Bernie SE Upgrades

[ParanoidAndroid91]

Hi all,

I just joined up after seeing some great Bernie model mods by some clearly very experienced people!

I'm looking to upgrade my currently stock one. I really like it, and Bernie himself actually wrote to me and gave me an authenticity certificate as I purchased one of the first in the UK back in 2012 - a lovely guy and humble given his career! In terms of upgrades, I have a relatively set idea of what I want but I'm very open to pointers and suggestions from the community. I'm looking to change:

• Pickups
• Tuners
• (maybe) Pots
• (maybe) Nut

In terms of the pickups, I'm strongly considering the recently-announced Seymour Duncan Saturday Night set. They're Alnico IV and are supposedly quite close to McCarthy-era PRS pickups, and I definitely want a more 'classic' tone from my PRS to contrast my other guitars. A video demo of them sounded great (I can't link until after my third post, but it's really easy to YouTube!). I'm also considering BKP Mules, but am leaning toward the Duncans quite heavily at the moment. Any advice here would be greatly welcomed! I also cannot decide if I like the zebra look or want a covered set... I'm really flippant in this area. At the moment, I'm preferring covered.

Secondly, I dislike the green colour of the tuners and really want a locking set. Would a PRS set fit without any modification? Failing that, I'm tempted for some Gibson-style Klusons, probably silver lockers like the Les Paul Standard got in 2008. This Singlecut is really a Gibson emulation by design anyway, so I'm happy to put Les Paul parts on if they're the best for the job.

Finally, I'd upgrade the pots if it truly made a discernible difference to the tone - I assume they are 500K with the guitar having humbuckers? I can't say the electrics or nut particularly cause me an issue at the moment, but I realise that may change with other upgrades coming in. The standard nut mod appears to be a GraphTeq.

Appreciate any help given in advance... at least we all have an excuse to talk dream mods if nothing else!

 

[Stoptail22]

My Trampas Green Bernie is one of the 2016 Final Run models. I installed Gotoh SD90MG locking tuners, which are drop in. The Bernie's vintage pegholes are smaller than on other SE models, so watch out if you go for other tuner models. I put a set Bare Knuckle The Mule pickups in. Lovely!
Other mods seen on the photo below are the lampshade knobs and an adjustable stoptail from the Zach Myers model, which I later again switched into a USA PRS stoptail.

 

[ParanoidAndroid91]

That looks stunning! Very nice indeed.

Do the USA stoptails fit without any modification, and did you change the whole bridge or just the bar at the bottom (that hooks onto the pegs)?

Definitely considering the Mules... I might have to hang on until the Saturday Nights are actually out before I can accurately compare the two. Do they also use Alnico IV magnets?

Thanks for the tuner recommendation - I checked and I cannot get on with the MagLock type though!

 

[bodia]

Hi all,

I just joined up after seeing some great Bernie model mods by some clearly very experienced people!

I'm looking to upgrade my currently stock one. I really like it, and Bernie himself actually wrote to me and gave me an authenticity certificate as I purchased one of the first in the UK back in 2012 - a lovely guy and humble given his career! In terms of upgrades, I have a relatively set idea of what I want but I'm very open to pointers and suggestions from the community. I'm looking to change:

• Pickups
• Tuners
• (maybe) Pots
• (maybe) Nut

In terms of the pickups, I'm strongly considering the recently-announced Seymour Duncan Saturday Night set. They're Alnico IV and are supposedly quite close to McCarthy-era PRS pickups, and I definitely want a more 'classic' tone from my PRS to contrast my other guitars. A video demo of them sounded great (I can't link until after my third post, but it's really easy to YouTube!). I'm also considering BKP Mules, but am leaning toward the Duncans quite heavily at the moment. Any advice here would be greatly welcomed! I also cannot decide if I like the zebra look or want a covered set... I'm really flippant in this area. At the moment, I'm preferring covered.

Secondly, I dislike the green colour of the tuners and really want a locking set. Would a PRS set fit without any modification? Failing that, I'm tempted for some Gibson-style Klusons, probably silver lockers like the Les Paul Standard got in 2008. This Singlecut is really a Gibson emulation by design anyway, so I'm happy to put Les Paul parts on if they're the best for the job.

Finally, I'd upgrade the pots if it truly made a discernible difference to the tone - I assume they are 500K with the guitar having humbuckers? I can't say the electrics or nut particularly cause me an issue at the moment, but I realise that may change with other upgrades coming in. The standard nut mod appears to be a GraphTeq.

Appreciate any help given in advance... at least we all have an excuse to talk dream mods if nothing else!

Great guitars! So much bang for the buck. There are a couple of good threads around here with Bernie upgrades. Here's a great thread by Mike Garvey on what he did to his.

http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/finally-finished-modding-my-bernie-marsden.16026/

I went with Phase III locking tuners on mine. NOT a direct drop. Had to ream out the post holes and drill new screw holes. MannMade 2300 adjustable bridge. Simply the best. PERIOD! Amber lamp shades, and a set of BK Abraxas. Love, love, love this guitar even more now. I have a PRS Core nut to put on at the next string change. I have not done pots, yet. Not sure that I will either.

