Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

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Shock Me

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I have a Les Paul Copy- Mahogany Body, Flamed Maple Top and Ebony fretboard with Pearly Gates bridge and neck(stock guitar). I like this pickup alot except for the brightness. I play rhythm - old school metal/hard rock/80's hairbands.
Turning down the tone knob doesn't quite do it. I think the guitar is somewhat bright because of the maple top and ebony board. Would I need something with thick low mids. I don't think a JB would be good - spikey upper mids. Also playing through 5150 II.

I have a USA Jackson KV2 (alder) that I removed the stock JB's(don't sound good in these guitars) and replaced with a Distortion and Jazz. This is a BEAST and so Clean!
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Personally, I'd stick with the PG's for a while longer and change your volume and tone pots from 500K to 250K. You might want to start by just changing the tone pots...or just the volume pots.
 
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Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Greatings Shock Me! If it's thick low mids you want a PG is maybe not going to do it.
In all things tone - I would defer to Lew. There is a reason his avatar is yoda, and it's not because backwards talk he does! I'd say go for the pot swaps first just based on cheap/easy- that and the fact that I do love a PG!

I really hate to say this - and of course my name/avatar nor yours makes this really vredible....but bigger low mids is a more DiMArzio trait. Might try a SuperDistortion in that guitar if it's that bright, or even a Tone Zone.

Quick - someone give a better answer involving Duncans!

I will say that for my 80's mtetal I typically use my Duncan Distortion.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Shock Me said:
I have a Les Paul Copy- Mahogany Body, Flamed Maple Top and Ebony fretboard with Pearly Gates bridge and neck(stock guitar). I like this pickup alot except for the brightness. I play rhythm - old school metal/hard rock/80's hairbands.
Turning down the tone knob doesn't quite do it. I think the guitar is somewhat bright because of the maple top and ebony board. Would I need something with thick low mids. I don't think a JB would be good - spikey upper mids. Also playing through 5150 II.

I have a USA Jackson KV2 (alder) that I removed the stock JB's(don't sound good in these guitars) and replaced with a Distortion and Jazz. This is a BEAST and so Clean!
Click to expand...



You could give a custom custom a shot. No, it's not really like a pearly gates but it might be more in the direction you're looking for.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

I think you'd be very happy with a PATB-3, if you can get past the funky looks, that is.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

The PATB-3 can be a little bassy in some guitars. I'd be wary in a Les Paul type guitar because the short scale and mahogany construction might make the PATB-3 sound bass heavy. I even have one in a Jackson PC-2 with a maple bolt on neck and mahogany boddy and it's a tad heavy in the bass. In my alder body, Floyd equipped Hamer Diablo, it's perfect. I tried a PATB-3 in a 24 3/4 scale set neck guitar with a Floyd once and the B note at the 7th fret of the low E string was so boomy I pulled the PATB-3 out again and got something less bassy.

Isn't the 78 a hot vintage pickup, maybe without the extra high end that the Pearly Gates has?

For older 80's metal, the Custom is also a good choice. I've got one in a Hamer Studio, and I swear it nails the rhythm tones on old Iron Maiden albums. It's not a vintage pickup though. It's substantially hotter. I also notice the Custom and Custom Custom have less of that percussive attack that you hear with PAF-style pickups. they're compressed sounding.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Lewguitar said:
Personally, I'd stick with the PG's for a while longer and change your volume and tone pots from 500K to 250K. You might want to start by just changing the tone pots...or just the volume pots.
Click to expand...

Yes. Good advice to try pots next. The PG isn't known for being one of the brighter HB's, because of the A2 magnet. Two 250K pots & a .100 cap will shave off some high end.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

I am a long-time PGb user in my LP style guitars. It is an almost perfect pickup. All you need is to get the treble egde off in certain guitars. I fully agree with the suggestions to change pots and caps first. Obviously the cheapest way to go and might be all you need.

Another cheap thing to try is an A8 magnet. It retains a lot of the A2 qualities but thickens up the tone a bit.

If those do not get you what you need, I would strongly recommend a PG/Custom hybrid. It is the best of both worlds with a PAF style and a hot bucker. It thickens up the PG and breaths vintage air into Custom. I would first try it with the A2 magnet but you should try other alnico magnets as well to see which one gets you closer to your tone.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Custom or CC will bulk up the tone a bit.

Some are afraid of ceramic magnets, but the Custom has that ballsy PAF vibe, which is why Seymour created it......for all the players who want more balls than a 59b or PGb will deliver.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

Low mids you say?
Less bright than PGb you say?
Wouldn't the Alnico pro 'bucker fit this bill?
Or from personal experience, A 59/Custom with A2. Fat like Rob Rheiner in a les paul.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

My LP is like yours - mahogany body, maple top, but rosewood board. I had the PG in the bridge a while, and tried an A8 for a bit too. It was still harsh in the highs and not throaty and growly enough in the low mids. I swapped it out for a PATB-1 and I'm in complete tonal heaven now. It's absolutely perfect for the type of rhythm you play. It isn't PAF style, if that's your only consideration, but doesn't sound too far from a PAF with some knob tweaking. It has that lower mid boost you're looking for compared to the PG, which make the tone sound huge and powerful, especially in an LP which naturally has a lot of punch to be emphasized in that region. With lots of gain it responds and sounds like a hotter pickup, or like its being put through an overdrive pedal. The parallel axis polepieces help a lot with picking up your picking without having to beat the strings to get that loud sound. It really isn't that hot though, but it sounds and acts like it when you crank the gain. This makes it a real joy to play. It is extremely clear with lots of gain, even moreso than the Jazz IMO. It also has a good lead voice for 80s style solos and excels at shred type palm mute rhythms. There are still lots of highs but they are useable, not icepicky like the PG was for me. You lose some roundness but gain a lot of articulation and tons of punch. It also is tighter in the bass and on the low E than the PG. Now my LP hits me right how I want it to - punchy lower mids, saturated highs, articulate bass. The cleans aren't as good as the PG, but you don't need to turn the guitar volume down to get them. You can get a lot of tones by picking in different places, and you can get a hollowbody type tone by turning the tone knob down about halfway and strumming along the neck. You can still hear the guitar's own tonalities, but its like your guitar on steroids. For metal and hard rock, its amazing. If the 250k pot doesn't work out for you, a PATB-1 (I run mine through 2 500ks) will rock you. More people need to turn to the PATB-1 for their hard rock and metal needs!
 
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Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

put on your black leather...
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

The '59 would definitely fatten it up. But I agree that you ought to keep it in there a little while longer and tweek your amp or something in your rig. The PG is a killer pick up.
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

I forgot to say that both pickups are coil split too. Would that throw a wrench in the wheel in regards to changing from 500 to 250k pots? Are there 250k pots that can do this?
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

honestly i think a set of '59s would do it

they're thick as all hell in the neck, can do sabbath all day long

bridge is your basic classic tone
 
Re: Suggestions:Similar to Pearly Gates less Brightness

The 59 bridge is thinner sounding than a Pearly Gates, although in a LP style guitar, that may not be a problem.

alex1fly, thanks for the info on the PATB-1 in a short scale non-trem guitar. I have a couple of them in Floyd-equipped guitars. It's good to know, if the situation ever arises, that they're worth considering for fixed bridge guitars as well.
 
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