duncan pickup match help

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madguitar26

New member
i currently have a pearly gates trembucker pickup in the bridge of my schecter classic guitar with the wonderfull alnico2pro.

problem is ,when i switch from the bridge to neck,even with the pickup height adjusted as high as possible,the a2pro has too much volume drop ,even with the gates height not so high.

a2pro could use some more clarity,sounds a little muffled compared to the gates.
i could just get another gates for the neck,then again,could i have a pleasent surprise switching em pickup positions?

duncan states that these two are a good pair together,so do alot of people.but how do they deal with the volume drop?
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

im surprised there is that much volume drop. the pearly has alot more upper mids than the aph but i have wired up that combo before with good results.

you could try doing a magnet swap if that is something you are comfortable with. an a5 magnet will get you a clearer sound with more volume
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

Sounds more like a wiring problem to me.

The APH1 neck can sound a little lame, true. Maybe it's more of lacking kick than lacking volume?
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

What sort of amplification are you using?
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

well the volume drop isnt so much thats its drastic.it more sounds like that the frequency response of the a2pro makes it apear to be lower output.i play it to a peavey classic 50 .


ive researched the asian mahogany ,and seams that nato wood used in korean and chinese made guitars although good sounding, doesnt sound as resonant and loud as its american counterparts.that is true even when i switch to my ash fender strat plus with lace sensors .the sound goes louder with the same volume on the amp.

i dont find the pearly gates having the brightness issue everyone see´s coming.to me it is very smooth , fat and clear.could be just that nato /mahogany wood quality to it.had an anderson h3 there before and it was truely unberable.even the JB had astonishing good bass response.

is the gates neck pickup clearer sounding and higher output than the a2pro neck? any other sugestions as to which neck pickup to pair with the gates trembucker would be very much apreciated. thanks
 
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Re: duncan pickup match help

Perhaps the issue is the pickups are mismatched tonally then? If "everyone else" thinks the Pearly Gates is too bright and the A2P is warm, and you're not hearing the same brightness they are, then logically your A2P will seem darker then everyone else's, and thus the volume/cut-through will be less.
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

nope, not too bright. but people do recommend backing down the tone knob a bit with the gates at the bridge.
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

what do you guys think of the a2pro in the bridge with the pearly gates neck position for a mahogany like guitar,set neck?
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

madguitar26 said:
what do you guys think of the a2pro in the bridge with the pearly gates neck position for a mahogany like guitar,set neck?
Click to expand...

If the A2P is weak in the neck, it's going to be a lot weaker in the bridge, as there's much less string energy there. It'd make the problem even worse.

Jeremy gave you a solution that costs $5: Put in an A5 magnet (Wymore Guitars.com, if you don't have a spare one laying around). An A5 will give you more output & better clarity, which is just what you're looking for.

A2's are low output, heavy on mids, have little treble, with a loose low end. I have difficulties myself finding uses for them.

A5's on the other hand, have a strong output, lots of treble, scooped mids, and a firm low end. Almost all of my neck HB's have A5's. So far, I've pulled the A2's out of every neck PU that had them. Too dark & muffled for my tastes.
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

madguitar26 said:
what do you guys think of the a2pro in the bridge with the pearly gates neck position for a mahogany like guitar,set neck?
Click to expand...

That guitar spec makes no sense. It would fit both a LP and a SG, which need opposite pickups.

An alder Tele with a Tom would be much close to a mahogany/maple Les Paul than any SG would ever be.

The apb1b is very good in a LP, but it needs that mass.

The PGn in the neck f a LP develops a weird low-mod push that I don't like.
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

Also check out the resistance of you pots. If your neck volume pot is 250k Ohms, you could get some highs and more volume with going to a 500k or a 1 meg Ohms.
 
Re: duncan pickup match help

my luthier said that the a2pro has alot of a2 mag in it,thus making it alot weaker than the pearly gates pickup.
What kind of sound would be excpected of the a2pro with an a5 mag switch? a jazz neck or 59 neck type sound?
 
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