PRS + High Gain, favourite pickups?

LSchefman said:
For those rare occasions when I'm asked to do high gain stuff, I like a low-to-medium gain pickup and a good boost pedal. I'll often use another studio's high gain amp to do the recording session.

That way, I get lots of clarity, and even more push to goose the amp further than any pickup can give. Plus, I retain the ability to get very sweet lower gain or clean tones. I've posted about this on other threads, but people do respond that they like to go straight into the amp, so I'm of no use there...
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I switched to PAF type pickups (from EMGs) about a decade ago. I figured I'd lower the output on my guitar and let the amp (Dual Rectifier) do the heavy lifting. The results were good... for rock. Fatter tone, more dynamic response, spongier bottom end that made lead playing a joy.

For metal, it's always been a struggle. PAFs type pickups can be fat and punchy at moderate tempos, but as the tempo increases the bottom end starts to mush out and my rhythm sound just goes to sh*t.

I use a TS for leads (when appropriate) but I've never liked boosting for rhythm. I've tried it on and off over the years, and surprisingly I find PAFs are the worst. I think it's because their frequency range is wider than an overwound pickup. This is great for lead since using a TS doesn't totally thin out the sound, but for rhythm the results just kind of get too messy (too much top end, mushy low end is still mushy).

I just picked up a guitar with an HFS in it the other day and surprisingly (to me) it handles being boosted better than the 58/15s do (again, for rhythm). I think it's because the pickup was already tighter and more focused to begin with, so the pedal isn't boosting mush.

juka said:
Although all the PRS pickups I tried (Dragon, McCarty, #6, #7, Tremonti, 53/10,...) in all kind of different PRS guitars (SC, SCT, SCF, Tremonti, JHM, P22, McCarty,...) sounded really good even under high gain, in the end I always ended up with EMG 85 (b) and EMG 60 (n) or more recently EMG 57/66. And especially the EMGs 57/66 with their brushed steel covers do not only look like they were designed for PRS, to me they somehow even sound like they were designed for PRS.
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I tried going back to EMGs (81/60) a year or two ago. It didn't last long. I thought they sounded great for very heavy tones but as the gain and intensity came down they were kind of bland compared to the PAFs I'd gotten used to. Plus, PAFs are a lot more forgiving. I don't have the kind of precision required to make EMGs sound their best anymore.

alantig said:
For guitars, I've used a bunch of different stuff, but lately have focused on a DGT, Tremonti and 408 (all stock) and my PS with \m/ pickups. The DGT has definitely nailed that classic hard rock tone - some time ago, when I was learning "War Machine" by Kiss, I think the closest I came to the original tone was the DGT through the Hot British into a PRS 2-channel C. The really cool thing is that they all clean up very nicely as well.
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I've been switching back and forth between a McCarty and P245 for rock (both with 58/15s). The former for fat rock tones and smooth leads, the latter for crunchy/thumpy rhythm and screaming leads.

When I started this thread I was looking for a guitar and/or pickup that would let me kick things up a notch and still maintain good definition with a tighter low end while chugging away on a Recto. I've since picked up an S2 Custom 24 with an HFS and it's doing a great job of producing the heavier, more saturated rock tones I've been after.

I'm still curious about the \m/ as it's difficult to any in-depth descriptions of it.
 
For metal, I find the \m/ pickups are much hotter than I'd like. IMO, the best way to get a good metal tone is using as little gain as possible. Usually I set the gain to where my palm mutes just start to have a bit of chunk, then use a compressor to even things out and get the attack I want. This gives you way more clarity than using excessive amounts of gain because gain makes notes harder to hear.
 
I'll second the HFS. I don't do high gain stuff at all (well, alright, just a little, but I have a John5 for that), so I'll be removing mine, including the one from the KID LTD wood library core I have (need to order the P-92s from Fralin first, though). You have to dial in the pickup height just right for your tastes, but it can be done.
 
