Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

guitarzinc10

New member
I just aquired an older PG bridge pu and I'm considering installing it into the bridge position of a bright Les Paul Classic anyone ever tried this combination?
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Has anyone NOT tried this combination. That would be a better question. Its a good choice, but the PG bridge is still fairly bright.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Bright is all relative, plus you've got EQ on your amp and guitar. Try it, then you'll know if it works for you.

You never know. It might make it's way to your neck position, with something else in the bridge.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Depends on what you refer to as bright. If the treble is sharp, but the mids are ok then putting a rough A2 mag in will help a lot. If the brightness is in the upper mids then it may become a little strident as the PG is pushed in the upper mids too.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

I just aquired an older PG bridge pu and I'm considering installing it into the bridge position of a bright Les Paul Classic anyone ever tried this combination?

I had a PG combo in my 1999 Classic. Great combo - it was so right out of the box.
I wished it had a bit more output. There is anything in the Classics that crave for more output pups. I currently run it with Jazz neck and a Custom8.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Really depsnds on the whole setup.

My last Epi Standard was on the bright side, it was very well built for an Epi but was mostly treble and upper mids, naturally not too much low end. Typical of most Epi & other import guitars using faux mahogany.

I stuck a PG set in it, no covers. They worked well- a touch on the bright side yes, but the high end was clear so I was able to dial back my amp's treble and bump the lows to compensate and it was not bad at all. Warmed up but retained clarity. A bit muddy in the mids, again because of the faux mahogany.

I think your amp setup will be the key to whether it works well or not.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

From some of the descriptions, replys and the info I found from searches the PG and a bright LP might work better in a 6 l6 powered Mesa vs. a Marshall amp.

I'll get around to trying it soon.
Thanks
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

try it! I just put a PG in my LP and sounds great! As gearjonser said, if it is too bright in the bridge, toss it in the neck..
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

I haven't tried the PG in the bridge (I'm too satisfied with my '59 with A8), but it is really great in the neck of my LP (it's not coming out of there).
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

im really falling in love with my PG b /aIIp n combo. cant wait to try it thru my main rig
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

If the PGB is a liitle bright you have a couple options: a roughcast A2 magnet, and one or two 250K pots (volume and tone). My PGB has a RC mag and 250K's and sounds great.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

If the PGB is a liitle bright you have a couple options: a roughcast A2 magnet, and one or two 250K pots (volume and tone). My PGB has a RC mag and 250K's and sounds great.

Never seemed to bright for Billy G.

FEW Lp's are anything that I would consider "Too Bright"
PG's are a BRIGHTER sounding pup, but again, by no means too bright.

Before all of that dumb@$$ mag swapping to the latest cork-sniifer magnet du jour - just turn the tone down a touch.

Remember - You can ALWAYS turn it down to get rid of it. But you can't add it if it's not there in the first place.

No way your LP is as bright as my Maple neck Norlins. They are not too bright with Distortion or SuperDistortions....

PG will be just fine.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Before all of that dumb@$$ mag swapping to the latest cork-sniifer magnet du jour - just turn the tone down a touch.

Remember - You can ALWAYS turn it down to get rid of it. But you can't add it if it's not there in the first place.

To me, adjusting a tone knob gives a different sound that I don't like nearly as well. I thnk it sounds much better to shave off treble at the outset with magnets and pots, than to do it afterwards. How many guys have the amp's treble set at '10'? You always have more treble available. And with a warm bridge PU, you dial in more treble at the amp, which in turn helps the neck PU's clarity. I personally can't stand the 'tinny bridge, muffled neck syndrome'. You end up using one PU all night, as the other's EQ is so far off. I've seen many players do that.

From the perspective of a guy that plays on stage: I want to have my PU's EQ'd together with both tone pots on '10', with one amp setting that works great for both PU's. I don't have to fiddle with the guitar's tone pots throughout the night. There's enough other things going on when you play with a band and an audience.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Never seemed to bright for Billy G.

FEW Lp's are anything that I would consider "Too Bright"
PG's are a BRIGHTER sounding pup, but again, by no means too bright.

Before all of that dumb@$$ mag swapping to the latest cork-sniifer magnet du jour - just turn the tone down a touch.

Remember - You can ALWAYS turn it down to get rid of it. But you can't add it if it's not there in the first place.

No way your LP is as bright as my Maple neck Norlins. They are not too bright with Distortion or SuperDistortions....

PG will be just fine.

I have a 79 Norlin LP standard with maple neck, the tone is very warm and balances well with the original T-tops. Crunchy bridge and creamy neck tones.

The 99 Lp Classic has a thick plain maple top and contributes to the "brightness" of the guitar.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

If the PGis a liitle bright you have a couple options: a roughcast A2 magnet, and one or two 250K pots (volume and tone). My PGB has a RC mag and 250K's and sounds great.

What diff would it have swapping the mag with a roughcast?
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

To me, adjusting a tone knob gives a different sound that I don't like nearly as well. I thnk it sounds much better to shave off treble at the outset with magnets and pots, than to do it afterwards. How many guys have the amp's treble set at '10'? You always have more treble available. And with a warm bridge PU, you dial in more treble at the amp, which in turn helps the neck PU's clarity. I personally can't stand the 'tinny bridge, muffled neck syndrome'. You end up using one PU all night, as the other's EQ is so far off. I've seen many players do that.

From the perspective of a guy that plays on stage: I want to have my PU's EQ'd together with both tone pots on '10', with one amp setting that works great for both PU's. I don't have to fiddle with the guitar's tone pots throughout the night. There's enough other things going on when you play with a band and an audience.

Well, we just have different philosophies here. I fully agree that a tone knob does it differently than the mag does. different pots/caps/tapers all add up to very different impacts of turning it down.

But, as a guy who has played on stage also - I play very different things from each pickup. I also either play multi channel amps or multi-fx. I can change the EQ on the fly at the step of a switch. No problem to set two channels. Clean + Dirt box for the neck with an eq to run the treble down. Lead for straight up amp noize.

There is more than one way to sound right without doing pup surgery.
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

I had a PG-b in my LP classic a few years ago, I struggled with it being too bright and a bit thin on the high notes. I have a JB in it now and it blows away the PG in this particular guitar!
 
Re: Bright Les Paul with Pearly Gates Bridge

Put an rough cast unoriented A5 in it,,you will truly hear what the beauty of the windings on that pup can do then.
 
Back
Top