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Post subject: Humbucker woes (warning this thread pertains to Gibsons)
Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:54 pm
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My dearest friends , I have a 2010 Gibson SG that I love
it plays really well and the distorted tones are quintessintal
Rock and Roll however the more I play it the more I can't
stand the honk or compressed sounds of the 490r and 498t
the neck annoys me more than the bridge pickup . as good
as this guitar sounds acoustically and its resonance I can't help
but think there is more I can get out of it so my question.
what do you guys think of a p90 humbucker size in the
neck or is there a humbucker that will sound less compressed in the
neck
my thoughts are the harmonic design z90 neck
or maybe the Bare Knuckles Mississippi Queen with alnico IV
there is not MANY HELPFUL REVIEWS of either especially not
the BKP MQUEEN should I go this route or
should I not give up on a humbucker neck pickup
( I guess I am spoiled by Fender clean neck sounds)

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1961 Gibson SG Wildwood Pelham blue
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 6:07 pm
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Try the 57 Classic and/or 57 Classic + pickups. They're OEM in my '94 R9 and '62 LP-SG re-issues......very sweet and vintage-sounding.

The Burstbuckers may also be worthy of a look-see.

Arjay

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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 7:38 am
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I've experimented a lot with humbuckers in SGs. I've narrowed it down to this: A Duncan Pearly Gates bridge model pickup is the best HB I've ever heard in the neck position of an SG. Not only does it eliminate that muddy 'bong' but you can actually solo off it too, even if you're not one who usually does so off a neck pickup.

The bridge pickup, well here is a happy quandary: Either the Duncan Custom or the Duncan Custom Custom. Ironically, both are the identical pickup with the only difference being a Ceramic magnet vs. an Alnico II magnet.

The Custom sounds like a most aggressive, crisp PAF with a lot of attitude whereas the Custom Custom sounds like a smokin' hot PAF but of the more 'vintagey' vein. I would compare the Custom to a Michael Shenker type sound and the Custom Custom to a Leslie West type sound. Either pickup blends quite well with the Pearly Gates and is in fact, more powerful than the Pearly Gates so your output balance between pickups excellent too.

No, I don't have a 'thing' for Seymour Duncan pickups but in this instance, they are it for me.

Needless to say, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:23 pm
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Am I reading that right you say pearly gates bridge
for the neck . why the neck model does power
in the bridge model allow you to retain clarity or
is it a magnet difference II versus a V .

ALSO so no one is going for the harmonic
design z90
or another humb size p90 in the neck to
improve clarity (thanks for all responses and opinions)

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1956 Gibson CS Lemon Les Paul
1957 Fender CS Aged Cherry Strat
1958 Gibson CS Pg 85 Les Paul
1960 Fender CS 3tsb Strat
1961 Gibson SG Wildwood Pelham blue
1966 Fender CS Firemist Metallic Silver Strat


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:54 pm
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clem160 wrote:
Am I reading that right you say pearly gates bridge
for the neck . why the neck model does power
in the bridge model allow you to retain clarity or
is it a magnet difference II versus a V .

ALSO so no one is going for the harmonic
design z90
or another humb size p90 in the neck to
improve clarity (thanks for all responses and opinions)


Yes. The bridge model's coils have more winds than the neck model thus making it more powerful with a better high end vs. the neck version. Per my experience with SGs, the bridge model in the neck position balances better volume and tone wise with my aforementioned bridge pickup choices. Here's the real key: They augment the guitar's sonic possibilities rather than trying to duplicate the pickup in the bridge position by a slight EQ shift. As you may well expect, the PG also sounds great when combined with my choices of bridge pickup.

Both Pearly Gates neck and bridge models have Alnico II magnets. Don't confuse them with the, "Pearly Gates Plus" pickups made by Duncan for Fender. These have Alnico V magnets and the coil windings are closest to a stock Duncan 59 rather than a stock Pearly Gates as I'm citing above. Why, "Pearly Gates Plus" then? Fender simply preferred the name, "Pearly Gates" over anything else; no joke.

IMO, Harmonic Design pickups are not in the same league with Duncans and this view is shared by many others hence, the lack of responses.

As to a P-90 type neck pickup, sonically you'll be right back where you started unless the pickup is under wound and I don't think this would be your aim. You'll also lose the HB aspect as well.

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker woes (warning this thread pertains to Gibsons)
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:24 pm
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Just to add another bridge pickup to Martian's excellent choices, I'll throw in a word for Duncan's Custom 5 bridge pickup. Same as the other Customs, but with Alnico V magnets, for a tone between the others. I've never had an SG, but I've got that pickup in a mahogany ESP, and it sounds great. It's a fat, high-output PAF sound, but not quite a hot-rodded sound like a JB or other "high-gain" pickups.

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Post subject: Re: Humbucker woes (warning this thread pertains to Gibsons)
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:34 pm
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Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:28 pm
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For humbuckers in an SG, I would highly recommend the Klein 1959 PAF: http://www.kleinpickups.com/p-271-1959- ... ckups.aspx

I had a set in my Carvin CS-4 that sounded amazing, but I changed to them out for some humbucker sized P90s.


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