2006 CE22 swap Dragon 2's for 85/15?

[CE22_UK]

Hi



Newbie here. Recently got a 2006 all mahogany CE22, which has become my #1 due to all round feel and functionality.



Currently all stock with rotary and Dragon 2 pickups.



At present there is hardly any adjustment room on the pickup heights as the pickup legs have about 2mm play before the feet deck out on the pup cavity floor. This is ok for D2's so not overly worried.



BUT, I have a chance to get a set of US core 85/15's with the PRS only black square bobbins.



A few questions.



How do the 85/15's differ to the D2's?







How well would the 85/15's work with the rotary 9 and 7 split positions (which I really like for Jimmy Page or SRV type stuff)?







Would they fit?



Are they a taller pickup than the D2's (covered)?







Many thanks in advance.



Andy

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hi Andy

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the CE22.

Firstly, if you’re trying to upload photos (as I see there’s gaps between your text) then you will need to use a 3rd party image hosting site, like Imgur or Postimage and then use the BB code or “share to forum code. It time once you get used to it.

I can’t answer the pick-up legs question.

As far as the square pickups, fondly known as “Squabbins” on here, as far as I know there are no covers commmercially available for them.

I’m not familiar with their leg height, sorry.

Welcome again. And congrats.

 

[gemyneye]

Hello, and welcome! Personally, I own a 2007 CE22 and I would recommend keeping the D2's in it, but that's my opinion. They are such great pickups. I am unable to answer the question on the swap as I am completely unknowledgeable in electronics and messing with the components.

 

[Broseph]

Dumb question: is it the leg of the pickup that’s close to hitting the bottom or the screw bottom? The screw can be trimmed down if necessary. I’m pretty sure 85/15 are long legged like most modern core pickups? I could be wrong on that, but I’ve personally never struggled to get a long legged to fit a PRS CE, s2, or even sE. It’s always been the screw that was the issue.

 

[Broseph]

And yes they will sound different. Of the 2 i prefer the 85/15 for its clarity. I don’t know about comparing 5 way knob to 5 way blade. Are they the same? I thought the knob had an in between phase that the blade does not. I’m sure it’s possible to wire it so as long as it’s not a 85/15 from a modern CE as that’s only 2 wires (braided ground, hot wire, and 1 split)

 

[JasonE]

I have a 2006 Custom 22 that had the Dragon II pickups in it. I swapped them out for 57/08s and like them much better.

With your guitar, you will have to make sure the pickups have the right number of wires to use them with the rotary. If they are only two wires or 3 wires they won't work with the rotary switch. The rotary flips the polarity of the pickup in some positions to get that out of phase sound.

I am a little surprised your pickups are bottoming out. Are you sure they are PRS pickups? Usually you can lower the pickups on a PRS to the point of the screw coming out of the leg and the pickup dropping into the cavity. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

[CE22_UK]

I have a 2006 Custom 22 that had the Dragon II pickups in it. I swapped them out for 57/08s and like them much better.

With your guitar, you will have to make sure the pickups have the right number of wires to use them with the rotary. If they are only two wires or 3 wires they won't work with the rotary switch. The rotary flips the polarity of the pickup in some positions to get that out of phase sound.

I am a little surprised your pickups are bottoming out. Are you sure they are PRS pickups? Usually you can lower the pickups on a PRS to the point of the screw coming out of the leg and the pickup dropping into the cavity. Don't ask me how I know this.

Yep definitely Dragon 2’s, stickers. All original soldering. I can’t take them down low without the screw coming out the legs, but even without the springs and screws they sit quite high when bottomed out.

I don’t dislike the D2s at all, quite the contrary, just wondered or the the 8515s would be a noticeable improvement?

 

[CE22_UK]

Hi Andy

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the CE22.

Firstly, if you’re trying to upload photos (as I see there’s gaps between your text) then you will need to use a 3rd party image hosting site, like Imgur or Postimage and then use the BB code or “share to forum code. It time once you get used to it.

I can’t answer the pick-up legs question.

As far as the square pickups, fondly known as “Squabbins” on here, as far as I know there are no covers commmercially available for them.

I’m not familiar with their leg height, sorry.

Welcome again. And congrats.

Not not pictures. Thank a Samsung android phone which hates this forum for some reason. Sorry!

 

[JasonE]

Yep definitely Dragon 2’s, stickers. All original soldering. I can’t take them down low without the screw coming out the legs, but even without the springs and screws they sit quite high when bottomed out.

I don’t dislike the D2s at all, quite the contrary, just wondered or the the 8515s would be a noticeable improvement?

I guess that depends on your definition of improvement. I was not a fan of the Dragon IIs. They always seemed like they just had too much of everything for me. They made my overdrive sound grainy to my ears. The 58/15s are going to be quite a bit different. Is that an improvement? To some it would be a big improvement. To others, it may be a change they don't care for.

 

[CE22_UK]

I guess the kicker would be would another pickup set work as well in the dual split positions?

 

[gemyneye]

Not not pictures. Thank a Samsung android phone which hates this forum for some reason. Sorry!

I did the same thing until I learned you have to use a third party photo hosting site then link the photos. (real old school), I use imgur.com

 

[JasonE]

I guess the kicker would be would another pickup set work as well in the dual split positions?

The 57/08s that I had the PTC put in my CU22 do quite well with this.

 

[MarcWink]

I can't speak to the pickup leg length, but I have a Custom 22 with Dragon II's and I love them in that guitar. I also have a Custom 24 35th Anniversary that has 85/15 pickups and they are a different animal from the Dragon II. The Dragon II is definitely a hotter pickup, but it works very well for what I use that guitar for (hard rock/metal tuned to Drop C#). The 85/15 definitely has less output than the Dragon II and a little more clarity because of it, but whether that's an improvement is something that only you can figure out. For me, they're no better or worse, just different.

 

[danktat]

I am a D2 guy. They are pups that you either love, or hate. Me, I am in the love category.

 

[dogrocketp]

I pulled the Dll’s out of my 2008 Custom 22 and went with 4 wire 57/08’s to keep the rotary. Couldn’t be happier.

 

[Lewguitar]

I pulled the Dll’s out of my 2008 Custom 22 and went with 4 wire 57/08’s to keep the rotary. Couldn’t be happier.

I didn't like the Dragon II's that came in my '02 Custom 22. Or the Dragons that came in my '95 CU22 in my avatar.

Didn't like the rotary switch either so I carefully removed it and the pickups and stashed them away for safe keeping.

Each of my two CU22's now have a 3 way switch and Duncan Antiquitys.

 

[gush]

I put 8515s in my McCarty. Didn't care for bridge pickup but that dang neck pickup is the sweetest smoothest neck pickup I've ever played. It absolutely loves to have tone pot rolled down a bit for even more smoothness. It really likes cleaner tones, edge of breakup and a bit beyond is tonal bliss. I'm considering giving bridge a 2nd chance but that neck ain't going anywhere.

With your rotary switch you have to have pickups with black, red and white wires. The 8515s from modern CE24 will have thick black wire with SS braid and a small white coil split wire. Those won't work.

Also, the magnet will have to be flipped on one of the pickups. I can never remember which one but somebody on here can jump in. It's not hard to do at all but if you don't 1 an 5 position will sound fine but 2,3 and 4 will be out of phase.