• From: London, UK
  • Registered: 2011-04-01
  • Posts: 313

Topic: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

Hello

I was thinking of getting the pickups on my 2008 Les Paul Standard replaced. Can anyone tell me how Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups compare to Gibson Burstbuckers, if any of you have experience with these?

Thanks

Xavier

Guitars:
Epiphone Les Paul Junior Black + Gold Hardware, PRS SE Santana Yellow, Ovation Double-Neck Semi-Acoustic, Ovation Celebrity CC44 Honeyburst, Gibson 2008 Les Paul Standard Heritage Cherry Sunburst (#10), Gibson Robot Les Paul Studio 2012 Limited, Gibson 1976 Les Paul Custom Heritage Cherry Sunburst
  • From: N.Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-03-06
  • Posts: 2,183

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

They're good...personally, I thought they were slightly harsh...but I also think BBs are harsh too. I would choose them over BB.
What style are you aiming for and where are you located? You could try aiming for Bare Knuckles...a pair of Mules if you can afford them.

  • From: West Sussex
  • Registered: 2011-05-17
  • Posts: 307

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

DaveWammbarro wrote:

They're good...personally, I thought they were slightly harsh...but I also think BBs are harsh too. I would choose them over BB.
What style are you aiming for and where are you located? You could try aiming for Bare Knuckles...a pair of Mules if you can afford them.

+1 for Mules

  • From: Los Angeles
  • Registered: 2010-03-19
  • Posts: 105

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

G'Day,

I have some Seymour Duncan Antiquities and I liked them so much

I put them on my ES 333 as well as my L.P. I paid around $200 U.S. for the pair of them.

They're great pickups. I tried many pickups before settling on them.

They can cover anything from Jazz to Blues to Rock and they sound just wonderful.

On My 333 with a little clean boost, I get harmonic overtones, that many guitar players would kill for.

Can't say enough good things about them

Cheers and Good Luck in your search.

  • From: London, UK
  • Registered: 2011-04-01
  • Posts: 313

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

thanks for all your recommendations

Guitars:
Epiphone Les Paul Junior Black + Gold Hardware, PRS SE Santana Yellow, Ovation Double-Neck Semi-Acoustic, Ovation Celebrity CC44 Honeyburst, Gibson 2008 Les Paul Standard Heritage Cherry Sunburst (#10), Gibson Robot Les Paul Studio 2012 Limited, Gibson 1976 Les Paul Custom Heritage Cherry Sunburst
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

Pearly Gates pickups are sort of a stereotype. Everyone wants to 'customize' their sound, so everyone gets them... and end up sounding just like everyone else. I tend to stay from them because of the hype. But if people aren't talking crap about them, they're probably pretty good.

BurstBuckers don't have a high K reading so they could be brighter.

I have Gibson 1957 Classic Plus in my SG supreme, and I thought I was going to hate them. But they are some of the quietest best sounding pickups I have. Can't even explain it... just the "it" factor and very full... no dead spots.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2011-08-29
  • Posts: 267

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

If it ain't broke...don't fix it...  I've always preferred the burstbuckers.

Oasis.Guitar's Website

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Pickups

I like the Pearly Gates but when I had them in my SG I felt they were kinda muddy compaired to the stock 490 gibson pickups.  I had a nice set of 57' classics in that same guitar that just singed and replaced those with the Pearly Gates.  It was a step in the wrong direction and right after that I sold the guitar.  I also had these pickups in my old Les Paul Classic but and wasn't happy with the Pearly Gates in it either.  They replaced a set of JB Seymour Duncans and a 59' in the neck.  Pearly Gates was muddy compaired to the 59' in the neck and the JB was just plain fun but I consider myself as a blues player first and a rock guitar player second, and the JB was too much power on the front end of the amp for me.  But man I loved that crunch JB had.  It just had one sound though.  The Pearly Gates compaired to the JB is apples and oranges if you want crunch a JB is great, but pearly gates had a blues sound, but I didn't care for the lack of clarity. 

I heard Billy Gibbons uses equipment that would be considered Heavey Metal but he uses .007 strings and his heavest is .008.  Anyway He sets the amps wide open on the EQ's with the exception of the Treble which he turns off.  The light strings are so bright sounding he had to adjust it out I guess.  Anyway when I heard this it made me think well that explains why I thought Pearly Gates pickups sounded Muddy to me, its because I wasn't using .007 strings!

AD3THREE's Website