How to determine pickup model from actual pickups themselves?

[Dusty Chalk]

I have a guitar, and after getting another one with the same pickups since, I'm questioning whether or not the first one has the pickups it says it does. It's possible they put the pickup covers back on, so how would I go about determining what pickups are -- if I take them out, does it say so what they are on the back or something?

I'd rather not give details, as it's quite possible that what I'm hearing is just big tone wood differences. In fact it's probable. So most likely I am just double-checking.

 

[justmund]

If they're PRS it should be on a sticker on the back. You could also check the resistance to see if they match too (if you have a multimeter)

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I didn't think we had access to the specs (DC resistance, etc.).

 

[justmund]

This has a bit of info http://prsguitars.com/forum/showthread.php?8055-List-of-PRS-Pickup-Specs

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, I may have confused 85/15 with 58/15.

 

[justmund]

They're the same apparently, one is covered, one isn't...

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Well they don't sound the same. I think my first course of action before I go tearing the guitar apart is to pop open the ... whatever it's called, the back cavity and see if there's any evidence of soldering.

 

[justmund]

I think you're going to have to give us a bit more info, are you talking about your P245 and something else?

Easiest and most reliable way is to take your strings off, pop a pickup out and see what's written on the back.

The difference you're hearing could be wood/construction/setup related too

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, that's kind of where I was going with that. I think it's more than just the pickups. It's not just the fact that one's covered and the other's not, it's the wood and the scale length and the setup and the rest of the guitar and the zen and the magical pretty much everything else.

And yes, it's the P245 (58/15) and the Custom24 30th anniversary (85/15).

 

[justmund]

Yup and stoptail vs trem too, 58/15s should be engraved on the front?

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, it's there. I'll see what I can do this weekend in terms of turning them inside out.

The thing is, I can get the P245 to ring with some nice upper harmonics if I play it aggressively enough, so it's really responsive. It's a good guitar for me to practice with, as I naturally want to play it more aggressively, but I could probably dial it in more, too.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

So I got a P245 semi-hollow, and it has the family sound that I was hoping for in the P245. So I'm still thinking there's something wrong with the P245 solidbody.

Do the mags go through the piezo's preamp? Maybe it just needs a new battery.

Changing strings -- what should I change them to, to make them less dark? More nickel or less nickel (I'm thinking more steel == better "reception" by the pickups, yes?)? Lighter or heavier gauge?

It was also suggested to me (both here and IRL) that this one just sounds different. In which case, I should just get used to it, because then I could use it when I want a heavier sound (heavier in the "emphasizes the lower frequencies more" sense).

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Hm...so, how to say this...oh, f**k it...it just needed new strings.

 

[justmund]

Well good on you for owning up to it! It's always the simple things...

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I'm good like that, lollers (I've had other people tell me it'll be my demise, but I don't know how else to be).

On the bright side (fnar fnar), I don't need to pursue any other mods.