SE Mods

Okay so having a little free time over the weekend I decided it was modding time again.

First up on the bench was my 2012 Bernie.
51997395929_8ee4dddcd5_o.jpg


This one got=
Headstock overlay with silver signature
Gotoh SD-90 Machineheads
Ebony and MOP TRC
Paper in oil capactor
Custom wound "V.G.R." pickups (my own company) using 42awg plain enamel wire
Bridge pickup = 8.7k (Alnico II)
Neck pickup = 8.3k (Alnico III)
Gold bell knobs

Next up was the Zach Myers that my late wife had got for me, https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/ngd-nad-step-away-from-the-bernie.51371/
51997183243_d82b45246e_o.jpg


With this one I decided because of the light weight (6lb 2oz) and because I cant see myself getting a hollowbody anytime soon, I'd design some low turn / output pickups and turn it into a pure blues machine.

The mods included =
Headstock overlay with gold signature
Gotoh SD-90 Machineheads
Plain black TRC
Paper in oil capactors
Custom wound "V.G.R." pickups using 42awg heavy formvar wire on the neck and Plain Enamel on the bridge
Bridge pickup = 7.6k (Alnico II)
Neck pickup = 7.2k (Alnico III) reverse wound "Peter Green" Mod
Amber Lampshade knobs

I am freakin stoked how they both came out - completely different sides of the sound scale. Bernie #3 is just a pure rock monster but still has that classic PAF chime in the neck (thanks mostly to the Alnico III magnet). The ZM on the other hand is low & sweet like only the finest Semi & hollowbodies can do, add a little gain and she sounds like pure Duane Allman era Allman brothers or early Lynyrd Skynyrd (2 of my wifes favorite bands)
 
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Okay so having a little free time over the weekend I decided it was modding time again.

First up on the bench was my 2012 Bernie.
51997395929_8ee4dddcd5_o.jpg


This one got=
Headstock overlay with silver signature
Gotoh SD-90 Machineheads
Ebony and MOP TRC
Paper in oil capactor
Custom wound "V.G.R." pickups (my own company)
Bridge pickup = 8.7k (Alnico II magnet)
Neck pickup = 8.3k (Alnico III Magnet)
Gold bell knobs

Next up was the Zach Myers that my late wife had got for me, https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/ngd-nad-step-away-from-the-bernie.51371/
51997183243_d82b45246e_o.jpg


With this one I decided because of the light weight (6lb 8oz) and because I cant see myself getting a hollowbody anytime soon, I'd design some low turn / output pickups and turn it into a pure blues machine.

The mods included =
Headstock overlay with gold signature
Gotoh SD-90 Machineheads
Plain black TRC
Paper in oil capactors
Custom wound "V.G.R." pickups
Bridge pickup = 7.5k (Alnico II magnet)
Neck pickup = 7.2k (Alnico III Magnet) reverse wound "Peter Green" Mod
Amber Lampshade knobs

I am freakin stoked how they both came out - completely different sides of the sound scale. Bernie #3 is just a pure rock monster but still has that classic PAF chime in the neck (thanks mostly to the Alnico III magnet). The ZM on the other hand is low & sweet like only the finest Semi & hollowbodies can do, add a little gain and she sounds like pure Duane Allman era Allman brothers or early Lynyrd Skynyrd (2 of my wifes favorite bands)

Man! Great job on both my friend! I'll bet they both sound amazing!
 
Neck pickup = 8.3k (Alnico III)
classic PAF chime in the neck (thanks mostly to the Alnico III magnet).

I recently put some Alnico 3's in my Bernie, and it really made a very nice change to the tone, especially the neck. I agree it gives it that P90 "bark" and sounds very nice. It also helps cut thru the mix. I went and sat in at a blues jam last night, and found someone filmed it. Watching it today, while others were muddy and buried, my solo really sticks out and sits on top like a solo should. I couldn't be happier with how it sounds.
 
I recently put some Alnico 3's in my Bernie, and it really made a very nice change to the tone, especially the neck. I agree it gives it that P90 "bark" and sounds very nice. It also helps cut thru the mix. I went and sat in at a blues jam last night, and found someone filmed it. Watching it today, while others were muddy and buried, my solo really sticks out and sits on top like a solo should. I couldn't be happier with how it sounds.

That's what I'm talkin' about!
 
