New PRS owner here, question about the SE Custom 24

[John Barnston]

Hello everyone, I just bought an SE Custom 24 after trying one out at the shop and realizing the neck feel is goldilocks for me, and I have a question about its tone, since I'm just now getting a chance to really play it through my own gear at home.

I've noticed there is an odd resonance with this guitar, but can't tell if it's just the stock 85/15 pickups (which I've heard mixed opinions on), or if it's the extra cavity in the body from the tremolo. This is my first guitar with a tremolo bridge, and I normally play similar mahogany solid bodies with hipshot or hardtail bridges. In comparison to my other guitars, the tone of the Custom 24 feels strangely unclear and distant, as if there's the most subtle reverb effect. The only other time I've heard a similar tone is when I briefly owned a guitar with a chambered body, hence my wondering if this is just the tonal change to expect from a tremolo bridge. I figured it being a 25" mahogany body, it would have a familiar upfront warmth, but that isn't the case at all.

I've also always played medium output modern styled pickups, and don't have much experience with low output PAFs, so I'm not sure whether I just need to throw some new pickups in that are more familiar to my ears.

Thoughts?

 

[SinSir]

I'd check your pickup height first. And then go from there. Although, I'm not a fan or hater of the 85/15s pickups I've never experienced what you are talking about with them or any of my Cu24s.

 

[John Barnston]

I'd check your pickup height first. And then go from there. Although, I'm not a fan or hater of the 85/15s pickups I've never experienced what you are talking about with them or any of my Cu24s.

I did play with the height first. It might just be the pickups though, if there's no tonal differences with the tremolo bridge.

 

[NBW]

Yeah I replaced them with Bareknuckle Stormy Mondays and those pickups are the cat’s meow.

 

[SinSir]

I did play with the height first. It might just be the pickups though, if there's no tonal differences with the tremolo bridge.

I wouldn't go as far to say there's no tonal difference. The bridge type and material will alter tone, but I wouldn't say a trem guitar has a phantom reverb. I did have a strange issue along these lines with a Les Paul that ended up being a setup issue at the bridge. Easily sorted.

I'd get/do a full proper setup and see where that gets you.

 

[John Barnston]

I wouldn't go as far to say there's no tonal difference. The bridge type and material will alter tone, but I wouldn't say a trem guitar has a phantom reverb. I did have a strange issue along these lines with a Les Paul that ended up being a setup issue at the bridge. Easily sorted.

I'd get/do a full proper setup and see where that gets you.

I might give a full setup a try, although it's beautifully intonated right now, so I'm not sure if it's the problem.

But I am thinking it might be the pickups, and the comparison might be their EQ compared to my usual pickups. For example, the bridge in my main guitar I've been playing almost exclusively for years is the Duncan Pegasus, which is medium output and known for its lows, low mids, and "hard" tone with ridiculous note separation. Going from that to a low output PAF, that's a little looser, mid scooped, and very little low end to speak of may just be a drastic change that's making me perceive a "distant" sound to it.

If that makes sense.

 

[SinSir]

I'm not sure I'd call the 85/15s a low output PAF. But it absolutely might be a difference in EQ than what your used too.

The 85/15s have never been a pickup for me and I'm even flip flop on the core 85/15. Very much a love hate, guitar specific affair for me. If your confident in your setup, rig, and heights they just might not be for you either. Swap em!

 

[John Barnston]

I'm not sure I'd call the 85/15s a low output PAF. But it absolutely might be a difference in EQ than what your used too.

The 85/15s have never been a pickup for me and I'm even flip flop on the core 85/15. Very much a love hate, guitar specific affair for me. If your confident in your setup, rig, and heights they just might not be for you either. Swap em!

Well, turns out you were totally right, it was definitely a setup issue. I did a hasty one to double-check, had to raise the saddles quite a bit, but it cleaned it back up and got it sounding normal again. Now they're sounding just fine, but I'll still eventually get something with a bit more low end in the near future. Thank you for pointing that out, that's like the second time in the past year I've overlooked that as a sound issue.

