Pearly Gates Jr

[Natman]

Got the Custom Shop Pearly Gates for tele installed tonight. This is one pickup I have been dying to hear because there's not that much info out there, and precious few clips. I read some reviews calling it dark, it's more a question of mids. There are a lot of them! It basically has the sound of a full size bucker but thankfully I wired the 3-way mini toggle in for versatility. My tele has a SM-1 in the neck and a 4-way switch, so combined with this, there are lots of different tones. Probably the best part for me is having a noiseless option for the bridge. In series, it's pretty hot and rude, drives nicely and sings well. Clean, the mids are sort of honky like many PAFs. In split, the tone is much better than I expected, a lot like a real single coil (though not one with alnico rod magnets). It's totally usable. Parallel has less output of course but still has some honk to it. Though I have not heard the Lil 59, I am convinced that the alnico mag in this one keeps the tone warm/organic and repels harshness. It's a high quality sound (well it better be coming from the custom shop @ $150). So far I like it plenty but I wish I could drop some mids/honk out to get it to sound more balanced.

[Natman]

Re: Pearly Gates Jr

OK I just want to renege on the honk comment. I was playing through my Blue Angel the first time, but through a Heartbreaker there was no honk. Not sure why that is, maybe the speaker's voicing? Anyway, I really dig this pickup, it basically gives a full humbucker tone (and a good one at that) but I am sure glad the mini toggle is there because if it only had the series tone, it would be pretty limited and I'm sure most folks wouldn't care for it, too dark. And I'm using 500k pots for vol and tone. Don't even think of using 250k with this one! In series, it's louder than the neck mini, in split or parallel it's a bit weaker. Anyway, even though it's more like a HH guitar and less of a tele, it's much more versatile and toneful than the singles I had before (including a tapped 1/4 lb).

[loversmoon]

Re: Pearly Gates Jr

post some clips so we can hear what this sounds like. I would very much like to put one of these in my 52 reissue but having issues finding sound clips.

[Natman]

Re: Pearly Gates Jr

I think I will try clips eventually. I'm still loving it, BTW.
That "honk" issue is not as bad as I thought even in the Blue Angel.

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Pearly Gates Jr

I've been curious about this pickup too, I'd like to hear it side-by-side with a BG1400, which I have. Cool tele.

[loversmoon]

Re: Pearly Gates Jr

any clips of this ?? lol