Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates VS Seth Lover (Which one?)
Our pick: Flip a coin
Assuming the same guitar and amp, the Pearly Gates and Seth Lover humbucker sets are extremely difficult to decipher. The Pearly Gates set is perhaps a bit more country, but both have a distinctly vintage voice to them. The Seth Lover set might be a little warmer with a PAF vibe, but holy smokes you've got to listen close.
Some comparisons are tough, and this is one of them. There just isn't much tone difference between these two pickups. They're both bluesy and vintage, with a lot of pick "snap" from your right hand. I like them both given the right style. I'll try and split some hairs in the tone/demo section of this comparison, but I'd say flip a coin on these two.
Comparison Table for the Pearly Gates and Seth Lover Pickup Sets
The table below lets you look at basic specs and live pricing for the Pearly Gates and Seth Lover humbuckers. We've also added two other humbucker sets from Seymour Duncan for a more extensive comparison.
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Our disclosure↬
Pickup | Name | Rate | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearly Gates | n/a | |
 | Seth Lover | n/a | |
 | SH-4 JB | n/a | |
 | Dave Mustaine | n/a |
Compare more Humbuckers
You can launch a search box here and look through our database for more pickups. We don't have everything, but we have a lot and we add to it regularly. Once you find something, you can add it to the compare bar at the bottom of this page.
What do these pickups sound like?
Like I mentioned in the opening paragraph, there's just not much to compare here. The Seth Lover set might be a little warmer with a bit more of a PAF sound, which is emphasized in Seymour Duncan's product description. Both have that snappy pick response, which sounds great. I'd argue they're both just a straightforward, high-quality vintage-voiced pickup.
Pearly Gates Demo
Seth Lover Demo
When two pickups are this close in tone, it's important to mention that the guitar and amp surrounding the pickups will cause the biggest difference in what you hear. The pickups say a lot about your tone, but they're not the only factor. And when they sound this similar, other factors will play a bigger role.
Spec differences (or not)
The conductors, one with braided shield wiring, and DC resistance on the bridge humbucker are literally the only differences. They're even close to the same color.
 | Pearly Gates | Seth Lover |
|---|---|---|
Pickup type | Passive | Passive |
Magnet | Alnico 2 | Alnico 2 |
Ideal position | Bridge and neck (set) | Bridge and neck (set) |
Number of conductors | 1 wire plus braided shield | 4 |
DC Resistance | 16.6K (bridge), 7.5K (neck) | 8.21K (bridge), 7.50K (neck) |
Price Comparison
There are some price differences for these sets, which I think depends on whether or not it's covered, like the silver sets. Though it seems like the Pearly Gates are generally cheaper. These tables pool together pricing from several major retailers and are updated in real time.
Price updated Fri, September 29th, 2023.
Multiple Vendors
Amazon Only
Are there any major differences?
This is truly one of the more difficult comparisons I've done (or easiest) just because there are no significant differences between these two pickups. I'm sure Seth Lover has made his own tweaks to his signature set, but getting into the nuance there is beyond me, and probably not necessary for most people.
Conclusion
If you have some insight into the subtle differences between these two humbucker sets, please feel free to drop a knowledge bomb in the comments section.
I'll contend that getting any more nuanced than what I've gotten so far is not going to matter to most consumers. Both pickups sound great for blues, vintage styles, and maybe even country picking.
At any rate, we appreciate you for hanging out and enjoying our content.
See you (maybe) in the comments section.
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Written by GC Editorial on Pickups & Roundups
Written by GC Editorial on Pickups & Comparisons
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