what duncans are most similar to pearly gates and how do they sound different?

[gimmieinfo]

Reason i ask is i want that A2 and approximate PAF DCR, but since duncan has a return policy i'd wanna know what else they have i could try in case i'm not happy with the PGs that would be a slight variation on the recipe? I just need a bit of a security blanket before i spend 3 big ones on a set of pickups.

 

[Mincer]

The Alnico II Pro is close in output, but the EQ is more towards mids than high end. Things open up a little bit if you could be flexible on the magnet. You could look at the Saturday Night Special (A4) or Whole Lotta Humbucker (A5).

 

[beaubrummels]

IME Jazz set is the closest, soundwise (at least in an LP or SG which is predominantly mahogany), despite being an A5 set. I've used Jazz and PGs interchangeably in bridge an neck and they work well together. Both sets have brightness and tightness to them. PG has filled in mids. There isn't a set that is 'like' the PGs. You can't just go by the magnet either. The coil matters.

 

[freefrog]

IME, PG's have a narrower / pointier resonant peak than other Duncan humbuckers wired with PE insulated wire... The Jazz set has a similar resonance (+ comparable inductive / resistive specs) but it's wound with poly insulated wire, exhibiting a slightly different parasitic capacitance and therefore, different transients.
If I had to mimic a PG with a 59, for instance, not only I'd use a moderately charged A2 bar but I'd also increase the resistive load in order to make the resonance more peaky. Which would involve 1M pots and/or a no-load tone control.
YMMV.

 

[Bowtomecha]

IME Jazz set is the closest, soundwise (at least in an LP or SG which is predominantly mahogany), despite being an A5 set. I've used Jazz and PGs interchangeably in bridge and neck and they work well together. Both sets have brightness and tightness to them. PG has filled in mids. There isn't a set that is 'like' the PGs. You can't just go by the magnet either. The coil matters.

I’ve never heard this before but it makes sense. The pg is my favorite bridge humbucker and I’ve wanted something similar in a seven string humbucker which isn’t made. I don’t want to try having an expensive custom shop one made just to be disappointed. So I’m looking at stock seven string neck humbuckers that resemble the resonant peak and dcr and tweaking the pot values, poles, and magnets accordingly

 

[beaubrummels]

FWIW Duncan has a return policy, so you wouldn't have to be disappointed and lose big money. I'm also confident the Custom Shop can and will make a pickup that is exactly what you want it to sound like. After more than 50 years of making pickups, they know exactly what to tweak in the recipe to make that happen.

 

[gimmieinfo]

heres another question. I saw a reviewer say they don't clean up well. I use a treble bleed and a moderately distorted amp to roll off gain and get edge of OD to clean, and if a a set doesn't do that pretty well i will be extremely unhappy. What freefrog said would probably seem to indicate that. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[gimmieinfo]

Well, plans may have changed...i just tried a A5 pickup i didn't care for in my old LP and was surprised to find it has great cleanup tones in this one for some reason ! So i'm now thinking i'll pass on A2 sets and look at A5. First thing that came to mind is the 59 set but i have heard a lot of negative comments on those in the past. What comparably price sets out there are generally much liked by most? Any brand.

 

[Mincer]

Well, to be fair, any vintage-output PAF-types clean up really well, so I have no idea what the reviewer was hearing. Also, you really can't go by magnet types here as wire and wind has a lot to do with it.

 

[gimmieinfo]

Well, to be fair, any vintage-output PAF-types clean up really well, so I have no idea what the reviewer was hearing. Also, you really can't go by magnet types here as wire and wind has a lot to do with it.

True, and i know that well. But i'm talking all else being equal. Or at least the main things....DCR in typical PAF range, maybe 8.2-8.7k, and 42 AWG.

 

[freefrog]

True, and i know that well. But i'm talking all else being equal. Or at least the main things....DCR in typical PAF range, maybe 8.2-8.7k, and 42 AWG.

