I have a PG that I bought used. The Reverb listing called the color Quilted Cherry. The PRS database lookup says the color is “custom.” The top is, of course, quilted maple and is a 10 top. The back and neck are mahogany. The fretboard is rosewood. Don’t know where the tree grew up, but it is a very pretty specimen of rosewood. It looks pretty uniform in color when looking at it from the front. But, from the side, when playing, it has color variations that almost make it look like a kind of tortoise shell binding. It’s hard to describe, and I promise to post pics when I get past my new member minimum number of posts. I hope that I will be able to do justice to how pretty the quilt is too. The professionally done pics from the Reverb posting are very good, but it is remarkably prettier in person.
It can sound as bright or dark as I want it to sound through a Tungsten Crema Wheat or PRRI. So, I guess I’m in the traditional woods camp. Not saying that there are no other combinations that could sound better. I just know that what I have does not leave me wanting.
That’s as far a woods go. I played a Strat or Strat copy for most of my playing life. I always used the middle pickup, usually either alone or with bridge pup. I missed having a middle pup. I had looked longingly at some of the 3 pup models that PRS has released over the last several years, as well as discontinued models. But I really didn’t want to add a new guitar, and I couldn’t see myself selling the PG. So, about the end of June, I emailed the PTC and asked if they could add a narrowfield middle pup with the ability to run middle only as well as in combination with the bridge and neck. The fantastic Matt King promptly replied that it could be done, with an added 3-way toggle (off-on-middle only), for a very reasonable price in 6-8 weeks. I pondered it for about a week, then pulled the trigger and sent it in. I live about an hour from Stevensville, so decided to drive over to pick it up last week when Matt called and told me it was done.
I am over the moon with how it turned out. I think the narrowfield sounds great and looks great too. Adding that pup is, I think, the best guitar-related decision that I have made. I have the circa 2015 PG pups that I can use with original switching for the standard 8 sounds, add the middle for 8 more combinations, or the middle alone for the ninth new sound. They are all useable and sound just different enough to justify the combination.
So, including a narrowfield middle pup would be my recommendation. Unless you are going to be bothered by the pup being where you want just guitar top or will never, ever want any of the S-style quack under any conditions, I think that you will like it. I think it is a pretty riskless addition to a great platform.
Good luck with your build!
Dan