Using aftermarket pickups in your PRS

[Deleted member 21959]

Hey, couldn't find a specific part of the PRS forum to put this thread in, so this will have to suffice.
Anyways, out of curiosity, I wanted to see who else has tried aftermarket pickups (ie- Bare Knuckle, Dimarzio, Lundgren, Fishman etc) in their PRSi and if so elaborate on the difference that made and to what end you were trying to achieve with a pickup swap that the originals weren't quite covering.

i.e.- I installed some Bare Knuckle Painkillers into my PRS Custom 24. I wanted a really tight and punchy pickup under high gain that will still hold clarity with lower tunings. Sure, the mid-range spike is quite prominent, similar to the HFS, but I wanted something more controlled in the low end, and a punchier/snappier neck pickup because I switch to that very often for lead work.

sample clips provided below:

*note, this isn't meant to be a disparaging thread towards PRS pickups, not at all. In fact, I've relied on them for many years with good results. this is just an attempt to stir further discussion on what other ways people may hone in on what tones they're looking for, with pickups being one of many ways to do just that*

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Sure, practically all my SE Custom 24 and 24/7s have been swapped or will be swapped. My favourite is the Benedetto B-7, for that almost acoustic neck sound, and the JB in the bridge, for that classic JB bridge sound.

I’m also considering a WRHB and TV Jones for something a little different than all the PAF variations.

 

[elvis]

I love the BKP Cold Sweat for its tight, edgy tone with full low end. I have had them in two singlecuts. Though lately I've been very happy with the 58/15, it's a fantastic pickup.

 

[VHTStark]

Both of my old singlecuts have Seymour Duncan '78 sets in them. Those pickups are killer! My Mira has a Seymour Duncan S-Deco (a 12k custom shop pickup) in the bridge that I am also digging! My Mark Holcomb model still has the Holcomb pickups....although that may change. The PRS that I will NEVER change pickups in is my NF3.

I will say that my Mira and 2 singlecuts are older models: pre 5x/xx series, which I think are PRS's best pickups ever and some of the absolute best on the market. The old pickups were good to varying degrees, but just were not quite there....so in went some 'Duncans. Pickups are a huge part of electric guitar tone and response, so I am all for changing things to get what you need. That said, if I bought a new PRS with the new pickups, I doubt I would find cause to change them.

 

[merciful-evans]

No plans to swap pickups on PRSs, but have on other guitars.
I've used The Creamery 'Domino' Split-Coils' - Humbucker sized Single Coil Voiced Pickups. Replacing SDs which were too high output for me.
Also have Bare Knuckle 'Yardbird' (single coil) and 'Stormy Monday' (humbucker) on a custom build. These are terrific for blues soloing.

 

[drdoom8793]

SE and S2 swaps are super common. There's still plenty of us that have swapped pickups out on our PRS. I'm a big fan of a Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz set in a CE guitar.

 

[dcm_guitar]

This is not meant to create any arguments, just a legit question...... With the plethora of pedals available, why switch pickups? There are countless boost and distortion pedals available. There are some amazing EQ pedals and preamp pedals with lots of tone shaping capability.

I've swapped pickups in the past, but I've found that with so many pedal choices available for tone shaping today I prefer to keep my instruments stock. With a pedal I can dial in my tone, and get that tone with the push of a button (or buttons). If I want to go back to the stock sound, I just push the button (or buttons) again.

I will admit that I have a strong preferences for keeping my guitars stock.

Thoughts?

 

[Johnny Rigs]

This is not meant to create any arguments, just a legit question...... With the plethora of pedals available, why switch pickups? There are countless boost and distortion pedals available. There are some amazing EQ pedals and preamp pedals with lots of tone shaping capability.

I've swapped pickups in the past, but I've found that with so many pedal choices available for tone shaping today I prefer to keep my instruments stock. With a pedal I can dial in my tone, and get that tone with the push of a button (or buttons). If I want to go back to the stock sound, I just push the button (or buttons) again.

I will admit that I have a strong preferences for keeping my guitars stock.

Thoughts?

My own personal observations on a few contributing factors. 1) I think there's the perception for certain guitar models that since cost savings were made in the electronics, such as being made overseas and imported, that if there's something unsatisfactory in the tone, it most likely is a deficiency in the pickups. 2) Changing out pickups is also very popular, so it can feel like a fun thing to join in on. 3) It's a common tendency to make decisions based on only surface knowledge gleaned from scanning the internet.

That's not to say changing pickups is never a good move or that it's not the right solution to the tone goal one is looking to reach. If you know you want a PAF sound, and you know the stock pickups are not built like that, a pickup change is a logical decision to make. However, going on the assumption that I'm not one-of-a-kind, some have yet to learn just how much proper pickup and pole heights can do to your sound - I did. I believe if height adjustments and changing strings more often were common knowledge at every level of guitar player, there'd be some surprisingly satisfied customers.

Another thing I've learned about myself is that I tend to want things to work without having to tweak any other part of my setup. I'm trying to train myself to accept that's not reasonable. I can't expect every guitar/pickup combination I own to sound exactly how I want without touching the tone stack on my amp or some pedals. But we tend to want everything to be plug-and-play. Real life isn't typically like that. Who knew?

 

[elvis]

I have a number of very different sounding guitars. I'm not motivated by a desire to have them all sound the same. Quite the opposite, actually. I want them all to sound different. But different in a way that I want.

I start with a guitar that I like the feel of and the resonance. Then I may change pickups to get a certain amplified tone.

