SD Pearly Gates vs. SD Custom Shop Pearly Gates

[rp1138]

What are the differences between the two, and how big a difference are we talking about? I've heard that the custom shop versions are how the Rev himself gets them, I know they're wound a little hotter, and that the covers are lightly aged. Is there anything else different? Do the custom shop ones sound better, and if so, how much better?

Full disclosure: I already purchased a set of the custom shop PGs online. I probably should have asked this before I bought, but oh well.

 

[DADGAD]

Perhaps the custom shop ones get a bit of added MoJo. (MJ)

 

[LtKojak]

What are the differences between the two, and how big a difference are we talking about?

"The Devil is in the details".

I've heard that the custom shop versions are how the Rev himself gets them

He's not gettin'em that much anymore...

I know they're wound a little hotter

Really? How do you KNOW that?

and that the covers are lightly aged.

If you order'em that way, yes. If not, well... not.

Is there anything else different?

Read the first line.

Do the custom shop ones sound better, and if so, how much better?

Only you would know what "better" sounds like.

Full disclosure: I already purchased a set of the custom shop PGs online. I probably should have asked this before I bought, but oh well.

Would that have changed anything?

 

[Tim Plains]

My Pearly Gates R9 came with them and I emailed Seymour Duncan in 2009 asking about the differences. Maricela Juarez (MJ) replied that she could not tell me what the differences are only saying she personally winds them and that "They have a lot of love, they are aged, special ageing on the magnets as well."

They have a lot of love.

Maybe that's all you're paying extra for - aging and having MJ wind them. Kind of like Fender/Abigail.
Mind you, that was from five years ago. MJ may have retired by now, I don't know.

 

[rp1138]

"The Devil is in the details".


He's not gettin'em that much anymore...


Really? How do you KNOW that?


If you order'em that way, yes. If not, well... not.


Read the first line.


Only you would know what "better" sounds like.


Would that have changed anything?

Because they're not posted on the website, all I know about them is the info provided to me by the seller. The ones I bought have lightly aged nickel covers, 2 conductor wire, and are 8.7 bridge and 7.8 neck, which is slightly hotter than the published specs for the off the shelf versions, and that the seller, who is an SD dealer, ordered them from the custom shop "how Billy gets them." I was just trying to find out if anyone here knew anything more about them.

And yes, it might have made a difference. If I found out that the only difference was that SD was charging an extra $100 bucks just for aged nickel covers, I would have gone with the standard set, since the aging on the covers doesn't matter much to me. Happily, it appears there's more to it than that.

 

[rp1138]

My Pearly Gates R9 came with them and I emailed Seymour Duncan in 2009 asking about the differences. Maricela Juarez (MJ) replied that she could not tell me what the differences are only saying she personally winds them and that "They have a lot of love, they are aged, special ageing on the magnets as well."

They have a lot of love.

Maybe that's all you're paying extra for - aging and having MJ wind them. Kind of like Fender/Abigail.
Mind you, that was from five years ago. MJ may have retired by now, I don't know.

Thank you. That's exactly the kind of information that I was looking for.

And it appears that MJ hasn't retired yet, at least not as of the time these were wound, because they were wound by her. If MJ is to Seymour Duncan what Abigail is to Fender, then it's worth the extra $100.00 for these pickups. To me, anyway. YMMV.

 

[Deus Vult]

My Pearly Gates R9 came with them and I emailed Seymour Duncan in 2009 asking about the differences. Maricela Juarez (MJ) replied that she could not tell me what the differences are only saying she personally winds them and that "They have a lot of love, they are aged, special ageing on the magnets as well."

They have a lot of love.

Maybe that's all you're paying extra for - aging and having MJ wind them. Kind of like Fender/Abigail.
Mind you, that was from five years ago. MJ may have retired by now, I don't know.

and in your case, you get bragging rights about how fancy your guitars are- because there is zero evidence that you actually know how to play.

 

[rp1138]

Wow.

I'm constantly amazed at the level of rudeness displayed in this forum toward people asking a simple question.

 

[LtKojak]

The ones I bought have lightly aged nickel covers, 2 conductor wire, and are 8.7 bridge and 7.8 neck, which is slightly hotter than the published specs for the off the shelf versions, and that the seller, who is an SD dealer, ordered them from the custom shop "how Billy gets them."

