What pickups to pair with a Pearly Gats for an HSS Strat

[Matt42]

I'm going to be changing the pickups in my Strat (mexican) sometime this month. I'm sold on a Pearly Gates in the bridge, but am having trouble deciding what to put in there with it. I'll be coil-splitting the Pearly Gates with a push/pull, I've had a couple of thoughts, which I'll just list:

Duckbucker in both middle/neck
Duckbucker in the middle, little 59 in the neck (either split or parrell w/ push/pull)
Duckbucker in the middle, Custom Shop small Pearly Gates in the neck (same as the little 59)
Quarter Pounders in the middle/neck (with a coil tap installed)

I realize there are a lot of vastly different options there, so I'm hoping people can shed some light on how these pickups might mesh with a PG.

My band covers a lot of musical ground, from twangy country and rockabilly to funk to rock (more classic rock in tone). I play through a new Hot Rod Deluxe with an MXR Custom Modified Badass Overdrive as my main OD box. I want this guitar to be able to crunch, twang, and bang while still being able to be use for a warm clean airy sound.

I'm currently leaning toward the PG/DB/lilPG combo, I think. If I were to go that route (or the lil59), would I be able to split the coil in the neck as well as the bridge with the same pot?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What pickups to pair with a Pearly Gats for an HSS Strat

Are you buying the regular PGb or the "tweaked to suit Fender" PG Plus? There are differences and these would influence my suggestions for the centre and neck positions.

 

[wolf5150]

Re: What pickups to pair with a Pearly Gats for an HSS Strat

i'd get a true single coil for the mid position so the noise is cancelled when you split the humbucker and use it with the mid. Reverse wound of course. Then add whatever you choose in the neck depending on the sound you want. In mine i've got a kinman noiseless as i love them but a classic stack would also work great.

 

[Matt42]

Re: What pickups to pair with a Pearly Gats for an HSS Strat

Are you buying the regular PGb or the "tweaked to suit Fender" PG Plus? There are differences and these would influence my suggestions for the centre and neck positions.

I was unaware that there was a difference. I suppose I'll be trying to get the one for Fender, if it sounds better in a Strat.