List of PRS Pickup Specs

[Rod/]

I really appreciate this information that includes the kind of magnets these pick-ups have. Personally, I do not like ceramic magnet pick-ups so the thought of buying an expensive guitar with a ceramic magnet pick-up that I will be unhappy with really upsets me. I have a PRS custom with an HFS pick-up and I do not like the tone at all. After reading a forum post like this I found out after I bought the guitar that it has a ceramic magnet pick-up. So instead of the guitar being a favorite it's far far down the list.... I wish PRS would include this basic technical material information without being so secretive.

I agree with you concerning pickup magnets. Many of us guitarists these days (having owned many pickups over time) know the sonic differences between Alnico 2,4,5, 8 ect. And the dreaded ceramic, (for many of us)..
What you could do is get an Alnico 2 and swap that magnet in place of the ceramic.. it will make quite a difference..
(One reason I bought a new DGT was because of the Alnico 2 hotter humbuckers. I wasn’t about to pay thousands of $$ for a new guitar, only having to spend another $400 cause I didn’t like the pickups..and it would mess up the split coil sounds that the DGT is so good at.. however they are doing it. Not true coil splitting)
If you don’t know how to swap magnets, there’s utube videos to show you how. It’s actually very simple…..
I do wish PRS was more open about their construction, but I also understand that he doesn’t want a bunch of garage pickup winders copying their designs. That’s not fair either….

 

[Rod/]

I really appreciate this information that includes the kind of magnets these pick-ups have. Personally, I do not like ceramic magnet pick-ups so the thought of buying an expensive guitar with a ceramic magnet pick-up that I will be unhappy with really upsets me. I have a PRS custom with an HFS pick-up and I do not like the tone at all. After reading a forum post like this I found out after I bought the guitar that it has a ceramic magnet pick-up. So instead of the guitar being a favorite it's far far down the list.... I wish PRS would include this basic technical material information without being so secretive.

Or….. you could purchase say a 57/08 from them for the bridge.. $220

 

[Rod/]

I fully agree on the amp hypothesis!

When I was playing Line6 Helix modelled amps in a cover band I was under the impression that most guitars I used with more or less the same configuration (Mahagony body/neck, two humbuckers) sounded very very close to each other - no matter how expensive and well built they've been.
That said a PRS SE Roasted Maple Ltd Ed with Thornbuckers sounded so close to a PRS CU24 with VB/HFS. And the CU24 sounded close to a 408 which was a stellar guitar. But I was so disappointed that all three had to move on.

Now some years and many guitars later I'm in the comfortable situation to own a plexi style head (Victory RK100) played over an OX Box and also a Fractal for gigging situations. In addition I'm using an UAD Apollo interface with some of the really nice Unison Amp sims.
I also own a PRS again - it's a DGT. For me this is the benchmark guitar.

Some weeks ago I got in an Epiphone Bonamassa guitar with Burstbuckers. I compared it against my DGT and recorded both with same setting through the Apollo using an Unison plugin. Again they sounded so close.
Sure, I was able to fell a small difference when playing. But certainly no 3.5k$ difference. So I was asking myself again if it's just another PRS that is nothing special (or the Epi is simply a hell of a guitar)?

Now I had the chance to test a S2 Custom 22 Semi Hollow that comes with the 85/15S pickups. I wanted to check that it's not the DGT that lacks something. I had the feeling it's the amp modelling that is levelling high quality guitars/pickups down and brings different world guitars to very close ground.

So I compared the S2 with the DGT and used the Fractal first and then compared them over the amp again. My results are:

1. The real amp has a much better definition and overall "resolution". In other words the amp almost feels like UltraHD whereas the modelling is HD at the most (if not SD). Or in other words WAV versus MP3.
2. With this I have my proof: the DGT is still my benchmark it just needs a device that is capable to translate the tone (and amp modelling - even the benchmarks in that world - are not yet quite there)
3. The S2 and the 85/15S is a great guitar with decent pickups. As expected the sound is not coming out as immediate as on the DGT (as of the hollow body). And its a bit more woofy in the lows. Probably (and that would be an interesting exoeriment) with a US tremolo and the same (or similar) pickups it can get very very close to the DGT while still providing the hollow characteristics I also enjoy.

Long story short: a real and good amp makes a big difference! It will show you those details a great guitar with high quality woods and pickups can provide.

That’s simply why many of us who owned Kemper, Helix, Fractal ect went back to either tube of at least all analog amps like the Amp1.. that amp is incredible…

 

[Rod/]

Addendum: I just remembered that, sometime in the last couple days (been doing a lot of reading!), I came across a professional magazine review – the kind that probably gets its specs straight from the manufacturer – and it referred to the DGTs as [paraphrasing] "slightly more vintage-voiced versions of the McCarty Treble and Bass," with specs of DGT Treble: A2, 9.00k / DGT Bass: A2, 7.3k.

Yup. That’s what mine measure

 

[BeautyOfTheBirds]

That’s simply why many of us who owned Kemper, Helix, Fractal ect went back to either tube of at least all analog amps like the Amp1.. that amp is incredible…

I also have a real amp just for that Had the Amp1 for a short time as well but the fan was running all the time which I really didn't liked whilst not playing.

 

[Rod/]

I also have a real amp just for that Had the Amp1 for a short time as well but the fan was running all the time which I really didn't liked whilst not playing.

I can’t even here the fan in my Amp1. You might of had a defective one