 

[Stoptail22]

Do the USA stoptails fit without any modification, and did you change the whole bridge or just the bar at the bottom (that hooks onto the pegs)?

I kept the SE wells and studs and only changed the zinc made SE stoptail to the aluminium made USA stoptail which was originally on a 2011 Modern Eagle.

 

[andy474x]

I snagged a set of 57/08's and put them in my SE Akesson (similar to your Bernie), highly recommended! Although the Duncan Saturday Night Special caught my eye recently too. The nice thing about that set is that it would probably be very similar in output to the existing SE245's in your Bernie. And, yes, get yourself one of the fully adjustable bridges!

 

[ParanoidAndroid91]

Great guitars! So much bang for the buck. There are a couple of good threads around here with Bernie upgrades. Here's a great thread by Mike Garvey on what he did to his.

http://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/finally-finished-modding-my-bernie-marsden.16026/

I went with Phase III locking tuners on mine. NOT a direct drop. Had to ream out the post holes and drill new screw holes. MannMade 2300 adjustable bridge. Simply the best. PERIOD! Amber lamp shades, and a set of BK Abraxas. Love, love, love this guitar even more now. I have a PRS Core nut to put on at the next string change. I have not done pots, yet. Not sure that I will either.

Thanks for the link, and the pictures of yours - looks awesome! Also made me commit to a covered pickup set.

I think his is the thread that actually inspired me to create an account here and ask for some advice, he did a great job on it. Think it's likely that I'm going to have to get the post holes altered to accommodate the kind of tuners I'm after... I'll probably leave the pots as stock too, but quite a few people seem to change the nut - is that just because they can or are there known issues with the stock one?

I kept the SE wells and studs and only changed the zinc made SE stoptail to the aluminium made USA stoptail which was originally on a 2011 Modern Eagle.

Thanks! It looks fantastic and I'll most probably do the same to mine - especially since it's such an easy change.

In other news, a UK dealer got in touch to say the Saturday Nights cost £295 for a covered set and £245 for zebra! . That's £70 dearer than a set of Mules direct from Bareknuckle! Definitely going to look harder at the Mules now. I'd quite like a Mark Ronson/Marc Bolan tone from my PRS so I'm going to see the spec of the pickups they used and compare.

 

[ParanoidAndroid91]

I snagged a set of 57/08's and put them in my SE Akesson (similar to your Bernie), highly recommended! Although the Duncan Saturday Night Special caught my eye recently too. The nice thing about that set is that it would probably be very similar in output to the existing SE245's in your Bernie. And, yes, get yourself one of the fully adjustable bridges!

Didn't they do a much dearer version of the Bernie with those exact pickups? What's the tone like from the 57/08s in comparison to an Alnico IV set?

 

[andy474x]

Didn't they do a much dearer version of the Bernie with those exact pickups? What's the tone like from the 57/08s in comparison to an Alnico IV set?

53/10's I believe. I don't know that I've had any Alnico IV pickups to compare to. All I can say is the 57/08 bridge sounds fat in a singlecut, but retains that silvery top end that I associate with PAF style pickups. The neck is fat as well, not spanky like a single coil, has more depth to it. Just depends on what you're after.

 

[DogPhishHead]

My Trampas Green Bernie is one of the 2016 Final Run models. I installed Gotoh SD90MG locking tuners, which are drop in. The Bernie's vintage pegholes are smaller than on other SE models, so watch out if you go for other tuner models. I put a set Bare Knuckle The Mule pickups in. Lovely!
Other mods seen on the photo below are the lampshade knobs and an adjustable stoptail from the Zach Myers model, which I later again switched into a USA PRS stoptail.

My GAWD !!! Man that is a sweet looking axe !!!

 

[tyfu20]

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Here

[/URL][/IMG] are my upgrades, love this guitar!

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-Black USA PRS Nut
-DiMarzio Switchcraft 1/4" Output Jack
-Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Love H P/U Set
-Gotoh 510UB Cosmic Black Bridge
-Switchcraft SHORT Frame 3-way Toggle Switch
-Genuine PRS Paul Reed Smith 500K Tone Pot With Capacitor, ACC-4109
-Genuine PRS Paul Reed Smith 500K Volume Pot With Capacitor, ACC-4111 x2
-Paul Reed Smith Lampshade Guitar Knobs For USA PRS, CLEAR/BLACK, ACC-4246
-Schaller Strap Locks

 

[bodia]

Thanks for the link, and the pictures of yours - looks awesome! Also made me commit to a covered pickup set.

I think his is the thread that actually inspired me to create an account here and ask for some advice, he did a great job on it. Think it's likely that I'm going to have to get the post holes altered to accommodate the kind of tuners I'm after... I'll probably leave the pots as stock too, but quite a few people seem to change the nut - is that just because they can or are there known issues with the stock one?



