How can I make my PRS SE sound more like a Les Paul?

[SinSir]

I put PRS 58/15's in my Les Paul because I wanted it to sound more like a PRS!

Untrue, but still in the vein of this thread.

I did put a set of hfs/vb in a LP for a while.

 

[Draconomics]

I did put a set of hfs/vb in a LP for a while.

I stuck some Dragons in a Soltero. No regrets baby. They're just solid pickups.

This whole thread is reminding me of some kid I saw on youtube complaining about his wood library PRS. He complained that while PRS guitars don't have their own sound, they dont sound like an LP....which by definition means a PRS has a distinct sound. Apparently he's switched to an LP Custom because I guess that's what he was looking for. Its like going to the market and buying an apple, then complaining it doesn't taste like a banana.

 

[11top]

I like a lot of different pickups including PRSi, but BK Mules have a nice LP growl.

 

[Dolebludger]

I have a 2011 PRS SE Orianthi— the one with a flamed maple top. I have fewer problems with boomy, muddy tones on the neck pup with it than with my LP. Too many of us want to blame the guitar and/or pup when we should look at our amp. The OP could cut the bass and boost the mids on the amp and cure the problem — maybe, if the amp Is decent. If not, the OP could get a graphic EQ pedal to cut bass and boost mids for about the same cost as a new pup, and with much less work!

 

[Rod/]

59/09

Yup….
or Zhangbucker Duane + 9900 ohm bridge, Duane neck 8000 ohm both Alnico 2’s, scatterwound for a more vintage vibe. Amazing pickups…. Not well known on this forum but David had been building pickups for many years.
in retrospective thought, I still like the tones of the 59/09’s more. A bit tighter, more aggressive but still warm with added punch!

 

[Wakester]

I put Planet Tone '57's in my SE 245, and it still sounds better than a Les Paul.

 

[Torvald]

Old thread. I know, but have you listened to the interview with David Grissom where he says recording engineers all preferred the sound of his PRS over his '59 Les Paul? Not just once, but 25 times he did this, and every time they preferred the sound of the PRS! Why try to sound like a Les Paul? Which one, with which pickups, through which amp? I bet if Jimmy Page played a DGT he'd sound great. Just like Jimmy Page.

 

[Lewguitar]

Best PAF I've played is a Seth Lover set, or Antiquities which are closely related. But they are unpotted so know that going in. But even if you put PAF's in your SE, it won't s

Hi everyone,

This year, I've gotten a guitar somewhere above "low end" for the first time. I got a PRS SE Orianthi signature. I really like everything about it, witb the exception of the bridge pickup. It has the SE HFS/VB pickups. The neck seems fine, and I'm aware of the displacement due to the 24 frets so I won't get positions 2 and 3 to sound Gibson-y. However, the bridge pickup is just too hot and mid-rangey. It feels like it can't get enough highs when not split, and the bass is overpowered by the mids.
Are there any pickups you guys could recommend, regardless of brand? I'm still planning on using the coil split, so something that won't sound underpowered would be ideal. I'll gladly consider any maker! Presumably, something more PAF-style would be what I'm looking for.
Thanks, Cory

If you want paf like and also want more treble and a coil split, you'll need a 4 conductor pickups.

A Duncan 59B 4C would do that.

The Antiquity is single conductor. You might be able to special order a Seth Lover as a 4 conductor but I'm not sure it would be brighter than what you have.

Do you know if your current bridge pickup has an alnico 2 magnet? If it is alnico 2 replacing it with a roughcast alnico 5 magnet will give you more treble and a little less mids. Should make it louder too.

Alnico 8 will give your overdriven tone even more drive. If that's what you're looking for, you might like it.

That would also be the least expensive thing you could do, and possibly the easiest.

Magnet swapping is pretty simple if you're handy with tools.

 

[Lewguitar]

Shoot...didn't realize this was such an old thread.

 

[aphantomvaper]

Shoot...didn't realize this was such an old thread.

Not as old as some, and you contributed on topic so, I think you're fine

 

[Torvald]

Shoot...didn't realize this was such an old thread.

Sorry, Lew. Saw that thread and after seeing the David Grissom interview I couldn't resist.

 

[Lewguitar]

Sorry, Lew. Saw that thread and after seeing the David Grissom interview I couldn't resist.

Yep. And couldn't resist throwing in my .02 cents.

