Bridge pickup too bright, neck pickup too dark

[Torstein]

I love the squabbin look. Wish other pickup makers would do that as well.

 

[Torstein]

I'm gonna try to disconnect the tone from the neck pickup. Is this even possible with the rotary switch, does anyone know?

 

[Jock68]

Try taking out the neck pickup and rotating it 180 degrees and put it back in and see how it sounds, you can do the same with the bridge pup if it works. Did for me in a LP.

 

[Rod/]

I'm gonna try to disconnect the tone from the neck pickup. Is this even possible with the rotary switch, does anyone know?

It won’t make much difference. Try raising the polepieces on the neck pickup like 2 full turns for more treble and lowering the polepieces on the bridge pickup flush to the bobbins or cover. Will definitely warm the bridge . Then adjust accordingly.. worked for me with my Dragons

 

[El Fenix]

I didn't read the thread, but I have had the OP's problem many times over the years, especially with humbuckers. Even after dropping the humbucker for less woof.

My solution has been to do what is known as a "de-mud mod" on the neck pickup. It is putting a capacitor in series with the neck pickup's hot lead, before it reaches the pot/switch, which removes some of the bass. If you google this you will come up with several different formulas people prefer. IMO it works like a charm, I have done it many times. It allows you to EQ the amp for the classic "thick, Marshall+Les Paul" sound, but then switch to the neck and get some clarity instead of the overwhelming WOOF. The value of the capacitor determines how much low end is rolled off.

I keep thinking about doing this to my DGT, but have not yet. Splitting the neck to single coil does NOT achieve the same thing, not at all.

IMO, when people find a "perfect" vintage instrument where the pickups are "just right" in it, it is because the bridge was overwound and the neck was underwound, which helps balance them, the underwound neck has less bass than a fully-wound or overwound one does.

DGT is 7.3k neck and 9.1 bridge IIRC

Resistance is not output but gives a decent yardstick.

 

[Torstein]

It won’t make much difference. Try raising the polepieces on the neck pickup like 2 full turns for more treble and lowering the polepieces on the bridge pickup flush to the bobbins or cover. Will definitely warm the bridge . Then adjust accordingly.. worked for me with my Dragons

I actually have Suhr DSVs on the way. Double row of screws to instead of slug/coil. So I'll try to mess with that first.

 

[watelessness]

i never cared for the 59/09's. swapping them out is not difficult

 

[ruger9]

DGT is 7.3k neck and 9.1 bridge IIRC

Resistance is not output but gives a decent yardstick.

It's not the output so much as the position under the strings. Neck position always has alot more low end. Lower-winding the neck certainly helps, but a neck humbucker in a mahogany body is still a neck humbucker in a mahogany body... oldest Les Paul "problem" in the book...

 

[Torstein]

Does anyone know if it's even possible to wire the tone knob to the bridge pickup only? Or to have stacked tone knobs for that matter?

 

[Bluegrif]

To me the subject is a little strange because I adjust the tone on the fly, along with the volume. And while most performing guitarists seem to do this also, I get that some have their own idiosyncrasies. I’ve worked with players who rarely touch the knobs and hit pedals to get what they want, which always seemed a bit two dimensional to me, since you’re leaving a lot of colors in the table. But hey, whatever works, right?

 

[Torstein]

To me the subject is a little strange because I adjust the tone on the fly, along with the volume. And while most performing guitarists seem to do this also, I get that some have their own idiosyncrasies. I’ve worked with players who rarely touch the knobs and hit pedals to get what they want, which always seemed a bit two dimensional to me, since you’re leaving a lot of colors in the table. But hey, whatever works, right?

It's a annoying to have to adjust the tone knob every time you switch from the neck to the bridge pickup. Which can be multiple times in one solo. Really wish I had two tone knobs on this guitar.

 

[Torstein]

So I changed pickups. Still having the same issue really. Now have Suhr DSV/DSV+. Maybe I'll go for a higher output pickup in the bridge that's designed to be darker/bassier. There's just not enough meat/weight in the bridge pickup, and too much icepick. I don't really play any high gain stuff, but maybe it's right for this guitar.

 

[Bluegrif]

It's a annoying to have to adjust the tone knob every time you switch from the neck to the bridge pickup. Which can be multiple times in one solo. Really wish I had two tone knobs on this guitar.

Oh yeah, you have to do what works for you. I rarely switch pickups more than once during any solo and to be honest, switching at all during solos is something I only do occasionally. If you work that way it’s easy to see why you wouldn’t want to be making constant adjustments. I’d probably approach that issue by looking for a fairly dark bridge pickup.

