Get rid of quack

Steven Lafferty

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Joined
Jul 26, 2019
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110
Location
Wood River, Illinois
As a new PRS player I am wondering. Is it normal to have the "Quack" in a PRS SE Custom 24? If so, how do you get rid of it? Or, is it just a characteristic of the instrument? Thanks so much in advance for your input.
 
If the SE Cu24 has a 5-way, the only possible change you might be able to make is a switch to a 3-way toggle. IIRC, the pickups are not 4-conductor wire, so you'd not be able to do the coil-tap option.

The 3-way toggle might provide neck, split middle, and bridge pickup configs. The 5-way currently has it so that the splits are single-coil (or single-coil combined) in some manner.

I personally don't know the wiring of the SE Cu24...someone else will need to assist you with that...
 
If the SE Cu24 has a 5-way, the only possible change you might be able to make is a switch to a 3-way toggle. IIRC, the pickups are not 4-conductor wire, so you'd not be able to do the coil-tap option.

The 3-way toggle might provide neck, split middle, and bridge pickup configs. The 5-way currently has it so that the splits are single-coil (or single-coil combined) in some manner.

I personally don't know the wiring of the SE Cu24...someone else will need to assist you with that...
It is already a 3-way switch from the factory with a coil splitter on the tone knob. I use 3 effects pedal. Delay, Overdrive and Compressor. I never use Compressor with Overdrive. I only use Compressor when I am in Single Coil mode. I play mostly Country Rock and I use a thumb pick and play a lot of Chicken Pickin' style guitar.
The amp I'm playing through is a Fender Twin or 2 Fender Champion 100's in stereo.
 
Hmm. The quack is likely because of the coil-tap. There is a way to remove the coil-tap and make the SE purely a 3-way toggle, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the push-pull tone knob. Refrain from using the push-pull where the quack resides?

Am somewhat perplexed because many chicken-pickin players almost prefer an option of quack, but you do not.

I'd just not use the coil-tap, because any other option would devalue the guitar and make it less versatile.
 
I seldom hear of the SE Cu24 described as "quacky". Humbuckers rarely get that designation. My guess is there is something wrong with the wiring like you have the single coil options on all the time. Something just doesn't sound like it's factory.
 
I seldom hear of the SE Cu24 described as "quacky". Humbuckers rarely get that designation. My guess is there is something wrong with the wiring like you have the single coil options on all the time. Something just doesn't sound like it's factory.
I bought it used from Guitar Center and I had a very reliable Luthier in my area go completely through it to make sure it was all done right. I might add that I usually only get the "Quack" in single coil mode. Sounds a ton like a Strat in single coil. But, with only two pickups and a 3 way switch I kind of wondered about that. I had the Luthier take out all the old wiring and install all new and made sure it was done right. Oh well, it is without a doubt one of my favorite guitars to play. I also have a nice Strat and Nashville Tele. I was just hoping to get more of a Tele sound out of the single coil side, but a Strat sound is ok too. Just love the feel of this PRS neck and bridge.
 
I'll self-identify as a chicken picker. Unfortunately the only thing that sounds like a Tele is a Tele.

However, the Strat sound is not a total loss in country music. With the right settings on amps and pedals (particularly the compressor) you can get great chicken pickin' tones.

Same goes for PRS. The tones are there but it takes some fiddling to coax them out.
 
I'll self-identify as a chicken picker. Unfortunately the only thing that sounds like a Tele is a Tele.

However, the Strat sound is not a total loss in country music. With the right settings on amps and pedals (particularly the compressor) you can get great chicken pickin' tones.

Same goes for PRS. The tones are there but it takes some fiddling to coax them out.
Totally understand that. I been playing with the tones on my amp and guitar for awhile and I have it down to pretty much the way I like it. Was just wondering about the tone on single coil. You said you do a lot of chickin picken. Do you use a thumb pick? I use to use a flat pick but I started experimenting with a thumb pick and now I use a thumb pick about 95% of the time. It is amazing how much more I like it.
 
Totally understand that. I been playing with the tones on my amp and guitar for awhile and I have it down to pretty much the way I like it. Was just wondering about the tone on single coil. You said you do a lot of chickin picken. Do you use a thumb pick? I use to use a flat pick but I started experimenting with a thumb pick and now I use a thumb pick about 95% of the time. It is amazing how much more I like it.

I've used both but prefer a flat pick. I even tried the Brent mason thing with finger picks too. My hands sweat a ton and I always have issues keeping the picks attached.
 