Screamingdaisy said:
I switched to PAF type pickups (from EMGs) about a decade ago. I figured I'd lower the output on my guitar and let the amp (Dual Rectifier) do the heavy lifting. The results were good... for rock. Fatter tone, more dynamic response, spongier bottom end that made lead playing a joy.

For metal, it's always been a struggle. PAFs type pickups can be fat and punchy at moderate tempos, but as the tempo increases the bottom end starts to mush out and my rhythm sound just goes to sh*t.

I use a TS for leads (when appropriate) but I've never liked boosting for rhythm. I've tried it on and off over the years, and surprisingly I find PAFs are the worst. I think it's because their frequency range is wider than an overwound pickup. This is great for lead since using a TS doesn't totally thin out the sound, but for rhythm the results just kind of get too messy (too much top end, mushy low end is still mushy).

I just picked up a guitar with an HFS in it the other day and surprisingly (to me) it handles being boosted better than the 58/15s do (again, for rhythm). I think it's because the pickup was already tighter and more focused to begin with, so the pedal isn't boosting mush.



I tried going back to EMGs (81/60) a year or two ago. It didn't last long. I thought they sounded great for very heavy tones but as the gain and intensity came down they were kind of bland compared to the PAFs I'd gotten used to. Plus, PAFs are a lot more forgiving. I don't have the kind of precision required to make EMGs sound their best anymore.



I've been switching back and forth between a McCarty and P245 for rock (both with 58/15s). The former for fat rock tones and smooth leads, the latter for crunchy/thumpy rhythm and screaming leads.

When I started this thread I was looking for a guitar and/or pickup that would let me kick things up a notch and still maintain good definition with a tighter low end while chugging away on a Recto. I've since picked up an S2 Custom 24 with an HFS and it's doing a great job of producing the heavier, more saturated rock tones I've been after.

I'm still curious about the \m/ as it's difficult to any in-depth descriptions of it.
Click to expand...


I have Ms in my McCarty right now. I used to have it tuned to D and that's why I have them in there. They are a very balanced pickup and resist muddiness quite well.

I had 5909s in it and I may go back to those since I don't currently use D tuning. I really liked the 5909s in this guitar but they didn't have enough output for the low stuff gor me.
 
Love me some 59-09s, but when I got my Custom 24 with the \m/ Pickups it was OVER! I like them both, though, the edge goes to the \m/ because they push the front end harder. Running through a Laney GH50L (a small box 50 watter) through two Marshall 4X12s and It just sings forever. Makes me feel crappy that I was dumb enough to let go of the Laney Supergroup 100 I had, though, lol...
 
My approach to high gain is to use a low-to-medium output pickup as I can always gain up a low output but it's kinda hard to reel back in a heavily gained up pickup. It's my same approach to amps. I'll take a single channel clean amp anyday because I can always make it gainier, but it's hard to remove a lot of gain once you got it on a firebreathing amp. I've forever been a fan of using a clean amp and pedals for the entire dirt sound, and I treat high gain the same way. I'll take the 57/08s in my CU24 and make them spit fire with the best of the high gain amp head and high output pickups. I just believe in the ability to kick all the pedals off and have a clean tone, and not any gain from the pickup or the amp, and then add gain. Easier to add than remove. I also don't use the volume controls on the guitar, so the ability to be able to kick everything off and be clean is super important as opposed to rolling down the volume on a cranked amp as that method has never worked for me the way using pedals has. The pedals made today are so great and the amp in a box pedals are so convincing that I prefer that.
 
The Duncan Alpha-Omega pairing in the SE Holcomb (and likely the core) are pretty hot. They push my standard clean patch on Mustang III.v2 into crunch.
 
I am down to only three PRS guitars currently (Zappa PS and two 408's), and I have to say that the 408's sound much better under high gain than the 57/08, though semi-hollow nature of the Zappa could play a role in that.
 
