NGD - Something Thick

Shawn@PRS said:
I have not heard the 53/10's in an Archtop, but I had a JA15 that was equipped with 53/10's and it was amazing for what I needed. I ended up selling the guitar to a friend of mine who is a much better player and he can coax some really sweet jazz tones out of it. One thing I'll say about the 53/10's, they don't have that "blanket over the speaker" sound you'll find with a lot of traditional jazz pickups. The 53/10's are brighter and more articulate.
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Thanks Shawn, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. They're still my favorite PRS pickups ever, and the fact that they'll never again be available kinda adds a certain mystique!
 
I seem to have forgotten to comment on this acquisition.

Awesome!

That nick is just a love tap, don't let it worry you.

As for the pickups - I have 53/10s in my JA-15 (like Shawn's), and they sound pretty darned good.

I have McCarty Archtops in my Spruce HB, and I like the tone they bring to that guitar.

So I'd probably see how the Archtops do in the guitar of their name before swapping.

Great, now I have a hankering for an Archtop. Dang it!

(Did PRS make them with a piezo at all? That would put me way over the top...)

EDIT: They did! Now the hunt can begin...
 
shinksma said:
As for the pickups - I have 53/10s in my JA-15 (like Shawn's), and they sound pretty darned good.

I have McCarty Archtops in my Spruce HB, and I like the tone they bring to that guitar.
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@shinksma , how would you characterize the tonal differences between the two, aside from that which you'd attribute to the fairly different body sizes?

Thanks!
 
Never knew PRS made these kind of archtops. It looks like the ultimate guitar you can't put down. I can just see and hear such an instrument singing along with an amp.
 
Congrats! Nothing like a successful guitar hunting expedition!
 
Back when I had my Hollowbody II, I swapped the magnet on the neck pickup to alnico V and that made the set perfect. Clean, but mean!

Sweet guitar, btw. Time to start learning Make Yourself and Morning View era Incubus songs...
 
Holy chit, that is beautiful. I can't wait to hear what you think of the tone!

I THINK I want one of these too but I'd have to hear one in person!
 
AaeCee said:
@shinksma , how would you characterize the tonal differences between the two, aside from that which you'd attribute to the fairly different body sizes?

Thanks!
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Well...hmmm.

I am really lousy at trying to describe such things. When I am trying to get a tone out of a guitar, I don't know what I want until I hear it: the old "no, not that rock" syndrome. And as such, I don't do a good job of describing what I do heear.

OK, so I just did a quick back-to-back-to-back with the HB Spruce (Archtops), JA-15 (53/10s) and P24 (57/08s). Needed a break from schedules and spreadsheets. :D

I would say the Archtops in the HB Spruce are lower gain, "airy", and as such are perfect for that guitar. Take a set of 57/08s and drop the volume knob to 7, maybe? The 57/08s are a bit "darker, though, a bit more low end.

The 53/10s are half-way between the Archtops and 57/08s in tonal profile and "gain" (signal). A bit beefier sounding than the Archtops, but not as full-on rock'n'roll as the 57/08s.

The nature of the three guitars, especially their bridges and their body structure, does make the comparison a bit difficult to nail down.
 
Nice find!!!, a holy grail for hollow PRS fans. Give some good thought to swapping out those pups, I know they aren't very Rock sound focused but is that the axe you want to make your shred or metal monster? If you have a good amount of guitars with hard edged tones, having an axe that does clean tones better than your other PRSi might be a valued weapon in your arsenal. Something that does crystal clean chords, blues & country tones, and the ability to dabble into Jazz just might make your sonic toolbox complete.

Congrats

PS- That ding can be smoothed out DIY style, PM me for tips if you ever build up the courage.;)
 
Shawn@PRS said:
I have not heard the 53/10's in an Archtop, but I had a JA15 that was equipped with 53/10's and it was amazing for what I needed. I ended up selling the guitar to a friend of mine who is a much better player and he can coax some really sweet jazz tones out of it. One thing I'll say about the 53/10's, they don't have that "blanket over the speaker" sound you'll find with a lot of traditional jazz pickups. The 53/10's are brighter and more articulate.
Click to expand...
That's a perfect description of what I played last night, a cheap-a$$ hollowbody through my Princeton Reverb I just built. You'd get more high-end sparkle out of a Twinkie.
 
shinksma said:
Well...hmmm.

I am really lousy at trying to describe such things. When I am trying to get a tone out of a guitar, I don't know what I want until I hear it: the old "no, not that rock" syndrome. And as such, I don't do a good job of describing what I do heear.

OK, so I just did a quick back-to-back-to-back with the HB Spruce (Archtops), JA-15 (53/10s) and P24 (57/08s). Needed a break from schedules and spreadsheets. :D

I would say the Archtops in the HB Spruce are lower gain, "airy", and as such are perfect for that guitar. Take a set of 57/08s and drop the volume knob to 7, maybe? The 57/08s are a bit "darker, though, a bit more low end.

The 53/10s are half-way between the Archtops and 57/08s in tonal profile and "gain" (signal). A bit beefier sounding than the Archtops, but not as full-on rock'n'roll as the 57/08s.

The nature of the three guitars, especially their bridges and their body structure, does make the comparison a bit difficult to nail down.
Click to expand...
A superb job!

Thanks! :)
 
Dude! Sorry, I'm late to the party, we've been going through the joy of selling a house during COVID, an experience I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

Very beautiful, excellent choice! Both happy and sad for you at the same time, so sorry for the chip - don't beat yourself up over it. I hope you're enjoying it, congrats and may you love it long time!
 
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