PRS factory pickup heights

[mrk691]

I saw a Tim Pierce interview, he told of an encounter with Paul (he didn’t say when), where Paul said he realized after all these years they got the pickups too close to the strings, guitars made afterward have lower heights.

My guitar is a 2014 Custom 22 with HFS/VB, even flush with the ring the pickups are very close to the strings. The guitar is louder compared to my non-PRS guitars also with high output pickups.

I’m just curious if the newer PRS have lower pickup heights, and how do they acheve that, e.g. thinner pickup rings, deeper cavity, shallower heel/higher neck etc?

 

[vhalen50]

largest change I’ve seen is they put the neck pickup very low. Often below the rings now. I actually find I prefer it too. Too often PRS pickups are SUPER bassy if you go standard 3/32 range. To me at least.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’ve always insisted that we should adjust our pickups with OUR EARS. There is no magic number for tonal nirvana. I’ve also always found that PRS pickups are more height sensitive to small height adjustments than any other brand I’ve played.

 

[JasonE]

I’ve always insisted that we should adjust our pickups with OUR EARS. There is no magic number for tonal nirvana. I’ve also always found that PRS pickups are more height sensitive to small height adjustments than any other brand I’ve played.

This ^^^^

I haven't noticed any changes in how the guitars are made that would put the pickups farther away from the strings. The pickups really changed in 2008 and have been much better since then. PRS used to put some pretty hot pickups in their guitars before that. The neck pickups on my PRS guitars are typically around the height of the top of the ring or a little higher, but not much.

 

[StevenZ73]

I would make sure to set your pickup height with the high and low e-strings depressed at the last fret. I've seen some people not do this and complain about their pickups not sounding right...