It alwys pays to look

Thinline_slim · Post by **Thinline_slim** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:48 pm

The closest local guitar shop with gear selection is Guitar Center and every time I'm in the store I look over their used stuff meticulously. Well back in May I would say I got pretty lucky. In their used case was a set of humbuckers labeled "Billy Gibbons Seymour Duncan" for $175. I had been casually scouting for a set of Pearly Gates as they are my favorite sounding humbuckers and thought they might sound pretty good in my ES335.

Since the pickups were pretty vaguely labeled I didn't bother anyone to pull them out of the case while I was there but the more I thought about it I thought what the hell I'll have someone give me some info. A few days later I call them up and asked one of the guys to flip them over and read if anything was on the back. Sure enough we found the Pearly Gates code for the neck and bridge but it also had a "custom shop" sticker. I didn't know what that meant at the time but for $175 I thought it was a decent price for a set of Pearly Gates, which can get a little pricy new. Then I started to do a little research and crazy enough Seymour Duncan does do a Custom Shop version of the PGs that retail for about $340!

I think I got a pretty good deal even if they were straight production pickups. Wiring them up in the 335 was a huge pain but man they sound great! I'm looking forward to the next gig so I can hear them in the band setting!

Ronnie Robinson · Post by **Ronnie Robinson** » Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:57 pm

Superb! Enjoy!

Post by **bclaire** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:06 am

Wow... great score!

a.hun · Post by **a.hun** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:49 am

Nice find. And well done fitting them to the 335, not fun I'm sure. Fun now, right?

Andy.

Les Paul Lover · Post by **Les Paul Lover** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 8:10 am

It always does.... Thats How I got a great deal on my Vigier.
It was unquestionably the best strat type guitar in that shop, buy without Fender on the headstock, it wasn't selling even if less expensive than lesser offering from the Fender custom shop.

In the end, knowing what was what got us both great deals !!!!!

Moon · Post by **Moon** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:41 am

Congrats on the awesome find!

Until recently I've never had this kind of good fortune! I won't go into any details just in case (you never know who reads these things...they might hunt me down) so I'll just say that it was Orange related!

Post by **bclaire** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:48 am

I've had a couple instances of good fortune but mostly it was a case of knowing what I was looking at and what the value was.

Like walking into the old EU Wurlitzer store in Framingham MA and spotting a '68 Marshall 50 watt trem tagged as an 80's amp and got it for really stupid money (like $499)

or walking into a mom and pop store and spotting a '56 Fender Electric Mandolin for $100... (sadly sold it when I needed money later on).

Jondog · Post by **Jondog** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 12:30 pm

Cool score! Think the pearly gates were originally designed for Billy Gibbons. Bought one used on eBay once. Thing was dead...bad experience, seller was an ass too.

Thinline_slim · Post by **Thinline_slim** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:42 pm

a.hun wrote:Nice find. And well done fitting them to the 335, not fun I'm sure. Fun now, right?

Andy.

Oh yeah! I had to get a little creative in their wiring though. They are a single lead with the shielding wrap but the neck was cut a little too short to reach the pot with the shielding. Extra wire and I'm good though. And they sound great!

Jondog wrote:Cool score! Think the pearly gates were originally designed for Billy Gibbons. Bought one used on eBay once. Thing was dead...bad experience, seller was an ass too.

You are correct! From what I've read the Pearly Gates are based off of BGs main Les Paul's pickups, the '59 Miss Pearly Gates. Sorry to read you got taken. That's BS.

markjazzbassist · Post by **markjazzbassist** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:01 pm

yes guitar centers used is crazy. i saw a fender super bassman (original 1969 version) head on there for 300 dollars. i inquired as to why it was priced like this and the person said the "transformer is loose". i said does it work, and they said "works and sounds great but since the OT is loose we have to mark it down". i bought it. found the screw and nut within the head case (had come loose but were still in there). re-attached them and solid it for 650.

i love GC

a.hun · Post by **a.hun** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:30 pm

bclaire wrote:I've had a couple instances of good fortune but mostly it was a case of knowing what I was looking at and what the value was.

Like walking into the old EU Wurlitzer store in Framingham MA and spotting a '68 Marshall 50 watt trem tagged as an 80's amp and got it for really stupid money (like $499)

or walking into a mom and pop store and spotting a '56 Fender Electric Mandolin for $100... (sadly sold it when I needed money later on).

Or finding a cleanish mid '60s JMI era AC30 Top Boost head in the back of an old TV / radio store for £150. Once in a lifetime was already very good. Temperamental beastie though.

Andy.

Post by **bclaire** » Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:34 am

Wow... that's great, Andy!

It alwys pays to look

It alwys pays to look

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