Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

King Halt

King Halt

New member
Greetings, I am looking for a vintage style pickup for dark/hard rock. I'm going for a black sabbath / Ghost BC tone. Thinking about either a Duncan pearly gates or a Dimarzio PAF (36 aniversery or master). I have a les paul style guitar( mahogany body, maple cap, rosewood board, etc). Any thoughts?
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Anything but a dimarzio, just on principle.

I'm getting awesome Sabbath tone from an EMG85n through my AC15.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Thundermtn said:
Anything but a dimarzio, just on principle.

I'm getting awesome Sabbath tone from an EMG85n through my AC15.
Click to expand...

Tried 85 in the bridge, head and shoulders above the 81, but not keen on the "feel" of actives. What's your beef with Dimarzio ?
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

I love PG's period. But I also like the DiMarzio PAF and prefer it to the Duncan 59 in general.

Of the two, I'm thinking I'd go for the PAF. If I'm getting Dark, in a Les Paul style, which is dark enough as is...I like the bass and treble on the PAF with an A5 vs the PG with an A2, and I like the mid scoop on the PAF vs the pushed mid on a PG.

However, if the dark is what you want, I might go with an A2P over either of those, especially through the Vox.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

I was actually curious, too on the need for a PAF type pickup to do stuff like Sabbath. It isn't something that I would usually use. Most Sabbath is done with much higher output, mid-focused pickups.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

For OP's application, I'd recommend the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF. For a self-styled PAF, its tone is oddly thick and mids-dense. It's a good sound, just to my ears not very PAF-like or vintage-sounding.

The neck 36th has that tone, and the bridge 36th is even more mids-dense.

SD has great PAF-style pickups, but they tend to be mids-scooped, not my first choice for mids-heavy applications like Sabbath.

PS. I would also recommend against the Pearly Gates for OP's application. I love the Pearly Gates, but it has a strong character, and it ain't Sabbath. It has a strong treble/high-mid spike and not much low end. It's very much Billy Gibbons, not Tony Iommi.
 
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Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Thundermtn said:
I'm butthurt about the double cream pickup thing, and the PAF thing, and all his other dewchery.
Click to expand...

I agree about the double cream bs....
But I can’t deny they make great pickups.

To the OP...I have a 36h Anny in the neck of my LP. I know you didn’t specifically ask about a neck pickup but...it’s really thick sounding but can get muddy on the low notes. I’m thinking at some point I may be swapping it out for something else but right now it’s serving my purposes well enough.
 
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Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

How about something a little higher output like in the custom range? Still not out of control at that point.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

If you want mid focused medium output, that describes the Custom Custom to a T. However, if it were me, I'd likely put a WLH bridge in that LP. It's a slightly darker, slightly hotter PAF and a MUCH better choice than the PG for the stated purposes. I just don't think, based on my experiences, that Dimarzio pickups have the dynamics and clarity that SD does.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

I can play Sabbath stuff nicely with a Dimarzio Super Distortion. I definitely recommend higher output pickups for the heavy stuff. Don't be afraid man (at least for the bridge position) !
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

I have a Duncan distortion now and I play though a modeled (through line 6 helix) JCM800. But given my research, I'm actually reconsidering my choice to either EMG 60 (neck/bridge) or prails. I didn't like anything in the cutim family (not enough going on in the mid range. And I have a super distortion in another guitar. I'm planing to play down tuned to either Eb or D standard and don't want to get TOO DARK.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

What's wrong with the distortion? A magnet swap may be a good alternative if there's just a minor issue
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Mincer said:
I was actually curious, too on the need for a PAF type pickup to do stuff like Sabbath. It isn't something that I would usually use. Most Sabbath is done with much higher output, mid-focused pickups.
Click to expand...

Iommi recorded the early albums with pretty much standard P90's and humbuckers
The only reason i can see that Pickup makers make high output pickups to recreate the Sabbath sound is because kids try to emulate Iommi through little practice amps or computers, not big Laney Amp stacks like Iommi used
 
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Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Ghost BC would be Alnico 2 Pros. They used custom pickups but the recipe was low-mid output A2 PAF types that sound just like A2Ps. Clean they have bell-like piano chime, distorted they have the mids for leads while the right amp will handle the rest for rhythm.

I can't speak to Sabbath specifically, but the Custom Custom or Distortion into a flabby K66-based amp seem like solid recommendation. Though there's probably 4-5 different ways to get in that ballpark without sniffing too many corks.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

You can't go wrong with a pearly gates, or a DiMarzio 36th. Love the 36th for nearly everything. A great, tight, paf tone from both.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

AJK1 said:
Iommi recorded the early albums with pretty much standard P90's and humbuckers
The only reason i can see that Pickup makers make high output pickups to recreate the Sabbath sound is because kids try to emulate Iommi through little practice amps or computers, not big Laney Amp stacks like Iommi used
Click to expand...

I'd say you can hear a serious difference from the early 70s through about '76. After that (maybe Never Say Die, through the Dio, Gillian, & Martin eras) you certainly hear the boosted, compressed sound. So just a few years with the stock stuff.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

Mincer said:
I'd say you can hear a serious difference from the early 70s through about '76. After that (maybe Never Say Die, through the Dio, Gillian, & Martin eras) you certainly hear the boosted, compressed sound. So just a few years with the stock stuff.
Click to expand...
Which is probably true, but i highly doubt people are referring to that era of Iommi, when people say Sabbath, i would pretty much guarantee they are referring to the first 5 albums era.
 
Re: Pearly gates vs Dimarzio PAF

AJK1 said:
Which is probably true, but i highly doubt people are referring to that era of Iommi, when people say Sabbath, i would pretty much guarantee they are referring to the first 5 albums era.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The best stuff was done with low output pickups.
 
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