I have used eq and boost pedals, but they don't dial in the subtle but complicated differences I want. Plus, an eq does its job by changing phase as well as amplitude, so it usually does more harm than good.

I've been fortunate that I've gotten exactly what I've wanted with pickup changes. I already change strings often and adjust pickup height as I desire.

YMMV

 

[markd21]

I have changed pickups in one PRS to date. I bought an SC250 with the Tremonti/250 pickups and they were SOOOOO over-hot for how I play. I LOVED the guitar, so decided to break my PRS rule:

"They cost so much you need too love it AS-IS"

I installed a set of Duncan Saturday Night Specials. Instantly the SC250 became an incredible sonic and tactile joy. I put the original pickups in the case, and moved forward.

I have a set of Fralin Twangmasters that are slated to go in an S2 Standard 22 so I can have better single coil sounds, but the damn S2 is SOOOOO killer with the #7s that I am in no rush to make the change. Honestly, at this point I am considering modding my OTHER Standard 22, lol....one of these days the Fralins will get installed.

 

[elvis]

I bought a set of sc250 pickups for my sc. They were brutal. Way too hot. Replaced them with cold sweats. Perfect. Though I may put a 58/15 set in.

 

[markd21]

I bought a set of sc250 pickups for my sc. They were brutal. Way too hot. Replaced them with cold sweats. Perfect. Though I may put a 58/15 set in.

Glad it wasn't just me. I play harder music, but good Lord....I let my amp do the work. I swear those pickups could almost turn a Deluxe Reverb into a JCM800!!! Brutal is the word, for sure.

Honestly, I was SOOOOO pumped the first time I heard the 57/08 because those hot, "kick your amp into OD" pickups PRS did up until then were a HUGE turn off for me. I did not find them too terribly "toneful" - just aggressive.

 

[elvis]

Agreed on the not toneful comment. I do like the Tremonti pickups on my Tremonti, bit only because I use 0.011s tuned down a half step. Calms them down a bit.

I really wonder how the \m/ pickups sound.

 

[Antmax]

I have mixed feelings about my Zach Myers SE with its SE245 treble and bass pickups. They actually sound decent, I like the contrast between neck and bridge which makes it very versatile, but unlike my typically aftermarket Seymour Duncans they sound like they only have most frequencies, not the full range. I Bought some Seth Lovers and put those in, sounded good in the neck but the punchy higher output nasal bridge wasn't there and you can't really switch from blues high gain rock to metal like the Zach Myers can with the stock pickups.

The Seths went in a vintage Japanese Les Paul so not a big deal. But I'm still looking for something voiced a bit like the stock SE245's but with a fuller range, higher definition sound more like I'm accustomed to.

 

[elvis]

Duncan JB, BKP Cold Sweat or Nailbomb, Dimarzio Evo or Crunchlab, I think there are quite a few good options.

 

[TroyBaer]

I have BKP Emeralds in my Cu24/7 and Tonerider Alnico 4 Classics in my Bernie, and I used to have a ZM with Duncan Pearly Gates. My McCarty and Singlecut/SC250 both have the stock pickups, although the SC250 pickups are a bit much for my taste these days.

I also experimented with magnet swaps in an SE Cu24 once upon a time and ended up with an Alnico 5 in the SE HFS and an Alnico 4 in the SE Vintage Bass. That seemed to shave off most of the snotty midrange they have in the stock configuration.

 

[Callan]

I just couldn't get along with my HBii and the 57/08's it came with.
The bridge was thin, the neck was mud, no amp settings would work for both. It became my 'couch' guitar for a while.
I almost traded it for another solidbody, but then started looking at the pickups (after fighting with the pickup height for a bit)
I ended up with a set of BKP mule's and now I'm much happier with the whole guitar.
I donated the 57/08's to my Les Paul and they sound great there.

 

[Deleted member 21959]

This is not meant to create any arguments, just a legit question...... With the plethora of pedals available, why switch pickups? There are countless boost and distortion pedals available. There are some amazing EQ pedals and preamp pedals with lots of tone shaping capability.

I've swapped pickups in the past, but I've found that with so many pedal choices available for tone shaping today I prefer to keep my instruments stock. With a pedal I can dial in my tone, and get that tone with the push of a button (or buttons). If I want to go back to the stock sound, I just push the button (or buttons) again.

I will admit that I have a strong preferences for keeping my guitars stock.

Thoughts?

I for one don't mess with pedals, I've had my stint with them other than messing with a tubescreamer and the indispensable tuner/noise gates.

It just doesn't really jive well with my way of doing things, for a lack of better descriptions. I'd rather have less things to worry about, less things to go wrong in my rig.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

I've never been scared to make reversible mods to my guitars. My 4 PRSi are stock as of today, but I just ordered a covered Duncan JB to try out in the bridge position of my 594 (blasphemy! sacrilege!). I will of course be keeping the stock pickup, but I wanted something that pushed a bit harder with my rig. I like the 594 too much to have it be just a recording/noodling guitar, but to work easily with my rig and my band's material, the covered 57/08 it came with is just not strong enough. I'm not interested in adding a boost pedal and having to rework my highly automated (Line 6 Helix as FX/switcher for Mesa MK V) band rig for just one of many guitars I use.
But hey, everybody should do what makes them happy with their instruments and rigs. People get way too bent out of shape over things like altering solder joints on vintage guitars.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Bare Knuckle Mule/Riff Raff in my SC245. Absolutely love them! My CU24 is all PRS though (85/15 Neck \m/ Bridge)