NolaBG
New Member
Hi everyone. First time poster, but I’ve read lots of helpful posts here.
I wanted to relay my experience with changing the pickups, rings, and tuners on an SE Paul’s Guitar, since I couldn’t find all the information I needed in one spot. Hopefully this helps someone else.
This guitar sounded and played great when I got a steal on it second hand, but I bought it with the intent to mod it to (1) learn how to do it myself (I’m a tinkerer) and (2) possibly improve the guitar. Also, I did not like the overall look of the amber model, particularly all the black plastic accents.
First, I swapped the pickups for Suhr Thornbuckers. 53mm is the perfect bridge size. To mount them, I used cream PRS SE mounting rings for a trem guitar, not a stoptail. I think lots of rings will work on this guitar as long as they’re flat bottom with no taper on top. Tapered rings would probably still function, but they put the pups at a pretty severe angle to the strings. The two original stock rings appear to be identical. They will not fit covered pickups. I swapped out the tiny black ring mounting screws with #2 x 3/8” slotted screws in brass to match the bridge posts. #3’s would work fine too. Either way you have to enlarge the factory holes a bit. #3 screws are probably better since they use a 1/16” pilot bit, which is more common than the #2 pilot.
Wiring the Suhr pups into the PG was the biggest pain, mostly because I am not knowledgeable about guitar wiring and could not find accurate color coding for the PG pup wires. After some failed trial and error, I had to sit down and map the coil wires and their polarity with a meter. (It turned out that the stock pup wire color assignments are laughably different from the Suhr. Very funny, PRS.) Once I did that, though, and matched up the Suhrs, the Suhrs worked like a champ, with all the functionality of the originals. I wasn’t even sure if the Suhrs would work using the existing wiring given its purported uniqueness, but they sound fantastic in full and split modes. This leads me to believe there’s nothing special or unique about the stock pups. My notes on the diagrams showing the color matchups are below.
Finally, I replaced the stock tuners with Gotoh SD-90 wheel lockers in nickel. They look much better, function fine, and cost way less than similar PRS offerings. No reaming required but the original bushings won’t work with the Gotoh’s (hole too narrow), so I had to push them out and press in the Gotoh bushings. Easy enough but I had to very carefully use a set of padded channel locks to seat the bushings all the way. I also used the Gotoh CARDs under the tuner backs. Probably not necessary but I see their purpose. The tuner buttons look a bit small, but ok whatever.
I have some machined brass knobs on order, and I’m going to find a truss rod cover to replace the stock plastic junk.
All in all I think she came out great in form and function. And I’m only into it for around $850 total, which might be the best part.
Thanks and I hope this info helps someone else.
Edit: I’ll post pics when I figure out how.
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I wanted to relay my experience with changing the pickups, rings, and tuners on an SE Paul’s Guitar, since I couldn’t find all the information I needed in one spot. Hopefully this helps someone else.
This guitar sounded and played great when I got a steal on it second hand, but I bought it with the intent to mod it to (1) learn how to do it myself (I’m a tinkerer) and (2) possibly improve the guitar. Also, I did not like the overall look of the amber model, particularly all the black plastic accents.
First, I swapped the pickups for Suhr Thornbuckers. 53mm is the perfect bridge size. To mount them, I used cream PRS SE mounting rings for a trem guitar, not a stoptail. I think lots of rings will work on this guitar as long as they’re flat bottom with no taper on top. Tapered rings would probably still function, but they put the pups at a pretty severe angle to the strings. The two original stock rings appear to be identical. They will not fit covered pickups. I swapped out the tiny black ring mounting screws with #2 x 3/8” slotted screws in brass to match the bridge posts. #3’s would work fine too. Either way you have to enlarge the factory holes a bit. #3 screws are probably better since they use a 1/16” pilot bit, which is more common than the #2 pilot.
Wiring the Suhr pups into the PG was the biggest pain, mostly because I am not knowledgeable about guitar wiring and could not find accurate color coding for the PG pup wires. After some failed trial and error, I had to sit down and map the coil wires and their polarity with a meter. (It turned out that the stock pup wire color assignments are laughably different from the Suhr. Very funny, PRS.) Once I did that, though, and matched up the Suhrs, the Suhrs worked like a champ, with all the functionality of the originals. I wasn’t even sure if the Suhrs would work using the existing wiring given its purported uniqueness, but they sound fantastic in full and split modes. This leads me to believe there’s nothing special or unique about the stock pups. My notes on the diagrams showing the color matchups are below.
Finally, I replaced the stock tuners with Gotoh SD-90 wheel lockers in nickel. They look much better, function fine, and cost way less than similar PRS offerings. No reaming required but the original bushings won’t work with the Gotoh’s (hole too narrow), so I had to push them out and press in the Gotoh bushings. Easy enough but I had to very carefully use a set of padded channel locks to seat the bushings all the way. I also used the Gotoh CARDs under the tuner backs. Probably not necessary but I see their purpose. The tuner buttons look a bit small, but ok whatever.
I have some machined brass knobs on order, and I’m going to find a truss rod cover to replace the stock plastic junk.
All in all I think she came out great in form and function. And I’m only into it for around $850 total, which might be the best part.
Thanks and I hope this info helps someone else.
Edit: I’ll post pics when I figure out how.
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