PRS SE Paul Allender Pickup Upgrades Help

[delay101]

Hey ya'll. New to the group and looking for some advice to upgrade my PRS SE Paul Allender!
With my other guitars, I've made pickup upgrades that, half time, resulted as a mediocre difference and not the tone I want. It was then did I learn that I shouldn't put in a specific set or individual pickup just because it's top-rated or everyone and their brother says it's great. For that, I want to make sure I do it right with the most expensive guitar I have right now.

Like most stock pickups that come in MIK, MIC, and MII guitars, the ones in this PRS SE Paul Allender MIK model are not favorable as they lack clarity, response and that "oomph" that better quality pickups tend to have. Specifically, on this guitar (or like other MIK, MIC, and MII guitars) the neck pickup is too muddy and lacks clarity even through great amps (currently using Mesa Boogie Nomad and Roland JC-120)

For this guitar, it's kept in Standard-C. Occasionally Drop-C and Drop-B as well. This is a guitar I'm using to play tones similar to Chevelle, Seether, Hed (P.E), P.O.D, Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, and others alike (Or should I just say Nu-Metal?). As I said before, i'm looking for a neck pickup that has great cleans with enough "bass response" to play these lower tuned kind of songs that when I hit the distortion, it blows me away and gives me that hard edge I seek. As for a bridge pickup, I'm looking for..well, what a bridge pickup should be in a mahogany guitar. Something that also has great clarity, but enough treble to make a better difference than what the stock bridge pickup makes now. So, maybe it's a balanced sound i'm looking for that sounds way better on both ends than what I have now?

While i'd like to get a set of EMG-X humbuckers or even a Seymour Duncan Blackout set, I'm still open for passive pickups. After doing some research (and not what the Seymour Duncan pickup selector page has to offer), I've come down to a few pickups that i'm kinda set on for both neck and bridge and here they are:

• SD SH-2N + SD TB-5
  
• SD SH-2N + SD PA-TB1B
• SD SH-2N + SD SH-5
• (some kind of SD and Dimarizo combo that pairs well)
• SD Black Winter Set
• SD Duality Set
• SD P-Rails Set
• Bareknuckle Nailbomb Set (a bit pricey)

I've heard all these pickups in other guitars from videos on YouTube, and I just can't pick which one of them all will suit my needs. Many have said a SD '59n would be great for a neck pickup in a mahogany body, but after having one in my Washburn V, I didn't really care for the sound. My Strat has an SD Invader in the bridge that I really like, but it's a little too dirty as i'm looking for something different for this guitar.
I'm also considering replacing the pots and input jack in an effort to increase output and response since electronics in these cheaper guitars are almost on the same quality with their stock pickups.
After playing for 14 years, this is where I have a hard time - finding pickups that suit my sound.

So that's why i'm asking you, the PRS community, to help me select which pickups I should drop in my PRS SE. I'm open for suggestions for other pickups that pairs well with this specific guitar.


Thank you!

 

[shinksma]

I assume you have the passive pickups from the first run of Alllenders, not the active EMGs from the later run.

Honestly, as you stated, it really depends on what you are looking for. You have a maple neck and rosewood board, IIRC, with hog and maple body. So pretty well any pickup that goes nicely into an SE CU24 will probably go well with the Allender.

I have no specific recommendations - while I notice differences in pickups, I'm not one for swapping to aftermarket. The only PRS I have with aftermarket pups came that way when I bought it used.

 

[delay101]

I assume you have the passive pickups from the first run of Alllenders, not the active EMGs from the later run.

Honestly, as you stated, it really depends on what you are looking for. You have a maple neck and rosewood board, IIRC, with hog and maple body. So pretty well any pickup that goes nicely into an SE CU24 will probably go well with the Allender.

I have no specific recommendations - while I notice differences in pickups, I'm not one for swapping to aftermarket. The only PRS I have with aftermarket pups came that way when I bought it used.

Yes it's the passive stock pickups, not the more expensive Paul Allender model that came with the EMG's. As for the body, I believe it's pure mahogany, but you're right about the neck specs.

 

[Ovibos]

I think some of the nu-metal dudes used Custom24s with the HFS/VB combo. Maybe try at least an HFS in there?

 

[Eddie kim]

Ever think about the SD alpha/omega?

 

[JJJ]

Well I play a fair bit of doom and heavy stoner stuff in drop C and B myself

I go the opposite route to you, I like a much lower output pickup, especially in an all mahogany guitar with such low tunings. Something PAFish, bright and clear in the neck, something a little hotter but with the same character and a good tight low end in the bridge.

I really do like how articulate PRS pickups can be. I think the Dragon IIs I have in a CE model are some of the best at what I am after, the neck is very PAFy and remains clear and the top end comes through even with lots of saturation. The bridge is hot enough that it will push an amp if you want, but it remains articulate and harmonics leap out of it.

I find if you run a lot of gain, and a lot of volume, and you run hot pickups, you're just compressing everything and no matter what pickups you spend your cash on, it turns out the same muddy mess at the end.

The best aftermarket stuff in my experience is Lace pickups. I have used a few, my favourite is the regular hemi set. It's medium output, very chimey and tele-like clean, they sound like you're running a treble bleed when you roll them off. Under gain they behave like active pickups but without the batteries, very clear and articulate.