these goth series but in every modern Epi guitar that's out there.  The lp, sg and explorer goth I serviced, all had their pickup selectors replaced...
  Also, the epiphone alnico classic pickups are a bit blah... The alnico magnetic bar used in these pickups gives them lower output, less upper harmonics and loose bass response: not a good thing. I usually change the alnico magnetic bar to a ceramic one and the pickups really sing. Some clients however don't like this easy low-cost mod and head for a pickup change. Although there are hundreds of decent pickup making companies like Wilkinson, GFS, Tonerider, Dragonfire, Belcat, Artec, Axe-R-us and so on, the majority of them goes for a new EMG 81/60 or 81/85 set. These are active pickups designed back in 1979... so there are a few downsides. Unless you're a heavy metal-only player, you 'll find that the emg actives can't suit lots of playing styles and they tend to compress and overdrive every amp which isn't always a good thing... I prefer the EMG Hz or EMG SRO passives which are much more affordable, versatile, soulful, rich in harmonics and can always be turned into actives at will, with the help of an emg PA2 or emg afterburner booster!
  Anyway, the owner of the following explorer goth had allready bought the emg active set so I installed it. What's very helpful with these pickups is that the new emg wiring is totally solder-less! You can install it properly with a set of screwdrivers and a wire cutter. It's not an easy task to replace your old pickups but it gets a bit more comfortable with the EMGs if you don't know how to solder.

Here are some pics

Before:

Then:

After: