Sanity Check - Should I Do This?

[Longneck Tenon]

I have owned a 2007 core McCarty since new, 100% stock. It still looks and plays great. But compared to my other guitars the pickups just aren’t doing it for me and sound dull and lifeless. I actually prefer the 58/15S pickups in my 594SE. One thought is to try some humbucker sized P90’s, remove the coil taps and go with 50’s wiring. The more sane approach is to just replace the pickups with 58/15’s.

Thoughts?

 

[thewesdavis]

I've had some humbucker sized P90s that I've loved (I had an old explorer with a Phat Cat in the bridge that was out of this world for U2 type stuff) and my Duesenberg StarPlayer (P90 in the neck) was an amazing guitar, but - in my humble opinion - this would make your axe into a fairly "one trick pony"...if that's what you're looking for, I'd try to swap for a McCarty Soapbar.

(If I misread and you have the McCarty soapbar and are looking to move to P90 sized humbuckers, then the DiMarzio stuff is absolutely the ****! And I recommend a P90 neck and a Super Distortion Bridge. I had a Music Man Axis M90 with this setup - was my main axe for YEARS - before I saw the light and returned to the PRS fold full-time...but I still miss that guitar)

 

[gush]

I have 5815LT in my 2000 McCarty.

I think I got this guitar in 06 and I was using higher gain tones back then. Stock PUs didn't do it for me back then.

I'm playing cleaner tones these days and so far I'm digging the LTs.

Just an FYI. I tried 8515 PUs first. The bridge PU was super boring and bland. The neck pickup was the absolute best sounding neck PU I've ever played but it overpowered absolutely every single bridge PU I tried. Could never get a good balance.

Les pointed out that those were designed for 24 fret guitars and I'm guessing he is spot on.

With LTs, best tones come from middle position then neck is 2nd best with bridge obviously 3rd.

I'd say I'm not "in love" with bridge PU but it's decent and I'm still working with it.

When I was in higher gain mode, 5909 were killer in this guitar.

 

[Going Modal]

I have owned a 2007 core McCarty since new, 100% stock. It still looks and plays great. But compared to my other guitars the pickups just aren’t doing it for me and sound dull and lifeless. I actually prefer the 58/15S pickups in my 594SE. One thought is to try some humbucker sized P90’s, remove the coil taps and go with 50’s wiring. The more sane approach is to just replace the pickups with 58/15’s.

Thoughts?

Are they the original/standard McCarty pickups? Yeah, I can see that--I too often find them underwhelming (dull and muddy) whenever I try them.

I say "do it," if you know you like those pickups. I mean, it sounds like you like your McCarty's look & feel, and this might seal the deal. Otherwise, if not those 58/15S's that you like, then I would be inclined to suggest some standard-type Seymour Duncans like the '59 or Pearly Gates set (which you could get covered or uncovered in any look/style that you'd want) or if looking to spend more money then the PRS 57/08 set would be nice.

Either way, these are not un-reversible mods and you wouldn't be drastically impacting the guitar's value.

 

[Greywolf]

+1 on the 57/08's . being a soapy fanatic , if you want to go HB sized P90 , I would look at the Harmonic Designs Z90 bridge( I've used them for 20 years) and Duncan's Custom Phat Staple neck .

 

[doublescale1]

I have a 2006 McCarty Goldtop that I had to order to get back then. I agree with you, the McCarty pickups from back then were nowhere as good as what PRS are making now, so I also changed them. Right away I went with Jim Wagner's Crossroads set, his take on the PAF formula that can get you to the EC version of that song, and they do. Then when Joe Naylor brought out his Railhammer pickups I got the Hyper Vintage set at the low introductory price and haven't looked back. I had them wired for Series/Parallel with Push/Push pots. In Parallel mode the guitar gets right in a Tele voice kind of mode, making this a one guitar for a full set kind of instrument. Since the intro Railhammer has come out with nickel covers. Changing out pickups can be a rabbit hole easily fallen into - Just try and match the sound you hear in your head to what the Mfgr's say their pickups are designed to sound like and that will increase your chances of hitting your mark.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

+1 on the 57/08's . being a soapy fanatic , if you want to go HB sized P90 , I would look at the Harmonic Designs Z90 bridge( I've used them for 20 years) and Duncan's Custom Phat Staple neck .

Seems like nothing but good reports on the Z90. I had Phat Cats in a Semi-Hollow, kind of wish I’d kept them!

