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I'm looking for a neck pup to replace the '59 with in my ESP Horizon (alder body, maple neck-thru, string-thru body). It will be matched with a Custom Custom.

I will use this guitar for Jazz/harmony studies, general clean stuff, fusion but probably also metal/shred.
Should have warm cleans.

I don't like the '59, too muddy. So a couple of questions.
Which one would you prefer for my needs?
Which one sounds best split?
Which one has/gives best overdriven sound?

thanks

The Pearly Gates will probably be your best bet. If you thought the '59 was muddy, you may feel the same way about the Alnico 2 Pro. Both are great pickups, but I think the Pearly Gates would be a better choice for you.

Ryan

I say aph-1. Even a 59 with an alnico 2 magnet probably wouldn't hurt ya. It is awfully bassy with the a5 though.

I can't say about the APH-1, but I'm not sure the PG is it either. The PG is going to be a little more bassy and brighter than a 59. It has a slightly more extreme scoop in the tone curve. It does clean up nicely though. It's got a little zing in the upper mids too. If you aren't afraid of your your tone and volume, though, I say go for the PG.

I'm a huge fan of the PG neck / CC bridge combo. Been playing it for a few years and love it. With a Paul, you can get some amazing shades with both buckers on - but you need to use both volume and tones! Might be a problem...

PG/CC is a really flexible combo. It's classic, but hot in the the neck with nice treble, and cleans up well. CC is crunchy and hot, yet the highs are so fat I can't believe they get through the cord. Togethjer is a really full sound across the board!

I have to disagree with Aceman (but put it modestly). The PG will have less bass than the 59n, and the PG is less scooped.

Having said that, I think what you are looking for is probably the A2pro.

Modestly taken - and I'm stressing the quot;slightlyquot; on bassier primarily due to the A2 mag - perhaps I should have said smoother/fatter on the bass end. And I'm talking about a comparison to the 59 - not the A2P. And I still stand by my quot;PG with CC rulesquot; statement.