Please compare: Pearly Gates neck & Alnico II Pro neck

[MattPete]

When I had a Pearly Gates neck, there was so many mids, upper mids, and highs, that it reminded me a lot of a bridge pickup. In that guitar, I originally had a Custom Custom bridge, and the two pickups didn't sound that different to me, even thought one was a hot bridge pickup and the other was a varient of a PAF.

The A2Pro sounds like a cross between a 59 and Seth neck. Less bass than the 59, but more than the Seth. Likewise, less mids than the Seth, but more than a 59.

[Faraday]

But frankly, I'd go for mag-modded antiquities when it comes to getting that a2p tone. Switching the magnet to a full strength a2 in an ant gives that a2p tone + some 3d clarity and openess that I think is missing in an a2p.

B

Would that just be a Seth Lover???

[accipiter]

I've yet to try the P.G., but the Alnico II neck really nails the Stones' Sticky Fingers era. Dial in the gain on your amp half-way and you're right into the sounds of the intro to Can't You Hear Me Knockin' ( breaks up nice, definitive clarity and a little compressed). Split to single coil it still get that Stones sound, like their songs *****, Happy etc. Nice sound for leads, (not overly bright, definitely a lot of bass) even in an acrylic guitar. It's uncanny how much this pup nails that era of the Stones( dark,rude and never overly bright sounding) yet is still very loud and clear.

[skyydogg01]

anyone ever consider a hybrid of the 2?

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

That would be COOL.

[the guy who invented fire]

anyone ever consider a hybrid of the 2?

the whole point of doin a hybrid is to mis match the coils...a Pearly Gates already has mismatched coils...so there is not much of a point really unless you wanted to do a hybrid of a PG with another pickup that was far hotter.

[BachToRock]

My favorite neck pickup is a APII/59 Hybrid which is pretty much a APII/PG Hybrid...
The APII has different insulation on the wire than the PG which will affect the response...

[Faraday]

My favorite neck pickup is a APII/59 Hybrid which is pretty much a APII/PG Hybrid...
The APII has different insulation on the wire than the PG which will affect the response...

Aren't they both enamel???

[Faraday]

My favorite neck pickup is a APII/59 Hybrid which is pretty much a APII/PG Hybrid...
The APII has different insulation on the wire than the PG which will affect the response...

BachToRock, Have you tried the APII/59 hybrid in the bridge position? What magnet is in it A2 or A5?

[dr.barlo]

Would that just be a Seth Lover???

When I a/b'ed my 7.70K ant neck with a full strength a2 (from a PG) against a seth I owned back then, I liked the ant neck way more. BUT that might be just due to the difference in the ohmage, because if I remember right seth neck was like 7.25K or so, quite weak.

I'd always go for the antiquities, but that's just me. BTW I definitely hear a difference between a 59n loaded with an a2 versus an full strength a2-ant neck.

B

[BachToRock]

Aren't they both enamel???
BachToRock, Have you tried the APII/59 hybrid in the bridge position? What magnet is in it A2 or A5?

The 59, Seth, PG & Antquities all use the dark heavier insulation...
The APII uses the plain enamel like the Jazz, Custom, JB, etc...

The type of insulation will influence the way the coil interacts with itself electrically and mainly affects the CAPACITANCE.

I have not tried a Bridge APII/59 Hybrid... I prefer a slightly hotter Bridge pickup... the Holy Grail Bridge pickup for me is the Custom/59 Hybrid!

[Tony_H]

1. Which is more "single coil" like?
2. Which has more output?
3. Which has more bass?
4. Which has more mids?
5. Which is "brighter"?
6. Which has more upper harmonics?
7. Which is more textured or complex?
7. How do they differ?
8. How are they similar?
9. How do thier chordal/rythym tones differ?
10. How do thier lead/soloing tones differ?
11. Would you prefer one in a Les Paul over the other?
12. Would you prefer one in a Strat or Tele over the other?

I compared an A2Pro set and a PG set in the same guitar, which is a mahogany/maple body, mahogany/rosewood neck, bolt-on affair with 24.75 string scale. Here's what I found:

1. PG
2. Equal, though the PG sounds brighter so it may be perceived as louder.
3. Equal, though the A2Pro might be perceived as bassier, as its highs are not so pronounced.
4. PG has more upper mids, but in the low-mid and mid they're the same to me.
5. PG
6. PG
7. They're equally "textured or complex", just different tonally.
7. The PG are more pronounced, they cut better.
8. Rich, complex tone - both are richer and more complext than e.g. a '59
9. The PG are denser and brighter.
10. The A2Pro is smooth and fat, the PG has more cut
11. I would have to try. I have both sets handy right now, but there's no good Les Paul in sight. But I might be slightly biased in favor of the PG: my test guitar is quite polite-sounding, and the brighter PGs gave it more life.
12. I believe I'd use the A2Pro rather than the PG in a Tele or Strat, although I did use the A2P in a Strat-style guitar (alder body, maple/RW neck) and didn't like the sound at all. But that might just be the guitar.

But the punchline is ... don't beat me: I ended up putting a Gibson 490R/490T set in that guitar, and I like that setup even better than the PGs. To me the 490's have a better balance of "cut" and "fat" in their tone. After extensive pup swapping with that guitar, the A2Pro seemed too tame and the PG too rude. The only other pickup set that I might ever use in that guitar is the Seth Lovers, as I believe they are not as bright as the PG, yet are brighter than the A2Pro.

[Faraday]

...BTW I definitely hear a difference between a 59n loaded with an a2 versus an full strength a2-ant neck.

B

What are the differences that you hear Dr?

[dr.barlo]

The 59, Seth, PG & Antquities all use the dark heavier insulation...
The APII uses the plain enamel like the Jazz, Custom, JB, etc...

The type of insulation will influence the way the coil interacts with itself electrically and mainly affects the CAPACITANCE.

I have not tried a Bridge APII/59 Hybrid... I prefer a slightly hotter Bridge pickup... the Holy Grail Bridge pickup for me is the Custom/59 Hybrid!

Correct me if I am wrong. Isn't the wires used in antiquities, 59's, seths and PGs plain enamel insulated? Thus they have that darker look. Whereas, the bright copper look of Customs, ... isn't that due to formwar ensulated wires? The same on those on old strats, fralins ...

B

[dr.barlo]

What are the differences that you hear Dr?

59 with an a2 I'd say is less complex, more flat (not eq-wise tho). It is hard to describe. For example it does not "bloom" as the ants to (meaning when you use pick attack the tone sort of explodes and then fades into a nice bell like chime, see?). Moreover, when I do double stops I kinda hear each string more separately with ants. Has some kinda 3d clarity, I'd say. More harmonics, but less of that flat highs. Sounds weird I know. You gotta hear it for yourself.

B