I think to have already shared about the fact that IME and treble bleed caps aside, the ability to clean up at lower volume depends largely on the parasitic capacitance of the coils. Not easy at all to measure nor to predict. Hand-wound / scatter-wound coils often (not always) exhibit this low capacitance but aren't necessarily pleasing to hear with controls full up, since low stray capacitance hand wound coils have a higher pitched resonant peak + a lower Q factor + a strong and crisp attack, not spontaneously associated with a typical HB sound. There's a balance to find and this balance depends itself on other / external parameters / settings.

 

[Mincer]

True, and i know that well. But i'm talking all else being equal. Or at least the main things....DCR in typical PAF range, maybe 8.2-8.7k, and 42 AWG.

Gotcha. Still check out the Whole Lotta Humbuckers and the Saturday Night Specials.

 

[ErikH]

Other than what's been mentioned for A4 and A5 pickups, the 59's are a great all-around pickup. Can't go wrong with them, IMO.

 

[Mincer]

Other than what's been mentioned for A4 and A5 pickups, the 59's are a great all-around pickup. Can't go wrong with them, IMO.

I love the 59 in the right guitar. Some feel it has too much bass, but I've never experienced that.

 

[gimmieinfo]

Gotcha. Still check out the Whole Lotta Humbuckers and the Saturday Night Specials.

LOL! Funny....i was just hunting for them on reverb ! (WLH) The reason i gravitated to that while researching tonite is i figured with A5 i probably should be looking at DCR in the same range as the tonerider thats in there now. Its 8.7k and A5. I think A5 needs to be a slightly hotter wind than say the 59 or else it;s gonna be pretty bright, and it;s already a fairly bright LP. The tonerider is just right so i stared looking at what has the same 8.7k or close, A5, and 42AWG. The WLH was the first one i found and the reviews and demos all seemed right. One reviewer said it has a touch of compression which i like and is probably due to being slightly overwound. But i'm trying to decide on the set or a different neck. I did find one guy raving about the WLH neck and saying he liked it better then the P Gate s and several other neck pups that are well regarded. Of course thats one guy so more research is needed. If they don't work out at least SD has an exchange policy

 

[Mincer]

You could also magnet-swap the neck if it is too bright.

 

[ErikH]

I love the 59 in the right guitar. Some feel it has too much bass, but I've never experienced that.

Neither have I. Even in a Les Paul.

 

[freefrog]

I think to have already shared about the fact that IME and treble bleed caps aside, the ability to clean up at lower volume depends largely on the parasitic capacitance of the coils. Not easy at all to measure nor to predict. Hand-wound / scatter-wound coils often (not always) exhibit this low capacitance but aren't necessarily pleasing to hear with controls full up, since low stray capacitance hand wound coils have a higher pitched resonant peak + a lower Q factor + a strong and crisp attack, not spontaneously associated with a typical HB sound. There's a balance to find and this balance depends itself on other / external parameters / settings.

Maybe the following comparison will illustrate what I was saying above. Pretty typical to my ears of the clearer crispier sound of lower capacitance hand wound coils vs the slightly warmer and more compressed tone of machine wound ones (whose harmonics aren't as rich but might seem more pleasing because more even).

https://youtu.be/u8H1FOtUiOk?si=GPeGIY0ce-pKkjyg&t=200

The "Jam" played by this guy from 0.50' appears to be done with his hand wound humbuckers, vol pots at 5/10 (without treble bleed) and matches my subjective experience + researches and experiments on this question.

Please note it's not an advertising for hand wound coils: I've also machine wound pickups in my own guitars - and even hand wound coils able to sound like machine wound ones. ;-)
Like all my contributions, this post is a mere attempt to share possibly useful info, period.

 

[ToneFiddler]

the high voltage isn't so far from the Pearly Gates. It has less lowend than the PG.
The mentioned Jazz is also in that realm, at least gives a simliar vibe when you play it, although stiffer.

 

[ToneFiddler]

i also like the WLH. they are a bit more filled in the mids than the 59s and the bass isn't as big, which makes the attack faster and tighter.
I got a guitar where the 59s are a great fit (middy LP with not much fundament), but normally i prefer something else, at least with the standard magnet.