My ceramics have more texture in most cases. But there are so many variables to pickup design. I've had alnico pickups with more sizzle than my ceramics, so it varies.
Hot pickup for a PRS doublecut?
- Thread starter boardn10
- Start date
How tight are the new PRS pickups your tried? When I look at their EQ on the PRS site they are shifted toward highs and less bass.
Louguitar
Old Know It All
Is there a PRS dealer near you? You need to get out there and try some for yourself. I live way out in the boonies near the Colorado/Utah border. The only PRS guitars I get to play are my own, and except for my Silver Skys they're all 20 - 30 years old.
Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
They fit exactly what I want in the guitar they are in. I’ve got Alnico in all of my others.
A lot of of guitar stores have closed around here and many stopped carrying good gear. We do have a Guitar Center and Sam Ash I should check out.
Louguitar
Old Know It All
They're probably why the locals closed. But you can at least check out some pickups there in person.
Not sure. I've been going to some of the smaller shops for 35+ years or so and then they recently closed doors. They said a big part it was the increased online presence of stores and people buying online rather than stores. The little guys can't stay open in such an environment.
Guitar Center, George's Music and Sam Ash have been around here forever along with the smaller shops, but it may have been a combination of the chains and online stores. Some are still around but they are a far drive.
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Louguitar
Old Know It All
We have a great little store called Starr's Guitars in Cedaredge, CO that I buy and trade with. PRS dealer. Bought my Silver Sky there and he's also a Breedlove dealer and I got my Breedlove acoustic guitars from him. David Starr is the owner. Great guy. He does a lot of online sales too.
Mozzi
https://imgur.com/user/BAMozzy/posts
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- Jun 2, 2018
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The big issue with Pickups - especially checking them out in a shop - is that when you get them home, put them in your guitar and play through your own rig, they can sound quite different and maybe even sound worse to your ears than what you had in before. After dialing in all your gear to try and get the sounds you want/expect, it may improve but whether its 'better' than another similarly Hot pick up you could have purchased, only you will know by trying it and A/B'ing both in the same guitar through the same rig and settings to compare and contrast.
There are several hot Pick-ups in the PRS line with 'similar' output at the bridge. As for Highs and/or bass, I could say that 'X' pick-up seems very 'bright' to me, but its not bright enough for you/your preference. I don't like things to sound too bright and high's can be painful to me so what I consider 'bright enough' without being too harsh/shrill could be very different to you and your preference.
All we can do is give you the info on what's available but ultimately, its going to come down to you trying them in your own set-up to decide if it 'works' for you or whether you should keep looking for something that suits you better...
Louguitar
Old Know It All
That's why I suggested the OP buy some magnets and try doing some magnet swapping.
It's a great way to learn from first hand experience what turns you on and what doesn't.
Louguitar
Old Know It All
You mean flip the magnet? If it's out of phase with your neck pickup then flip the magnet in one or the other. Whichever is easiest. Won't cost a thing!
But I'll have to remove the cover and it was a disaster one time I tried that. I guess I could try. That said, I may still it like the blend. I know the Suhr neck blends well. I'll think about it.
Louguitar
Old Know It All
Well you ought to do somethin' besides just stew over it.
Haha
Unfortunately I'm recovering from surgery and can't do anything about it at the moment so it gives me extra time to just think. Ugh.
One thing I am doing when I heal up, is get my CE22 to my tech's shop to convert the 5-way rotary to a standard toggle switch and master tone/volume, no splitting. PRS doesn't have any diagrams like this since they always split pots except on some guitars like the SC250, etc. Should be able to use a standard common diagram for this configuration.
Unfortunately I'm recovering from surgery and can't do anything about it at the moment so it gives me extra time to just think. Ugh.
One thing I am doing when I heal up, is get my CE22 to my tech's shop to convert the 5-way rotary to a standard toggle switch and master tone/volume, no splitting. PRS doesn't have any diagrams like this since they always split pots except on some guitars like the SC250, etc. Should be able to use a standard common diagram for this configuration.
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ViperDoc
Plugged In.
I bet a 57/08 would do a nice job. Also consider BKP Abraxas.
Louguitar
Old Know It All
I'm not going to re-read this whole thread to refresh my memory so I'll have to ask: do you still have the original Dragon pickups in the guitar?
If so they are out of phase with each other and if you put a three way switch in your guitar they'll sound very thin and nasal when combined.
