I'm looking into possibly getting a new Pauls guitar and worndering if anyone has any reviews on the TCI pick ups and how they might compare to the pick ups in the DGT or 408. Which pick ups are more versatile and what type music would sound best played though the TCI pick ups?
2019 Pauls Guitar/TCI pick up reviews?
- Thread starter Steve O
- Start date
Mozzi
https://imgur.com/user/BAMozzy/posts
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2018
- Messages
- 4,155
There are a few 'reviews' and comparisons of the SE vs the Core Paul's guitar. I am sure you can use those as a guideline. The TCI pick-ups are an evolution of the 408 neck Pick up - the older Paul's Guitar had the 408 Pick-ups. The TCI PU's are better (in my opinion) than many other Humbuckers when split - the Single Coil tones are great with no volume loss.
The DGT has Trem bridge as does the 408 where as the Paul's guitar is a fixed bridge - whether that affects your decision, adds more versatility, that's up to you. All of them though can have a 'maximum' of 8 pick up selection choices - 2 each for the neck and bridge (Humbucker or Split) and 4 options for the combination of both Pick Ups - the middle of a 3 way (HH, HS, SH or SS) although I believe the DGT only has 6 options as you can't split the Humbuckers individually so the middle option only has 2 choices - HH or SS which 'could' be seen as 'less' versatility - assuming you may want to use the HS or SH (1 pick-up as a Humbucker and the other as a Single coil) A regular core Custom 22/24 with a 5 way does have the Bridge as a Humbucker and Neck as a split (as well as both humbucking and both as a Single Coil as 3 of the options with the 5 way blade - you don't get the option of Neck or Bridge as split coils - unless you buy the Cu24-08.
Essentially, if you want the most choice for pick-up selection, the 408 and Paul's offer the most - thanks to individual coil splitting options. As for Pick-ups, that really depends on you and what you prefer. All 3 are double humbucker style with 2 of the 3 offering a Trem option whilst the other offers a fixed bridge. Paul's guitar is probably the best for SC's BUT whether you prefer them or not, you will have to decide. Pick up choice, the way they sound in the guitar is personal preference - what sound you prefer for the music you want to make and with the gear you have. All 3 have 'great' Pick-ups and you can't go wrong with any of them. The differences are more about which sound you prefer. Paul's Guitar is no more 'versatile' than a 594 - both have individual coil splitting - one with mini toggles (which are a bit easier) whilst the other has Push/Pull tone pots - the 594 though does offer a bit more choice because you can use the individual tone and volume controls to affect the sound when both pick-ups are engaged - whether you want to use that though is a different matter. The 594 PU's are fantastic but whether you prefer the more vintage sounding tones or want something a bit more modern, I don't know.
In case you haven't guessed yet, EVERY PRS has fantastic Pick-ups, superb playability and excellent quality. A lot of the models are 'similarly' versatile often with more pick-up selection choices that give a musician various options to deliver the tone they are looking for - regardless of genre. There is enough 'difference' too that you can justify owning more than 1 PRS. That difference though has to be heard by the person buying. I could recommend you buy the PRS 594 (for example) to enable you to shape each Pick up with the individual tone/volume and split coils - even change the tones of each individual PU to alter the tones of the blend in the middle selection - but you may want a trem, may prefer the TCI humbucker and/orb Single Coil tones, may prefer the DGT layout of the DGT, the two volume and 1 push/pull tone control, where the PU switch is located. Then you also have the different necks....
The best advice I can give is that you go out there and try them, find out what neck you prefer to play, what sounds better to your ear - not my (or any one here) preference. Its your money so play each and decide which sounds better and which feels better to you as it you that has to play and hear the guitar - not me.
Tonart
Tone of the Art......or is that backwards?
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2018
- Messages
- 2,755
I have the prototype PS guitar and am VERY impressed. It’s one of those rare occasions where I actually value the pickups and electronics some, as opposed to wholly only valuing the inherent tone of the guitar itself. I still value this particular guitar over the pickups like 99.99% to 0.01% (as is my wont), but it’s only because of how much I love the guitar itself rather than not appreciating the electronics. I’m more than happy to just play this guitar acoustically.
In this case the pickups really do add something artistic to the sound, just like a singlecoil adds to the lightweight alder-maple-plastic pickguard-pseudo hollow construction of a strat. However this singlecoil sound is really unique in itself, has a character of its own.
Add that to the inherent woody and resonant tone of the guitar, and it’s a killer combo.
In this case the pickups really do add something artistic to the sound, just like a singlecoil adds to the lightweight alder-maple-plastic pickguard-pseudo hollow construction of a strat. However this singlecoil sound is really unique in itself, has a character of its own.
Add that to the inherent woody and resonant tone of the guitar, and it’s a killer combo.
Great post.
Similar threads