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I have a 2006 McCarty Goldtop that I had to order to get back then. I agree with you, the McCarty pickups from back then were nowhere as good as what PRS are making now, so I also changed them. Right away I went with Jim Wagner's Crossroads set, his take on the PAF formula that can get you to the EC version of that song, and they do. Then when Joe Naylor brought out his Railhammer pickups I got the Hyper Vintage set at the low introductory price and haven't looked back. I had them wired for Series/Parallel with Push/Push pots. In Parallel mode the guitar gets right in a Tele voice kind of mode, making this a one guitar for a full set kind of instrument. Since the intro Railhammer has come out with nickel covers. Changing out pickups can be a rabbit hole easily fallen into - Just try and match the sound you hear in your head to what the Mfgr's say their pickups are designed to sound like and that will increase your chances of hitting your mark.

I need to check out some sound clips of these.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I'm kinda partial to a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge!

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I've had some humbucker sized P90s that I've loved (I had an old explorer with a Phat Cat in the bridge that was out of this world for U2 type stuff) and my Duesenberg StarPlayer (P90 in the neck) was an amazing guitar, but - in my humble opinion - this would make your axe into a fairly "one trick pony"...if that's what you're looking for, I'd try to swap for a McCarty Soapbar.

(If I misread and you have the McCarty soapbar and are looking to move to P90 sized humbuckers, then the DiMarzio stuff is absolutely the ****! And I recommend a P90 neck and a Super Distortion Bridge. I had a Music Man Axis M90 with this setup - was my main axe for YEARS - before I saw the light and returned to the PRS fold full-time...but I still miss that guitar)

It is the McCarty humbucker model. I do have a Hamer USA Studio Custom triple P90 that sounds pretty great so I do have that base covered.

 

[SinSir]

I'm in the dump the McCarty pickup camp. It's not that they are bad, but there are pickups that do it better. Still thankful for their time and place, like the grandpa of later PRS offerings, but swap em!

I went through a huge H90 phase. Tried sooo many brands. The Frailin were absolutely my favorite. Plenty of good ones out there, but Frailin I'd buy again.

If you stay humbucker, The 5708 and/or 5815LT as a set or mix and match is a solid way to go. Of course adding a 5909 bridge to either of those is always a win.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I have 5815LT in my 2000 McCarty.

I think I got this guitar in 06 and I was using higher gain tones back then. Stock PUs didn't do it for me back then.

I'm playing cleaner tones these days and so far I'm digging the LTs.

Just an FYI. I tried 8515 PUs first. The bridge PU was super boring and bland. The neck pickup was the absolute best sounding neck PU I've ever played but it overpowered absolutely every single bridge PU I tried. Could never get a good balance.

Les pointed out that those were designed for 24 fret guitars and I'm guessing he is spot on.

With LTs, best tones come from middle position then neck is 2nd best with bridge obviously 3rd.

I'd say I'm not "in love" with bridge PU but it's decent and I'm still working with it.

When I was in higher gain mode, 5909 were killer in this guitar.

I am going after a sparkly middle position sound more than anything so that might work.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I'm in the dump the McCarty pickup camp. It's not that they are bad, but there are pickups that do it better. Still thankful for their time and place, like the grandpa of later PRS offerings, but swap em!

I went through a huge H90 phase. Tried sooo many brands. The Frailin were absolutely my favorite. Plenty of good ones out there, but Frailin I'd buy again.

If you stay humbucker, The 5708 and/or 5815LT as a set or mix and match is a solid way to go. Of course adding a 5909 bridge to either of those is always a win.

Good suggestions, thanks!

 

[bodia]

These!

 

[Senor Verde]

If you don't mind the hum, I say go with the humbucker size P-90 type.

 

[Bogner]

Replace Them With The PRS \M/ Pickups And Thank Me Later.

 

[SinSir]

If you don't mind the hum, I say go with the humbucker size P-90 type.

Frailin has hum canceling that rock.

 

[gush]

I am going after a sparkly middle position sound more than anything so that might work.

I'm not sure I'd describe what I hear as sparkly. Maybe rounded and full.

When I listen to this tone all I can think about is Page.

 

[Lewguitar]

+1 on the 57/08's . being a soapy fanatic , if you want to go HB sized P90 , I would look at the Harmonic Designs Z90 bridge( I've used them for 20 years) and Duncan's Custom Phat Staple neck .

The 57/08's are my favorite humbuckers. Also seems like most people who own them for awhile fall in love with them too.

No guarantee of course. Some people want more bite, treble or more edge. A sharper more cutting tone.

For me tho, they're perfect.

I like P90's a lot, and have Bare Knuckle p90's in my SE Soapbar Single cut.

But they could never be my only pickup.

 

[Longneck Tenon]

Frailin has hum canceling that rock.

I have Fralin’s in a Telecaster. Great pickups.