PRS SE pickup replacement options

[edfardos]

Love the PRS Custom SE 24/08, but having trouble getting the EQ/tone under control. Playing clean with light crunch. Brash, bright, open G stands out. Removed treble bleed, which helped, rolling volume down to 8-9, roll down tone 25%, and I'm close, but not quite there. Bass notes sound like the Radio Head voice at the beginning of Fitter/Happier (sorry, but that's what I think of when I'm playing the A string around the third fret). I'm mostly low-volume bedroom setting, ADA MP1, Fender HR Deluxe, tc electronc g-major.

Honestly what I really like are the unavailable Godin Tetrad pickups (by schaller). Exactly between Les Paul PAF and the quacky Strat. I actually started a search for Tetrads to see if they were available and fit. They're not, and they might. I have a 90's Les Paul with 57 Classics, and a standard strat, I love both, but I want something in between, or can get close to either when needed.

Peeking at seymore duncan. Want a useable coil split.

So, having said all that, is there a direction I should be looking?

 

[gush]

5909s

 

[JasonE]

Have you tried adjusting the pickups up or down? It can make a pretty big difference. You can also adjust the individual pole screws to address something you want to change with an individual string.

 

[edfardos]

Good answers guys. 5909 looks like PAF, with a price tag to match. I'll mess with pickup height.

These are strung with 9's, would switching to 10's get me closer? All my electrics are 10's... though, I admit I like the feel of 9's. Will the nut accept 10's without filing?

 

[Ovibos]

Have you tried adjusting the pickups up or down? It can make a pretty big difference. You can also adjust the individual pole screws to address something you want to change with an individual string.

Seconded. This is the cheapest, simplest option. An EQ pedal is the next simplest option.

 

[frankencat]

I have a set of Wolfetones Dr. Vintage and MkII that Wolfe made me with short legs for PRS. They are for sale…

Otherwise I really dig Dimarzio pickups lie the 36th, Transition, and Super Distortion. I also have a set of Seymour Duncan Jazz/CustomCustom in my Standard 24 and I have a set of Dragon II’s that I really like as well. Oh yeah, we custom wind pickups as well. There is just no end to the quest for tone

 

[Prs Mods too]

ADA MP1?

Nice, didn't think people still used those.

 

[frankencat]

Don’t tell that to Leon.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

Love the PRS Custom SE 24/08, but having trouble getting the EQ/tone under control. Playing clean with light crunch. Brash, bright, open G stands out. Removed treble bleed, which helped, rolling volume down to 8-9, roll down tone 25%, and I'm close, but not quite there. Bass notes sound like the Radio Head voice at the beginning of Fitter/Happier (sorry, but that's what I think of when I'm playing the A string around the third fret). I'm mostly low-volume bedroom setting, ADA MP1, Fender HR Deluxe, tc electronc g-major.

Honestly what I really like are the unavailable Godin Tetrad pickups (by schaller). Exactly between Les Paul PAF and the quacky Strat. I actually started a search for Tetrads to see if they were available and fit. They're not, and they might. I have a 90's Les Paul with 57 Classics, and a standard strat, I love both, but I want something in between, or can get close to either when needed.

Peeking at seymore duncan. Want a useable coil split.

So, having said all that, is there a direction I should be looking?

I usually screw down the pole piece under the G string below the pickup cover to take the harshness out. I have listened to and adjusted all my pickups to get the best sound possible. I think most folks tend to give up on them too quickly. I am pleased to say all of my electric guitars have the stock pickups.

 

[edfardos]

Seymour Duncan 59 Model Humbucker and a JB Model Humbucker (bridge) keep popping up on my radar as well... bad direction?

 

[GuitarJammin]

Seymour Duncan 59 Model Humbucker and a JB Model Humbucker (bridge) keep popping up on my radar as well... bad direction?

That's actually one of the most commonly done. I bought a SE singlecut with these in it, and it sounded great. I just installed some Dimarzio air norton and Tone zone in a clients SE and that sounded really good too.

 

[edfardos]

That's actually one of the most commonly done. I bought a SE singlecut with these in it, and it sounded great. I just installed some Dimarzio air norton and Tone zone in a clients SE and that sounded really good too.

is there a coil-split function on that? four wires? keep in mind i'm using the 24/08 with the mini toggles, but should be similar.

 

[madmarcus1960]

Big fan of Wolfetones and Bare Knuckles. Dr Vintage/Legends or Mules/Emeralds for old school PAF tones. For modern, Dimarzio always makes a great articulate higher gain PuP.

 

[Veetwin]

Leave it stock, and adjust your setup and string brand. My 2408 sounds crap with one brand strings, perfect when I changed. Also the locking tuners ( with the brass posts) made it bright, too bright in my opinion

 

[edfardos]

Leave it stock, and adjust your setup and string brand. My 2408 sounds crap with one brand strings, perfect when I changed. Also the locking tuners ( with the brass posts) made it bright, too bright in my opinion

Yah, understood, share which strings you like? move from 9's to 10's? I've never used 9's before, to be honest.

 

[Prs Mods too]

Leave it stock, and adjust your setup and string brand. My 2408 sounds crap with one brand strings, perfect when I changed. Also the locking tuners ( with the brass posts) made it bright, too bright in my opinion

Similar to what I was going to say. My best sounding guitars have stock pickups (actually, all of my guitars have stock pickups besides my parts casters and home builds). IME, if I don't sorta jive with the stock sound, then aftermarket pups won't fix the problem.

Adjust pup height first. No bueno? Try a variety of different strings along with adjusting pup height again. No bueno? Either try different pups which is a waste of time IME/IMO or scrap the guitar.

Either way, best of luck with your tone quest.

 

[pr0ggg]

I have an PRS custom SE 24 and I was about to change the pair of pickups with a pair of Suhr's thornbuckers.
But it turned out that the width of my PRS pickups is way smaller than the thornbucker's, both neck and bridge.
I wonder if it happened to anyone here, or my prs is just a bad one...

 

[SinSir]

I have an PRS custom SE 24 and I was about to change the pair of pickups with a pair of Suhr's thornbuckers.
But it turned out that the width of my PRS pickups is way smaller than the thornbucker's, both neck and bridge.
I wonder if it happened to anyone here, or my prs is just a bad one...

Pickups have differnet pole spacing.

 

[GuitarJammin]

is there a coil-split function on that? four wires? keep in mind i'm using the 24/08 with the mini toggles, but should be similar.

Yes everytime I install pickups with a guitar that has a coil splitting option its pretty much standard to keep it that way. The dimarzios I put in for a client I put in with coil splitting. You are correct though that it has to be a 4 conductor setup.

 

[altoguitar]

Similar to what I was going to say. My best sounding guitars have stock pickups (actually, all of my guitars have stock pickups besides my parts casters and home builds). IME, if I don't sorta jive with the stock sound, then aftermarket pups won't fix the problem.

Adjust pup height first. No bueno? Try a variety of different strings along with adjusting pup height again. No bueno? Either try different pups which is a waste of time IME/IMO or scrap the guitar.

Either way, best of luck with your tone quest.

I have only ever switched from stock pups on an Ibanez S-series to a DiMarzio PAF Pro (neck) and a FRED (bridge). Satriani style setup. It made a huge difference! Just my experience.