Best Start sounding full sized humbucker

[jerryjg]

I've been going through the Dimarzio website and I found this information on the Dimarzio"Humbuker from hell". Its the first full sizepickup I've seen that claims to be built expressly for the purpose of sounding like a Strat pickup.

[lightseeker55]

I have a genuine Bill Lawrence L500XL (Bill and Becky from www.billlawrence.com) on my 1990 Heavy Metal Strat. It blows every Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan that I every own. It only cost me $65.00 for them. This pickup is not a one trick pony. It can go from heavy distortion to jazzy clean. You can still hear every note in a heavy distortion amp. It is that good.

[Gravity Jim]

I like the Pearly Gates in the Strat bridge. A lot. (There's an F-spaced full-sized version for Fenders, and one that fits in a single-coil slot, too).

I think it retains the "chimey" bell-like quality that a Strat really needs in the bridge. What would that... a bump around 4K, maybe? Or a gradual rise above 8K? I can't name the frequency curve, but it sounds good.

I never really liked humbuckers in a Fender 'til I played one of the old "Lonestar" Strats that had this pickup in the bridge. Schweet.

[jerryjg]

Thats a interesting post. I always thought the "Gates" was bright in the bridge, actually, shrill. A lot would depend on the wood, I've never heard it in alder but in walnut it was peircing , although most pickups wood bee.
Ive got two Duncan custom shop Antiquities/Pearly Gates hybrid pups I thought may mallow out that Pearly gates top end for the bridge, but it didnt.
In my estimation it would be just an awesome pickup for neck in most balanced guitars.
I think I would go for something like a Dunacan APH-1 alnico Pro in the bridge and a Pearly Gates in the neck.
But I am talking mahaogany Les Paul here, not Strat.
I'm going to try myPG/ANT's in the bridge of an alder Strat tho. Thanks .