You'll need to flip the magnet of one.
Some people like that out of phase sound. Gives you a single coil vibe.
I thought a magnet flip only fixes the polarity. It fixes out of phase too?
In my case it will be the Dragon neck or bass pickup and Tremonti Bridge or treble pickup. Are they out of phase?
If I end up installing a Tremonti neck Pickup, will they be out of phase with the toggle?
All PRS pickups come out of phase? I know the Tremonti can be used with a five way rotary.
Confusing!
So in my Singlecut I have a Suhr Aldrich bridge and PRS #7 neck. I am either going to flip the magnet or install a Suhr Aldrich neck.
Not sure how to flip a magnet, but I'll look it up.
Yes, my CE22 has Dragons and I am replacing the 5-way rotary with a toggle switch. I disnt realize the Dragons are out of phase and will sound thin when had together? I have the same issue on my Singlecut with the Aldrich bridge and #7 neck. Luckily I mostly either use bridge pickup or neck pickup. Rarely do I use them together. Clean I tend to use bridge or neck and same with gain.
On my Singlecut with Aldrich bridge and #7 neck, is it a polarity issue or out of phase issue? In the middle the volume drops and the tone becomes thin on clean tones. With gain, I don't notice a volume drop but the tone thins out some and almost sounds like single coils. It's kind of cool though. I'll probably still flip the magnet or get the marching Suhr Aldrich neck pickup.
Now with the Tremonti and Tremonti neck, also with the SC250 pickups I find the middle position great. Incredible how fat, yet clear it is in the middle. I rarely have experienced that.
I see what you mean about the Dragons being out of phase. I guess that's how tthey for them to work with the five way rotary. But will the Tremonti treble also be out of phase with the Dragon neck.
I don't know if the Tremonti pickups changed over the years because I believe they work or used to work with a five way rotary and yet Tremonti signature guitars come with a three way toggle switch.
My CE22, besides the toggle switch, I have installed a Tremonti Treble which I love. Again I will most likely use the bridge or neck, but I may end up getting a Tremonti neck Pickup. In that case, I won't have to worry about out of phase or a thin middle tone.
According to this article, I can just flip the white and black wires so that the black is hot on one pickup. Don't believe you need to do it for both pickups.
Maybe this will work in the CE22 with Tremonti Bridge and Dragon neck.
I don't think all PRS guitars are out of phase since my SC250 with stock pickups use a toggle and no cool splitting and mnay PRS guitars come with a toggle and cool taps. So, it varies.
I never understood how you can so easily switch wires and have it work.
Can I do that with the Suhr Aldrich or PRS #7 in my Singlecut or does that require a magnet flip? Maybe I'll try changing my #7 pickup to have the black wire as hot and see if it gets rid of the thin tone I have in the middle with the PRS #7/Suhr Aldrich set.
Maybe the wire switch white hot to black hot only works with PRS pickups.
Reversing the Polarity of a Humbucker - An Easy Guide | Fralin Pickups
Learn all about reversing the polarity of a humbucker! In this article, we explore reversing the leads, and flipping the bar magnet.
www.fralinpickups.com
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Louguitar
Old Know It All
In
If you start with two humbuckers that are magnetically in phase the screw coils in each pickup will be the same polarity.
Usually both will be North. but not always, especially if someone has been tinkering before you.
If you're going to combine them with a 3 way switch like you would in a Les Paul, the bridge pickup and neck pickup should both be the same magnetic polarity.
When you press the screw poles of both pickups together, face to face, you want them to REPEL, not attract, because you want both to be the same polarity.
Dragons are meant to work with the five position rotary switch. To work with that switch and get the pickup combinations available from that switch, one pickup in a set of Dragons has the magnet flipped. The Screw poles on one pickup are North and the screw poles on the other are South.
To use stock Dragons with a 3 way switch and not be out of phase magnetically, and to avoid the thin tone, the magnet of one pickup needs to be flipped.
You can reverse the polarity by reversing the magnet in one pickup by loosening the four little screws on the bottom of the pickup and carefully sliding the magnet out and flipping it over or rotating it end for end.
Some players think the middle setting, #3 on the rotary switch, is both humbuckers combined. It's not.
It's the screw coil of the bridge pickup combined with the screw coil of the neck humbucker (which is magnetically out of phase with the bridge coil) combined in SERIES like the two coils of a humbucker, to create the sound of a MIDDLE humbucking pickup.
