Pickup Options for '16 Tremonti SE Custom

[SKiNFreak]

Hi people!
I recently had a 2016 Tremonti SE Custom and love it apart from one thing: the bridge pickup. When choosing the guitar I agonised about holding out for the 2017 model but came to the conclusion that while I love Mark's playing....I ain't Tremonti and want the guitar to be a versatile axe for a variety of rock styles (blues, 70's Free, Van Halen, Pearl Jam, Life of Agony and of course AB). So I thought I could save some money on the '16 model and upgrade the pickups.

Historically I have had great success with Dimarzio Tone Zone in a Jackson Dinky but that is clearly a different beast to this PRS mahogany beauty. I started digging around an found that Myles Kennedy likes the Seymour Duncan Custom Custom (TB-11) and his smoother more rounded tone seems to chime better with my ears.

My question is this: Myles plays a SC245 which I believe is thicker in construction that the SE Tremonti. There's a concern that the TB-11 pickup should be used for brightening up guitars and I wonder if the thinner SE construction is naturally brighter anyway than the luxurious US made guitars that Kennedy plays. Therefore is it going to have the same effect or should I focus on another pickup? I did look at the JB or Custom but they both seem to be higher output.

The other benefit of changing the pickups is getting nickel covers which I think would just set the guitar off!

 

[dogrocketp]

I put a USA Mira in the bridge of my Tremonti SE Custom. Love the sound.

 

[cbieberstein]

I put a duncan Pegasus in the bridge and a Sentient in the neck of mine and I love them. They are really nicely balanced in the Tremonti SE Custom.

 

[BMiller]

I put the Tremonti pup set in my SE Tremonti Custom. Not that I'm trying to emulate the man and his tone, but I like these pickups. The neck is purportedly basically a Vintage Bass with a tweak or two. The bridge is something else when compared to the HFS and Hot Vintage Treble in my other PRSi. In the end, this set has a great sound and are rather versatile.

 

[You-S4-It]

I also have a late 2016 Tremonti SE (version with the new Tremonti S pickups and new headstock logo) and thought the stock PUs were too aggressive - especially the bridge (and I love Tremonti/Alter Bridge).

I love the thick SC trem aspect of the guitar but also was looking for a more classic rock sound. Put in a set of zebra BK Rebel Yells and took some time to tweak the PU heights but couldn't be happier now that they're dialed in. They are fairly costly versus the cost of of the guitar (got it used) but I have no buyers remorse on the pickups.

 

[SKiNFreak]

What are your thoughts on f-spaced/trembuckers? If my research on this forum is right, then the US madePRS all have standard spacing in the bridge position? Reason being there's a sendhand custom custom going cheap on ebay that looks like it could use a nickel cover to spruce up.... ;-)

 

[Kabukiman]

How adventurous are you?

I would suggest the Lace Hemi pickups, I think they are the most interesting and versatile humbuckers I have ever used (currently in a les paul) but they aren't for everyone.

My local tech says they are "like the telecasters of pickups".

They are extremely articulate with high gain, but clean up almost with a p90 type twang and high end clarity. You seem to lose some punch that regular buckers give but you gain the clarity in chords, and they are extremely responsive to harmonics. They sound lovely clean and they get more single coil-like as you roll off the volume.

 

[SKiNFreak]

How adventurous are you?

I would suggest the Lace Hemi pickups, I think they are the most interesting and versatile humbuckers I have ever used (currently in a les paul) but they aren't for everyone.

My local tech says they are "like the telecasters of pickups".

They are extremely articulate with high gain, but clean up almost with a p90 type twang and high end clarity. You seem to lose some punch that regular buckers give but you gain the clarity in chords, and they are extremely responsive to harmonics. They sound lovely clean and they get more single coil-like as you roll off the volume.

Thanks for the tip. Not sure if they will sound too classic?

 

[SKiNFreak]

Current research is actually sending me down a Gibson 500T route...!!! Not sure the stock pickup would pair well with it though.

 

[SKiNFreak]

I am probably ripping a TB-5 out of my Kramer so I suspect that will head in. Although the Dimarzio Tone Zone in my Jackson is calling me. Both guitars are to be sold to pay for my new DGT but I suspect that adding Duncans to the Kramer won't actually add that much value so the stock pickups are going back in.