Pearly Gates parallel?

[CarlosG]

Hi!
I'm searching neck pickup to my strat.
Bridge is JB2 or CC (I can't decide yet).
I'm using humbuckers parallel.
The Jazz sounded quite good in parallel, but the midrange was too cut out. The '59 in parallel/split sounds poor and lacks character.
I've read that the PG is quite bright and might be an interesting neck option. Has anyone used it in parallel? Maybe split? How does it perform?

 

[freefrog]

Yes, I've tried it. And I think to have already explained here that a Pearly Gates in parallel sounds quite thin, because of the low inductance and high Q factor.
I've also stated more than once that splitting P.A.F. clones appears to me as a better idea than putting them in parallel precisely because of the inductance obtained: if one wants around 2H like with a Fender single coil, the trick is to split P.A.F. clones (whose inductance is generally around 4H +/- 15%) and to put in parallel hi-gain humbuckers (whose inductance is often around 8H).
Last but not least, tuning existing pickups with various components remains possible, avoiding to swap pickups constantly - and expensively...

 

[marcello252]

Hi!
I'm searching neck pickup to my strat.
Bridge is JB2 or CC (I can't decide yet).

May I suggest you to try a trick like that one on the older Yamaha Revstar keeping a HB you like? it let you have both a HB or a Quasi-SC sound (ok, quasi) with the flip of a switch. I had it on a 2 HBs Tele I had and it worked pretty well.

https://www.premierguitar.com/mod-garage-inside-yamahas-dry-switch

 

[Artie]

May I suggest you to try a trick like that one on the older Yamaha Revstar keeping a HB you like? it let you have both a HB or a Quasi-SC sound (ok, quasi) with the flip of a switch. I had it on a 2 HBs Tele I had and it worked pretty well.

https://www.premierguitar.com/mod-garage-inside-yamahas-dry-switch

My old EPI ET-270, (Kurt Cobain's old guitar), has that, but wired backwards, as a switch. So its "normal" mode is bass cut, then you slide the switch for added "girth", or bass boost.

(His type of guitar. Not his actual one.)

 

[marcello252]

(His type of guitar. Not his actual one.)

I'd self invite myself to your home in that case

 

[Artie]

I'd self invite myself to your home in that case

Bring beer.

Oops. You're in Italy. Bring wine.

 

[idsnowdog]

The PG is already too bright, so split/parallel isn't very useful.

 

[Masta' C]

Because the PG neck is a very low output, low inductance pickup, you basically end up with a VERY anemic tone in parallel, similar to an underwound or tapped single coil. Split is a bit better, since it only halves the resistance and inductance, but then you're fighting hum.

@CarlosG, if you insist on running it in parallel most of the time, you might consider a hotter pickup in the neck than you'd typically think of for that role. For example, something that puts you in the 3K to 3.5K range when all is said and done, which is just under the JB's parallel value of around 4K. Pickups like the Perpetual Burn or Custom Custom would get you in that range. In fact, a JB2 bridge with CC in the neck (since it sounds like you already have one on hand) might be perfect!

 

[Mincer]

I can't imagine running a pickup in parallel most of the time, unless it was an Invader or SLUG. I just simply don't like parallel that much.

 

[Securb]

I have split a PGn and found ity to be the Strattiest split humbucker I have ever used. Very Nile Rodgers sounding. In humbucking mode I do not find it to be overly bright, I hate bright pickups, probably has more to do with how I dial in my amp.

 

[Artie]

I can't imagine running a pickup in parallel most of the time, unless it was an Invader or SLUG. I just simply don't like parallel that much.

You reminded me. I've been meaning to try my Diablo in parallel. That could be interesting.