So, let’s say I wanted to turn a McCarty into a progressive metal machine..

[Andy80]

It’s very possible that will happen. But I’ve watched a number of videos from Leon Todd (youtuber) who plays in drop c with an SC245 and it’s his number 1 guitar recording and gigging. So, idk.

I play in drop C on my 245 and it's fine.

 

[László]

The 85/15s on my CU24 30th are very clear pickups that for whatever reason, seem to output more gain and brightness by far than my 57/08s, 58/15s or other pickups.

In fact, I run them around 6 on the guitar volume to get my tones with the guitar, because when I turn them up I get too much distortion. I bet they’d be great for what you’re doing. They have a ton of clarity.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I'm gonna start off trying an 85/15 + \m/ combo. If that doesn't work, I'll see if Wolfetone or Bare Knuckle has some recommendations.

I hear the Dustie Waring model can do this kind of thing pretty well...

You know the DW CE24 did sound great but honestly for jumping between Plini, BTBAM and Polyphia tones I actually prefer my Custom 24 with the 85/15’s, that’s part of the reason I decided to sell the DW. I’m playing through an MT15 now so I have plenty of gain on tap so the 85/15’s clarity and tightness really do well with the amps gain up and sound amazing clean, which is where the DW was lacking for me.

I think the \m/ 85/15 combo should work out for you pretty well though. I will say I have a Wolfetone Marshallhead in my Les Paul and he does wind a killer pickup that works well in warmer guitars so I bet he could wind you something really good as well.

 

[Mozzi]

I think a progressive rock guitar would be a 24 fret, trem (floating or floyd) guitar. Looks are subjective of course and this type of guitar often looks more 'metal' in general but John Petrucci guitars are more Prog Rock looking than Metal in general. Pick ups though I would say would be more 'Passive' for Prog Rock than Active for Metal but if I was looking for a Prog Rock guitar, the Custom 24 - perhaps more the P24 - would be my ideal in the PRS range.

Pedals would be important - more so than say seeking out a hotter PU than the 85/15's and use those to create the different soundscapes for Prog rock and the Piezo adding some chime as and when. The Piezo has been in John Petrucci's guitars for a while but Pick-ups like the 85/15's can clean up nice and easily when needed.

I know I mention Petrucci a lot but he is one who is current and a Prog Rock 'god'. Quuensryche are another band that I think of when I here Prog Rock and Marillion too if I want an 80's Prog Rock band. Any guitar can be used if you like the tone and features even if the look doesn't necessarily meet what you expect. In truth, I think any PRS guitar could do Prog Rock - the Silver Sky for example could as some prog rockers have used Strats.

If I am being honest, I would think the McCarty, with its fixed bridge and 22 frets is a bit more limited as a Prog Rock guitar - not that you couldn't use it with the right pedals. If you want an extended range (at least 25.5") fixed bridge option for drop C tunings that already have great pick-ups, I think the best option would be to look for a Mark Holcombe signature that come with his Signature Seymour Duncan Pups. He regularly plays in drop C and that was the main reason he wanted a 25.5" scale instead of the regular 25" PRS scale. There is a 7 String version coming soon too and PRS have made a PRS 277 baritone SE too. I don't know your financial situation but I really do think that the Holcombe would be something to seriously consider instead of modding your McCarty...

 

[Black Plaid]

If you like Plini's tone, get the pickups (Suhr SSH+ and SSV he uses and check out the Architype - Plini Amp Sim he did with Neural.

Prog can have quite the range of tones, I don't think any one combination is going to get you all-the-things.

The other thing you can try is just using what you have and putting an eq pedal between the guitar and the overdrive. It can make a world of difference.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

If you like Plini's tone, get the pickups (Suhr SSH+ and SSV he uses and check out the Architype - Plini Amp Sim he did with Neural.

Prog can have quite the range of tones, I don't think any one combination is going to get you all-the-things.

The other thing you can try is just using what you have and putting an eq pedal between the guitar and the overdrive. It can make a world of difference.

At some point I gotta try this digital thing. Probably an Axe-FX III. Still tube amps so far for me. An EQ pedal is something I should try again as well. But you can only boost a JCM800 so much. Metal territory, sure. But saturated like an Archon, not that I’ve been able to do - with that amp or my Electra Dyne.

 

[Black Plaid]

I actually grabbed the demo version of the sim and tried it with my UA Apollo, but, while the tones were very pleasing, and I *really* wanted to like it as something to use for a company setup, there was this latency I couldn't seem to get rid of. Not sure if it was completely in my head, but I wasn't looking for it, and it's something I noticed, so it's probably not all imaginary.

Contrast that with the Boss Wireless setup I got very recently, where I *was* expecting some latency, but do not actually notice anything at all.

If you want to get your JCM saturated, try layering it with an overdrive pedal, nothing extreme, as that can get a bit squirrely.

