New pickups and controls for SE Silver Sky

[Lewguitar]

I love the pickups in my two SE's but I'd like to make one sound more like the USA Silver Sky, or like a '63 Strat.

I have a set of Duncan Antiquity Surfers I'm going to put in one my SE's.

I'll use three 6.2 - 6.3K neck pickups and not use a RW/RP middle pickups.

So my first question is: WILL THEY FIT without modifying my pickguard or the guitar itself?

I've also read that the USA Silver Sky uses a 500K volume pot with a resistor to make it exactly 300K

I know how to do this: I'll take a 1M pot and ground the wiper and then connect that pot to a 500K pot and dial in the 1M pot until I measure 300K on the 500K pot.

Then I'll measure the 1M pot to determine the value of the resistor I'll need to put on the 500K pot to make it exactly 300K.

I guess my question is: HAS ANYONE DONE THIS?

And should I do it to my Styratocaster too?

Guess I'll do it to my SE and see for myself.

OK...sorry for making you read all this!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

https://imgur.com/GUE2f22

 

[SinSir]

My understanding is you can use any pickups in the SSSE. PRS sells the core SS pots in the accessory store.

270K Short-Shaft Potentiometer

Designed for pickguard-mounting, this potentiometer offers 270k ohm resistance.Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

250K Short-Shaft Potentiometer with .1μF (Tone)

This 250K short-shaft potentiometer, equipped with a .1μF capacitor for deliberatetone control. Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

 

[Lewguitar]

My understanding is you can use any pickups in the SSSE. PRS sells the core SS pots in the accessory store.

270K Short-Shaft Potentiometer

Designed for pickguard-mounting, this potentiometer offers 270k ohm resistance.Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

250K Short-Shaft Potentiometer with .1μF (Tone)

This 250K short-shaft potentiometer, equipped with a .1μF capacitor for deliberatetone control. Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

Excellent! Thank you.

 

[garrett]

From what I've seen, any regular Strat pickups should fit.

Regarding the volume pot, PRS use a 300k pot with a resistor to make it 270k. That's within a somewhat wide tolerance, however. In reality, I think the goal is to keep actual values from being too low and dulling the high end too much.

If you want to keep the theme going, either grab the PRS part or save a few bucks and buy the cheaper, but excellent, RS Guitarworks 280k super pot.

 

[Lewguitar]

From what I've seen, any regular Strat pickups should fit.

Regarding the volume pot, PRS use a 300k pot with a resistor to make it 270k. That's within a somewhat wide tolerance, however. In reality, I think the goal is to keep actual values from being too low and dulling the high end too much.

If you want to keep the theme going, either grab the PRS part or save a few bucks and buy the cheaper, but excellent, RS Guitarworks 280k super pot.

The RS Guitarworks pot got my interest right up until check out. Then they wanted $11.40 for USPS shipping! What a burn.

 

[SinSir]

The RS Guitarworks pot got my interest right up until check out. Then they wanted $11.40 for USPS shipping! What a burn.

That's the problem with them.. if I'm placing an order it has to be multiple items to be worth it for them or me. I've found some good deals on PRS parts on Amazon and of course reverb.

 

[Townie]

My understanding is you can use any pickups in the SSSE. PRS sells the core SS pots in the accessory store.

270K Short-Shaft Potentiometer

Designed for pickguard-mounting, this potentiometer offers 270k ohm resistance.Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

250K Short-Shaft Potentiometer with .1μF (Tone)

This 250K short-shaft potentiometer, equipped with a .1μF capacitor for deliberatetone control. Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

Too bad they won't ship to Canada.

 

[Lewguitar]

My understanding is you can use any pickups in the SSSE. PRS sells the core SS pots in the accessory store.

270K Short-Shaft Potentiometer

Designed for pickguard-mounting, this potentiometer offers 270k ohm resistance.Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

250K Short-Shaft Potentiometer with .1μF (Tone)

This 250K short-shaft potentiometer, equipped with a .1μF capacitor for deliberatetone control. Compatible with PRS Silver Sky and PRS SE Silver Sky models

us.prsaccessories.com

Regular strat pickups do fit in the SE body. But you have to enlarge the pickup openings in the pickguard just a little. Sandpaper work fine.

 

[Townie]

I love the pickups in my two SE's but I'd like to make one sound more like the USA Silver Sky, or like a '63 Strat.

I have a set of Duncan Antiquity Surfers I'm going to put in one my SE's.

I'll use three 6.2 - 6.3K neck pickups and not use a RW/RP middle pickups.

So my first question is: WILL THEY FIT without modifying my pickguard or the guitar itself?

I've also read that the USA Silver Sky uses a 500K volume pot with a resistor to make it exactly 300K

I know how to do this: I'll take a 1M pot and ground the wiper and then connect that pot to a 500K pot and dial in the 1M pot until I measure 300K on the 500K pot.

Then I'll measure the 1M pot to determine the value of the resistor I'll need to put on the 500K pot to make it exactly 300K.

I guess my question is: HAS ANYONE DONE THIS?

And should I do it to my Styratocaster too?

Guess I'll do it to my SE and see for myself.

OK...sorry for making you read all this!

I'll let you know how it turns out.

https://imgur.com/GUE2f22

The guitar tech at my regular guitar shop tells me he has installed a set of Fender and a set of Lollar p/ups in SSSE guitars without any extra work. But I have heard a couple of people say it's a tight fit so the pickguard might need a little buffing with some fine sandpaper to open it up a little but the mounting holes were in the right place.

 

[Lewguitar]

The guitar tech at my regular guitar shop tells me he has installed a set of Fender and a set of Lollar p/ups in SSSE guitars without any extra work.

I'll bet it's a very tight fit.

The SE Silver Sky pickups are definitely slightly smaller than a strat pickup so the openings in the pickguard are slightly smaller too.

Too slight to see. But it's true.

The mounting screws are very slightly closer together too.

 

[SinSir]

Too bad they won't ship to Canada.

Wouldn't have thought that in the global world and being in North America... good news is you can find them on reverb, Amazon, Sweetwater, and tons of other distributors.