PRS Guitar Diversity

[RC Mike]

I was thinking about something this morning. I've got ten US-made PRS guitars. None of them have pickups in common with each other. For some reason, that surprises me.

When I first started buying PRS guitars, I didn't really understand the diversity of the product line. I kind of thought that other than 22 or 24 frets, there wasn't much difference. Oh, I'm so naive...

I started writing this post just about pickups, but really there's incredible diversity across the product line in terms of models and materials. Perhaps not so much in terms of shapes.

 

[GuitarJammin]

I have 4 PRS core guitars with 57/08 pickups.....the pickups all sound different in them. I once had the one of the sets of 57/08 pickups on Gibson LP and SG....the same set sounded different.

Then again Paul did say in one video where he was being asked like 20 questions by people in the industry....someone asked him about pickups...He said they are like microphones. I guess John Mayer will sound like John Mayer on a SM58 and Chocolate rain dude will sound like chocolate rain dude.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

None of mine have the same pickups and none of them have the original pickups in them either

 

[SinSir]

I agree. Whenever I hear someone say PRS sound it always baffles me with the diversity of the line. There is no such thing to me.

I have some duplicates of pickups but I also have them mixed in different combos and guitars. Different tools for the job.

 

[nussbajh]

I have 10 and none of them have the same pickups. They all do their thing and I grab them depending how I feel. Love the versatility

 

[HANGAR18]

There are currently only two PRS guitars that I like. As a result, I just keep buying duplicates of those two guitars with only different pickups or finishes or different construction materials and so on.

 

[Rider1260]

13 PRS and none have the same pickups
Variety is the spice of life and the cause of an empty wallet.

 

[Stephen J.]

I am a pickup diversity failure. Brent Mason Signature, Paul’s Guitar, Modern Eagle V. They sound a little different.

 

[WA Paul]

I thought I still had some duplicates , but sure enough they all have different pickups! I blame downsizing my collection for this terrible disappointment.

 

[Bogner]

This Thread Is Making Me Want To Shop For Guitars And Pickups.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Of my 6 PRS guitars some can be considered close.

Three out of six 22 fret stoptails, with very different PUs. Two guitars have the same PUs, but are rather different guitars (CU24 and McC). The readings of the 57/08 PUs however are rather different and sound the part. Especially on the bridge: the McC seems 10% underwound relative to the CU24: 7.9 vs 8.6 K DC. It has less punch, sounds sweeter and a little airy-er. The tonal palette however gives away they are siblings; something in the mids. The 22 vs 24 fret give the neck PU a total different vibe as well

 

[Greywolf]

I have a dozen , the soapies while having the same pickups , all sound different due to the necks, or body thickness.
The 58/15LT's in a couple , my least fave, but they work for the instrument and different body/neck alters.. The 57/08's in only one and I love em ... the Santana's share pickups , but solid vs semi with a rosewood neck .. much different flavors .

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I have one with originals and one without.

I thank @Fullmoon 1971 aka John for the pickups in my SE 245. They’re great.

The Santana remains un-molested at the moment.

 

[JasonE]

I have 14 US PRS guitars and they have a variety of pickups. However, I do have a handful that have 57/08s in them. Most came stock with them. Each guitar sounds a little different, which is to be expected. The thing with PRS guitars for me is that some people say that PRS guitars have their own sound. I don't hear that. I would describe and have described mine as being able to get a good range of tones. I play everything from super clean tones to the higher end of medium gain. I can to that with pretty much any of my guitars. I would challenge anyone to tell me what guitar or pickups I was playing without looking. If they got it right, it would be a good guess from knowing me and my guitar collection.

 

[Prina]

My two Cores have 57/08s in one and 58/15 (pre-LT) + piezo in the other.

Huge range of tones between them though they're both 24.5" single cuts.

 

[Bogner]

I Am All Over The Place With Various Pickups, Models, Woods, Duplicates, Etc. I Love Them All.

 

[László]

I decided I wanted roasted wood in my guitars, so I hung 'em one by one over a fire in my hearth.

Maybe I shouldn't have used Royal Oak Charcoal Lighter Fluid to get the process going a bit faster, but I was attracted by the idea of a lighter fluid made for royalty. Anyway, after the first one, I decided to try again, and just my luck, the next one also caught fire.

Well, I wasn't going to give up on my idea, so I kept trying, but they all turned to ashes. I'm going to buy more guitars and keep trying to get this process right.

I've applied for a scientific research grant, hopefully that will come through.

This should have been an easy mod, but every single one caught fire, and there wasn't much I could do to salvage the situation, so I enjoyed a nice fire.

Apropos of the thread topic, I removed the pickups before trying to roast them, and sure enough, none of the pickups were the same, but after the guitars all burned up, I couldn't resist throwing the pickups onto the pyre. Oh, and the cases. I mean, who needs an empty PS case? The wooden cases all burned quite nicely.

I can also report that the body of each guitar crackled differently from the others, proving once again that wooden guitars sound different from one another.

I saved the ashes for anyone who wants a few Private Stocks and a Wood Library model really, really cheap.

Anyway, I don't have any guitars any more.

This evening I'm going to try to melt the rubber on a pile of tires - for recycling, of course - and see if a similar problem arises when extreme heat is applied.

My wife says I'm not allowed to try to roast the wood in my house, but I think the wood floors would look really good in a roasted caramel color. So that's my next project. If it works it'll be a nice surprise for her.

 

[John F]

Tell them bad guitar jokes on the next batch Laszlo!

 

[dmatthews]

I decided I wanted roasted wood in my guitars, so I hung 'em one by one over a fire in my hearth.

Maybe I shouldn't have used Royal Oak Charcoal Lighter Fluid to get the process going a bit faster, but I was attracted by the idea of a lighter fluid made for royalty. Anyway, after the first one, I decided to try again, and just my luck, the next one also caught fire.

Well, I wasn't going to give up on my idea, so I kept trying, but they all turned to ashes. I'm going to buy more guitars and keep trying to get this process right.

I've applied for a scientific research grant, hopefully that will come through.

This should have been an easy mod, but every single one caught fire, and there wasn't much I could do to salvage the situation, so I enjoyed a nice fire.

Apropos of the thread topic, I removed the pickups before trying to roast them, and sure enough, none of the pickups were the same, but after the guitars all burned up, I couldn't resist throwing the pickups onto the pyre. Oh, and the cases. I mean, who needs an empty PS case? The wooden cases all burned quite nicely.

I can also report that the body of each guitar crackled differently from the others, proving once again that wooden guitars sound different from one another.

I saved the ashes for anyone who wants a few Private Stocks and a Wood Library model really, really cheap.

Anyway, I don't have any guitars any more.

This evening I'm going to try to melt the rubber on a pile of tires - for recycling, of course - and see if a similar problem arises when extreme heat is applied.

My wife says I'm not allowed to try to roast the wood in my house, but I think the wood floors would look really good in a roasted caramel color. So that's my next project. If it works it'll be a nice surprise for her.

Oh for cryin' out loud...
Next time just use the oven at 450F.
Geez, do I have to explain everything?

 

[László]

Tell them bad guitar jokes on the next batch Laszlo!

Wait, there are guitar jokes?