 

[Boogie]

I think a progressive rock guitar would be a 24 fret, trem (floating or floyd) guitar... if I was looking for a Prog Rock guitar, the Custom 24 - perhaps more the P24 - would be my ideal in the PRS range.

I'm right there with ya, Mozzi.

 

[Utkarsh]

So I actually did this experiment with a Mccarty (trem..err DGT). I have replaced the stock pickups with BK aftermaths and the guitar sits in C#
The clarity is wonderful to behold, the large frets make playing technical stuff a breeze and high gain is handled like a champ. Maybe I'll make a video sometime but i will say this..i am strongly buying a second DGT to do the exact same thing to it but keep it in drop C

 

[garrett]

I love the SD Pegasus and Sentient in my 7-string. They were specifically designed for progressive metal. Fantastic clarity and a nice midrange rip on the bridge pickup. I wouldn't hesitate to grab the 6-string version.

 

[Summer]

Bottom line is you need to keep buying PRS guitars............. I'm fortunate to own three and they all have their place.
Custom 24 with HFS/Vintage. guitar SCREAMS
Custom 22 with 85/15 neck and bridge. really nice combination. Hot but just right for me
594 DC with 58/15 LT in neck and a 58/15 in the bridge perfect for classic rock, blues, single coil sound if I need it, etc...
Need it like a hole in the head but up next, hopefully next year, Silver Sky. Would love if they went to maple fretboard.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

Lol, I got myself into this by buying more PRS guitars.

 

[Mert Mermerci]

I’m into a lot of the same bands as you including some others like Between the Buried and me, Periphery and Polyphia. I’ve found my custom 24 with a swamp ash back, maple neck and maple top with 85/15s seem to be able to ball park all of their tones pretty well. That being said I am thinking of either putting some /m\s in it or possibly the Seymour Duncan Alpha/Omega set.


If you look at the guitars those bands use you’ll see they normally use a swamp ash or mahogany back and a maple neck with 24 frets. I think that wood combo is a big part of the clear and articulate sound they get and I don’t know if you’d be able to replicate it with just pickups alone. If you wanted to try it though you might want to contact Bareknuckle pickups and tell them what you’re trying to do and see what they suggest.

I’ve been looking for a review like that. Could you please explain the swamp ash CU24 and it’s response on metal and other genres?

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I’ve never played a traditional custom 24 to compare it to, but compared to other mahogany back/neck guitars I find the swamp ash/maple combo much more cutting and exact. Under heavy gain you can still hear every note clearly and it has no problem cutting through the mix. If it’s a little too bright it can easily be remedied by rolling off the tone knob. I find it a great compliment to my much more warm sounding semi hollow 594.

 

[gush]

I’d take a look at some \m/ pickups. Clarity over the top.

I'd 2nd this. I had my McCarty tuned down for a while and put HFS/VB in it. It worked well with these but it seemed to lose clarity with higher gain.

A set of Ms fixed that problem. These M pickups are very clear even with high gain AND they reject muddiness very well.

M pickups would be your solution.

 

[goof1073]

Kinda surprised that nobody has mentioned a Tremonti set yet?

 

[littlebadboy]

I am happy with my DiMarzio D-Activator X set. Have a parallel mode option and you can set them to almost anything you want.

 

[Ovibos]

Might be choosing the right amp and putting a TS or a Precision Drive in front. Opeth tours with Piezo 24s with 85/15 as well as McCartys...

 

[Johnny Rigs]

So October isn’t a long ago since I started this thread, but it feels like a lot has changed.

Well on the guitar side of things, I’ve been moving to lighter strings and enjoying it. Going 9-42 for E Standard. Haven’t done that in many years. But it definitely tightens up the sound by dropping out bass that can make things muddy, and I’m really liking it. Using a string tension calculator, the closest in Drop C# for this McCarty would be 9.5-46. Looking forward to trying.

I’ve also since found a Rackmount Recto for sale. It’s sound heavy enough with the stock 58/15s. One day I’ll get around to putting the \m/ bridge and 85/15 neck in that I got for it. Should be pretty killer. Have to create a wiring help thread first...

 

[FunkyFreeman]

I have a 594 thus can say that the 58/15 LT aren’t designed for your needs. I’ve never tried replacing pups on 594 but did to my MEQ with different pups.

All videos below show how my MEQ sounds with those pups:

1. With PRS \m/ treble and Dragon II neck, through a Mark V amp.

2. With Bare Knuckle Aftermath set through the same amp. This BKP set is still on this guitar nowadays.

3. BKP Aftermath in clean setting through a Yamaha THR amp. These BKP aren’t only good at distortion, but also sweet enough in clean for my needs.

Your miles may vary. But I’m really impressed with BKP and will surely explore more of their pups.