S2 Singlecut Standard appreciation thread

markd21

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Seeing @CandidPicker post the new SC STD got me thinking about mine. I pulled it out today and played for a couple hours. I forgot just how amazing these guitars are. I snapped some new pics of mine, some with my new Bad Cat amps....talk about a tone made in heaven!!! At any rate, my SC STD is a "Color of the Month" edition, with birds.

Well, pictures tell a thousand words - so here's a BUNCH!!! Enjoy!!





 
A few more of this beauty....







So.....who else plays and loves this model? I have always said that if PRS ever wanted to hook me up with a deal, or a sig model, I'd use this as the basis. Shoot, I have even thought it would be cool to have a PS version. CRAZY, huh? I'm thinking my PS would be Candy Apple Red w/ an Aged Pickguard. Even though I really like the #7s, I'd totally go 57/08 (my favorites - EVER). I even thought it might be killer with a flame maple fretboard with some crazy wooden birds....

I don't know - I just think these guitars are REALLY rock-n-roll!!!!
 
39575014331_ffa8c1f563_b.jpg


+1........ my favourite guitar, tobacco satin, and with usa 85/15 pickups

It took me a long time to pick up my strat after getting this
 
Mark,

That's some really nice imagery. Your use of light, camera angle and backgrounds is top-notch.

I gotta ask, did you mod your Singlecut at all? My feeling is that it might be possible to swap out the .022 microfarad caps for .047 microfarad caps that will add more warmth and traditional LP-like tones.

My thought is that the #7S pickups need not be replaced at all, just a simple tweak of cap values might provide the more vintage tone I'm searching for regards my Singlecut.
 
I truly enjoyed the one I had after putting in a set of Core volume pots and Suhr Thornbuckers.

U7GWziph.jpg




It was my main gigger for a while, but it always sounded darker than my other guitars. Nothing a quick treble and presence tweak couldn't fix, but then the 594 came along and blew my mind so the S2 eventually got moved on. I should've just kept the dang thing. Resale on these is terrible (they're definitely overlooked and underrated).

HZmkTkph.jpg


EY7YhmJh.jpg
 
Mark,

That's some really nice imagery. Your use of light, camera angle and backgrounds is top-notch.

I gotta ask, did you mod your Singlecut at all? My feeling is that it might be possible to swap out the .022 microfarad caps for .047 microfarad caps that will add more warmth and traditional LP-like tones.

My thought is that the #7S pickups need not be replaced at all, just a simple tweak of cap values might provide the more vintage tone I'm searching for regards my Singlecut.

Thanks! I enjoy taking pictures.

I did not mod the Singlecut. I have to admit part of the reason I went over to PRS guitars was because I am really pleased with how they sound "out of the box". In fact, it was the S2 guitars with #7 pickups that I fell in love with before getting any Core guitars. With the pots being mounted on the pickguard, give swapping the caps a shot - it should be easy enough.

I will say that I noticed you mentioned the SD SNS pickups in another thread. I have a pair of those in an Artist Package SC250. They are nice, but not too different than the #7s. A little darker, but within the ballpark.

I will also admit that I know nothing about how caps affect the tone. I'm a simple type of player - the guitar needs to do the "job" I want, and interact with the amp in a pleasing way. I consider my guitar and amp ONE instrument. It's funny, actually, because I played Rivera amps for a little over 25 years. PRS and the M/S series Rivera amps DO NOT get along. Every PRS I tried during that time was gone quicker than you can say tuna fish sandwich. Once I switched my amplification, PRS worked like a charm.

What exactly is it you want the #7s to be? Lower output? Darker? The tone knobs work great, and these pickups are very responsive to height adjustments. I took my S2 CU22 STD and lowered the pickups a half turn, and the whole guitar sonically changed. When I got the S2 SC STD, I figured that I would never get close to a LP sound since the PRS has a big piece of plastic on the front. When I wanted more LP-like tones I went and got this:

27308561807_2a8b38297f_o.jpg



It worked, and didn't cost too much more then the S2 SInglecut. Of course I got SUPER lucky on the price and it was used, but this is my number 1 guitar. It eats Les Pauls and poops them out like it's on a hi-fiber diet!!
 
I truly enjoyed the one I had after putting in a set of Core volume pots and Suhr Thornbuckers.

U7GWziph.jpg




It was my main gigger for a while, but it always sounded darker than my other guitars. Nothing a quick treble and presence tweak couldn't fix, but then the 594 came along and blew my mind so the S2 eventually got moved on. I should've just kept the dang thing. Resale on these is terrible (they're definitely overlooked and underrated).

HZmkTkph.jpg


EY7YhmJh.jpg

You modded this one with P90s, right? What color was yours?
 
Thanks! I enjoy taking pictures.