Most people prefer the humbuckers on a two humbucker guitar to be in phase. The out of phase sound is thin and nasal and low output.Some people like that out of phase sound. Gives you a single coil vibe.
I thought a magnet flip only fixes the polarity. It fixes out of phase too?
In my case it will be the Dragon neck or bass pickup and Tremonti Bridge or treble pickup. Are they out of phase?
If I end up installing a Tremonti neck Pickup, will they be out of phase with the toggle?
All PRS pickups come out of phase? I know the Tremonti can be used with a five way rotary.
Confusing!
So in my Singlecut I have a Suhr Aldrich bridge and PRS #7 neck. I am either going to flip the magnet or install a Suhr Aldrich neck.
Not sure how to flip a magnet, but I'll look it up.
Yes, my CE22 has Dragons and I am replacing the 5-way rotary with a toggle switch. I disnt realize the Dragons are out of phase and will sound thin when had together? I have the same issue on my Singlecut with the Aldrich bridge and #7 neck. Luckily I mostly either use bridge pickup or neck pickup. Rarely do I use them together. Clean I tend to use bridge or neck and same with gain.
On my Singlecut with Aldrich bridge and #7 neck, is it a polarity issue or out of phase issue? In the middle the volume drops and the tone becomes thin on clean tones. With gain, I don't notice a volume drop but the tone thins out some and almost sounds like single coils. It's kind of cool though. I'll probably still flip the magnet or get the marching Suhr Aldrich neck pickup.
Now with the Tremonti and Tremonti neck, also with the SC250 pickups I find the middle position great. Incredible how fat, yet clear it is in the middle. I rarely have experienced that.
I see what you mean about the Dragons being out of phase. I guess that's how tthey for them to work with the five way rotary. But will the Tremonti treble also be out of phase with the Dragon neck.
I don't know if the Tremonti pickups changed over the years because I believe they work or used to work with a five way rotary and yet Tremonti signature guitars come with a three way toggle switch.
My CE22, besides the toggle switch, I have installed a Tremonti Treble which I love. Again I will most likely use the bridge or neck, but I may end up getting a Tremonti neck Pickup. In that case, I won't have to worry about out of phase or a thin middle tone.
According to this article, I can just flip the white and black wires so that the black is hot on one pickup. Don't believe you need to do it for both pickups.
Maybe this will work in the CE22 with Tremonti Bridge and Dragon neck.
I don't think all PRS guitars are out of phase since my SC250 with stock pickups use a toggle and no cool splitting and mnay PRS guitars come with a toggle and cool taps. So, it varies.
I never understood how you can so easily switch wires and have it work.
Can I do that with the Suhr Aldrich or PRS #7 in my Singlecut or does that require a magnet flip? Maybe I'll try changing my #7 pickup to have the black wire as hot and see if it gets rid of the thin tone I have in the middle with the PRS #7/Suhr Aldrich set.
Maybe the wire switch white hot to black hot only works with PRS pickups.
Reversing the Polarity of a Humbucker - An Easy Guide | Fralin Pickups
Learn all about reversing the polarity of a humbucker! In this article, we explore reversing the leads, and flipping the bar magnet.
If you start with two humbuckers that are magnetically in phase the screw coils in each pickup will be the same polarity.
Usually both will be North. but not always, especially if someone has been tinkering before you.
If you're going to combine them with a 3 way switch like you would in a Les Paul, the bridge pickup and neck pickup should both be the same magnetic polarity.
When you press the screw poles of both pickups together, face to face, you want them to REPEL, not attract, because you want both to be the same polarity.
Dragons are meant to work with the five position rotary switch. To work with that switch and get the pickup combinations available from that switch, one pickup in a set of Dragons has the magnet flipped. The Screw poles on one pickup are North and the screw poles on the other are South.
To use stock Dragons with a 3 way switch and not be out of phase magnetically, and to avoid the thin tone, the magnet of one pickup needs to be flipped.
You can reverse the polarity by reversing the magnet in one pickup by loosening the four little screws on the bottom of the pickup and carefully sliding the magnet out and flipping it over or rotating it end for end.
Some players think the middle setting, #3 on the rotary switch, is both humbuckers combined. It's not.
It's the screw coil of the bridge pickup combined with the screw coil of the neck humbucker (which is magnetically out of phase with the bridge coil) combined in SERIES like the two coils of a humbucker, to create the sound of a MIDDLE humbucking pickup.
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