Pick ups

[Tom Jenkins]

I have a 1991 custom 24 "10 top" that I purchased new in 1991. I have never been happy with the sound of the bridge pick up. I lean a lot toward the Humbucker vibe for my sound and this guitar seems to have more of a strat vibe. Any suggestions on a bridge pick up for this?

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Three things:
1) what do you have in it now? It could be a set-up issue.
2) provide a tone sample to help understand what you’re after
3) which amp are you using?

 

[Tom Jenkins]

Three things:
1) what do you have in it now? It could be a set-up issue.
2) provide a tone sample to help understand what you’re after
3) which amp are you using?

Thanks, Original pick ups are still in it. I have a les Paul and a PRS McCarty model that sound great thru my Bogner. I understand this guitar isn't gonna sound exactly like the guitars mentioned above , but want a thicker/fatter sounding bridge pick up. Thanks again!

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Welp, you’ve answered the 3rd question. Still need answers to the first two.

 

[RickP]

The McCarty currently has the 58/15 pickups, and the LP has Gibson pickups of one variety or another. Some LP pickups sound good, others not (to me, ymmv). I like the 57 Classics in a LP I have.

As a good all around bridge humbucker at a really decent price, the Duncan JB is hard to beat. I’ve never used one where it sounded bad. A girthy, full tone that has a “rock” humbucker tone, but sounds great clean too. It’s a good place to start when you don’t know where to start.

I don’t have a 24 fret PRS of any sort, so pickup placement might be a consideration. Also, sometimes just lowering the pickup can take out some sting.

 

[Black Plaid]

I have a 91' special that came with an HFS in the bridge. It's about the furthest thing from a strat tone that i can think of. Odd that yours would sound so much different. Perhaps it's broken and stuck in some kind of coil split sound?

 

[Em7]

My '95 Standard 24 came with the HFS/VB setup. The HFS definitely sounds like a humbucker. I suspect that the OP is used to guitar with thicker body. I owned a one-off 2011 CU24 with HFS/VB pickups. That guitar was noticeably thinner sounding than my Les Paul, but it was still a very ballsy sounding guitar.

 

[Slowhands]

I have a 1991 custom 24 "10 top" that I purchased new in 1991. I have never been happy with the sound of the bridge pick up. I lean a lot toward the Humbucker vibe for my sound and this guitar seems to have more of a strat vibe. Any suggestions on a bridge pick up for this?

I don't understand how this could be the case. I have a 1990 Cu24 so should be exactly the same electronics. The HFS pickup is definitely a humbucker vibe in position 1.

Here's Paul talking about the different sounds those early 90s models have in the stock wiring, including the sweet switch (skip to 17:35 for the pickup switching discussion). Is it still stock configuration?

 

[SinSir]

I don't understand how this could be the case. I have a 1990 Cu24 so should be exactly the same electronics. The HFS pickup is definitely a humbucker vibe in position 1.

Here's Paul talking about the different sounds those early 90s models have in the stock wiring, including the sweet switch (skip to 17:35 for the pickup switching discussion). Is it still stock configuration?

Appreciate the video! Well worth the watch. Time warp and all.

 

[Slowhands]

Appreciate the video! Well worth the watch. Time warp and all.

Yeah, it's not one that turns up unless you specifically search for 1990 PRS, which i did because I own one and wanted to better understand the 5-way switch. And there was this, can't ask for a better source of info on how they made them in that period, from selecting the woods to caring and finishing the bodies to the electronics on all the different models. .

There is a very slight chance that my own guitar is in there around 9:07 in. Can't be sure but the color of the body and the grain pattern on the horn and fretboard seem pretty close, from what can be seen in that super closeup. The odds are against me but In my own universe, that's mine.

 

[BrianC]

I have a few Custom 24's with Suhr Aldrich pups in them - very happy. Best of all worlds.

 

[Birdsofprey]

I found the same thing though its personnel to all. I guess we get accustomed to a specific sound or even brand from past experiences. In three of my four core PRS Customs (2 CU24's, 2 CU22's) I use a Seymour Duncan Pearly gates in the bridge and leave the stock neck pickup. My fourth CU22 has 57/08's covered. Just my two cents.