Special Semi Hollow LTD's .... MT or LT pickups?

Jo-

Jo-

f-hole lover
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
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Connnecticut, USA
Hiya I was wondering what the deal was with the pickup swap from the Special Semi Hollow LTD edition 58/15 MT's vs the non Ltd ones currently coming out with LT's. Why the change? What's the difference in the pickups.
Also I've seen one for sale, a LTD edition which came with the LT's.

And finally what's the deal with the neck pup being flipped backwards.

Here's a pic of mine.. it's a 2019 LTD edition one in Autumn Sky. I call this pic Autumn Sky in Autumn or Maples on Maples!!!

I'm curious too, how would you rate the top? Artist, 10 or standard.

IMG_1807.jpg
 
1st off absolutely love that color and bonus no hybrid hardware! At least to my eyes all one color/ finish hardware looks best. I have a 24-08 that has the neck pickup turned around. Gives a different flavor when using the splits. Tough to explain tone wise but different. I like that factory dealer requested mod. Alot of peeps would do that to the neck pickup on LP’s the Peter Greene mod. As far as the top I love it and would rate it regular but my guess is PRS rated it a 10. All that matters is if you like it and obviously it caught your eye. Great guitar congrats.
 
Great looking guitar. No idea why they changed from the MT to the LT. I have/had several 594s with the LT pickup, and 2 SH LTD with MTs. For my money, the MT have a more convincing tapped tone. Other than the Paul's pickups, they are the best single coil split tone of all of the PRS pickups. Again, IMO. In HB mode, they aren't terribly different. The MT is closer to the original 58/15. Not exact, but closer to that than the LT.

As for the flipped pick up, that is Paul's call. Does that on the Paul's guitar, too. He thinks it more closely approximates the 4 position due to the proximity of the coils.
 
I actually hate this top in person.

It's a standard top, looks great in a photo, for me it would pass as a 10 top, but in real life it looks like a photoflame or a veneer. There seems to be absolutely no depth to the maple ... it's flat and dead, no 3D-ness to it at all. It's really weird, I've never had a top that was like that and for some reason it really bugs me. I had considered selling it and buying a new one, but it's one of the original LTD's with MT's so I'm going to keep it. :D It plays and sounds fabulous though.

I'm silly, I know.
 
Yep, the flame is missing (sorry, can’t think of another way to describe it) on the upper horn. So standard.

Paul is right, we buy guitars with our eyes.

If it plays/sounds great, then I wouldn’t let it go.

But that’s just my 2p.

And it’s not silly. I totally bought my Santana visually, to begin with.
 
My own speculation is that they streamlined pickup production by killing MT lines since they’re more time consuming to wire and much lower production volume.

If I had my choice it would be MT since I agree with the other posters who think they have more convincing single coil sounds.
 
Jo- said:
I actually hate this top in person.

It's a standard top, looks great in a photo, for me it would pass as a 10 top, but in real life it looks like a photoflame or a veneer. There seems to be absolutely no depth to the maple ... it's flat and dead, no 3D-ness to it at all. It's really weird, I've never had a top that was like that and for some reason it really bugs me. I had considered selling it and buying a new one, but it's one of the original LTD's with MT's so I'm going to keep it. :D It plays and sounds fabulous though.

I'm silly, I know.
Click to expand...
You're beyond silly! That, on the whole, is a killer guitar! Great color, and the nature of the top suits it perfectly. I wouldn't care if it was a '5' top' ... that's an ideal package where all the elements come together perfectly IMO, and I personally appreciate it for what it is.
 
AaeCee said:
You're beyond silly! That, on the whole, is a killer guitar! Great color, and the nature of the top suits it perfectly. I wouldn't care if it was a '5' top' ... that's an ideal package where all the elements come together perfectly IMO, and I personally appreciate it for what it is.
Click to expand...
Looking at it in a photo the guitar looks great. I don’t care about 10 tops etc but it’s just that in person this particular guitar has no depth in the flames.

Seriously, in person it looks like a photo flame or a very thin veneer.

I have never had a maple topped PRS that looks like this in person. It’s flat and dead.
 
To me it looks like it’s got a satin or semi-gloss finish on it, could be just the light it’s in or angle of the picture though. Most guitars that i have seen with any type of figuring on them and that are finished in either a satin or semi-gloss finish more often then not seem to lose the 3D look / depth of the figuring. I read something about how the finish affects the light refraction. I’m no scientist but I’m sure there are guys on this forum that can explain that in detail. But in the end i agree with you, to me it has to not only sound incredible but it also has to look visually stunning. After all, isn't it the look / finish of PRS guitars that drive the prices up so high?
 
I love the MT’s in my SSH. I usually don’t care for split HB sounds, just prefer to take the HB’s for what they are and play them that way, but not with the MT’s.

I wonder if they can still be spec’d on a private stock…
 
Well back a while ago when dealers weren’t using photo studios to take pictures in perfect light and backgrounds to show the flame tops that might not be as obvious to the naked eye you could walk into a dealer and the PRS 10 tops would beyond a doubt stick out wasn’t any guessing back then (early 2000’s and older). I have older Custom 24’s that no matter if there in the case or anywhere the tops stick out. I have a few newer 2010’s and up that you have to use your imagination a little more. Doesn't bother me as the figuring is only icing on the cake and I don’t blame the dealers one bit for showing the guitars in there best light ( pun intended). It’s the changing times I guess. I’m still in 100% and again I love this particular op’s guitar!
 
Regarding the finish , it is a nice color, and there is a way to make the wood pop more, it unfortunately requires a re-finish.
In figured woods , especially maple there is a technique called "back sanding" when used with multi leveled stains it can make some truely jaw dropping effects. This is time consuming so you don't see it in standard runs.
 
Last edited:
Jo- said:
I have never had a maple topped PRS that looks like this in person. It’s flat and dead.
Click to expand...
Out of respect, if it's a dead hero guitar (and all deceased PRSes are!) you owe it a public cremation, with a great outpouring of grief!

Why, you could use the leaves from the photo you posted to fuel the funeral pyre. The guitar might wind up in Hades with ancient Hellenes like Achiles and Clytemnestra, who also had memorable mythical funeral pyres. And who knows, it might get played there!

The ashes could reside in a funerary urn on your mantel, and you could recite the Limitidiad to friends and retainers who come to your megaron for a visit, to the accompaniment of one of your other guitars:

Sing, Goddess, Jo's rage,
Black and murderous, that cost the Autumn Sky
Incalculable pain, pitched countless souls
Of guitars into Hades' dark,
And left their bodies to rot as feasts
For dogs and birds,
As Zeus' will was done.
 
Last edited:
Greywolf said:
Regarding the finish , it is a nice color, and there is a way to make the wood pop more, it unfortunately requires a re-finish.
In figured woods , especially maple there is a technique called "back sanding" when used with multi leveled stains it can make some truely jaw dropping effects. This is time consuming so you don't see it in standard runs.
Click to expand...

Way more skill needed to sand a multi-faceted maple top back evenly. But good information.
 
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