Pickups upgrade on SE Paul's guitar

[venkat8141]

I am looking to upgrade my PRS SE Paul's guitar 2025

Pickups: I am not quite happy with the SE Paul's guitar pickups, and I prefer the sound of a JB/Jazz. I want to switch but want to know if the SE Paul's guitar 2025 is a standard humbucker size. Also, should I get the F-spacing or standard size.

Also want to know if it is a drop-in replacement and would not require any routing.


Your inputs are much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Fill]

From what I can get in a search, an SE "Pauls Guitar" (specifically) has standard size humbuckers. (An SE specifically, because a core "Pauls Guitar" has a different size pickup, almost (but not quite) mini-humbucker size. As far as whether your SE's pickups are standard of "F" spaced, that Im not sure of, but for reference "standard" polepiece measurement is 49mm from the center to center of the outer (E) polepiece. "F" spaced humbucker polepieces are typically 51mm to 52mm, from the center of the E to E polepieces.

Measuring the center of the E to E distance of your factory SE polepieces will give you the info you need regarding the pole spacing of whatever you choose for replacement pickups. Once you know the E to E distance of your existing polepiece, and since they appear to be standard humbuckers, you should be good to go with virtually any humbucker set you choose.

(As a side note, PRS does tend to "do their own thing" with just about every aspect of their guitars, so as far as the polepiece spacing, don't sweat about getting it dead-on exact. As long as you're close, it'll work just fine. I've seen plenty of guitars with Fender/Floyd type bridge guitars using standard spaced polepiece humbuckers, which are visibly out of line, but they work great).