Custom Shop PAFs — Pearly Gates vs Queenbucker

[beaubrummels]

My understanding is CS Pearlies are close neighbors to the Angus set. Very close neighbors. About as close as the Queenbucker is to the Bonamassa Magellan set. Just enough was changed to avoid license/legal issues. Now I could be wrong, that is internet hearsay (from someone who bought and reviewed them.)

 

[David Garner]

My understanding is CS Pearlies are close neighbors to the Angus set. Very close neighbors. About as close as the Queenbucker is to the Bonamassa Magellan set. Just enough was changed to avoid license/legal issues. Now I could be wrong, that is internet hearsay (from someone who bought and reviewed them.)

It's probably more accurate to say the Angus set is close to the CS Pearlies, but yeah, I understand they're basically kissing cousins. I thought about getting the Angus set, but ultimately I figured the Pearlies are designed for LPs and the Angus set for SGs and even though Gibson used the same pickups for all of them in the 50s, I assumed the Pearlies would be a better choice. Plus, as I said above, the devil you know. I know the Pearlies are great. I have no idea what to expect from the High Voltage set other than they're probably great too.

One issue I had is I couldn't find many clips of the Magellan set (I think they just called those the "Joe Bonamassa Signature set" before they came out with the Skinnerburst, which are based on a different 59 LP, and the Amos, which are based on his Flying V). And zero of the Queenbuckers. If I'd found a set of Queenbuckers used I'd have probably given them a whirl, but I didn't want to lose $80-100 flipping a brand new set if I didn't like them. I knew the Pearlies worked in this guitar because I had them in there before.