About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

[dr.barlo]

Re: About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

Not a bad idea, especially for a 24-fret guitar...

Sure, it'd be much better for a 24 fret guitar. Been there done that!

In fact, I ended up swapping that 8.00K PGb (in the neck of my 24 fret guitar) for a custom wound (for that specific guitar of mine) neck timbucker. It was better, more woody. And it did make the neck tone sound almost like that of a standard LP. He isn't doing such experiments anymore, I wish all that frenzy about his pickups were to go away and he'd be experimenting as he used to do.

B

 

[theodie]

Re: About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

so what are some bridge pickups that you would recommend to complement the PGn?

sorry for the hijack

The Custom matches better than any other pickup I have tried! I actually find the pair very useable in the middle position becasue of outputs and the EQ's match each other VERY well so, when you switch between the bridge and the neck positions they both sound GREAT through the amp without switching EQ settings! The CC and the C5 work well also. I have never liked using matched sets of pickups for some reason??? Maybe the DD set but, thats a different story. I always feel that they sound good on their own but, the middle position sounds just like the neck position so, it ends up pissing me off!

 

[JeffB]

Re: About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

That may be a big part of it Jeff- the 500k pots. Many out here are into them. I like the 300k in the bridge. That may be the difference. Bright Paul + 500K + PG = harsh. Dark Paul + 300k + PG = Have Mercy!

+1 for LISTEN to the axe acoustically. If the sound isn't there - a pup can only amplify crap. If something is there, the wrong pup can pup it wayn too far over the top.

I really do think that's part of the prob (the 500K pots) for me. Only in the past few years I've been using some guits with 500K high quality pots have I started to find many pickups too trebly for my tastes (I just prefer to get my "sizzle" with the amp, and the speakers). My Hamer w/ 59s and Hamers custom 500Ks was just Soooooo bright. Icepick highs. I had to roll the tone knobs off them as well as with the 57 classics in my Tokai (RS kit..CTS 500K) pots. The Hamer was a *tad* naturally bright, but not THAT bright. the Tokai is pretty well balanced. Now, my R8, with BB 1/2 and CTS pots was a recent exception, that guitar was just such a magnificently balanced and full instrument (acoustically) that it was not piercing in the least and those BB1/2s def have some bite (of course the pots could have measured lower than spec for all I know)

Alos may be why I like the 57 classics/BB pros/500T/498T etc and many dont...perhaps because people are putting 500K pots in, and then you get too much high frequencies. Would make sense, because Im sure Gibson designs pups around the pots THEY use...which would be the 300K jobbers.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

Well I can tell you this

I was never completely sold on the 59 - it is the basic all purpose pickup if you want great classic tone for any application, but not for specialty sound enthusiasts.

Alex at SD talked me into a set of APH1's and I was forever happy.

For my 24 fret PRS however, I was forever frustrated. Nothing was quite there. I was running out of funds trying everything from high gain pups, to whatever. Even the APH1 neck model didn't work.

Then Zhang made me some AMAZING A3 pups, but they needed some tweaking and I had sessions to do...

Well, Scott at SD said, hey you like the APH1 but you want tighter and ballsy? Get 2 BRIDGE models for the 24 fret.

Well, this combined with LEW going on and on and on and on and on

Well...

I said, I have to get some pups, and I wanted to once and for all kill me Pearly curiousity (as I have done with other models).

I was INSTANTLY SOLD! I did one rehearsal with them after putting them in, and wow - classic sponge, but way tighter than the APH1. Cut thru any mix. Big, and the bridge model is tight, and has enough chunk on distortion.

Great pup!

I can see how it would scare people. I has some harsh tones in it. With some of the processed tones out there, we have forgotten the beauty a spike in sound, or a rude mid can sound like... I know I had.

The real deal sound HAS TO BE A LITTLE RUDE, esp away from the studio where there are no EQ's to help you. With tube amps, you definitely need some attitude to make them bark - these pups give you that.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to a player looking to play Jazz model cleans or a person who strums or plays jazz/R&B exclusively. If you want to play many different angles to your sound - this is a great choice for rhythm/lead players, esp those with tube amps who play rock as well as other styles.

BTW I need to call Zhang, I want my bridge model, slap 'em in another guitar!

 

[jalguitarman]

Re: About the Pearly Gates neck pickup:

I got one for the Bridge position of an Ibanez artist model i had and though i never got tot put it in before the guitar met an untimely end I remember that the rep at duncan said the low end was soft in theze puick ups but also had top -end sizzle. I was actually wanting to pair it up with a seth lover in the neck, never happened though.