Is this trrue?

[gimmieinfo]

I read this at another forum and would like to know if its true, tho i imagine not. Still wanna ask here where i think it's more likely to get the truth. This..."A Pearly Gates is pretty much just a '59 with A2 magnets. So, a Pearly Gates Plus (A5 magnets) should be damn near identical to a SD '59."

 

[gsammo79]

In my opinion the PG with an A5 isn't gonna sound like the '59. If you wanna talk general output level then there will be more similarity.

Duncan wound a batch of Pearly Gates Plus models for fender with A5 magnets instead of A2. I never thought '59 clone when I heard it

 

[Chistopher]

Well for one they don't have the same DCRs

 

[gimmieinfo]

Well for one they don't have the same DCRs

Well, not sure about the necks but the 59 and PG bridges are the same, IE: 8.2k. Thats actually the one i'm concerned about trying A5 in. The neck PG is great as is. Bridge too, tho i have tried a A5 pickup in it and i kinda like the overall balance and clarity more. But the PG bridge has more harmonic content so i was thinking of trying A5 in it in hopes of getting the harmonic content of the PG with the balance and clarity of the A5 pickup i tried.

 

[idsnowdog]

They are not the same. A 59 with an A2 isn't Pearly Gates and a Pearly Gates with an A5 isn't a 59.

 

[Mincer]

The PG+ doesn't sound at all like a 59 to me.

 

[freefrog]

I've already stated on and on that in my experience, the coils of a PG have a higher Q factor: its resonant peak is pointier and narrower than with any 59. Therefore, its harmonics are more focused, independantly of the magnet used.

I'll also ramble by recalling that DCR in itself is practically irrelevant. There's a tolerance in diameter of 42AWG wire. Coils can be wound with more or less tension. Variations in both of these parameters can bring considerable differences in the overall DCR, for a same number or turns and close inductive values -while a same final DCR can be measured on a coil tightly wound by a machine then a coil hand wound in a loose way despite of a very different number of turns.

 

[jeremy]

as others have said, not going to be the same. you may love the results though

 

[gimmieinfo]

as others have said, not going to be the same. you may love the results though

On that note, had anyone here done it and what did u think?

 

[Chistopher]

It always impresses the Guitar Center employees when you tell them you modify your pickups

 

[freefrog]

On that note, had anyone here done it and what did u think?

Not in a bridge model but my last experiments with a PG1N consisted to fit it with its stock long A2, a short A2, a long RCA5, a short A5 and a RC UOA5 - out of my head. Maybe more than this. Don't remember exactly since I pass much time to tinker on guitar gear. Two other PU's with various magnets have been tried instead of the PG in the meantime anyway.
The basic character of the pickup didn't change much with various magnets in THIS case. The only one to make a noticeable and nice difference was the RC UOA5. Subjective differences may vary with other guitars / rig / ears etc.

 

[nienturi]

According to my measurements of '59 neck and PG neck, not same but pretty close. But the most interesting thing i always measured is the magnetic flux density of PG. Both neck and bridge models. Normally i read something around 220/260G on the top of the pole pieces for A2 humbuckers. But all the PG models have >300G. Just like humbuckers with A5 within. Thats why i am not very sure that PGs have A2 magnet.

 

[freefrog]

According to my measurements of '59 neck and PG neck, not same but pretty close. But the most interesting thing i always measured is the magnetic flux density of PG. Both neck and bridge models. Normally i read something around 220/260G on the top of the pole pieces for A2 humbuckers. But all the PG models have >300G. Just like humbuckers with A5 within. Thats why i am not very sure that PGs have A2 magnet.

Just checked my data: PG1N with stock magnet is archived as measuring 260G. Same than with another A2 P.A.F. clone from another brand in another guitar... but one of my oldest SH1's measures only 200G (!) although it's still loaded with its original A5 - dark RC one, keeping the inductance low albeit it's thicker than other bars... so it can't be made of a lower grade alNi(Co) whose ferrous content would give higher inductive measurements.

This paradox illustrates something that I've also stated more than once on this forum: knowing the Alni(Co) alloy used is not necessarily indicative of the actual flux strenght at work and therefore, not always meaningful. That's why I tend to choose by ear.

Side note: I think to have somewhere at least one AlNiCo bar whose flux is pretty strong even if it's meant to be an A2 (and effectively seems to be an A2 since it tends to bump the inductance in a spectacular way). It came from a Gibson Burstbucker. FWIW.

 

[Mincer]

The PG+ is a slightly hotter, A5 variant, usually only seen in Fender's Lone Star Strats. It still doesn't sound like a 59, though...the low end is different.

 

[SonicMage117]

I read this at another forum and would like to know if its true, tho i imagine not. Still wanna ask here where i think it's more likely to get the truth. This..."A Pearly Gates is pretty much just a '59 with A2 magnets. So, a Pearly Gates Plus (A5 magnets) should be damn near identical to a SD '59."

There is alot of misinformation on forums brewing about, including this one so you need to be careful and take everything with a grain of salt.

The 59 and the PG are completely different and there are alot of small, tiny details under the hood that separate them from each other in massive ways when we get the end result. If you ever used the same reverse engineering procedures that Seymour Duncan's development team performed, you would be blown away at the differences.

Hope this helps.