Limited vs new Core Special Semi-hollowbody models

My 2019 has the MT pickups, and they are great! It took some time to get them at the right height, and get all my settings on my pedalboards and amps to the “zone”, but it was well worth it...and as a side benefit, all my other guitars sound much better with the new settings. I’ve been lazy, so the “lock down” helped me do some long overdue fine-tuning. It’s amazing how great the single coil sounds are, with only a tad less output...nice. I love the LT pickups, and they sound fantastic in my 594, but I’m good with the MT”s in the ssh limited, and don’t want to mess with them...they cover a lot of musical ground.
 
Oh dont get me wrong, I absolutely love my Ltd SSH too, and wouldn’t mess with the pickup :) (just the covers LOL )
I just leave this beauty as it is then!
Just curious @Geo408 , which height did you end up to with the SSH?
Mine is currently set up in such a way that one minute I can play some Grissom, the next some GunsNroses, then some Blues, then some clean funk RHCP/Wong, then some 335 Mayer blues, that’s insane.
 
I've been scouring the internet looking for this EXACT discussion! So glad to read everyone's thoughts on this. The special 22 semi-hollow is my absolute dream guitar and, with the recent announcement of it coming to the Core line, I've been very torn.. This thread has helped immensely as the difference in pickups is the biggest hesitation I have in deciding between a new Core or an earlier limited edition..

So.. for a first time buyer (had a custom 22 almost a decade ago but life dictated I sell it and I'm just now in a position to afford a PRS again) should I go for the MT's or the LT's? The demos on PRS' YouTube page have me convinced the MT's sound MUCH better, but it might just be the hotter output...
 
I've been scouring the internet looking for this EXACT discussion! So glad to read everyone's thoughts on this. The special 22 semi-hollow is my absolute dream guitar and, with the recent announcement of it coming to the Core line, I've been very torn.. This thread has helped immensely as the difference in pickups is the biggest hesitation I have in deciding between a new Core or an earlier limited edition..

So.. for a first time buyer (had a custom 22 almost a decade ago but life dictated I sell it and I'm just now in a position to afford a PRS again) should I go for the MT's or the LT's? The demos on PRS' YouTube page have me convinced the MT's sound MUCH better, but it might just be the hotter output...
I have to say, I prefer the MTs in the SSH. I have LTs in a couple of 594s and a Cu24 Fatback. I like them fine in those guitars, but I can't see the SSH being the same with them.
 
I cannot speak about the LTs, not tried them enough to do so, but what I do know, is how excellent the MTs are in the Special Ltd.
I know it goes against the general rule here, but this guitar makes you want no other guitar! ahahah (it's like, "what's the point? this one is excellent already).
Only have a CU24, this Special Ltd and a SilverSky 1st edition. The only other PRS I could think of is the DGT on my list, but man, no rush to get it!
Special SH is a beautiful instrument if you ask anyone here.
 
Sorry for such a quick follow up, you guys just have me fully convinced that the MT's are the way to go.. I'm also pretty sold on either the faded whale blue or mccarty sunburst (and as a wood library model with rosewood neck, but that's just silly.. what, maybe 10 of each was probably ever made haha) so in looking around, I found a great looking guitar, the pickups are labeled MT in the specs but they don't have the covers on.. (Pic here) I'm confused.. Doesn't look like any kind of Wood Library model or anything.. I've never directly compared a covered and not covered humbucker before, how do you think this would affect the sound?

(SO appreciate you guys and very happy to have found this thread.. this is a huge purchase and I'm all kinds of anxious over it! haha)
 
Sorry for such a quick follow up, you guys just have me fully convinced that the MT's are the way to go.. I'm also pretty sold on either the faded whale blue or mccarty sunburst (and as a wood library model with rosewood neck, but that's just silly.. what, maybe 10 of each was probably ever made haha) so in looking around, I found a great looking guitar, the pickups are labeled MT in the specs but they don't have the covers on.. (Pic here) I'm confused.. Doesn't look like any kind of Wood Library model or anything.. I've never directly compared a covered and not covered humbucker before, how do you think this would affect the sound?

