Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

[Lewguitar]

I installed a Pearly Gates neck pickup and Duncan Custom bridge pickup in my 80's MIJ Fender Strat. This is a twin humbucker, alder body,
maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and medium jumbo frets, 24 3/4" scale, vintage style vibrato Strat.

I also installed a on/on/on mini switch for each pickup so I can switch from series to single coil to parallel for each pickup.

500K master volume and master tone with .02 Hovland tone capacitor on the output of the volume control: the 50's mod.

Been playing mostly through my blackface Deluxe Reverb amp with a Celestion G12H30 12" speaker. This is a tweaked Deluxe Reverb with one channel tweaked for more gain and with a Marshall plexii/59 Bassman tone stack. Reverb on both channels.

The sound of the Pearly Gates neck pickup reminds me of the resonance of a big glass bottle or jug! The mids are not as thick and have less "honk" and "wool" than a 59N and more transparency. Sort of glassy but smooth and round and not sharp or harsh at all.

I'm a big fan of the Pearly Gates neck pickup because I can get a clearer tone from it for rythym and chords when I'm playing at loud, blues/rock volumes, than I can from a pickup like the 59n, which has more bass to my ears than the PGn.

Plenty of output from the PGn for Robben Ford style overdriven blues/rock style soloing on the neck pickup too, but the tone clears up nicely for chords and jazzy voicings when I turn down the guitar's 500K volume control.

The tone of the PGn clears up even more, and starts to sound like a Strat neck single coil when I split it. It's an excellant tone! Not exactly like a Strat single coil, but totally usable with deep bass, clear mids and bright, open and poppy when I pluck a note...an excellant tone for Strat soloing and rythym tones, and plenty of output.

Alot of time I'll leave the PGn set for single coil and the Custom set foe series. Kind of a nice preset for going from clean rythym to searing soloing tones!

The parallel tone is kind of useless! It's the weakest of the three tones on the on/on/on mini switch but it is humbucking...so maybe if I was playing rythym on a really buzzy stage and wanted some of the clarity of a single coil but needed it to be humbucking I might use the parallel setting.

Now onto the Duncan Custom bridge pickup...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

The Duncan Custom totally rocks and reminds me of a tweaked 59B with more output and more mids.

To me, the Duncan Custom 5 sounds like a higher output version of the 59B and although it has plenty of mids, like the 59B: more mids would be nice too!

The Custom has those extra mids...and a nice, smooth, dispersed sizzle to the treble frequencies.

The tones I've been getting are like Clapton with Cream or John Mayall or like Robben Ford on the Talk To You Daughter CD and also like Gary Moore on the Still Got the Blues For You CD. Rock/Blues.

If I use the more sensitive channel on my modded Deluxe Reverb and turn the volume up to 5 or 6, the Duncan Custom can cop a tone that really lends itself to those overdriven Gary Moore "Still Got the Blues For You" kind of ripping blues/rock stylings. I can get Clapton's Bluesbreakers and Cream tones...as well as Robben Ford's more overdriven tones.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I love thes PGn and Custom combo and feel that the two pickups really compliment each other tone wise...similar treble personality from both pickups.

I especially like that I can go from cleanish rythym tones from the PGn to overdriven rock/blues tones by just switching to the Custom bridge humbucker. Who needs channel switching???

I also like playing rythym with the two pickups combined. I get the strongest tone when both are in the series mode. But switching the Custom to single coil and then combining it with the PGn in series creates a great tone for playing chords and rythym. So is the bridge humbucking and neck single coil!

And setting both for single coil and combining the two pickups creates a tone that sounds alot like the neck and bridge pickups of a Tele combined.

That's about it! I highly recommend the PGn and Custom pickup combo. I don't why it's been so overlooked for all this time because they seem made for each other.

Lew

 

[papersoul]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Thanks for the report Lew!

I have a PRS CE-22, mahogany, maple top, maple bolt on neck and stock Dragon pickups. I would consider the Custom in replace of the Dragon bridge if I know it will be an improvement and not too harsh. Is it okay to have an Alnico II in the neck with an Alnico V bridge?

I have the CC in my solid mahogany SE and it sounds nice! Surprisingly the CC and 59 are working well in this guitar.

