Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

[Walgraeve]

Hello SD fans

I would like some experience-based information on a dilemma that's been ennoying me for months now. I currently posses a VOX AC4TV, stack, and an Ibanez AF55 hollowbody, both pieces of gear which are extremely good value for their money. The problem is that the stock pups in my ibanez kind of bum me out, they simply don't satisfy me because they sound rather weak, especially on the mids, and they lack the nice spongie low end and mind-piercing high end I would like to have in my sound. So I'm planning to replace both my pickups, but first of all the bridge pickup, because that's my main pickup and I'd like to see if swapping my stocks is worth the money. I play a whole range of sounds, from jazzy-blues to heavy blues (bonamassa-gibbons style) and classic and hard rock to drifting indie and alternate rock. So the pups should have a wide range of possibilities, and I've narrowed them down to either Pearly Gates or Alnico Pro II's. My guitar has an full maple body, mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. The things that hold me back on the Pearly Gates is the fact that I've read some reviews about them lacking a lot of low end and sounding harsh and gritty in any fase, the pro's that I like the idea of a cutting high sound with a slight touch-responsive edge to give my sound some hair. The contra's on the Alnico II's for me seem that they have quite a low output, so I'm afraid I will need a more powerfull amp in order to not getting a dull sound, and that they seem to lack those piercing high's I like. I hope this was enough information, please help a poor guy out

[blueman335]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Both of those PU's are low output, so that's a level playing field. I have a set of each and much prefer the A2P's. PGB's are pretty bright and the PGN's are very smooth and mellow without much treble. They're okay but nothing to get excited about. The A2P bridge is warmer and fuller, and the neck has more life to it, a bit more treble. I changed mags in both PG's, but didn't need to with the A2P's.

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

I reckon the PG has fairly more output in comparison to the A2P's, do you think if I would combine a pearly gates neck with a A2P bridge the neck might actually overpower the bridge pup? And has your A2P bridge enough balls and attack to actually cut through a mix?

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Why would a neck PG overpower a bridge A2P?!

The PGn is 7.3k ohms resistence.
The A2Pb is 7.85k.

They are virtually the same.(if anything, the A2Pb has a slightly higher output).

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Aight no prob then, I simply read a couple of reviews of this combo where the owner claimed the PG seemed to overpower the A2P bridge which didn't seem too irrealistic to me as I thought A2P's were considerably lower output, but I guess this problem might have something to do with the pickup height on the guitars...Thanks for the correction anyway

[blueman335]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Why would a neck PG overpower a bridge A2P?!

The PGn is 7.3k ohms resistence.
The A2Pb is 7.85k.

They are virtually the same.(if anything, the A2Pb has a slightly higher output).

Yeah, where does he get that PG's have so much more output? They're both low-wind PAF-types with low-output A2 magnets. Neither one is a powerhouse.

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Solves the issue about the A2P bridge being inferior in balssiness to the PG I guess

[Frogman]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

PG/AP2 Hybrid with UOA5 or A8!

Now that would interest me

[9unslin9er]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

It really sounds like you're going for versatility in your guitar.

Neither the PG nor the A2P are going to give you a huge bottom end. ESPECIALLY in the bridge position. They tend to be very loose pickups especially with high gain. Think - the main riff in Guns N' Roses - Paradise City. Driving rhythm, but definitely not thick. The PG will give you very much the same thing.

If you like to solo with your neck pickup, for those flutey tones, I'd go with the A2P.
If you like to riff with your neck pickup with a real thick dirty tone, I'd go the PG.

Either way, I'd look for something with a better bass and mids EQ for your bridge pickup if you want a guitar that can "do it all."

You might want to check out the DiMarzio 36th PAF bridge pickup if you want more bottom end. They'll match well with the A2P, PG, or even the SH-55 Seth Lover.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Have you even considered the P-Rail? You can get anything you want out of that...Thick/rich tones (coils in series), bright Tele type clangy highs (Rail coil), full mids with lots of bite (P-90), very articulate crystal clear tones (coils parallel). Run it through a Triple Shot to get all combinations without the need for any extra switches to install.

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Thank you, but I had already considered the 36th dimarzio's and I found them fairly alike to the PG's, but without the spank and rude edge I find so interesting in vintage sound which the PG does posses. And as for the low end, I do like a spongy, not-too-compressed low end, I think it gives power chords more drive by not swamping them in bass, so that's no contra

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Have you even considered the P-Rail? You can get anything you want out of that...Thick/rich tones (coils in series), bright Tele type clangy highs (Rail coil), full mids with lots of bite (P-90), very articulate crystal clear tones (coils parallel). Run it through a Triple Shot to get all combinations without the need for any extra switches to install.

And yes the P-rails were top on my list for a while, and still high, but the extra cost of 2 Triple shot rings + extra installation difficulties and costs (which I'm gonna get done by a luthier) scared me somewhat, I'm a student so my budget is rather modest. I simply love the concept of the P-rails though, and when I might posses a larger budget later on I will surely install them in a fitting guitar, but I'd like this guitar simple and straight to the point, although I'm hesitating about maybe putting a boost-switch on it

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

False economics.

Get what you want/what works the best in the first place and save money and trouble in the long run.

[Walgraeve]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

False economics.

Get what you want/what works the best in the first place and save money and trouble in the long run.

I do agree 100%, but IMO are neither the PG's nor A2P's inferior to the P-rail, simply a whole different concept, and as much as I would like the install the P-rails later on in, probably, a Les Paul to make it a as wide in possibilities as you can get, this is my workhorse guitar. I bought it in a Jack White-given impulse to start with something really basic and to the point, and four years later I'd like to keep it that way, and P-rails don't fit in that context.

[freefrog]

Re: Pearly Gates vs Alnico Pro II

Hi Walgraeve,

Quick answer: what you say of your needs makes me recommend the PG's, nickel covered : covers are an elegant and efficient way to tame the high range with this PU. The A2P is bassier and might have less richness in the mids in an instrument like yours (That's what I had noticed when I had tried it in a guitar made of sycomore).

Regarding output levels: whatever are the DCR specs of the two PU's, the PG’s are a tad more powerful because of their magnets, IME. They are also less compressed than the A2P.


Signed: a dude whose father was born in Belgium. !-)