SE 24 PUP Replacement?

[richardmac]

In December I scored a blue PRS SE24 with nice gig bag from Guitar Center, new, for $399. I am absolutely in love with the guitar, but it's not perfect. The nut is huge and has a semi-sharp corner on the high E string end. The tuners aren't bad but I've already bought locking tuners to replace them on the next string change. Using the vibrato bar causes the guitar to go out of tune easier than it should. And the pickups sound good, but... I dunno, it almost seems like there's something missing to the sound.

I'm wondering, if anyone bought an SE 24 in 2013 and swapped the pickups, what did you put in, and why? Also, did you leave the nut alone, or replace it?

The neck on this instrument is one of the best I've ever played. I feel like I got a steal, and with a little modding, this guitar will be even more awesome. Thanks in advance for any opinions/suggestions/etc.

 

[tomsamuels]

Get a tusq nut. Very easy installation. If you don't go with any US PRS pickups, I suggest the Seymour Duncan JB/59 combo.

 

[maxtuna26]

$399, new? You've got to be kidding me...

I put Dimarzios in mine after having it for 3 months. The stock pickups were great, but they don't have that tightness for metal songs, so I decided to pull them out. Threw in some D Activators and they were keepers. Love it to death even until now. The only thing I regretted, was to sell the stock bridge pickup to a friend of mine cheap. I had no use for that pickup back then, but it didn't occur to me that I might need those stockers one day. It's not likely that I'll be selling my SE, but those pickups are killers for stock ones. Should have kept them in case I wanted to build a partscaster sort of guitar. Or at least sell them for more! *facepalm*

I'd recommend you take a look at pickups that are more readily available, like SD or Dimarzio first, because you can at least get an idea of how they sound like by just playing guitars fitted with them. The 59/JB set is a popular choice, and so is the Air Norton/Tone Zone combo. What are your musical preferences? Any artist/genre that you like to cover/play?

One more popular pickup swap is the PRS 57/08s. Or you could go with the USA HFS/VB if you like the sound of the stock ones but find that it lacked a little "something".

 

[Duffy]

How did you get that for 399 new? Incredible deal.

 

[richardmac]

I actually got it at Sam Ash not Guitar Center. It was a Black Friday special deal. I almost missed it. I was walking out of the store and saw it. Couldn't believe it. I played it a bit and loved it. Thanks for the comments, all.