Thanks! It looks fantastic and I'll most probably do the same to mine - especially since it's such an easy change.

In other news, a UK dealer got in touch to say the Saturday Nights cost £295 for a covered set and £245 for zebra! . That's £70 dearer than a set of Mules direct from Bareknuckle! Definitely going to look harder at the Mules now. I'd quite like a Mark Ronson/Marc Bolan tone from my PRS so I'm going to see the spec of the pickups they used and compare.

My pleasure. The only reason I changed pick ups was because I didn't care for the look of the zebras.

As for BK, drop them a line and tell them you're looking for that Ronson/Bolan tone and they'll suggest which of their products would get you there. They were great with respect to communication/customer service. One of the reasons I would definitely buy from them again.

 

[ParanoidAndroid91]

As for BK, drop them a line and tell them you're looking for that Ronson/Bolan tone and they'll suggest which of their products would get you there. They were great with respect to communication/customer service. One of the reasons I would definitely buy from them again.

I had a look, and Bolan's signature Les Paul from 2011 has Gibson's Custom Buckers - a bit of digging found they're Alnico III magnets (like Joe Bonamassa's) and overwound, but I cannot find anything concrete for Mick Ronson's set. He had a 60s Les Paul Custom, and the options we have today weren't around back then so I reckon even the stock pickup specs of that era wouldn't be a million miles away. He did remove the covers to get a greater high-end response, however.

I'll check with them, thanks. I love the MBK2 Nailbomb in my main guitar so I know their insane quality level. The fact that the Duncans cost more has somewhat put me off, at least enough to wait and really check out some demos of them.

 

[radiomatts]

I'll post pics later, but I modded by Bernie by putting in Gibson Burstbucker Pro pickups with worn nickel covers and did the Peter Green mod to the neck pickup. I swapped out the stock plastic nut and put a Core nut on it. Note that the neck at the nut is about a mm wider than either the stock nut or the PRS core nut. Also put amber lampshades on it. No need to change the tuners, as I do like the vintage green tulips. They work well, so ...if it ain't broke. Next will be putting an intonatable bridge on it.

 

[moT]

I assume a person would mod a guitar for desired repair, tone, playability and looks (pretty much the same reasons for cars or houses FWIW). I also assume some mods are reversible and some aren't. On a run of the mill Squire stratocaster I might try some scary stuff, but I don't know that I would do the same to a Bernie. But then again, the right upgrades on a Bernie may take it to a whole new level. I don't know enough to ask the right questions yet, but I would be very hesitant to change anything on a decent guitar unless it is an easily reversible modification such as swapping out a nut. Someday I may want to possibly resale it with all original parts (again think cars). Let's just say that I am following with a lot of interest.

 

[Barquentine]

I changed the pickups for the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set. Absolute killer set that suit the Bernie perfectly. I was thinking nut/tuners but my guitar guy filed a couple of slots and now there's no need to change. What an amazing guitar. I much prefer the look of it with covered pickups.

 

[drdoom8793]

Pickups and pots are something you definitely could switch. The stock tuners are great, but for your reasoning, it won't hurt to change them. A lot of people change the nuts because of the material of the SE nut vs a nut from a Core PRS. Also, we've found some SEs come with poorly filed nuts. Not to mention, if you're going to switch to any other string gauge than the stock 10s on the Bernie, you'll want to look at how your nut is filed, especially if you want to go for a thicker gauge.

I just got a Bernie myself, and the only thing that I'm really looking at changing at this point would be the bridge. But that's mostly because I want the intonable Mann made stoptail. I may look into some new pickups at some point, but the SE245 are surprisingly really good on their own.

 

[sloanthebone]

Wow these SEs look as good as USA production models. All very nice looking in this thread!

 

[moT]

Here's an older post about Bernies if you are interested.

 

[ParanoidAndroid91]

Thanks for your replies - sorry I've been away for a little bit, work has suddenly become manic (both day-job and music) so I've been preoccupied. I'm going to sum-up my responses to the new replies and outline a plan (as much for my own future reference, as this won't be an overnight job).

The nut seems to do its job just fine, the guitar holds its tuning well and I wouldn't be sticking anything other than 10s on; I might stick 11s on a Les Paul though at some point. So I probably won't change that unless I notice tuning suddenly becomes a problem at some stage. The tuners themselves also work great, but I never liked the look of them even when I bought the guitar. They have to go!

As for the pickups, I think I'm going for the Mules. They're readily available and a proven complement to the Bernie, plus the Bareknuckles in another guitar I have are phenomenal, whereas the Saturday Nights are pricey for Seymour Duncans and a bit of a gamble, potentially. I'm sure they are stunning, just not for me right now.

I'm undecided about the electrics - if they're a cheap upgrade then why not, but otherwise I can change them later if the Mules appear to lack a certain something and I go looking for things to blame. I will be changing the bridge, probably for one with controllable intonation, and maybe the volume/tone dials.

Thanks too for the links to other projects, some of these are what influenced me to come here and get advice and I'll be checking these out to finalise the specifics.