Very valid reply and never apologize for humor. I know it wasn't mean-spirited. The best sound I've got comes from my Custom 22 with P90's in the neck position. But I've never been a fan of single-coils in the bridge. Love the sound of my LP R9 for the bridge. So, trying to figure out how close I can get to my ideal combination. Even thought of buying a used C22 w/P90s, and having a HB installed in place of the bridge P90. At some level, PRS must be chasing that versatility since they offer so many SC/HB combinations. So I'm curious which PRS model comes the closest.
By coincidence, I had a CU22 Soapbar for many years, and really loved how the neck pickup sounded, just as you do. And of course, it has a maple neck.
I've also had the 408 and currently have the new McCarty, as well as a McCarty Singlecut. I think the neck pickup sound you're after mainly comes from both the pickup and a maple neck. If you got a 408 with a maple neck, which is I think available with Artist Package, you'd come pretty close on the neck pickup, and you might be able to live with the bridge pickup tone, as it's pretty PAF-like with a 'hog neck. The problem is that the maple neck will brighten that bridge pickup quite a lot and take it out of true LP range.
And vice-versa if you get the mahogany neck version.
I have a new McCarty with the 58/15 pickups, and mine is a Wood Library version from Northeast Music with a maple neck. There's no artist package for the McCarty yet, so you'd have to take that Wood Library route for the maple neck., which frankly is a better deal anyway since it's less costly than the Artist package and everything is as nice, including the case. The coil splits on the neck pickup do sound great, perhaps the nicest sounding coil splits I've heard on a traditional humbucker, so you might like that very much.
The bridge pickup is very sweet and PAF-like, more traditional sounding than the 408's, but the poison you pick with the maple neck is that you do get a brighter tone than you would with a mahogany neck version. So there's this dilemma, given what you're aiming for.
I think the problem that can't be escaped is that the neck woods and other parts matter a lot, and there isn't really much getting around that, except...and this is gonna sound a little crazy...
The Eventide H9 has an EQ program called something like "Lester to Leo" and one called "Leo to Lester." I have to say this: they're pretty darn good. I have played my McCarty Singlecut through "Lester to Leo" and was amazed. Made it sound like a Strat. I haven't tried the other program yet, as there wasn't an occasion to. But I wouldn't be surprised if it made it work.
Glad you appreciated the humor, best I could do on short notice!
