Pickups for CU24 for Strat-like in-between tones ?

[docteurseb]

I'm slightly confused about what the best PRS pickup for a CU24 would be to get the most Strat-like in-between tone once those HH are split.
I'm getting very different results with these two guitars:
- semi-hollow 594 with 58/15LT: fantastic sounding in-between tone with split pickups, very Strat like
- CU24-08 with 58/15 MT: just got it and to me the neck+bridge pickups split don't sound very much like a Strat's in-between tone.
I'm not sure if it's merely due to the different pickups, pickup height, neck pickup position on a CU24 vs CU22/594, all of those, or something else (I'm not listing scale length because if anything the CU24 would be closer to a Strat than a 594 is).

Any insight/experience would be much appreciated.

 

[AaeCee]

I dunno, everyone seems so enthusiastic about the new 85/15s and the like and I'm sure they're great, but I still swear by my stock '06 Cu24 AP with VB/HFS and a 5-way rotary for some really fat in-between strat tones on positions 3 and 4. It even does a fantastic in-between tele and LP tone on position 2, depending how you manipulate the volume and tone pots.

Love that damn guitar!

 

[gush]

I think to really get the in between strat sounds you probably should have 5 way switching.

I have a 2011 cu24 5 way blade 5909s and a 1989 cu24 5 way rotary T and Bs.

Both have good 2 an 4 positions.

I'm curious if anybody else with cu24 5909s thinks the bridge pickup has tele bridge pickup characteristics ?

 

[gush]

I have two guitars set up with push pulls on vol and tone pots. Ce24 kind of gets stratty but McCarty does not.

 

[docteurseb]

Thanks for the answers !

A 5-way switch shouldn't be needed for the CU 24-08; it can get neck+bridge pickups tapped with its electronics layout.
I'm just surprised the semi-hollow 594 is producing a much more Strat-like in-between tone than the CU24-08 does.

 

[Rider1260]

In my opinion the original 5 way rotary with the T+B or VB / HFS ( I had the VB/HFS ) had the best Strat like sound I have ever heard on a hum bucker guitar.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

I have to concur that I’ve grown fond of the clean split sounds of the VB/HFS the most. It’s actually what’s kept me from replacing the pickups.

 

[22Top]

I have to concur that I’ve grown fond of the clean split sounds of the VB/HFS the most. It’s actually what’s kept me from replacing the pickups.

+1 for me. I’m not even that crazy about anything past ‘amp overdriven’ in terms of gain with mine. But the clean tones are just awesome in the split positions. I’ve had thornbuckers in the cart many times, and the. I play my CU24 and realize it sounds soo good in those positions that I don’t want to risk losing that. Easily 90% of the time is spent there on this guitar.

 

[gush]

In my opinion the original 5 way rotary with the T+B or VB / HFS ( I had the VB/HFS ) had the best Strat like sound I have ever heard on a hum bucker guitar.

My 89 cu24 has good strat tones on the in between settings.

 

[HANGAR18]

After years of trying to get really good Stratty tones out of a double humbucker PRS guitar, I think I've pretty much given up after trying out one of the new Silver Sky models at my local store. I'm of the opinion that really is the best way to achieve that tone.
https://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/model/silver_sky_2020

 

[docteurseb]

Definitely, I have the SS and it's fantastic for that (as would most vintage style single coil pickups to be fair).
I'm not looking to match that with a HH, as it's pretty much impossible.

I'm just surprised to get there with a 594 semi-hollow with 58/15 LT but nowhere as great on the CU24-08 with 58/15 MT. I'm not disappointed by the CU24-08, just surprised and curious to understand why that is so for a future PS build.

 

[HANGAR18]

Definitely, I have the SS and it's fantastic for that (as would most vintage style single coil pickups to be fair).
I'm not looking to match that with a HH, as it's pretty much impossible.

I'm just surprised to get there with a 594 semi-hollow with 58/15 LT but nowhere as great on the CU24-08 with 58/15 MT. I'm not disappointed by the CU24-08, just surprised and curious to understand why that is so for a future PS build.

A good question.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

Mu 30th anniversary CU24 with 85/15's and the 5 way blade switch does a darn good Strat impression in positions 2 and 4.

 

[markd21]

I have to concur that I’ve grown fond of the clean split sounds of the VB/HFS the most. It’s actually what’s kept me from replacing the pickups.

As much as I hate the HFS/VB I agree with this. The split sounds with the rotary are killer.

 

[Casi1]

In my opinion the original 5 way rotary with the T+B or VB / HFS ( I had the VB/HFS ) had the best Strat like sound I have ever heard on a hum bucker guitar.

This right here. And I don’t know why.

I almost bought a Custom 24 with rotary JUST for the strat tone. There’s something about that old rotary wiring in combo with those particular pups. The one I had had the VB/HFS combo.

 

[merciful-evans]

A Strat is a whole different animal from a CU24. Not even using Strat pickups in a Fender loom would get you there.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I was listening to some old songs I did in the car today, and got especially psyched with some of the tones. One in particular was the split “strat” tone of my old CE, it was an almost perfect (for me) recreation of the Kool & the Gang “Fresh” sound.