Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates?

andyp

Hi folks.

Been musing lately (but it's increasing to daily) about replacing the stock 490R and 490T pickups in my SG faded for something else. I don't find there's anything much wrong with the standard ones as such, but I was wondering what it would be like if I was to go for some of the SD Pearly Gates that seem to be pretty well liked in these types of guitars. I'd be looking to buy used rather than new and they do seem to pop up now and again on eBay etc.

I'm not very clued up on these types of things, but I'd be looking for a decent clean sound which is the main (but slight) issue I've found with the stock ones - mostly a muddy sound to the neck. What I really love is the raw bluesy and classic rock sound (ZZ Top, Led Zep but particularly AC/DC... along with the likes of Free and this type of stuff). I also like 90s grunge, punk (think Green Day more than the Sex Pistols) and some metal, so would like to be able to cover that too, but the classic rock and decent clean would be most useful I reckon.

Just wondering if people on here have tried these in an SG and how they would compare to the stock ones. Any thoughts or advice would be great.

Cheers.

Andy

ICBM

[unpopular opinion warning]

I don't like them - I find them overly bright and thin-sounding, especially the bridge but the neck a little too. I *far* prefer the '59s, although even there the bridge could do with being slightly hotter.

I'm normally quite a fan of Duncans - in fact the neck '59 is possibly my favourite neck humbucker - but I really don't get the hype about the PGs.

[/unpopular opinion]

andyp

Hey, thanks @ICBM  This is as useful to hear as anything to be honest. I struggle with making sense of all the factors that are included in the blurbs of pickup descriptions online etc. so figured it was best just to say what I'm looking for and see where that took things.

I see a lot of guitars have the same 59 and JB combo but from memory this seems to be more Superstrat type things than the likes of the SG. I'm not even sure where the stock ones sit in the overall scheme of things (in terms of how "hot" they are) but I did much prefer the sound of the SG with these to the PRS 245 I nearly bought, and also to my mate's Les Paul Trad (classic 57s) and my own Epiphone LP. The 490s seem quite bright... well the bridge does especially. The neck is quite woolly and dark, but to be honest I find that with most neck pickups I've played, regardless of the guitar they're in.

I'm maybe not needing to do anything at all and just stick with the 490s, but I do wonder what it would be like with something else in there. I totally love the playability of this SG though, so if it ain't broke...

Adam_MD

If you like the bridge and find the neck too woolly you could swop the alnico ii magnet for an alnico v to match the bridge.  Are they covered or uncovered? 

impmann

I ditched the pickups in my Gibson SG (ceramic crap) a while back for similar reasons and I play similar stuff on mine - I gigged it since in a punk band (classic and modern stuff), I've gigged it in a blues/rock/boogie band and I've gigged it with a 60s psych-rock band (The Doors influenced). I've also used it for clean stuff, a funk track and its currently sat in drop D for when I feel the need for big fuzz.

The replacement pickups - Classic 57s. I'm more than happy with it now.

lysander

ICBM said:

[unpopular opinion warning]

I don't like them - I find them overly bright and thin-sounding, especially the bridge but the neck a little too. I *far* prefer the '59s, although even there the bridge could do with being slightly hotter.

I'm normally quite a fan of Duncans - in fact the neck '59 is possibly my favourite neck humbucker - but I really don't get the hype about the PGs.

[/unpopular opinion]

100% agree, I have one in a HSS strat with a 250k pot and it's still bright and thin as hell, wouldn't recommend.
Also for the same price or less you could get a much better pickup from Oil City or other hand winders so I'd look into that.
I think Seymour's and Di Marzio are way overpriced in the UK at the moment.

andyp

Yeah, pricing of US based stuff was also on my mind. I'm new to this game but I seem to recall the likes of SD's were at the £60-75 each (I'm probably wrong) maybe 2 years ago but they're now at around £100 each, which puts them up at Bare Knuckle prices (who I have in my mind as the benchmark for the dear end of the spectrum).

I'm not particularly after the PG's as such, but they seemed to be aimed at the stuff I'm after and a lot of folk seem to love them.

TimberG

I have the SH-4/SH-2 (JB and Jazz combo) in my custom tele i built and they are great however just sold a LP with classic 57's in and they were spot on also.

Seymour Duncans have gone up due to the pound against the dollar. 

I am looking at these fairer shoes for my next set of pickups as they are good value for a hand wound pickup.

andyp

I'm thinking now that Classic 57s (that come in other models of SG) are maybe the thing to look for.

edit - forgot to mention that the stock pickups are uncovered and also have no surrounds.

normula1

I bought a used PG+ to go in a partscaster and also found it quite thin and pretty terrible split. I didn't manage to stick a screwdriver through one of the coils when pushing the manet out ready for a swap (honest) before getting it rewound by Bare Knuckle to their Crawler spec. It's since been usurped by on of their Mules which to my ears works a lot better.

John_P

ICBM said:

[unpopular opinion warning]

I don't like them - I find them overly bright and thin-sounding, especially the bridge but the neck a little too. I *far* prefer the '59s, although even there the bridge could do with being slightly hotter.

I'm normally quite a fan of Duncans - in fact the neck '59 is possibly my favourite neck humbucker - but I really don't get the hype about the PGs.

[/unpopular opinion]

I tried a set in a prs once and thought exactly the same - thin and weak sounding. They might suit some guitars and playing styles but they didn't suit me.

FelineGuitars

If you are looking for some of that Pearly Gates kind of vibe but would like it a bit more earthy and not so thin look at the Oil City Master-wound Tubesnake that Ash cooked up from my ideas. It is a similar Alnico 2 base but has plain enamel insulated AWG42 wire which loses a touch of the bitey top end that can make the Pearly Gates a bit thin sounding.

andyp

Thanks guys, some really useful comments. Cheers!

I'll investigate Oil City for sure.

antifash

I've a Duncan Custom Custom and Jazz in my SG. Killer combo.