What pickups are you using in your PGM301?

[toneboy]

I just received my PGM301 last week (thank you Rich!) and I'm using it with the Boss GT-8. It's brand new and stock so it has PAF Pros in the bridge and neck positions and the Jem single coil in the middle.

BTW, I've read over all the specs on the pickups I'm going to mention and I also used to sell a lot of Dimarzios pickups when I worked in music retail.

I used to own a PGM100 with the stock pickups (basswood body with Tone Zone, Jem SC and PAF Pro) and I had a Destroyer (Alder body with a Tone Zone (bridge) and Humbucker From Hell (neck)) so I'm familiar with those pickups.

The PAF Pros in the 301 don't sound bad but they don't sound "perfect" to me either. In the bridge, the PAF Pro isn't quite warm enough for me. It's not bad, just not quite right. In the neck, the PAF Pro sounds fine clean but distorted, it's not warm enough for me.

I'm thinking about replacing the PAF Pros with either a Tone Zone or Air Zone in the bridge. I was always happy with the Tone Zone so I'm not sure if I'd like the slightly lower output of the Air Zone. Both pickups have the tonal qualities I'm looking for and, to be blunt, I'm not sure if the slightly lower output of the Air Zone will make a whole lot of difference.

For the neck, I liked the HFH in my Destroyer. Despite it's lower output and treble-heavy sound, it actually gave me a pretty smooth sound when distorted. It sounded sort of Brian May-ish. Check out this tune I recorded with the aforementioned Destroyer and a Mesa Studio Preamp for an example of what I'm talking about:

Tone Zone and Humbucker From Hell in Destroyer

Besides the HFH, I'm also looking at the Air Norton though since I've never actually tried one, I'm a little hesitant to buy one.

So it anyone has changed the pickups in their PGM301, I'd be curious to know what you switched too. I'm primarily concerned about distortion tones but clean tones should be good too. I'm playing whatever style of music grabs my interest. Also, FWIW, I used standard 10 gauge strings and Dunlop 3mm Big Stubbied.

[rty13ibz98]

most people, including myself when i had a pgm(pgm500) dig the TZ in the bridge. i wasn't a big fan of the HFH, tho. had i kept it, i would have dropped an air norton in it. but alas, i sold it. now, a friend of mine has a pgm300 with the paf pro, TZ rig. killer tone. if you already know you like the TZ, swap it, baby!


rich

[toneboy]

Well, I'm giving the PAF Pros a chance first. I don't want to replace anything I don't need to. I've had GAS before and I refuse to have a relapse.

I'm really just wondering about experiences others have had with the HFH in the neck position of their PGM301. I know what it sounds like in alder but not in basswood. I'm leaning towards that only because of the smooth overdriven sound it has.

[marlb5150]

nice sound you got.. I use a tonezone too in a basswood guitar but in the destroyer it sounds uber heavy. I'd think a tone zone would sound muddy on a mahogany guitar but sounded alright, really fat but not really muddy. is the destroyer a 24.75" scale or 25.5"?

[toneboy]

Actually, the Destroyer I had was the cheaper one and had an alder body (I changed my original post to indicate this) and it was a 24.75" scale. It felt great with 11s on it.