Pearly Gates Lacking

S

SavageRiffer

New member
I put a Pearly Gates bridge in my new alder strat. This is a pickup I was really looking forward to because I had a Pearly Gates set in another strat for a long time. However, this isn't how I remember it. It sounds a bit thin, and when doing legato and sweeps, it kind of makes me work too much as if I'm using low output single coils or something. The resistance reads in the correct range, the output seems to be all there, but it just feels a bit weak. My guitar is setup with a perfect action, no fret buzz, and the 59 bridge that was in there before had no issues. Is it possible that this one could have a substandard wind or something? It doesn't sound as full and harmonically rich as I remember the Pearly Gates being. Still, nothing seems to be wrong with the pickup that I can detect. Unfortunately, I bought this pickup about 9 months ago but never opened it until now, so it's way too far past the return period to call SD. Any ideas?
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

SavageRiffer said:
I put a Pearly Gates bridge in my new alder strat. This is a pickup I was really looking forward to because I had a Pearly Gates set in another strat for a long time. However, this isn't how I remember it. It sounds a bit thin, and when doing legato and sweeps, it kind of makes me work too much as if I'm using low output single coils or something. The resistance reads in the correct range, the output seems to be all there, but it just feels a bit weak. My guitar is setup with a perfect action, no fret buzz, and the 59 bridge that was in there before had no issues. Is it possible that this one could have a substandard wind or something? It doesn't sound as full and harmonically rich as I remember the Pearly Gates being. Still, nothing seems to be wrong with the pickup that I can detect. Unfortunately, I bought this pickup about 9 months ago but never opened it until now, so it's way too far past the return period to call SD. Any ideas?
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What pots did you use then and now? 500k should be there.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Yep 500k. The guitar is setup perfect. Nothing special about the installation. It's a straight up 5-way switch, Duncan Classic Stacks and the PG bridge.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

height adjusted properly? i tend to like my pgb pretty close to the strings. the 59 was in the same guitar? the 59 has more bottom but less mids than the pg, maybe thats what you are missing? is there a tone control connected to the bridge pup?
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Like I said, it's setup perfectly in all respects - pickup height included. It's not missing something that I'm used to hearing. That's not what I meant. As I explained, I had a PG set for a long time, so I know very well what it sounds like. This one reads the correct DC resistance, nothing appears wrong as far as i can tell in the coils, magnet, etc... It just #feels# like it lacks output and sounds a little bit thin. In all other respects, it seems like a normal pickup. It's not what I've been used to with the Pearly Gates set I had before.

I just finished swapping the pickup with a Custom Custom. No problems with the Custom Custom. I'm going to put the PG back in and test it out. Stand by and I'll let you know...
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Well the 59 acts a bit hotter than what the dcr suggests. And you did have your previous PGs in another strat. So maybe the variables are bringing down an already not so strong pickup even further. Personally, I think 8k and less bridge pickups suck in the first place. I don't know why people act like they work.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

^ Because people have playing skills.

You're sound like you're sure the pickup is fully working in series.....and I assume you've played around with height a lot. I know that sometimes pickups in the same DCR range can be quite different with their setups. I have 5 different vintage SSS style strat setups with different brand pickups and they like all quite different heights despite a very close DCR
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

almost all my bucker loaded guitars have bridge pups that are in the mid 8k range. seth, pg, antiquity, jazz, aph, railhamer hyper vintage, and some custom wounds. they work just fine for me and sound great for the blues rock i play.

could be the magnet is degaussed? how far from the strings is the pup?
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

I had the same gripes with PGs in a LP. Far too weak for me. I think you may just be looking for more output, nothing wrong with that. I jumped up to a 498t and then a Distortion and am finally happy now. (The 498 level of output was fine but I think the A5 was annoying me in terms of EQing - probably could have just put a ceramic in it and called it a day, but the Distortion is awesome so oh well). I originally got the PGs to get a "LP sound" but I guess maybe I'm not into the traditional LP sound after all.

You may just have a sound in your head that calls for more power.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

SavageRiffer said:
I just finished swapping the pickup with a Custom Custom. No problems with the Custom Custom.
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This was the first thing that came to mind. Good plan.
For hard rocking, singing sustain, a hotter bridge pup like that never goes astray in a strat.
Still, I love the PG for what it is and how it sounds. It really depends on your style of playing and the kind of response you like.
 
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Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

New production sound different from old production. I would sell it and get a 20+ year old used one.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

You are sure one of those Pearly Gates was not a Pearly Gates Plus? Was one covered and the other uncovered? Did you have a tone pot connected to the bridge pickup both times? Just throwing out every guess I have.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Clint 55 said:
Ok Alex. Post up.
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What would you like to hear???

Endless videos of all the fave blues and rock artists playing with low output pickups and making them work. I assume you've heard of Slash - his Derrig has the original A2pro in them at 7.8k in the bridge.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Mr. B said:
You are sure one of those Pearly Gates was not a Pearly Gates Plus? Was one covered and the other uncovered? Did you have a tone pot connected to the bridge pickup both times? Just throwing out every guess I have.
Click to expand...
PG+ is meatier and meaner than both PG and '59. I have two in my tele HH and LP. In fact, volume wise it's on par with CC in my other LP. Surprise. I don't know how but I like it.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

I too was going to suggest the OP might've had a PG Plus in the other guitar and assumed it was a regular PG.

OP, was it the stock pickup in the other Strat? Some of those were PG Plus; the Plus model was actually designed for OEM use in Strat type guitars, and wasn't sold separately. That's why they can be harder to find used than a regular PG.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Does the PG & PG+ have almost same K readings? I thought the + was wound little more.

It probably just the guitar in question, happens at times, I love the SH11 in strats or PRS 22s but in one of the strats it was overly middy with not enough highs. Might be similar to what your facing the PG now.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Hi,
Not sure if this is germane, but I must report I have 2 basswood Strats, both chambered, both from the same manufacturer, and they now have same everything, p'up's, electronics, strings, to the finest detail and one sounds extremely lively, unplugged and plugged in. The other sounds so dead it is unlistenable unplugged (deep and dead) and needs an EQ pedal plugged in. Or lower mids and more treble on the amp.
Steve Buffington
 
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Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

I believe the Plus is overwound by about 10%; it also uses an A5 mag rather than A2. I never measured DCR for the one I have in my Showmaster.

Wood sure can be amazingly different from one piece to another sometimes, even same design/same pickups/same kind of wood. I saw it all the time when I used to try out a couple dozen of the same model at a time.
 
Re: Pearly Gates Lacking

Could be the Strat, could be the output...dcould be both.

With little info - I'm saying just not your pickup in that guitar.
 
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