I did not mod the Singlecut. I have to admit part of the reason I went over to PRS guitars was because I am really pleased with how they sound "out of the box". In fact, it was the S2 guitars with #7 pickups that I fell in love with before getting any Core guitars. With the pots being mounted on the pickguard, give swapping the caps a shot - it should be easy enough.

I will say that I noticed you mentioned the SD SNS pickups in another thread. I have a pair of those in an Artist Package SC250. They are nice, but not too different than the #7s. A little darker, but within the ballpark.

I will also admit that I know nothing about how caps affect the tone. I'm a simple type of player - the guitar needs to do the "job" I want, and interact with the amp in a pleasing way. I consider my guitar and amp ONE instrument. It's funny, actually, because I played Rivera amps for a little over 25 years. PRS and the M/S series Rivera amps DO NOT get along. Every PRS I tried during that time was gone quicker than you can say tuna fish sandwich. Once I switched my amplification, PRS worked like a charm.

What exactly is it you want the #7s to be? Lower output? Darker? The tone knobs work great, and these pickups are very responsive to height adjustments. I took my S2 CU22 STD and lowered the pickups a half turn, and the whole guitar sonically changed. When I got the S2 SC STD, I figured that I would never get close to a LP sound since the PRS has a big piece of plastic on the front.

27308561807_2a8b38297f_o.jpg

It worked, and didn't cost too much more then the S2 SInglecut. Of course I got SUPER lucky on the price and it was used, but this is my number 1 guitar. It eats Les Pauls and poops them out like it's on a hi-fiber diet!!

Regards the S2 SC's tone, my goal is slightly warmer, slightly darker, more well-rounded. Less upper mids and brightness. I did try adjusting the pickup height and that seemed to improve the tone a lot. Just not exactly what I'm striving for. I think that a verbal consultation with one of the PTC techs will answer my questions regards keeping the #7S' and just swapping out capacitor values for something slightly lower mid focused...

The Seymour Duncans are sitting on my living room table just now, though I think adjusting the pickup heights once more, and then considering swapping out the caps might do the job. Otherwise, planning on sending the pickups back for credit and saving the cash for more important needs.
 
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EDIT: Good news re: the S2 SC #7S' tone. With a couple pickup height half-turns upwards / downwards and adjustments back again, some effects and amp tone settings tweaks, my S2 SC will not require any mods to the guitar whatsoever. The pickups with the effects adjustments now provides the desired tone I'd been searching for, and with no additional EQing other than adjusting my Decibelic's Golden Horse levels, my Blue Note hi-lo switch down, and my Ego Compressor tone knob.

My other guitar only requires an amp volume adjustment upwards because of the guitar's pickup lower output and the effects' gain and tone levels can remain the same.

Solved my S2 SC's tone problem, without compromising the guitar's integrity or making any changes to its originality. Yee-Haw!

EDIT: The replacement pickups were sent out this afternoon to Sweetwater.
Currently still in ownership of 2 .047 Sprague 200V caps and 3 .047 Mallory 400V caps. Will likely donate these to GC for their trouble in answering my lengthy questions and promise of unrewarded benchwork. Next time I visit, I'll bring the caps along for their repair crew.
 
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A few more of this beauty....

So.....who else plays and loves this model? I have always said that if PRS ever wanted to hook me up with a deal, or a sig model, I'd use this as the basis. Shoot, I have even thought it would be cool to have a PS version. CRAZY, huh? I'm thinking my PS would be Candy Apple Red w/ an Aged Pickguard. Even though I really like the #7s, I'd totally go 57/08 (my favorites - EVER). I even thought it might be killer with a flame maple fretboard with some crazy wooden birds....

I don't know - I just think these guitars are REALLY rock-n-roll!!!!
Very nice but I was believing that Standard models do not have bird inlays ?
 
@CandidPicker Awesome news!! Glad you could sort it out. I was hoping you could.

Thanks! Mark from PRS PTC just spoke with me and described that the #7S pickups are comparatively sensitive and can sound different at various pickup heights. Finding what works best is simply a matter of experimentation and checking the results after each slight variance. That, and finding what tone settings at the amp/effects level is crucial to discerning what tone will sound better or not.

I think my muscle memory is improving regards exercising my fingers correctly, even though some previously learned habits are not so easy to break. I think this would be indicated with better practice technique, though...test-driving the guitar is far from how one might appreciate actually gigging with the guitar...

Very nice but I was believing that Standard models do not have bird inlays ?

Custom S2 SC's have birds, some Standards as well. Plain Jane ones, just the dots.
 
Very nice but I was believing that Standard models do not have bird inlays ?

The first couple of years you could get the birds as an option, if I remember right. Mine ONLY has the birds because it is a Limited Edition. PRS is pretty standardized, but they always have little exceptions to the rule (or so it seems).
 
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