First impression Pearly Gates neck

[Nick50]

So I had a 59 and JB in a Hagstrom f20t.
This is a basswood guitar with maple neck and diamond wood fingerboard which is an ebony sounding fingerboard.

The 59 was fine, but somewhat boomy.
The middle position with distortion tended to be very muddy and sounded too much like the neck.

My first impression is the Pearly Gates neck is a very balanced sounding pickup straight out of the case.

Very little turns of the big adjustment screws equal noticeable change in sound.
At first I thought it was a little lacking in bass but a very, very slight turn gave me more bass.
It seems to be more sensitive overall.

It also gives a much better and clearer middle position than the 59.
That classic burpy type of middle is more apparent.
There is more of a distinction between the neck and middle with distortion.

It sort of sits between the 59 and the Seth Lover.
A little brighter than the 59, but not as much as the Seth Lover.
But you can adjust the highs to be more mellow.
Still very much a PAF pickup sound but with a better distortion than the 59.

Height is 3/32" on both sides, same for the JB. No problem matching volume levels.

I need to test it more, especially with a tube amp and effects, but it has a certain character that really grows on you.

[Securb]

I have one in my Strat split it gives a very good Straty sound.

[GuitarDoc]

I love the PG in the neck. One of my favorite neck pups, along with the Jazz and Demon.

[Dudeman7]

The Pearly Gates is by far my favorite neck humbucker. Mine is in a HH Strat.

I agree with pretty much everything you said about it, too. The PG rewards good technique and it is so responsive to subtle changes it's ridiculous. Once the height is dialed in, it becomes the most fun neck pickup out there.

[Benjy_26]

I think the PGn is the best production neck pickup that Duncan offers in thr PAF class precisely because of the qualities you mentioned. It's thick, but not boomy, has good upper frequencies and snarl, and it is very touch sensitive. I've yet to hear it sound bad in anything.

[Fender_Punk]

I look forward to someday trying a Pearly Gates set in a guitar.

I had a '59 neck in my Epi LP and a Jazz in the neck of my MIM std. I found the same middle position issue and generally the '59n a bit muddy in the LP so swapped it with the Jazz and it's round but not muddy in the Tele. The Jazz is perfect in the LP, pairs well with the '59 bridge and middle position similar to what you describes in your setup.

I think Seymour has more variations on the PAF than Gibson does.

[beaubrummels]

My scale goes like this:
Ultimate PAF neck > 59n/A4 > Pearly Gates Neck > Jazz Neck > Seth Neck > 59n

[Aceman]

It to me, is the pickup that should be the stock Les Paul neck pickup

[AJ6stringsting]

To me, the Pearly Gates and the Screamin' Demon are very similar, except the SD get nastier than a PG up in the neck, but the SD cleans up on a clean channel too.

[Ascension]

The PG neck sounds fantastic is a 24.75 scale darker toned guitar. It's one of those pickups that in the right spot is just pure magic. Sounds like in your guitar it was the right spot congrats.

[AJ6stringsting]

Funny, how some pickups don't sound good in a particular guitar .... Then you put it in another, then you got the TONE OF THE GODS !!!!

[Mincer]

Funny, how some pickups don't sound good in a particular guitar .... Then you put it in another, then you got the TONE OF THE GODS !!!!

Always ask yourself what that particular guitar needs, not what you wanna try.

[beaubrummels]

What I do is just get to know what properties the pickups and the guitar have, like 'slight bump in the high-mids', 'just right amount of sizzle on top', etc. then match up to compensate for what's missing; e.g. warm/dark guitar, put the pickup that has some sizzle.

[Ascension]

Always ask yourself what that particular guitar needs, not what you wanna try.

Spot on advice here!

[bloodswords]

PG neck - one of the best for clarity, especially with loads of drive / distortion.