Brightness of the PG

Sly_D

Sly_D

New member
I thought I was crazy to find the PG trebly (and very annoyingly so). We often hear that A5 magnets are bassier yet glassier and brighter, and A2 are smoother, so you wouldn't expect an A2 pup to be more trebly. Yet my PG neck totally annoys me. So I did a search and fell on this:


So then, you think the 59n has a more extended high end with more real highs and upper harmonics...but that the PGn has a brighter overall tone because even tho the highs are not as extended in the 59n, the treble frequencies that are present are more pronounced? Did I get that right? If so, that's my feeling too. Lew
Click to expand...
Since I didn't really feel like buying a new pup, I decided to swap the A2 of the PG for an A5... And I find it a lot better that way. No more ice pic tone, and thight bass with no mud.

I'll try to post some clips about it soon, but I just wanted to share the experience in case someone else felt that way too.
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Well that I find really strange. I thought 2 of my PGn's sounded dark. Thus I changed it to a3's. But a2 PGn being icepicky... That's news.

Are you sure that you did not do a mistake while wiring and heard the pickup split or something? Once a strange thing happened to my after I changed the magnet in my CC. Although the wiring was right, the pickup was split, only the screw bobin was working. It turned out that the screws on the baseplate somehow were touching the wires of the slug bobin (of course after I got the wax off by taking them off). then I simply took them out, and problem solved! :D

B
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

BTW the magnet you took out has blue ink in one corner right? Blue for a2. ;)

B
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

I'm sure it's wired correctly.

It's dark and bright at the same time. Ice pic highs that annoy me (maybe upper mid-range, I don't know, but on higher string, it rattles my teeth) and very sloppy lows, so that if I want to tame the highs, I get muddy lows.
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Never happened on any PG I owned. And the number is above 13, I kept 5 of them.

Anyway whatever floats your boat.

B
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Well, Lew's not exactly a newbie and he feels the seem way :) And I tried it in two different guitars with totally different amps. A matter of personal taste I guess...
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Sly_D said:
I'm sure it's wired correctly.

It's dark and bright at the same time. Ice pic highs that annoy me (maybe upper mid-range, I don't know, but on higher string, it rattles my teeth) and very sloppy lows, so that if I want to tame the highs, I get muddy lows.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you have a PG? I switched to the PG for the cleaner low end and smoother highs in the neck slot.
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

I really don't know, I have an Ibanez SZ720 which is flame maple on mahagony much like a Les Paul.

Before I make a final decision about it, I'll have to try it with a bigger map. I suspect the culprit may be the amp... I'll experiment a little more.
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

I have the PGN in one of my Strats. That's the only guitar I've put one in. I don't have alot of experience with the PGN other than in that particular Strat, where I use it with a 59TB in the bridge position.

I don't find it annoyingly bright.

I dunno what I was hearing when I made that post. Alot of times pickups will strike me one way when brand new and then I'll get accustomed to the tone or try it again when I'm in a differant mood or playing at a differant volume and feel differently.

I've never thought the PGN was Ice Picky tho.

Sometimes an a2 humbucker will seem to have less boom to the bass and less boom to the bass will mask the mids and treble LESS and can tend to make the mids and treble seem more pronounced...maybe that's what I was alluding to.

Also, the PGN has unbalanced coils which does seem to make for a pickup with clearer mids and a little more snap or twang to the tone.

I think the PGN is a cool neck pickup.
 
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Re: Brightness of the PG

Well, I think I know the problem now... I just realized that the tweed section ofmy amp is the problem. If I use the British (marshall) setting with very little gain, I get a better sound than the tweed+SuperOverdrive option and just the right amount of treble.

Sorry to have blamed the PG... I had too many pieces of new gear at once and I'm in the process of learning how they work together. The tweed+SuperOverdrive option works great for recordings though.
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Heh - don't feel bad. I'm beginning to think that quirks like this are problematic to "modeling" amps. I've been fighting an odd midrange buzz with my J-Station for a long time. I thought it was the new pups, 'til I realized that it only did it with some amp settings and not others.

Still haven't figured out what it is, I just know not to use certain pups with certain settings. ;)
 
Re: Brightness of the PG

Thanks Artie, I just realize that also. My tech 21 amp as a particular EQ section, an I'm just beginning to understand how it works.

The Low, Mid and Treble section works as either 20 db boost or cut from the 12 o'clock position. Thus the 3 buttons at 12 o'clock gives flat EQ and not a 5 value like my other amps... tweaking the amp is the key words here, and not blaming the PG pickup :smack:

You were right Dr. :)

And I should RTFM, which I rarely do :)
 
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