'59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
- Thread starter toneseeker74
- Start date
dr.barlo
New member
Re: '59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
I'd say, a Brobucker in the bridge and a 59N with an alnico 4 in the neck...
BTW, another option to consider could be Seths. Indeed, if you were to swap their a2s to a5s, they'd be quite close to the pickups in Clapton's Crossroads SG. Just saying...
B
I'd say, a Brobucker in the bridge and a 59N with an alnico 4 in the neck...
BTW, another option to consider could be Seths. Indeed, if you were to swap their a2s to a5s, they'd be quite close to the pickups in Clapton's Crossroads SG. Just saying...
B
Re: '59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
The 59 neck with Pearly Gates Bridge makes a wonderful combination of tones. I finished an all new custom built strat last year with these. The PG bridge makes a beautiful tube amp scream, sounds like Billy hmm. The 59 can jazz it up sweet and clear or really crank like Tush. Used it for cover tracks classics this fall. The sound is amazing. The SD Pearly Gates bridge is an unfair advantage.
The 59 neck with Pearly Gates Bridge makes a wonderful combination of tones. I finished an all new custom built strat last year with these. The PG bridge makes a beautiful tube amp scream, sounds like Billy hmm. The 59 can jazz it up sweet and clear or really crank like Tush. Used it for cover tracks classics this fall. The sound is amazing. The SD Pearly Gates bridge is an unfair advantage.
Re: '59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
Hi,
I must agree w/dr.barlo. I swapped my bridge Seth for an A5 mag in my SG and it sounds powerful and easily "Clapton/Creamish".
A4 mag is very close. Still fooling around with that this week. I had a dislike for my seth w/UOA5 mag. Full sound all up and down the frequencies, not as much high end, and sounded a little "fuzzy" around the edges. I realize my experience is opposite from most others, but it is what it is. I hate the phrase by the way.
My ears are 61 years old and I spent 15 years on the road, no master volumes, loud!-in the late '60's and all through the '70's, 5-6 nights a week. 4-5 sets. So my ears must be compromised. Still, this is how it sounds to me.
S.Buffington- SJ
Hi,
I must agree w/dr.barlo. I swapped my bridge Seth for an A5 mag in my SG and it sounds powerful and easily "Clapton/Creamish".
A4 mag is very close. Still fooling around with that this week. I had a dislike for my seth w/UOA5 mag. Full sound all up and down the frequencies, not as much high end, and sounded a little "fuzzy" around the edges. I realize my experience is opposite from most others, but it is what it is. I hate the phrase by the way.
My ears are 61 years old and I spent 15 years on the road, no master volumes, loud!-in the late '60's and all through the '70's, 5-6 nights a week. 4-5 sets. So my ears must be compromised. Still, this is how it sounds to me.
S.Buffington- SJ
ItsaBass
New member
Re: '59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
PGs will sound like a spicier version of those stock pickups. The PGs' basic flavor isn't too far off from the 490's. But the PGs will overdrive the amp earlier, so they are creamier...yet they also have a more biting high end floating on top of the cream.
Played completely dry, the 490's will sound more like a classic old-school humbucker tone than the PGs. PGs don't clean up as easily, and when they do, they sound more like over-wound single coils than like humbuckers.
59's will have the power of PGs, but they will sound drier - less "juicy," I would say. They are much more stiff and clattery, with much more anemic mids. However, they have a certain "wall of sound" mule kick character that the PGs and 490's don't have. If the PG is leather whip, then the 59 is a bamboo switch. IME, they are somewhat hard to clean up successfully, because they tend to hit amps relatively hard...but that's probably okay, because if you ever do clean them up, they sound hopelessly lifeless and sterile anyhow.
IMO, the 59's are best suited to being used with healthy amounts of gain and/or effects, and to being played pretty "straight ahead" with the right hand...i.e. at pretty much the same force all the time...while relying more on technology to achieve your dynamics (e.g. pedals or your volume knob). The PGs, OTOH, are more "hands on." They're better for those who rely more on natural amp breakup, and who play more dynamically with the right hand.
PGs will sound like a spicier version of those stock pickups. The PGs' basic flavor isn't too far off from the 490's. But the PGs will overdrive the amp earlier, so they are creamier...yet they also have a more biting high end floating on top of the cream.
Played completely dry, the 490's will sound more like a classic old-school humbucker tone than the PGs. PGs don't clean up as easily, and when they do, they sound more like over-wound single coils than like humbuckers.
59's will have the power of PGs, but they will sound drier - less "juicy," I would say. They are much more stiff and clattery, with much more anemic mids. However, they have a certain "wall of sound" mule kick character that the PGs and 490's don't have. If the PG is leather whip, then the 59 is a bamboo switch. IME, they are somewhat hard to clean up successfully, because they tend to hit amps relatively hard...but that's probably okay, because if you ever do clean them up, they sound hopelessly lifeless and sterile anyhow.
IMO, the 59's are best suited to being used with healthy amounts of gain and/or effects, and to being played pretty "straight ahead" with the right hand...i.e. at pretty much the same force all the time...while relying more on technology to achieve your dynamics (e.g. pedals or your volume knob). The PGs, OTOH, are more "hands on." They're better for those who rely more on natural amp breakup, and who play more dynamically with the right hand.
Last edited:
marcello252
Well-known member
Re: '59 vs Pearly Gates in SG Special
^This
^This