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This was a 2009 Tremonti SE that I picked up used, but in seemingly unplayed mint condition (the SE gig bag, too), for an unbelievable price. Wasn't interested in the stock sounds -- previously had another example of this exact model and year and so was well familiar with what I was buying -- but have been wanting a lightweight mahogany electric in a natural finish that I could transform into a guitar that does more or less what a P-90 equipped Gibson SG does, only without that horrendous (to me) SG body shape, non-robust neck joint, snappable headstock, Gibson pricing (new and/or used), etc.

So, one set of made-to-order (and yet very affordable) humbucker-sized P-90s from Q PICKUPS later, a refinished headstock face minus the original signature model branding and plus a less-specific replacement decal, and color-matched personalized plastics as a nice cosmetic finishing touch, and now it's "Live At Leeds" all night long (only, played pretty poorly)!

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This was a 2009 Tremonti SE that I picked up used, but in seemingly unplayed mint condition (the SE gig bag, too), for an unbelievable price. Wasn't interested in the stock sounds -- previously had another example of this exact model and year and so was well familiar with what I was buying -- but have been wanting a lightweight mahogany electric in a natural finish that I could transform into a guitar that does more or less what a P-90 equipped Gibson SG does, only without that horrendous (to me) SG body shape, non-robust neck joint, snappable headstock, Gibson pricing (new and/or used), etc.

So, one set of made-to-order (and yet very affordable) humbucker-sized P-90s from Q PICKUPS later, a refinished headstock face minus the original signature model branding and plus a less-specific replacement decal, and color-matched personalized plastics as a nice cosmetic finishing touch, and now it's "Live At Leeds" all night long (only, played pretty poorly)!

20220626-152436.jpg


20220626-152920.jpg


20220626-152558.jpg


20220626-152536.jpg


20220626-152653.jpg


20220626-152719.jpg


20220626-152826.jpg


20220626-152630.jpg
Nice job!
 
That natural top looks nice. Thought at first those were Buddha P90’s? Got him to do a set for my brother, and he loves them. Didn’t you mod the head stock as well?
 
I'm glad this thread got bumped back to the top so that I know it exists!!

I've owned a guitar for probably 30 of my 54 years, but I just started actually trying to learn how to play this year. I went thru a few guitars before discovering that PRS has really affordable guitars in the SE line and I like the SE Custom 24 I bought but absolutely love the SE 245 I got three weeks ago. I just can't imagine another guitar feeling any better for me than the 245.

I'm a person who doesn't much like my toys to be stock. Whether it's swords, bicycles or espresso machines, I like to make my things my own, so I already have plans for the 245. I have a set of PRS SE locking tuners that I'll either install when I change strings or have a tech install if I decide to get the guitar setup. I'm going to switch out the amber knobs for black and eventually want to replace the pickup rings with black ones, the selector switch knob with a black one and to have covered pickups installed and possibly all of the electronics upgraded.

All of the electrical stuff will be in the future and I plan to check out the S2 594's and it's very possible that I'll end up doing the electronics upgrades to one of those, rather than the 245. It's hard to imagine that an S2 is going to feel that much better than my 245, which is also super light, which I like, but I'll definately check them out.

In the meantime, I look forward to going thru the 85 pages of this thread and seeing what other people have done.
 
Finally got the sig on the headstock of my Paul's SE. I got this from a shop in Canada off etsy. Only cost about $15. Easy to apply, it's a metal laser cut sticker basically. The astute of you will notice I installed it upside down. Wish I could say there was some high concept aesthetic reason for it...I really just forgot the orientation. Meh.

 
Though I thought I was finished modding Bernie / McCarty 245 hybrid I was wrong. The guitar plays and sounds amazing with its McCarty pickups though I did miss the coil taps of my 2001 McCarty (hadn't wired it for taps), Last week I decided to change that and installed 2 push/push volume pots and wire it so each pickup could be tapped individually. This has really opened up the guitar sonically but has left me a minor problem.

With the extra switching it should probably be know as the Bernie / McCarty / 408 hybrid

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Mods are =
Vinyl headstock overlay with Bernies signature
Custom Ebony & MOP McCarty TRC
Gotoh SD-90 HAP machineheads
Bone Nut
PRS "Core" tailpiece
PRS "Core" McCarty pickups
Upgraded wiring & pots
Push / push volume pot fors coil taps
Russian K40P-2 .022 Paper In Oil Capacitor
Amber Lampshade knobs
Wide nickel strap buttons
Pure Tone (4 point) Jack Socket
 
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