Maybe the C-5 will end up in my McCarty. I am starting to really get along with Duncans these days.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Thanks for the report Lew!

I have a PRS CE-22, mahogany, maple top, maple bolt on neck and stock Dragon pickups. I would consider the Custom in replace of the Dragon bridge if I know it will be an improvement and not too harsh. Is it okay to have an Alnico II in the neck with an Alnico V bridge?

I have the CC in my solid mahogany SE and it sounds nice! Surprisingly the CC and 59 are working well in this guitar.

Maybe the C-5 will end up in my McCarty. I am starting to really get along with Duncans these days.

When it comes to neck humbuckers I prefer alnico 2 because I can get a clearer tone with less mush to the bass. But I like alnico 2 or 5 or ceramic for the bridge pickup...

So yeah...go ahead and combine them.

The Custom is not to harsh in my guitars...I have it in two Strats. I use it with 500K pots too.

The JB can sound hard to some people and using 250K pots will smooth out that hard quality that some find to penetrating.

But the Custom sounds fine to me with 500K pots and the treble is very present but it's not ice pick bright...there's kind of a dispersed quality to it that I really like. Kind of a grainy sizzle...but that description makes it sound like it might not be as pleasent and smooth as it actually is. The treble in the Custom is very pleasant and ear friendly...at least to my ears!

The Custom Custom is great too, but not as bright as the Custom...I find myself wishing sometimes that the Custom Custom had more treble...even though I use it and love its fat, thick, syrupy tone...great for soloing through a Marshall or bright crunchy modern sounding amp.

Lew

 

[ColdHit]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I have the PGn as well. I love it, and when split it sounds amazingly good. I can get a great single coil sound out of it. It's probably one of the best pups I've ever used!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Very cool review Lew. Theodie has or had that same set up in an Explorer and he loved it as well! I have a CC in my Yamaha Santana model with an Alnico II pro at the neck and every so ofter I toy with the idea of swapping the A2Pro for a PGn as the PG in my favorite duncan bucker but I haven't done it yet. The Custom is one of the only (if not the only) ceramic pickups I like the tone of but the CC just sounds so cool I went for that and left it. The C5 is a pickup I don't care for too much but the Custom is great.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I have that exact combo in my Ltd at this time... I just plain love it, altho sometimes I miss the '59n... It's a really hard choice to have to make a choice between both for me...

 

[ErikH]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Nice write-up, Lew. For the first time in a long time I'm in a delima about a neck pickup to match up with the Brobucker. The DiMarzio PAF is too boomy when played clean in the neck for it, and for my taste. I haven't put the Jazz in yet but will and if that doesn't work, then it's "now what?". The PGn I thought about but am worried that it too would be too boomy. You say it has less lows than the 59 to your ears. How much less?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Nice write-up, Lew. For the first time in a long time I'm in a delima about a neck pickup to match up with the Brobucker. The DiMarzio PAF is too boomy when played clean in the neck for it, and for my taste. I haven't put the Jazz in yet but will and if that doesn't work, then it's "now what?". The PGn I thought about but am worried that it too would be too boomy. You say it has less lows than the 59 to your ears. How much less?

I think the PGn has the least "boom" to the bass and the clearer and more transparent tone compared to a 59n or the Jazz n.

When I play loud, I hate that unclear, muddy, bassy "boom" so many neck humbuckers get...it's the biggest reason I switched to Strats and Teles over 35 years ago!

However, the PGn wasn't available 35 years ago! :laugh2:

Anyways, try it...I think you'll like it.

I like the Seth Lover neck too, and for the same reason: less boom to the bass...but I like the PGn even more. More highs and a clearer tone, IMO.

Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I think the PGn has the least "boom" to the bass and the clearer and more transparent tone compared to a 59n or the Jazz n.

When I play loud, I hate that unclear, muddy, bassy "boom" so many neck humbuckers get...it's the biggest reason I switched to Strats and Teles over 35 years ago!

However, the PGn wasn't available 35 years ago! :laugh2:

Anyways, try it...I think you'll like it.

I like the Seth Lover neck too, and for the same reason: less boom to the bass.

Lew

Cool. Thanks. If the Jazz doesn't work out, I'll be in touch.