 

[Birdsofprey]

I feel your pain and no matter how many replies to this thread (and all are good points) you just can’t grab that sound your looking for in your head. Are you only using that one guitar ? If so maybe work with the amp a little more or even an EP booster (everyone should have one). Your also onto something with the bridge pickup tone. Of all my guitars it’s usually the bridge pickup that I replace. Neck pickups in my case have always sounded great. The majority or my guitars are Custom 24’s of various years. Yeah I’m a Hugh CU24 fanboy! On older Custom 24’s it’s a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates not to harsh. On newer Custom 24’s for me it’s all 59/09’s (my fav PRS pickup go figure). Unlike some I don’t even have an issue getting those Str*t sounds out of a CU24 , however it’s the bridge pickups that I’ve wrestled with. I recently bought a very well received/ reviewed distortion pedal (not PRS) and just couldn’t get any sounds that would work for me through that bridge p/u. Pedal had to go as it was no use to me. Switching pickups if not the solution was a good idea you had as it lets you kinda see that guitars character. I know it didn’t work but your onto something. I’ve got Suhr Thornbuckers in a Orville LP and that perfected an already great guitar. Sorry for rambling but last thought is to only swap out the bridge pickup, try that combo with your original neck. Good luck on your tone chase.

 

[Torstein]

I feel your pain and no matter how many replies to this thread (and all are good points) you just can’t grab that sound your looking for in your head. Are you only using that one guitar ? If so maybe work with the amp a little more or even an EP booster (everyone should have one). Your also onto something with the bridge pickup tone. Of all my guitars it’s usually the bridge pickup that I replace. Neck pickups in my case have always sounded great. The majority or my guitars are Custom 24’s of various years. Yeah I’m a Hugh CU24 fanboy! On older Custom 24’s it’s a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates not to harsh. On newer Custom 24’s for me it’s all 59/09’s (my fav PRS pickup go figure). Unlike some I don’t even have an issue getting those Str*t sounds out of a CU24 , however it’s the bridge pickups that I’ve wrestled with. I recently bought a very well received/ reviewed distortion pedal (not PRS) and just couldn’t get any sounds that would work for me through that bridge p/u. Pedal had to go as it was no use to me. Switching pickups if not the solution was a good idea you had as it lets you kinda see that guitars character. I know it didn’t work but your onto something. I’ve got Suhr Thornbuckers in a Orville LP and that perfected an already great guitar. Sorry for rambling but last thought is to only swap out the bridge pickup, try that combo with your original neck. Good luck on your tone chase.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm constantly back and forth with what to do. This is an '06 model with the wide/thin neck and it's just the best feeling guitar I've ever played. So that's why I'm willing to invest to get the sound I want.

Is there a difference in character between your older and newer CU24? I have a Pearly Gates+ in a drawer, and I just thought about trying it out. Also thought about the Thornbuckers. But I have a hard time imagining that a humbucker set will be balanced in this guitar unless it's a very bright neck humbucker paired with an overwound, bassy bridge humbucker.

It's the guitar I like playing the most, and I love the EP booster! But I guess the unbalanced sound of the humbuckers need to be fixed at the source to work for me.

 

[El Fenix]

It's a annoying to have to adjust the tone knob every time you switch from the neck to the bridge pickup. Which can be multiple times in one solo. Really wish I had two tone knobs on this guitar.

Same. I set EQ for my Les Pauls to do this. Clean neck, dirty bridge.

 

[Birdsofprey]

You know like any guitar there all differences however your thinking is pretty spot on as far as years old/new at least in my stable. I have a 89 and 90 CU24 both with stock VB neck and Pearly Gates bridge those guitars are perfectly balanced for my taste. My newer 24’s 11,18,22 have 59/09’s except the newest 24 that has dare I say my least favorite PRS pickup the 85/15 yuk never liked any reiteration of it. I’m struggling with (the 22 w/85/15’s) getting the sound I like out of the bridge pickup and the balance of them both. I have the neck dialed in. I’ve never worked this hard to massage a PRS to get the sound I want. To me the older ones are very easy to dial in, the newer ones take some time. That being said I just can’t believe how good a newer PRS CU24 is it (blows away) most if not all guitars in my humble book. I’ve found my guitar! I might have to get some 59/09’s on standby if I just can’t get what I want out of this 2022 CU24, still it’s a killer guitar that I will figure out.

 

[Bluegrif]

It's a annoying to have to adjust the tone knob every time you switch from the neck to the bridge pickup. Which can be multiple times in one solo. Really wish I had two tone knobs on this guitar.

Would it be possible to get a second tone control via a stacked, push-pull pot? Just spitballing here.

 

[Torstein]

Would it be possible to get a second tone control via a stacked, push-pull pot? Just spitballing here.

I think that's a good idea! I've been trying to read up on the different options for stacked pots. But I also read that it's possible to wire a resistor to the bridge humbucker that will "mimic" a lower value pot for the bridge only. Sounds like a cheap and easy fix, as long as I can figure out where to put it

 

[theDeepender]

I have a custom 24 with 5-way rotary and 59/09. For my bridge pickup lead tone I like having the tone on about 5 or lower. For neck pickup tones I like the tone knob much higher. I'm used to a strat and having 2 tone knobs! So I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

Maybe disconnect the tone knob from the neck pickup?

Stacked tone knob with 500k/250k? I don't really know how these work.

Or, maybe change the pickups? I like the 59/09s but not in love with them.

I dunno.
Maybe reverse pickup positions?