PG neck with Custom bridge?

T

Tumblinman

New member
Hi

I have a question for those of you who have experience with the Pearly Gates and the 59 in the neck position of a Les Paul. I have a Custom in the bridge and a 59 in the neck today and, while they sound good, I sometimes feel that the 59 is a Little too smooth compared to the Custom.
Therefor I'm looking at the PG as a possible replacement in the neck spot, since it's said to have more bite & sizzle. However, it being a A2 pickup is making me worry about it being to loose in the attack. The 59 has good attack and a firm (although sometimes boomy) low end which work well with the fast picking response of the Custom but I wouldn't mind a little more raunchiness.

So, do you think I would gain anything from replacing the 59 with a PG?
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

Go with a Jazz I have it with a Custom in my LP. Not muffly like the 59 in the neck.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

The Custom/PGn is a really cool combo. I wired up a buddy's guitar with that set and a APS-2 in the middle. They made a blah sounding guitar in to a great sounding guitar.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

Well, the Jazz....I don't know....I had one of those in another guitar one time and it sounded very smooth and didn't have any cut at all. Could be the guitar's fault, though.

I don't doubt that the PG or the Jazz are good sounding humbuckers and both have enough positive users - but I have my specific concerns regarding the way they combine with the Custom, and then mostly the way they react to picking and their treble response characteristics.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

For several years, I had the PG N, Custom B combination in an MIJ Tokai Love Rock 65. It rawked. I only took the SD pickups out because I purchaser specifically wanted original spec. (Stock covered Gotoh pickups.)
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

I find PGN's to be too warm and mellow in the neck slot of LP's. Not much cut or attack. I think it's a great jazz PU. I like treble and a little bite from my neck PU's. As has been said many times here, there's no 'sizzle' with PG's. Wrong term to describe them. Nor are they particularly 'raunchy.' If you think a '59N is smooth, a PGN is much smoother. You'll give up a lot of treble and the low end will loosen up. That comes with A2's. It's the wrong PU for what you want.

You might like a 10K A5 bridge PU like a Full Shred or Fred, or a 496T (ceramic). Those will give you a more aggressive sound.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

I think the PG is an amazing neck pup. And I rocked a PG/Custom for a long time.

But, I don't see either the 59 or the PG as being what you need.

Perhaps a full shred neck? Or as mentioned, a 59 w/ Ceramic might do it, or a Distortion neck. I have never worked a Full shred neck or otherwise, and an don't have personal experience with the 59 + ceramic. But either the EQ of the Full Shred or the ceramic mag seem to be what will do everything you want...
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

The Custom PGN is a fantastic combo. The PGN has so much more personality and bite than the 59N.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

LonePhantom said:
The Custom PGN is a fantastic combo. The PGN has so much more personality and bite than the 59N.
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The 'personality' is due to the A2 magnet, but PGN's don't have much bite compared to a '59N, that's my biggest beef with them. And there's certainly better A2 neck PAF's than PGN's.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

Tumblinman said:
I'm looking at the PG as a possible replacement in the neck spot, since it's said to have more bite & sizzle. However, it being a A2 pickup is making me worry about it being to loose in the attack. The 59 has good attack and a firm (although sometimes boomy) low end which work well with the fast picking response of the Custom but I wouldn't mind a little more raunchiness.

So, do you think I would gain anything from replacing the 59 with a PG?
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the "sizzle" you read about in pg's is the bridge pickup. The neck is smooth, warm and deep. I don't think its the sound you are looking for - especially due to the a2 magnet. The things that make is a beautiful pickup are the opposite to what you describe you are after.

something in the ballpark of a 59 but with more raunch? Whole lotta neck.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

try an A2 in it before you do anything else
if you do want to try another pickup, i'd look at the A2P or jazz over the PG
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

I don't know.....seems like I might as well keep the 59. Replacing the magnet with a ceramic might work but I'm a little afraid it could be a little spikey och harsch.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

I have used a distortion in the bridge and a Pearly Gates in the neck for well over a decade and I have this combination in 3 of my guitars.

I also have a Pearly Gates in the neck position of my Jem with a Bill Lawrence L500XL in the bridge.

Either way, the Pearly Gates holds its own and levels the playing field.

It holds up well against and combines well with a ceramic magnet in the bridge and it does everything you need it to in the neck.

The Pearly Gates handles gobs of distortion beautifully and cleans up like a bell.

It is the most important neck pickup I use and this is the only place I'll ever talk about it. I never share this information with regular people...that is how important the Pearly Gates is to me.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

blueman335 said:
That's nice, but the OP is looking for a neck PU with more treble and bite than a '59N, and that rules out PGN's right at the starting gate.
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Not necessarily. Just because it has an A2 mag doesn't mean the PGn isn't bright enough. IMO, and experience, it is. In fact, it actually has a little more top end sizzle than the 59n has. It's not boomy either but has plenty of lows without sounding flat. The PGn has a higher resonant peak frequency than that 59n too. The Seth neck has an even higher resonant peak than the PGn.

I say try the PGn.
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

The PGn is a great pickup but I wouldn't say it has more bite than a '59n in a Les Paul. Thinking of what matches well with a Custom bridge and has plenty of bite I was going to suggest a Jazz n, but I also agree with gibson175 - the Whole Lotta Humbucker neck is great. It has the high end of a '59 but with fuller mids and no boom in the bass.

This is a tricky question because getting bite from a neck humbucker in a Les Paul is always something of a challenge. There is a tendency towards "smoothness" whatever pickup you choose - and I have tried plenty!
 
Re: PG neck with Custom bridge?

Simon_F said:
getting bite from a neck humbucker in a Les Paul is always something of a challenge. There is a tendency towards "smoothness" whatever pickup you choose - and I have tried plenty!
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+1. Definitely an issue with LP's. My approach with LP neck HB's is to use a 1-meg pot or two, and/or wire the tone pot for spin-a-split. That gives me a dose of treble and a sharper high end. It also allows me to use neck PU's that I otherwise might consider a bit too rounded on top.
 
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