Help me upgrade pickups on S2 McCarty 594

[Goodsal]

I've had this guitar for a few weeks now and while I love the way the guitar plays, I'm not bonding with the 58/15s neck pickup. I'm finding it too woofy and lacking sparkle. I prefer low output pickups in my other guitars (Duncan Antiquities, Seth Lovers, for example). Yes, I've played with the pickup heights and just can't get there. I want to replace the neck pickup with a low output pickup that sounds like my others but that will also work well with the split wiring in the PRS. Any recommendations?

 

[markd21]

57/08s in both positions. I have them in an SC245 that has the splits like a 594. That guitar kills.

 

[garrettb]

I find any pickup works well with the PRS split wiring. If you go Duncan, I'd personally wire it to give you screw coil when split (their default is slug).

Aside from the models you already mentioned, a Jazz or a '59 would work well. I'm also a fan of the Suhr Thornbuckers.

The PRS 57/08 is always worthy of consideration if you don't mind spending a little more dough. I wouldn't call them low output, but they sound darn good.

 

[John Beef]

I've had this guitar for a few weeks now and while I love the way the guitar plays, I'm not bonding with the 58/15s neck pickup.

That's literally my only complaint about my SE Hollowbody, too. I even left the guitar with 10s because it played so well and sounded so good otherwise.

 

[bodia]

I really like the Klein Epic 59 in my Core 594.

 

[Nice F Holes]

My experience is only from watching videos since I just ordered my SE last night, but I got the same impression about the pups. I actually bought 57/08’s before I bought the guitar. There are a few videos on YouToob if you search “PRS SE Pickups”.

Pickups are Such critical part of tone that decided, I’d get what sounded the absolute best to me. The 57/08 will hold value so I felt it was a worthwhile investment.

Some videos I really liked: the first two are PRS Core with 57/08 in the bridge and Seymour Duncan in the neck (Pearly Gates, then ‘59.) These are actually what turned me on to the 57/08 as his bridge tone effing rips:

My second choice was Gibson Burstbuckers. This review is an SE with Gibsons:

 

[unretrofiedforu]

I constantly think about changing the pickups in my S2 594 but I've been pretty happy with the neck / bridge balance..

However I'm the opposite of you; I think the neck pickup sounds the best while the bridge just doesn't have the same effect. I debating dropping in a BK Nailbomb I have lying around but not sure if it will ruin that balance