Hello, I recently purchased a 2020 PRS SE Standard with the 81/15 pickups. Previously I bought a used PRS SE Tremonti I fell in love with it. So when my standard came in I had high hopes, compared to all my other other guitars this one sounds extremely bright, almost as if pups were wired in parallel.(they are not) I played it for some time never got used to it, so I put in some Vaughn Skow pups, which helped, but still not the sound I was used to. After more research I installed a set of SD APH1 (alnico 2 magnets)I have tried several wiring options, pup height and pole piece height, tone caps, etc. Nothing I do seems to work, All 3 pup sets sound like single coils-not humbuckers. I have the set of the same APH1 SD in a cheap SG that sounds great. My question , is the Standard just a bright guitar? Its a mahogany body no cap. Sorry for the long question, Thanks for helping.
prs se standard
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
Just the opposite, with no maple cap it will have less high end. The nature of a Standard guitar is a midrange tone. But, the neck may be maple which would give you some of the highs back. I have a Standard CE that has some nice highs because of the maple neck. Check and see what your neck material is. If it is Hog, it's not the wood.
Draconomics
Fearless Papa of The Brethren of the Crust
If its maple, that might do it. My 35th has a maple neck and despite having the same Tci(s) pickups, same electronics as an SE Pauls Guitar it was twangier for sure.
The Standard SE line is mahogany neck and body. The SE custom line is mahogany core with a maple top, and either a maple of mahogany neck depending on the model. I've has both the custom 22 and Standard 24. There really wasn't a lot of difference in the sound, same PUPs, and the necks were both mahogany. The neck material seems to make the largest difference in tone (and of course, PUPs). I was playing the "updated" line of SEs in GC the other day, the 245 stnd, stnd 24, (both all mahogany), and a gorgeous blue custom 24 FMT. They were all impressive, but I did like the Custom 24 the best. However, price wise the stnd 24 was the winner, and also a gorgeous blue guitar. They also have undated the nut on the standards to someone other than cheap plastic, or so it appeared that way as they are now black. I now play an S2 Vela, but Im really looking hard at that new custom 24.
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aphantomvaper
Bend it to the Owl!
Some guitars have a sound and the amp has to be adjusted to tone shape a particular guitars tonality. The Tremonti and Standard may just need different amp settings.
Only a suggestion. In the end you'll decide
Only a suggestion. In the end you'll decide
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
My SE 245 Std is a bright guitar, even acoustically it rings out. It’s great.
Thank you for all the replies. I performed all my tests with the amp set where it sounds the best no matter which guitar I plug into it. Maybe it just the way it is, I have a Les Paul studio w/ Burstbuckers, an SG w/ the Phat Cats, Epi beast w/ JB/Jazz, ESP w/ Black Winters and the Tremonti 85/15, and except for the SG no matter which one I plug into the amp all sound like humbuckers should (or at least the way I think they sound) the SG sorta had the same issue w/ overly bright bridge, and a wooly neck-that was easy to fix I installed a .047 cap on the bridge tone, the neck I used a .022 and a treble bleed on the neck vol. Sounds very close to that of P90's. I would like to ask, will a "hotter" pickup seem darker in the bridge position? All of the pups I ve tried in the Standard were either Alnico 5 on Alnico 2 around 7-8 dc resistance. I have a Custom Custom thats a hotter pup (12K) with Alnico 2 mag.
Thats what I thought, I believe in the specs its a mahogany body with the wide/thin maple neck, 1 vol 1 tone w push/pull coil split 3 way blade. I did remove the factory treble bleed cap, it has 500k pots so i left the stock wiring as is. I have read so much of various forums that a 24 fret neck sounds different from 22. So I guess I will just learn somehow learn to live with it...I love the way it plays, just wish it had that creamier tone.
BODY
Body Wood Bound Mahogany
NECK
Number of Frets 24
Scale Length 25"
Neck Wood Maple
Neck Shape Wide Thin
Fretboard Wood Rosewood
Fretboard Inlay Birds
HARDWARE
Bridge PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded
Tuners PRS Designed Tuners
Hardware Type Nickel
ELECTRONICS
Treble Pickup 85/15 “S”
Bass Pickup 85/15 “S”
Controls Volume and Push/Pull Tone Control with 3-Way Blade Switch
So I just got this off the website, specs for the Standard, IT DOES have the maple neck. I am pretty sure after 2 different set of pups, it is what it is. Maybe I dont understand how the exact pup set sounds so different in a cheap guitar, compared to "mid range" guitar with better appointments. Thank you all again for your time!
Body Wood Bound Mahogany
NECK
Number of Frets 24
Scale Length 25"
Neck Wood Maple
Neck Shape Wide Thin
Fretboard Wood Rosewood
Fretboard Inlay Birds
HARDWARE
Bridge PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded
Tuners PRS Designed Tuners
Hardware Type Nickel
ELECTRONICS
Treble Pickup 85/15 “S”
Bass Pickup 85/15 “S”
Controls Volume and Push/Pull Tone Control with 3-Way Blade Switch
So I just got this off the website, specs for the Standard, IT DOES have the maple neck. I am pretty sure after 2 different set of pups, it is what it is. Maybe I dont understand how the exact pup set sounds so different in a cheap guitar, compared to "mid range" guitar with better appointments. Thank you all again for your time!
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Love my 245
Especially with the new pickups.
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
The journey is half the fun!
dogrocketp
I drank the PRS kool aid, and it was tasty!
I have an old CE 24 that was too bright for my liking. I put a set of 57/08’s in it and it definitely has that creamy sound, especially with any gain.
Problem fixed...sorta. Remembering I had the same issue with an SG with the Alnico 2 pros, I went ahead and swapped in the Custom Custom in the bridge 14.3 DC A2 mag. And the Vaughn Skow neck A5 mag 8.7dc added a treble bleed w/ resistor and changed the tone cap to .033. Now my PRS Standard has the ballsy sound it was missing, but maybe a touch too dark now, I may drop the cap back down to .022 I guess the solid mahogany body prefers a hotter pickup, the hottest one Ive had in it was 9.7 dc. Thank you all once again, this is the first forum I have been on, very appreciative of all the help!
