What is the Pearly Gates like in the neck?

N

Napthol

New member
When I get my Korina Explorer back from my tech it will have a Custom 5 in the bridge and a Screamin' Demon in the neck. I'm not overly concerned about the Custom Five but I'm more concerned about the Screamin' Demon in the neck sounding good.

If I recall correctly many people on this forum have said the Pearly Gates works well in the neck.

I don't want an overly bassy or boomy or woofie tone in the neck.

I'm looking for a tone which stays kinda articulate without sounding too bassy on the bass strings. I love the Stratocaster neck tone to give you an idea.

Please post your thoughts.
 
The 59 is the default "boomy" neck pickup. But - that is in a bass heavy guitar. I think it gets a bad rap because of particular Les Pauls on occasion.

That said....the Pearly Gates:

1. Start with a 59, the usual slightly scooped A5 magnet profile. Good highs, good bass, not so much mids.

Reduce the bass for less mud/boom
Leave the mids alone
Add an upper mid spike for cut & presence
Make the magnet an A2, so the highs have a nice sweet touch to them. But not too much.

2. Compared to the Demon:
A little more bass (but not a ton)
same-ish mids
slightly less highs, but not as sharp.

It's a great pickup, and IMO, should be the neck pickup in every Les Paul from the factory.


I'd say it is more articulate than an A2P, but not as much as a Demon.
 
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Pearly neck is a great PAF sound but for a stock pickup (rather than some idiosyncratic custom wind version.). It's got some brightness, has some mids, and the right kind of thump or warmth on the bottom without being boomy. I don't have a Korina guitar, so I don't know how Korina factors into the equation.
 
I'm not getting any sound in the neck yet because my guitar is still at my tech's house. Is the APH-1 the Alnico II Pro? Wouldn't that pickup be bassy and spongy in the neck?
 
Napthol said:
I'm not getting any sound in the neck yet because my guitar is still at my tech's house. Is the APH-1 the Alnico II Pro? Wouldn't that pickup be bassy and spongy in the neck?
Click to expand...

I mean, before your tech had it...what did the neck pickup sound like, and what about it didn't you like?
 
I think the Demon will suit you. It's rich at the neck but not at all boomy.
It also splits quite well. For occasional more-Stratlike parts you might wire a pull-to-split.
 
To me, the PG neck sounds like a typical vintage output modern PAF only kind of with the color of a strat. So ur in luck!

(Que jeremy to straw man me.)
 
I had a split on my PG neck it sounded incredibly stratty when split. I got a full-on Nile Rodgers vibe. Right now it is sitting in mothballs. I swapped pickguards on that particular Strat.
 
You shouldn't have any potential concerns about the Demon in the neck, it sounds like it is just what you want. It is actually an incredible neck pup...clear and articulate even under gain, great EQ, not bassy or boomy or loose at all. Don't let the name scare you (it's really an unfortunate name). Don't make any decisions on swapping it out until you've had a chance to play it first. There's not a huge difference between a Demon or Pearly in the neck...certainly not like the difference between either of those and an A2P.

But, if you want to know what the Pearly Gates sounds like, well, it IS the gateway into Heaven.
 
The Pearly Gates would be very mismatched with the Custom 5 in terms of EQ. I've had that pairing and didn't enjoy how different the two were from each other. The Custom 8 as I have it now is a bit better, but the Custom Custom in my experience is the best match for the PGn.

Then again, some people like Telecasters with a neck humbucker and bridge single coil, so clearly some people like huge EQ mismatches between the neck and bridge pickups.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk
 
I think there would be a greater mismatch between a CC and a Pearly than with a C5 and a Pearly. The Pearly is pretty bright, not so the CC. The Pearly or the Demon make a great neck pup matched with the C5 or C8 in the bridge.
 
I would think the best match would be a 59/Custom Hybrid, or a regular Custom with the PGn.
 
It's a picky pickup. But as others have mentioned, significantly less bass than the 59.

My PGn has been in 2 Les Pauls and it's currently in my Goth Explorer.

Yes, that's a Bill and Becky L-500XL in the bridge
d8a9875a3f63cb68f9217ee3d967b19d.jpg


Sent from my 2201116PG using Tapatalk
 
Tonally I think a Demon ought to go nicely with the C5, in korina or mahog for that matter.
Level-wise it's pretty strong at the neck. C5 should be powerful enough to balance pretty well with it.

I agree with the advice to use it for awhile before you switch to something else.
However if you eventually decide you want a lower output neck, IMO the PGn should do very nicely.

Jazz neck would be another option - it also is a bit Stratty compared to most neck hums.
 
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GuitarDoc said:
I think there would be a greater mismatch between a CC and a Pearly than with a C5 and a Pearly. The Pearly is pretty bright, not so the CC. The Pearly or the Demon make a great neck pup matched with the C5 or C8 in the bridge.
Click to expand...

Have you tried any of those combinations? It sounds like you're guessing.

The Pearly Gates is really not bright relative to any bridge pickup. It might be bright relative to other A2 neck humbuckers, but that's not a high bar.

I've tried all these combinations with the PGn: Custom, Custom 5, Custom 8, Custom Custom. The Custom Custom matches really well.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk
 
fretburner said:
It's a picky pickup. But as others have mentioned, significantly less bass than the 59.

My PGn has been in 2 Les Pauls and it's currently in my Goth Explorer.

Yes, that's a Bill and Becky L-500XL in the bridge
d8a9875a3f63cb68f9217ee3d967b19d.jpg


Sent from my 2201116PG using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
How's it sound in the middle position?
To me, those two pickups together could be an unlooked for Grail set.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
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