So so you think the PGn has less bass than the Jazz?

I thought about the Seth but with it being unpotted, that worries me. I can play with some pretty high can and don't want any squeeling pigs jumping out of my speakers.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Cool. Thanks. If the Jazz doesn't work out, I'll be in touch.

So so you think the PGn has less bass than the Jazz?

I thought about the Seth but with it being unpotted, that worries me. I can play with some pretty high can and don't want any squeeling pigs jumping out of my speakers.

My sense is that the alnico 2 PGn and Seth Lover both have less bass than the alnico 5 Jazz or 59N. They still have plenty of bass...just less. Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

My sense is that the alnico 2 PGn and Seth Lover both have less bass than the alnico 5 Jazz or 59N. They still have plenty of bass...just less. Lew

That's my initial thought too since the PG is a A2 but the tone chart shows it to be on par with the Jazz in the bass category.

What I don't want is a neck pickup that will overpower the Brobucker. Unfortunately, the DiMarzio PAF does just that when playing clean. Overdriven it's better, but not exactly what I want. That PAF is better in the bridge or in the neck with a bridge pickup like the SuperD or a Custom.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I think any alnico 2 pickup in 7.6K or under range will NOT overpower your Brobucker. The a2 PGn is 7.3K...the a5 Jazz is 7.72K...the a5 59n is 7.43K...the a2 A II Pro is 7.6K

I'd go for the PGn...

Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Thanks, Lew. After I try out the Jazz with it I'll know for sure. I absolutely love the Brobucker. It deserves a good match. Like I said, I'll give you a call if I need to get a PGn.

 

[theodie]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Very cool review Lew. Theodie has or had that same set up in an Explorer and he loved it as well!

Great review LEW! I have used the set and I can honestly say that these pickups are GREAT together and glad to hear that ears of the likes of yours feel they are a great match also! IMO, these are the best match I have used in the Duncan line and also IMO Duncans 2 best buckers! Thats just me though!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Great review LEW! I have used the set and I can honestly say that these pickups are GREAT together and glad to hear that ears of the likes of yours feel they are a great match also! IMO, these are the best match I have used in the Duncan line and also IMO Duncans 2 best buckers! Thats just me though!

Thanks! Glad you like this set too.

Everytime I happen into something that really delievers the goods (a balanced tone that lets me relax and play my best) I start thinking it's the best set ever! :laugh2:

So for now, the PGn and Custom is the best combo ever...maybe I'll feel the same way a year from now too! :laugh2:

They really are very compatable...and like I said, the feel of the bass and treble frequencies is very similar in both pickups. That means it's easy to find one tone setting on the amp that sounds great with both pickups.

And I love the way the PGn sounds fairly clean at volume 4 on my amp and the Custom kicks into a little overdrive at the same volume. Makes it easy to go from clean to scream!

Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Great review, again, Lew.

I think the PGn has the least "boom" to the bass and the clearer and more transparent tone compared to a 59n or the Jazz n.

When I play loud, I hate that unclear, muddy, bassy "boom" so many neck humbuckers get...it's the biggest reason I switched to Strats and Teles over 35 years ago!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Stag Mag as a neck pup sometime. Any chance of you trying one out? Especially as it compares to the Jazz and PGn.

Also, is the ceramic mag thats in the Distortion neck the same as the one in a Custom? In other words, could I "borrow" the mag out of my DDn to try in my C5?

Artie

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

Great review, again, Lew.



I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Stag Mag as a neck pup sometime. Any chance of you trying one out? Especially as it compares to the Jazz and PGn.

Also, is the ceramic mag thats in the Distortion neck the same as the one in a Custom? In other words, could I "borrow" the mag out of my DDn to try in my C5?

Artie

I dunno...to all of those questions!:laugh2:

 

[Aceman]

Re: Update and review: PGn and Custom in Strat

I've been thinking for a while that the PGn needs to be my official neck pup. I've been thinking about a Custom for my Dean CAddy, but haven't decided on a neck (or even maybe a middle!) pup. But now I'm thinking PG neck for everything and custom bridge in the Dean. Thanks Lew! Great review!

PS Lew - check this out https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=67652 if you're reading this...