Pearly Gates low E

[alex1fly]

Just got the PG bridge in my Les Paul; sounds great! The low E string, however, is less defined with less attack than the other strings. All of the pickup screws are flush with the bobbin and I use heavy gauge strings. Can I adjust the height of the pickup and screws to get a better balance with my low E?

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Adjust the entire pickup until it sounds good overall, then you can tweak individual polepiece screws to compensate for weak sounding strings.

BTW: the PG set uses Alnico 2 magnets which are naturally going to have softer, warmer bass tones than an Alnico 5 pickup, if that is what you are used to playing.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

The best way o set the pieces for an LP is this:

#1 set the poles so the arc like the strings - E's are lowest, A/B is maybe a half screw head higher, and the D/G in the middle are another half screw head higher than that
#2 Set the whole pup so that the bass is maybe 3/32 from the high e and 5/32 fromthe low E. Oh yeah - hold the string down at the 22nd fret to do that measure!
#3 check those numbers - I've been drinking!
#4 play the guitar (strum etc...) make any big adjustments - bass closer/further, treble closer further...
#5 Adjust individual poles as necessary. a little more or less G string, etc....

And the best tones are ALWAYS farther away than "as close to the strings" as you can get. Takes a while, but is worth the effort!!!

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Cool, sweet guide! Do you get more "striking" sound as you raise the polepiece? I'm okay with the softer bass, the guitar itself sounds weaker and fuzzier on the low E string. Boo! Perhaps a 5/2 Pearly Gates would fit my bill :friday:

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Opps - 3/32 & 5/32 are for the neck! 2/32 & 3/32 for the bridge! Always need just a little more wiggle room on the bass. set it up like that and see how it sounds.

Strings will get louder & faster response as they get closer. Get too close though, and you will start killing sustain, and ultimately tone. Farther will be quieter with a little less attack. Too far and tone dies again, along with volume.

Anyway - start with that as a factory "spec" setup. Then adjust to taste by ear! My comment here is the "standard" is pretty darn good with a few minor exceptions based on any particular pup/guitar/amp etc...

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Of course, you know that's a characterictic of the A2 magnet in the PG. Low ends are loose & kind of 'flabby', not tight like an A5.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Yeah, but hopefully not THIS flabby... as in complete lack of definition and attack flabby? If Thrice and System of a Down can pull off down tuned metal with a Pearly Gates then I should be able to hear my low E

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

It is not uncommon for A2 pickups to have mushy lows.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Should I measure the screw or slug side? I set up my bridge pup (currently neckless) according to those measurements, tomorrow I'll get to try it out!

 

[theodie]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

The PG is way too lose and mushy for me. I find it very loose and mushy and more so like that than most pickups I have ever played.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

The PG is way too lose and mushy for me. I find it very loose and mushy and more so like that than most pickups I have ever played.

I thought loose and mushy was how you rolled? Agreed that the A2 is gonna be less tight than the A5, but not so much I care - not even close to the CC for example....PG's are just fine vintage style paf's, with a little sizzle and bite. HAVE MERCY! A haw haw haw...

 

[jimijames]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

If you like A2, and you want tighter bass, but still in the vintage ballpark, put an a2 in a Virtual Hot PAF and then slap it in a strat. I haven't heard one in a les paul (although this pickup my go into my les paul or Schecter when I get home after this semester), but it sounds fantastic in a strat. Although the clean sound could be better, I wouldn't complain if the frequency response was more even without gain. That being said, you can get a passable clean sound, especially if you like it twang-y. Overall, a great pickup, highly recommended.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

I just put the PGb back in my '91 LP Classic after running a Custom in there for a while. It's a great pickup in a Les Paul! The PGs have the firmest bass of any alnico 2 pups I've tried. Less bass than alnico 5, but very well balanced in my experience.

Try adjusting the pickup height and polepieces as suggested.

Also, did you put new strings on when you changed pickups? I sometimes find that slacking off the strings for a change then putting them back makes them sound dull. Check how your low E sounds acoustically.

I'm digging the PG b / Jazz n combo :beerchug:

 

[Majestic]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

Yeah, but hopefully not THIS flabby... as in complete lack of definition and attack flabby? If Thrice and System of a Down can pull off down tuned metal with a Pearly Gates then I should be able to hear my low E

Yeah, but you're playing a short-scale, fat-toned guitar. System of a Down uses a long-scale, tighter/brighter Ibanez, if I remember correctly.

What if you went double-screw just on that string? Or used a Hex screw on just that string?

I thought I read somewhere else that somebody tightened-up his CC by using Hex screws on all but the top two strings. I could be wrong on that one....

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Pearly Gates low E

The best way o set the pieces for an LP is this:

#1 set the poles so the arc like the strings - E's are lowest, A/B is maybe a half screw head higher, and the D/G in the middle are another half screw head higher than that
#2 Set the whole pup so that the bass is maybe 3/32 from the high e and 5/32 fromthe low E. Oh yeah - hold the string down at the 22nd fret to do that measure!
#3 check those numbers - I've been drinking!
#4 play the guitar (strum etc...) make any big adjustments - bass closer/further, treble closer further...
#5 Adjust individual poles as necessary. a little more or less G string, etc....

And the best tones are ALWAYS farther away than "as close to the strings" as you can get. Takes a while, but is worth the effort!!!

Got it set up. It sounds amazing! Really fat, even, I love it! The low E can be heard as well as all the other strings now. Thanks Ace