(SO appreciate you guys and very happy to have found this thread.. this is a huge purchase and I'm all kinds of anxious over it! haha)
I don't think I've ever seen uncovered 58/15 pickups before and I can't tell you how they sound. But Northeast Music Center is one of the top PRS dealers and I'm sure Jack Gretz has forgotten more about PRS than I ever knew. You could give him a call. I'm sure he could describe the difference to you.
 
I don't think I've ever seen uncovered 58/15 pickups before and I can't tell you how they sound. But Northeast Music Center is one of the top PRS dealers and I'm sure Jack Gretz has forgotten more about PRS than I ever knew. You could give him a call. I'm sure he could describe the difference to you.

oh, that's great to hear! Thank you!
 
Prs replied to me stating ,on the new ssh when split the screw side is the active pickup,the opposite of the limited edition ,although it would steal a little from the screw side.

Onto a different thread,i have messed around a lot with pickup adjustments, lowering pickups raising screws etc ,i find lowering the middle pickup gives a sweeter tone in pos 2&4 . I would like to know the factory settings(foolishly didn't measure them before messing around) i know the website gives factory pickup heights, there is also a PTC video on youtube which contradicts the measurements stated on the website. I wonder if the SSH limited owners out there could post pickup height measurements to get a general consensus.
 
I lowered the middle pickup and get a fantastic bridge-middle quack with the bridge in coil tapped mode. I’m struggling with the neck-middle position though. It’s pretty dull. I’m loving every other tone this guitar offers. I have the neck pretty flush, the middle flush and the bridge a hair higher.
 
I don't think I've ever seen uncovered 58/15 pickups before and I can't tell you how they sound....
Huh. I’ve never seen uncovered 58/15s either because, as far as I can tell, going by appearances, those pictured would therefore actually be 85/15s (the 58/15’s subtly brighter sounding brother). So, I read further down that page, and the description indeed specs them as 85/15 MTs. Cool discovery!
 
The MT’s are amazing in the SSH. They really nailed it with pairing them with NF. I’m sure the LT’s will be excellent as well but I wouldn’t want to change the MT’s in my SSH for anything. IMO the split sounds are the absolutely best humbucker split (or tapped) sounds ever, very convincing. To me, they are much better than the TCI pickups (Pauls guitar, MEV) when split/tapped. The TCI’s however sound great in humbucking mode.
 
Huh. I’ve never seen uncovered 58/15s either because, as far as I can tell, going by appearances, those pictured would therefore actually be 85/15s (the 58/15’s subtly brighter sounding brother). So, I read further down that page, and the description indeed specs them as 85/15 MTs. Cool discovery!

Was just coming back to say this! You are, indeed, correct! I heard back from Jack Gretz and they're 85/15 MT's.. Totally missed it, a little bit of dyslexia.. They're named so similarly! PRS contacted him to see if he'd like it for inventory so they snagged it, I guess it was a factory experiment or something? I'm going to head up there this weekend to play it side by side with another SSH he has in stock with the 58/15 MT's.

Very interested to hear the difference, was going to dive deep in the next day or two to try to understand the differences beyond just covered and uncovered..
 
Was just coming back to say this! You are, indeed, correct! I heard back from Jack Gretz and they're 85/15 MT's.. Totally missed it, a little bit of dyslexia.. They're named so similarly! PRS contacted him to see if he'd like it for inventory so they snagged it, I guess it was a factory experiment or something? I'm going to head up there this weekend to play it side by side with another SSH he has in stock with the 58/15 MT's.

Very interested to hear the difference, was going to dive deep in the next day or two to try to understand the differences beyond just covered and uncovered..
In the true spirit of this forum, you should buy both guitars.
 
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