Pearly Gates in a Strat?

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Flightoficarus87

New member
Hey all, I'm new to the forum here!

So I won't lie, I have a Jackson DK2M w/a DiMarzio Super Distortion/PAF Pro combo and love it for metal/hard rock. But I also have an oddity of a strat - an H/S/H, one of the older MIJ Squier models (that aren't too shabby). Although it came with them, it has a Tone Zone/Air Norton combo in it (w/a Duncan Design SC in the middle, oddly). The TZ is WAY too bassy and muddy sounding for me! The Air Norton is ok, but also still too warm for me - not what I'm after in a strat.

And just what am I after in my strat? Something more vintage sounding. Based on the research I've done thus far, I'm thinking I wanna give some different Duncans a shot (they seem to do the vintage tones better to my ears, based on what I've heard).

How is the pearly gates in the bridge of a strat? how does it sound split? And what is a good neck pickup to go with it? For this guitar, I'm looking for both good cleans, and some good crunch too, for classic rock, rockabilly, and punk stuff. Not looking for blazing hot output, just rich, balanced tone! :)
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

If you're not afraid of messing with your pups a bit, try a half-air mod for the TZ/AN. The mod should lessen the bass, open up the mids, and add a bit of hi end clarity. It also reduces the output a bit and makes the pups less hot. Won't cost anything and is reversible.
The PG should have some good crunch while a 59 might be cleaner since it has less mids. Split sound depends on tone control, amp, pick, strings etc. For neck a AIIPRO or 59N might be cool.
If you're using od pedals and mid heavy amps, a 59 might be cool. If you need more mids the PG might be better~
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

It sounds to me like you would get along better with a JB/Jazz set. I find the 59 too bassy in the neck. I would also recommend a Pearly Gates Plus. I had a Pearly Gates in my strat but came across a PG+ and decided to try it out. It got a little fuller, tighter, and increased the output a little, but the highs are still smooth and it has the raunch and cut the regular PG has. That would go good with a Jazz neck.
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

IMHO the PG is perfect in a Strat with a trem - if you like fairly bright. But once the trem is in there you only have fairly bright (the PG is one of the least bright) or compressed from a more-than-PAF pickup.
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

Before you swap entire pickups to Duncan,have you tried switching Air Norton to bridge position?
Who knows it might work
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

I haven't tried using the Air Norton in the bridge, but I suppose I could. The general consensus I seem to get is that it's a very warm pickup tough.

I used to have a JB/Jazz set in the Jackson I own. I prefer the way a JB sounds in Mahogany set-neck/neck thru guitars. IMHO, The high end was a bit shrieky, and the bass a bit loose. The Jazz was a nice pickup, but I ended up going w/something a bit hotter for that guitar.

I just realized though, I should probably mention more about the guitar, and amp I own to help you guys better help me!

This strat does have a trem, one of those Floyd Rose II bridges. It's also a basswood body actually. The neck is maple, with a rosewood fretboard.

Right now, I have an ENGL Fireball amp w/a Marshall 1960A 4x12 (swapped out those 75 watt speakers though!). I'm looking into a Fender Blues Deluxe or similar tweed amp for everything else. I've played my strat through other, lower gain amps than the one I own though, and the TZ is still overkill on the low end for me.
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

For rock/metal in a strat, try out the Custom 5 TB-14. It's a nice cross between vintage and modern output. And also, you'll have the Custom wind, so if you want to start messing with magnets, you'll have a pickup that's a good foundation for that. But the stock C5 doesn't disappoint in an alder/rosewood strat bridge position.
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

The Custom 5 is actually another option I was eyeballing a bit as well. But how versatile is it? Less output than a JB? I even considered something true PAF style at one point, but figured it might not have quite enough power to sound good split. I'm willing to sacrifice high gain tones in this strat if need be for good cleans and mid gain, but I imagine even a PAF would do metal well through an ENGL if I wanted :)
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

A 59 or Custom 5 is a great match for single coils since they are fairly scooped and not ridiculous in output.

I'm using a Custom/59 hybrid (Custom slug coil/59 screw coil) with an Alnico 8 in my Strat and it's killer! But you have to be kinda crazy to do that to two perfectly good Duncans.

A regular Custom (thin ceramic) is another good choice. You can swap any magnet in a Custom and get all kinds of sounds. Put in an A2 to get Van Halen... put in an A5 and get a Custom 5 and put in an A8 and rock it! The C8 would be more like the Tone Zone though.
 
Re: Pearly Gates in a Strat?

Flightoficarus87 said:
The Custom 5 is actually another option I was eyeballing a bit as well. But how versatile is it? Less output than a JB? I even considered something true PAF style at one point, but figured it might not have quite enough power to sound good split. I'm willing to sacrifice high gain tones in this strat if need be for good cleans and mid gain, but I imagine even a PAF would do metal well through an ENGL if I wanted :)
Click to expand...

The problem with the Custom 5 is that it makes your guitar sound like it's going through a filter or something. The only thing I would use it for is for clean stuff or thrash riffing. It's pretty tight and bassy. It be a little harsh at times. I think on an amp with lots of lows like Engls do, it would probably be too bassy.

If you think the JB is too shrieky, then you need to get a PATB-1. It's full, fat, and fairly high in output. It would be perfect in your strat. I have one that I just got on a trade a few days ago and I've been playing it in a black strat. It feels loose but sounds pretty tight and it cuts through but the treble stays very smooth. I wish I would have experimented with the PATB-1 a long time ago. I have an Engl and have owned a few other Engls, so judging by my knowledge of Engls, I think it would be a perfect pickup for you.

It's going to make your strat sound fat, and it has lots of juicy mids so you can scoop them all out and get a brutal modern sound but with the loose feel of a vintage pickup. At first it was like riding a skateboard with loose trucks. The little pole pieces seem to do an incredible job of picking up the string vibrations no matter how you bend it or no matter how low or high the pickup is to the strings.

It's definitely a unique pickup with a voice of it's own. I read that it's a "hi-fi" sounding pickup. I don't know exactly what "hi-fi" is supposed to sound like, but it doesn't sound like a vintage pickup even though it's very warm and buttery.

Something like that might be good if you play through high-gain amps like the Fireball. Those amps don't have a lot of dynamics but the response of the PATB-1 can give you a little more expressiveness... that's my guess anyway. I have only used my PATB-1 on my Blackstar HT100 so far.
 
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