Newby with two questions

Rusty Chops

Geezer
Joined
Oct 15, 2014
Messages
600
Location
West Coast
Hey howdy all,
I'm new to this forum, though I've had PRS guitars over the years (a Hollowbody II some years ago which was OK at the time but not what I was looking for sound wise I guess; I presently have a 2001 Swamp Ash, and just purchased a new 2013 Custom 22 w trem and "10" top, which I very quickly bonded with).

I've been running 0.010" - 0.046" strings on the Swamp Ash, but recently with the new Custom 22 noticed PRS specs 0.09" string sets. I was wondering what the rest of the strings in the set spec at?
The other question: I bought the Swamp Ash (in blue burst) used some time ago and wondered if PRS was using Seymour Duncan pickups in 2001?
The bridge pickup has no marking, but the front pickup says Seymour Duncan on it. The middle looks stock. I'm wondering now if the original owner changed something? The push-pull tone pot seems to change the combination neck and middle settings correctly, but does not effect the bridge pickup at all. Seems suspicious.
I never knew until I bought the Custom 22 recently (two humbuckers with a 5-way switch to split coils). Now I'm suspicious about the 2001 Swamp Ash not being as-produced?

Thanks advancedly,
Rusty Chops (AKA -Steve)
 
My swamp ash is a bit older and has PRS humbuckers (they will be identified if you pull them) at neck and bridge and a Seymour Duncan rail in the middle. I believe they stuck with that configuration for several years after yours would have been built.
The 9s PRS puts on guitars is the standard set.
 
Thank you.

So 9 - 42?

Sounds like somebodie's been in my Swamp Ash Special mucking around. I think I want to return it to stock spec and star using 9's on it.

There is quite a difference in the feel from my new Custom 22, which feels great. I mic'd the strings on that too and they seem to be 10's too. Maybe the shop put them on. Nice setup though.

The Swamp Ash Special is a way different guitar, though the bridge pickup alone sounds about the same on both.

Thanks again.
 
I thought PRS Core models came standard with .010s? They certainly specify that now. The SE models come stock with .009s.

So your SAS and Cu22 both should have .010s.

Unless PRS used to deliver with .009s as stock? If so, when did that change?
 
My 2006 Cu24 came stock with 9's (many models did), and I had to set up the trem (vibrato but who's being picky) again when I put the 10's on it.
 
Welcome and congrats on the new CU. The stock neck HB on the old SAS is one my all time favorite clean tones.
 
Welp, I put my micrometers on both my Swamp Ash Special (which I keep 10's on), and the new Cu22 with the stock strings still on it, and they micrometer out the same.

I've used 10's forever, so they both feel "right" to me. Just wondering. I thought the PRS site said 9's.
 
From http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/setup.html
Changing String Gauges?

If you decide to change your string gauges from the factory installed string gauges, please be sure to remember that the guitar may need to be set-up to accommodate this change. This may include checking the action, intonation, neck relief, pickup height, and nut slots of the instrument. We set-up the guitars at our factory with the following string gauges:

Most solidbody instruments are factory set-up with 10 - 46 gauge strings.

All SE* instruments are factory set-up with 9 - 42 gauge strings (except for the Mike Mushok Baritone, which is set-up with D?Addario XL157 - 14-68).

* SE Bernie Marsden comes setup with 10-46 gauge strings.

The SE Bernie Marsden models are factory setup with 10-46 gauge strings.

The DGT is factory set up with 11 - 49 gauge strings with unwound 3rd.

The non-piezo Hollowbody models are factory set-up with 10 - 46 gauge strings.

The piezo equipped Hollowbody models are factory set up with 11 - 49 gauge strings with a wound 3rd.

Underlined maroon part my emphasis.

So there you have it, stated direct from PRS, which is how I understood things to be. As I said earlier, maybe PRS shipped with .009s "back in the day". My co-worker has a 1999 (?) Cu24, and I get the feeling it came stock with .009s, and he loves that gauge to this day.

I know lots of people like .009s, so maybe a lot of dealers/retailers swap out to .009s before delivery to their customers? Sort of like "I assume this is what you like, so I fixed it for you" situation?
 
Yes, PRS shipped most solid bodies with 9s in the past, certainly in the 90s. They shipped HB with 10s and archtop with 12s.
They increased the standard gauge sometime between 2000 and 2009.
 
I believe they switched to .010s just in the past 5-ish years or so. They used to come stock with .009s, except DGT and HB models.
 
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