I haven't tried them all but for me, the Dragon I Treble works great in bridge position. Hot and compressed but with pretty good string separation and not too much bass. For neck pickup, I use both Vintage Bass and Artist Bass.
 
I have relied on the Dragon 1 for my higher gain settings forever. I actually have my first non dragon PRS on it's way (NF3 modified with 59/09 in bridge). I am hoping that the 59/09 will still cut like the dragon. The dragon was just so hot compared to it's neck position counterpart, and it was a bit dark. I have a spare set in case I can't live without it. I don't do metal, but we get into some pretty heavy stuff. The other guitar player has 59/09s, and he has more of a clear, and rounded sound. It took some tweaking, but they sound full and sweet now. If I was only doing high gain, dragons would do it for me. They sounded great with that mid scooped metal sound, but I have long since aabandoned that. I love my mids.
 
For high gain metal, my CU22 with Dragon II set is the most aggressive sounding PRS I've owned.
Perfect for metal ala Lamb of God stuffs, and still ain't shabby for playing mellow/bluesy stuffs.
 
All guitars with D'Addario XL 0.010 strings except where noted. Played through Mini Rectifier, Shiva, Royal Atlantic and most recently gigging with Archon 100. I go direct, but also boost sometimes with an OD808 and BB Preamp. I set them with mild overdrive and mild volume boost, so not a big clean boost. Sometimes I run a mini Spark Boost as well.

EMG actives in a Jim Root Tele - hated them.
Blaze and Crunch Lab/Liquifire in an RG7620 (basswood body, maple neck with rosewood board) - sounded pretty good through a Mark V:25, not so much through any other amp. The basswood just sucks the life out of any pickup.
Tom Anderson H3/H1+ in a Tom Anderson Mongrel (maple veneer on Swamp Ash) - tight and bright. Very nice. Great tele tones when coil tapped. May try an HN2+ just to boost the mids a bit.
PAF-7 in a J Custom 7-string (maple veneer on mahogany) - These sound great through any amp for any amount of gain.
SC245 pickups in an SC245 - really vintage sounds, but I hated them for higher gain. Running BKP Cold Sweats which I LOVE for any style. Nice bite, but big, tight lows as well. Higher output, but not super-high output.
SC250 pickups in a 2006 Singlecut - Too trebly for me, and horribly mismatched. I have another set of Cold Sweats on order.
Tremonti pickups in a Tremonti trem tuned 1/2 step down with 0.011 strings, and also drop Db - Sounds amazing. The high end bite and ridiculous gain help give some life to the heavy downtuned strings. Loving this guitar.
HFS/VB in a Navarro SE - Everyone here claims the HFS is really tight and articulated. Downtuned 1/2 step with 0.011 I found it to be very dark and flubby. Night and day vs. the Tremonti. YMMV.
Evo pickups in a Jem - this one is a bit of a conundrum. High output ceramic, but I don't seem to get the bite or the boost. I used to love them, but something's changed.

So my faves are all ceramic mid-gain for the most part.
 
The Dragon I's in my '96 Custom 22 is my gold standard for any style I have played. I played through a 5150 III on the red channel only. The gain was set at about half. For cleans I just rolled the guitar volume back to get the clean sound I wanted. Halfway down and a very light pick attack would give me a very bell like clean. I love it!

I picked up a P245 Semi-Hollow. The 58/15's sounded great for a vintage type sound but took a lot of amp tweaking for get it anywhere close in tone and volume to my CU22. That is not doable every time I want to switch guitars. So I dropped the HFS/Vintage Bass into the P245. They definitely brought it closer to my CU22. A/B'd next to each other with the same amp settings it is a lot brighter. The extra brightness sounds great with dropped tunings though. I have been thinking about dropping a Tremont Treble in and see how it is. I have a Core Tremonti ordered. So I will see what they sound like soon enough. It will take me time to get everything set. I sold off all of my tube amps and bought a Kemper.
- Fidel
 
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