 

[Mystic38]

New pickups won't make your guitar sound like a Les Paul.. if you want THAT tone, just get a Les Paul


edit..oops, here is me helping zombie threads

 

[Senor Verde]

I think different pickups can help in some cases. I don't expect my McCartys to sound like my Les Pauls, but I think they generally get closer using a little hotter pickup with more lower mids because a McCarty usually doesn't have the low-mids of a Lester.

I for one enjoy a good thread resurrection.

 

[Torvald]

If you go to the Les Paul forums you'll find them talking about their favorite pickups, some favoring Gibsons, others SD's, Lollars, Bare Knuckles, etc., and Lester's from 8 lbs. to 10 plus. Undoubtedly they don't all sound the same, so my question still is " Which Les Paul tone are you after?" I bet the pickup winders just love it!

 

[Lewguitar]

If you go to the Les Paul forums you'll find them talking about their favorite pickups, some favoring Gibsons, others SD's, Lollars, Bare Knuckles, etc., and Lester's from 8 lbs. to 10 plus. Undoubtedly they don't all sound the same, so my question still is " Which Les Paul tone are you after?" I bet the pickup winders just love it!

A 57, 58 or 59 seem to be the ones! I’d like one like Peter Green’s, Duane Allman’s or Mike Bloomfield’s myself.

 

[tbp0701]

Old thread. I know, but have you listened to the interview with David Grissom where he says recording engineers all preferred the sound of his PRS over his '59 Les Paul? Not just once, but 25 times he did this, and every time they preferred the sound of the PRS! Why try to sound like a Les Paul? Which one, with which pickups, through which amp? I bet if Jimmy Page played a DGT he'd sound great. Just like Jimmy Page.

I haven't seen the interview, but I spent a few years as an audio engineer (when it became clear I wasn't going to make much of a living as a jazz saxophonist), and I'm not surprised. As gloriously deep and rich as Les Paul tones can be, they can be challenging to mix, especially in more complex arrangements. So I can see audio engineers' preferring guitars with more snap, clarity, and focus, as those qualities are far easier to remove than add. Then there's the tuning stability. I think this is one reason why some guitarists normally associated Les Pauls occasionally recorded with Telecasters (before PRS was around). Still, when a Les Paul tone works and mixes well, it is glorious.

I wonder if the original poster ever found a tone he liked. As much as I love the Les Paul sound from some of my favorite players/recordings, I've never owned a Les Paul. I convinced myself I needed one a few times, even tried several, but never felt the click. (Found a well used Hamer, which came close, but I've never quite got on with it).

The Mira worked for me, though. I struggled with the sound at first, maybe as I was trying to get an LP/SG sound from it. Then I stopped, let it be its own thing, and was much happier with it.

 

[Lewguitar]

I haven't seen the interview, but I spent a few years as an audio engineer (when it became clear I wasn't going to make much of a living as a jazz saxophonist), and I'm not surprised. As gloriously deep and rich as Les Paul tones can be, they can be challenging to mix, especially in more complex arrangements. So I can see audio engineers' preferring guitars with more snap, clarity, and focus, as those qualities are far easier to remove than add. Then there's the tuning stability. I think this is one reason why some guitarists normally associated Les Pauls occasionally recorded with Telecasters (before PRS was around). Still, when a Les Paul tone works and mixes well, it is glorious.

I wonder if the original poster ever found a tone he liked. As much as I love the Les Paul sound from some of my favorite players/recordings, I've never owned a Les Paul. I convinced myself I needed one a few times, even tried several, but never felt the click. (Found a well used Hamer, which came close, but I've never quite got on with it).

The Mira worked for me, though. I struggled with the sound at first, maybe as I was trying to get an LP/SG sound from it. Then I stopped, let it be its own thing, and was much happier with it.

I read an interview with Paul McCartney where he was talking about his rare left handed 50-something Les Paul. He was excited to record an album with it but once they started recording, his 60’s Epiphone semi hollow body with P90’s always sounded better. Paul was bummed. But he still plays the Les Paul live.

I’ve never been able to get a great sound out of a Les Paul unless my amp was cranked. So when I was playing clubs Five nights a week I gigged with a Gibson ES-335 or ES-355. Sounded better.

 

[11top]

I'm a huge fan of Custombuckers, which are available now.

 

[Lewguitar]

I'm a huge fan of Custombuckers, which are available now.

$489 a set

Bridge and neck both 8K DCR. Same as the Dragon 1 and 2 neck.

Alnico 3 magnets tho. Not alnico 4.

That's interesting!

Alnico 3 is the weakest of all the alnicos.