I've used both but prefer a flat pick. I even tried the Brent mason thing with finger picks too. My hands sweat a ton and I always have issues keeping the picks attached.
I use a Brent Mason Harco Thumpicks and I use Acrylic nails on my middle and ring finger. They help a lot. They are really hard and don't break or chip like regular nails do and I keep them filed down. They work great. Brent Mason uses them and I thought I would try them. I tried the picks on my fingers like James Burton but I too had a hard time keeping them on my fingers. Go to a nail spa and have them put Acrylic's on your middle finger and ring finger and you can use them with your flat pick too that way.
 
I use a Brent Mason Harco Thumpicks and I use Acrylic nails on my middle and ring finger. They help a lot. They are really hard and don't break or chip like regular nails do and I keep them filed down. They work great. Brent Mason uses them and I thought I would try them. I tried the picks on my fingers like James Burton but I too had a hard time keeping them on my fingers. Go to a nail spa and have them put Acrylic's on your middle finger and ring finger and you can use them with your flat pick too that way.

I'm all too familiar with the acrylic nail thing. A little background on myself...

I went to college for music with guitar as my primary instrument. Where I went to school you had to have 2 years of classical instruction at a minimum even if you studied contemporary or, "commercial" as they called it, styles of music.

So I had a classical guitar (two actually since the first one detonated itself in the case the night of my guitar juries) grew out my nails, had the footstool, learned Bach and Brouwer, and all that.

My nails were, and still are fairly strong without growing at funny angles or curling strangely so I was lucky. And they grew fast too so double lucky. Some of my peers weren't so lucky and went the acrylic route and that didn't end well for some. One of my instructors said he tried it and the glue they were using began dissolving the nail under the acrylic to the point he could no longer use his natural nails even if he wanted to to play guitar.

Another thing one of my commercial guitar teachers told me that I'll never forget is "let your equipment do the work for you." At the time I was preparing for my senior recital (I played Hot Wired and some other fusion and jazz tunes) when he said it meaning use the compressor and crank the amp so it does all those percussive pops and snaps so you don't have to work so hard with your right hand.

Of all the modes, scales, chord types, theory, etc, that statement was and will probably be the most revolutionary pieces of information I was ever given.
 
I'm all too familiar with the acrylic nail thing. A little background on myself...

I went to college for music with guitar as my primary instrument. Where I went to school you had to have 2 years of classical instruction at a minimum even if you studied contemporary or, "commercial" as they called it, styles of music.

So I had a classical guitar (two actually since the first one detonated itself in the case the night of my guitar juries) grew out my nails, had the footstool, learned Bach and Brouwer, and all that.

My nails were, and still are fairly strong without growing at funny angles or curling strangely so I was lucky. And they grew fast too so double lucky. Some of my peers weren't so lucky and went the acrylic route and that didn't end well for some. One of my instructors said he tried it and the glue they were using began dissolving the nail under the acrylic to the point he could no longer use his natural nails even if he wanted to to play guitar.

Another thing one of my commercial guitar teachers told me that I'll never forget is "let your equipment do the work for you." At the time I was preparing for my senior recital (I played Hot Wired and some other fusion and jazz tunes) when he said it meaning use the compressor and crank the amp so it does all those percussive pops and snaps so you don't have to work so hard with your right hand.

Of all the modes, scales, chord types, theory, etc, that statement was and will probably be the most revolutionary pieces of information I was ever given.
Great advice you were given. I too was told some time ago "Why do you want to work yourself to death when you got all this great equipment in front of you that can help you not have too"? And, I worked with a great old guy one time in a little 4 piece band in a small lounge and I've never forgotten what he told me one night. He said remember "It's not so much what you play but rather what you don't play sometimes that matters more." I've played everything from Skid Row bars to Grand Old Opry. Worked with Johnny Paycheck as a drummer back in the late 70's, Mel Tillis as a bass player in the 80's. Played in a couple Jazz Trio's in a ton of Holiday Inn's. And, I retired from playing in late 90's and went to work in Vegas at Mandalay Bay Hotel Casino and retired from there after 22 years. So, I started playing again in church with our Worship Band and sometimes weekend gig's at local joints here in town. I started playing guitar about 6 years ago and I'm having more fun now than I ever did before I stopped playing years ago. No more drugs, no more booze and I don't have the pressures of the road anymore and I'm having a great time.
 
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