It sounds to me as he sold you an unsold item that he or somebody else has in stock, most probably from a rejected for some reason CS order.

Those specs, plus the unsolicited ageing of the covers sound very suspicious to me.

But hey! What do *I* know, uh?

Good luck with your new p'ups.

 

[6pack Jon]

I have a feeling they originally came from JMI. Every set of the Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates custom shop pickups they have for sale has been aged.

 

[rp1138]

I have a feeling they originally came from JMI. Every set of the Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates custom shop pickups they have for sale has been aged.

As a matter of fact, I bought them from JMI.

 

[rp1138]

It sounds to me as he sold you an unsold item that he or somebody else has in stock, most probably from a rejected for some reason CS order.

Those specs, plus the unsolicited ageing of the covers sound very suspicious to me.

But hey! What do *I* know, uh?

Good luck with your new p'ups.

Why would you assume that they were rejected? I bought them from a seller, JMI, who has multiple sets in stock, both nickel and gold covers, all lightly aged, all two conductor. There's nothing nefarious about it, that's just the way he orders them.

Like I said, I don't particularly care about the aging of the covers, I just wanted to know if there was anything special about them construction or sound wise.

 

[LtKojak]

Why would you assume that they were rejected? I bought them from a seller, JMI, who has multiple sets in stock, both nickel and gold covers, all lightly aged, all two conductor. There's nothing nefarious about it, that's just the way he orders them.

Like I said, I don't particularly care about the aging of the covers, I just wanted to know if there was anything special about them construction or sound wise.

I was right, then. He didn't place a Custom Shop order for you, he's selling a stock item.

As normally dealers don't stock CS sets, I thought it was from some deal gone inconclusive.

I'm sure your p'ups will be excellent.

HTH,

 

[rp1138]

I was right, then. He didn't place a Custom Shop order for you, he's selling a stock item.

As normally dealers don't stock CS sets, I thought it was from some deal gone inconclusive.

I'm sure your p'ups will be excellent.

HTH,

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that he ordered it for me. I've only bought one set of SD pickups before, and that was 10 years ago. I had no idea of his the custom shop works, which is why I was asking about the pickups.

 

[Shai`tan]

So, how do these sound? I was thinking of ordering an aged set like this from JMI as well.

 

[rp1138]

So, how do these sound? I was thinking of ordering an aged set like this from JMI as well.

I will let you know as soon as they arrive and I get them installed.

 

[Tim Plains]

Wow.

I'm constantly amazed at the level of rudeness displayed in this forum toward people asking a simple question.

Ron (FennRx) is upset at himself more than anything because he's been "playing" guitar for a decade and is worst than terrible. He recently posted new clips of him playing Whiskey in the Jar and Cinnamon Girl. His playing was laughable at best. You know when people rip on guitar collectors who have guitars/amps they can't play? Those people are talking about Ron.

 

[rp1138]

Ron (FennRx) is upset at himself more than anything because he's been "playing" guitar for a decade and is worst than terrible. He recently posted new clips of him playing Whiskey in the Jar and Cinnamon Girl. His playing was laughable at best. You know when people rip on guitar collectors who have guitars/amps they can't play? Those people are talking about Ron.

OK, now THATS funny.

 

[DADGAD]

I bought my WLH set from JMI. They stick sets
of CS Duncan. They seem to be a special dealer. A year later I ordered
a custom PAF from MJ with aged nickel
covers. She called me to tell me that she had lightly potted them by accident as mine got done at the same time she was doing a batch of pickups for JMI.

 

[joebonsai]

I have both Sets regulars and CS, IMO the difference between neckpickups is not that much, but by using both or just the bridge the sounddifference is BIG.
The CS have, let's say more headroom, more beef that's what I can say
I also have a CS 78 in a Korina Moderne....KILLER, Eddie's built in LOL
for me the higher price for the CS pickups is ok (in the States)
if I would by ONE CS humbucker here in Germany via a shop and the distributor (SD does NOT send pickups directly to private german customer) I'll pay 'bout 300€!!! nearly 400$.... and have to wait up to 1/2 a year..... a set Bonamassa's are 575€ ...questions?
I buy all my Duncans JMI music Austin TX, great dealer with a LOT of CS pickups in stock!!
hope this helps