Pickup recommendation for Singlecut Trem?

[Spiattalo]

Hey all,

Just hoping for a recommendation for my Singlecut, I'd like to try some P.A.F. pickups. I play mostly 80-90s metal and rock and through a Friedman IR-X, which is similar to a BE-100.

Due to my location, most boutique brands are hard to find, so I was tossing between the Seymour Duncan Custom/59 (or Jazz), PRS 57/08 and Lollar Imperials (regular B + Low wind N).

 

[Greywolf]

I have all the pickups you are considering, all delightful. Lollar imperials are great , Jimmy Herring replaces most of his pickups with them.
The Duncan Jazz may be a bit soft for your style . Low winds are great for clarity , highwinds lose a bit of top end for power

 

[Spiattalo]

I have all the pickups you are considering, all delightful. Lollar imperials are great , Jimmy Herring replaces most of his pickups with them.
The Duncan Jazz may be a bit soft for your style . Low winds are great for clarity , highwinds lose a bit of top end for power

Cheers!
I am intrigued by the Imperials, but I have no idea about the winds. I read somewhere that regular bridge + low neck is the most balanced set.

Also someone on my local Facebook Marketplaced just listed a set of SD Antiquties for an excellent price (I'd have to buy the other brand new), so they're an option too.

 

[Greywolf]

I have the low winds in a custom Jaros semi and they are great for blues , sweet and full. The higher outputs are in a Teja solid body , they just have more oomph. In my 40 years experience as a luthier I can say Lollar and Duncan and Fralin have never disappointed . Those guys are just as obssessed about tone as Paul

 

[vhalen50]

I have a set of Saturday night specials in my SCT. Love it. But ive also had an old set of dragon 2's in it because i LOVE that neck pickup.

ive thought about swapping them out though for imperials. Ive always wanted to try imperials but man theyre expensive. I even have a friend who gets a dealer discount and offers me the pricing but its still like 350ish a set after tax and thats above my "why not" category of pickups.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

I had 58/15 LTs in mine and they sounded great.

I’m a big supporter of BKPs as well

 

[d^rren]

I love the Custom/Jazz combo, but I would don't describe that as a PAF set at all.

 

[Greywolf]

 

[Assault Bacon]

I have a McCarty 594 double cut, but I installed 50's wiring, CTS pots, a Seymour Duncan Custom/59 Hybrid in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It's a hotter PAF sort of sound, but it's what I wanted.

 

[d^rren]

I had 58/15 LTs in mine and they sounded great.

I’m a big supporter of BKPs as well

Oh, man... that guitar checks off so many boxes for me. If you ever want to sell it...

 

[BrianC]

I have an SCT did not like the pups

I went Gibson BB 1 and 2. Love the 1 in the neck but the 2 did not do it for me in the bridge.

I have a Suhr Aldrich in there as I do in most of my PRS and love it. Given what you like I think you would tool

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Oh, man... that guitar checks off so many boxes for me. If you ever want to sell it...

Sorry man, it’s long gone. It’s floating out there in the PRS ecosystem though

 

[Prina]

I have all the pickups you are considering, all delightful.

+1. I don't have any Lollars but have SD Pearly Gates and 57/08s. Both are awesome.

I read somewhere that regular bridge + low neck is the most balanced set.

Yep. Also have a Wolfetone set: Marshallhead (8.8k A4) bridge / Dr Vintage (7.3 A2) neck in the humbucker SE245. Great pairing.

Fortunately there are lots of great PAFs out there and you'll probably be very happy with almost all of the options listed. And use your ears to get the pickup and screw heights tweaked to perfection.

 

[dogrocketp]

57/08’s.

 

[Greywolf]

of the PRS humbuckers the 57/08's are my fave's as well .. similar to the Imperials

 

[Ballistic]

Dimarzio Super Distortion. Don't overthink it, SD's have been a staple in the Les Paul world for decades. PAFs are great but for what you want to play and the gear you have, you can't go wrong with an SD.

 

[Spiattalo]

Thanks for all the different recommendations people, but I was hoping for opinions about the pickups in mentioned specifically.

I don’t have that many options.

Oh, man... that guitar checks off so many boxes for me. If you ever want to sell it...

If you ever find it, I’ll fight you for it.

 

[VHTStark]

Thanks for all the different recommendations people, but I was hoping for opinions about the pickups in mentioned specifically.

I don’t have that many options.


If you ever find it, I’ll fight you for it.

Sticking specifically to the listed pickups, of which I have tried all three, my picks would be: 57/08's, Lollars, Duncan hybrid in that order.

57/08's are one of PRS's all time best pickups and do have the output and kerrang that can definitely do 80's/90's rock stuff.

The Lollars are also great. A bit more polite, but warm and clear. More like a PRS 58/15LT, but fatter/warmer.

The Hybrid is a cool pickup. Not a traditional PAF, but definitely hotter, brighter and tighter than the other two you listed. Would be the choice if your playing veers more to the metal side.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Can’t forget the 57/08 neck 59/09 bridge combo

 

[bodia]

I have an SCT did not like the pups

I went Gibson BB 1 and 2. Love the 1 in the neck but the 2 did not do it for me in the bridge.

I have a Suhr Aldrich in there as I do in most of my PRS and love it. Given what you like I think you would tool

Another vote for the Aldrich set!