 

[SinSir]

Well, turns out you were totally right, it was definitely a setup issue. I did a hasty one to double-check, had to raise the saddles quite a bit, but it cleaned it back up and got it sounding normal again. Now they're sounding just fine, but I'll still eventually get something with a bit more low end in the near future. Thank you for pointing that out, that's like the second time in the past year I've overlooked that as a sound issue.

Awesome!!! Glad to help and happy it worked out!

 

[Wakester]

It is plausible that the Trem Springs are creating a reverb effect in the guitar body. you can wrap the springs with some soft foam to help dampen that effect.

 

[John Barnston]

It is plausible that the Trem Springs are creating a reverb effect in the guitar body. you can wrap the springs with some soft foam to help dampen that effect.

I don't know now. Here's a simple comparison clip - first guitar is the PRS, second is a mahogany LTD with a hipshot. The second one is so much clearer obviously, but I can't tell if that's just the difference in pickups.

https://soundcloud.com/user-9344022...d&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Let me know if anything jumps out at you - and sorry it's a 5150iii, I just went with what I had set up at that moment.

 

[Wakester]

I don't know now. Here's a simple comparison clip - first guitar is the PRS, second is a mahogany LTD with a hipshot. The second one is so much clearer obviously, but I can't tell if that's just the difference in pickups.

https://soundcloud.com/user-9344022...d&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Let me know if anything jumps out at you - and sorry it's a 5150iii, I just went with what I had set up at that moment.

On first listen, i honestly did not detect a difference between the 2. I will have to put it through headphones tomorrow.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

85/15’s are definitely not a PAF-styled pickup - they’re very modern-sounding pickups. 58/15’s are the current vintage-voiced PRS pickups. When I want to play hard rock/metal, I reach for my Custom 22 with 85/15’s. Blues and classic rock, I use my McCarty (58/15) or SE Hollowbody II (58/15S).

Surprised to hear 85/15’s described as PAF/low output.

It sounds like you got things sorted out. Enjoy the guitar!

 

[John Barnston]

85/15’s are definitely not a PAF-styled pickup - they’re very modern-sounding pickups. 58/15’s are the current vintage-voiced PRS pickups. When I want to play hard rock/metal, I reach for my Custom 22 with 85/15’s. Blues and classic rock, I use my McCarty (58/15) or SE Hollowbody II (58/15S).

Surprised to hear 85/15’s described as PAF/low output.

It sounds like you got things sorted out. Enjoy the guitar!

To my ears, it's kind of a PAF-modern mix, somewhat like the Duncan Custom is. But not really my wheelhouse either way, so I concede!

 

[John Barnston]

On first listen, i honestly did not detect a difference between the 2. I will have to put it through headphones tomorrow.

Let me know when you get around to it. I thought they were identical at first, but then put on headphones and the clarity difference really became obvious.

 

[Proteus]

Can someone tell me what "modern-sounding" means? And when modernity started?

 

[Uncle Bob]

Can someone tell me what "modern-sounding" means? And when modernity started?

Precisely.

It does illustrate the point perfectly that tone really is subjective.

 

[Wakester]

Let me know when you get around to it. I thought they were identical at first, but then put on headphones and the clarity difference really became obvious.

The best I can tell, the second clip is just a touch clearer. I do not detect any reverb type anomolies in either clip. Not knowing which guitar is which its really hard to say if it is the body, the connecting parts or the stings for that matter.

 

[dogrocketp]

Are the two guitars different scale lengths?

 

[Doug B]

I don't know now. Here's a simple comparison clip - first guitar is the PRS, second is a mahogany LTD with a hipshot. The second one is so much clearer obviously, but I can't tell if that's just the difference in pickups.

https://soundcloud.com/user-9344022...d&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Let me know if anything jumps out at you - and sorry it's a 5150iii, I just went with what I had set up at that moment.

I didn't read your notes, I just played the clip. To my ears the first one had more warmth, and I preferred it.