SE line = Bad pickups

[bodia]

The SE P90's are a lot better than what you might think. I swapped one for a Lollar. Big price difference but not such a big improvement. And here are a couple of forum members who've had a similar experience

I would be one of them. Should have left well enough alone!

 

[Iceman101]

I would be one of them. Should have left well enough alone!

I know

 

[littlebadboy]

I think pickups sound and tone are all subjective. It depends on what each person is accustomed to. What sounds good to me may sound bad to others. To each his own.

 

[Tim S]

Maybe it’s not the wrong pickup — it could be the wrong amp or speaker.

I think if anyone is going complain about stock pickups, they should have to disclose what amp and speakers they are playing though. They make a much bigger difference than the pickups.

 

[Boogie]

Maybe it’s not the wrong pickup — it could be the wrong amp or speaker.

Hell ^ yeah.

 

[Axis39]

Maybe it’s not the wrong pickup — it could be the wrong amp or speaker.

I think if anyone is going complain about stock pickups, they should have to disclose what amp and speakers they are playing though. They make a much bigger difference than the pickups.

You may be right... I will say that my sound has kind of solidified over the last eight years or so. It's been completely independent of the guitars I'm playing.

I play Blues, mostly with a West Coast twist, but a lot of Chicago stuff, too. I mainly play through a '58 Twin, with a mix of Celestion Neo Creamback and Jensen 12-100. But, there's also the '59 Bassman Reissue, the Cox Ultimate 5e3 and the Marshall Origin 20. I ALWAYS have a little reverb going. I tend towards single coils. So, for me and my sound, P-90's and Fender style pickups work the best.

Replacing pickups in a guitar I love the feel of, is a lot easier to take than giving up my Twin. I love the way this amp sounds and feels every time I plug into it (even with pickups I am not in love with, the amp still sounds good).

I have three guitars that came with humbuckers:

• One has Filtertrons. I love the stock Gretsch pickups, but I have contemplated upgrading to TV Jones at times, or even doing Tearmonds in a Filtertron mount. I still prefer my other Gretsch with the Dearmond 2000's, though...
• One had 490/498 combo and I never could get them dialed in. The neck was too dark, or the bridge was too brittle. I played with height, pots, settings on my amps and finally gave in and replaced them with Zhangbucker humbuckers. I love, love, love them!
• And, finally my '17 SE Santana. As I've outlined before, the SE pickups were okay, nothing really wrong with them. But, I wanted a different sound. So, I went with Zhangbuckers again, but this time P-90's in HB size and mount. Couldn't be happier with the tone out of this guitar now!

Because I play relatively clean, tone is everything... I honestly play that edge of breakup, and really like the touch sensitivity and clarity of single coil pickups. So, I like humbuckers that sound more like single coils. I am looking for a certain feel and sound out of my guitars. They all sound different, don't get me wrong. Each guitar has a certain personality. But, there is a certain something I need and want... Very few humbuckers I've owned have really gotten me there.

Another big factor is volume. I play a lot at home, but my tone at home is so much less important than my stage tone. Honestly, I probably play a lot more unplugged at home, even. Playing at 50 or 60 db at home is one thing. But, get closer to 100 and over.....


All that to surmise that for me, it's the total package, not just pickups, not just an amp or speakers or effects.... Also, what's right for me is certainly not right for everyone!

 

[Lyric]

I had some really nice Reverends, but I’d take the clarity and snap of the 85/15s any day over the Revtrons I had in my Flatroc and Club King. They’re totally different types of pickups, I realize, but the 85/15s is one of my favorite pickups I’ve ever played, and I’ve played hundreds.

‘nice Reverend guitars you mentioned but I do not think Revtrons vs 85/15’s are a fair comparison.

My personal favorite pickups by Reverend are the Railhammers in my Reverend BC1 Billy Corgan signature which are Billy Corgan’s signature Railhammers and the 9A5 (P90’s by Reverend) in my Reverend Charger 290.

maybe put the Railhammers up against the 85/15’s. Joe Naylor of Reverend has something very special going on with Railhammer pickups.

 

[Herr Squid]

Maybe it’s not the wrong pickup — it could be the wrong amp or speaker.

I think if anyone is going complain about stock pickups, they should have to disclose what amp and speakers they are playing though. They make a much bigger difference than the pickups.

This. The amp (or amp-like thing) and the sound you have in your head are so important that the pickup question can't even be answered unless you know those things.

 

[Squirrel]

I just got a 2020 SE Standard 24 with the 85/15 pickups about a month ago. When I first got it I was surprised at how bright the tone was. So I lowered the pickups to taste - I lowered the bridge PU high e side more than the bass E side - and I'm loving the taste. I tend to be running the Tone knob around 4 and 8 with the volume around 8. If you're running everything at 10 you need to work on learning to play the instrument right. It's nice to have all those high sparkley tones to work with. But I wouldn't call them harsh at all.

 

[68reissue]

‘nice Reverend guitars you mentioned but I do not think Revtrons vs 85/15’s are a fair comparison.

My personal favorite pickups by Reverend are the Railhammers in my Reverend BC1 Billy Corgan signature which are Billy Corgan’s signature Railhammers and the 9A5 (P90’s by Reverend) in my Reverend Charger 290.

maybe put the Railhammers up against the 85/15’s. Joe Naylor of Reverend has something very special going on with Railhammer pickups.

Well, yes, and that’s why in my post I pointed out that they are very different pickups. I think as far as Grestch type pickups go, Revtrons are exemplary. As the Railhammers are for what they are designed to do.

But the idea that the SEs have bad pickups (the topic of the thread) does not at all reflect my experience with the 85/15s, which actually got me to switch from Reverend guitars—no small feat.

That said, I’m a bit jealous of your BC-1!

 

[bluenova]

I recently got an S2 with G&B #7 pickups and I really dig the tone these things pump out.

 

[ESPImperium]

PRS SE pickups are not bad, they are useable and good. Just not my thing sadly, lacking in low end and power for me, I just need a little more muscle, just not brute strength.

The 85/15s are good, damn good for the player who needs what they give, they are ideal.

 

[Dr D]

PRS SE pickups are not bad, they are useable and good. Just not my thing sadly, lacking in low end and power for me, I just need a little more muscle, just not brute strength.

The 85/15s are good, damn good for the player who needs what they give, they are ideal.

 

[68reissue]

PRS SE pickups are not bad, they are useable and good. Just not my thing sadly, lacking in low end and power for me, I just need a little more muscle, just not brute strength.

The 85/15s are good, damn good for the player who needs what they give, they are ideal.

Very well said. There’s a sound I like—a very clear, defined, almost HD tone—and the 85/15s make that sound. But I get why players might want something warmer, or more vintage, or more powerful. There are pickups that are just bad, and there are pickups that just come down to taste. The 85/15s is the latter.

 

[MarcWink]

Based on my experience with S2 guitars, I can definitely say that the imported pickups aren’t bad by any means.y S2 Custom 22 Semi Hollow had 85/15 S pickups that I tinkered with for a while, but found them to be just a little too much for the guitar. Simple solution...swap them for a set of Bare Knuckle Abraxas pickups that give me that little bit more mellow tone with a warmer top end. The 58/15 S pickups in my S2 594 on the other hand are fantastic after a little tweaking on the pickup height. If the OP doesn’t like the stock pickups, swap them out.