Special Semi-Hollow Pickup Swap?

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Goodsal

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Sep 3, 2020
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I have a 2020 Special Semi-Hollow. I love the guitar but don’t like the 58/15MT pickups. They are too hot for my taste and way too mid-rangey. I think I’d be happier with lower output pickups for a cleaner, sweeter tone. How difficult would it be to swap pickups given the multi-tap wiring? Are there pickups that would be an easy installation given the existing wiring?
 
Thanks Wedge. I'm not sure they're identical because the MTs tap the pickups whereas my understanding is the LT's split the pickups. That's exactly what I'm trying to find out. If we can confirm it's an easy swap I would totally do that.
 
Swap wouldn't be an issue with another pickup if.. I haven't seen the inside cavity of a special SH but with the mini toggles and 5 way I'd assume they are 4 wire pickups.
 
My LT have a braided and white wire for split, but I don't know if PRS makes a 4 wire version. I kinda assumed the wires are the difference of the MT. May be more, but that one I assumed for the Multitap
 
Take a pic of your control cavity and I’ll do the same, easy enough to see if the connections are the same.actually they won’t be but we can determine if they are compatible, forgot you have mini toggles but the wires off the pups should be the same since they both ‘split/tap’.
 
andy474x said:
Man, can't imagine going without the single coil sounds of the MT, but maybe that's just me.
Click to expand...
I’ll fourth that for good measure. The 58/15MT fit the SSH so well, I didn’t understand why they went to LT once it became a normal production model. I can definitely say the tap on the 58/15MT sounds much better than the split on my 594 with the LT pickups.
 
21Hemispheres12 said:
I’ll fourth that for good measure. The 58/15MT fit the SSH so well, I didn’t understand why they went to LT once it became a normal production model. I can definitely say the tap on the 58/15MT sounds much better than the split on my 594 with the LT pickups.
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I agree completely. And it’s not just that the ”single coil” sounds of the 58/15MT are fantastic on their own (by very far the best single coil sound of any humbucker I’ve ever heard), it’s also that the relationship between the humbucker sounds and the single coil sounds is so seamless without volume drops or any harshness or boominess. You can set a sound for any pickup position and it will sound great in any other position, that’s very unique. I have a hard time understanding why PRS doesn’t use those pickups more often in other models.
 
I have been having the same thoughts as well. I have a 2019 Special 22 (neck pickup is reversed) and was thinking of even making the neck pickup not reversed.
 
OP here. In thinking about all of the responses I realize that I love the sound of the 58/MTs in the tapped position, they're kind of a middle ground between humbuckers and single coils. I find the neck pickup way too hot and muddy when in full humbucker position and I almost always leave the neck in tapped mode. The bridge sounds great to me as is. I tried lowering the neck pickup all the way down to be flush with the pickup ring and that helps. Any other advice re pickup heights to sweeten the tone and also to maximize the quack with the middle narrowfield pickup?
 
Goodsal said:
OP here. In thinking about all of the responses I realize that I love the sound of the 58/MTs in the tapped position, they're kind of a middle ground between humbuckers and single coils. I find the neck pickup way too hot and muddy when in full humbucker position and I almost always leave the neck in tapped mode. The bridge sounds great to me as is. I tried lowering the neck pickup all the way down to be flush with the pickup ring and that helps. Any other advice re pickup heights to sweeten the tone and also to maximize the quack with the middle narrowfield pickup?
Click to expand...
I was actually adjusting my pickups today and I have them all set to pretty much 3/32 bass side and 5/64 treble side. The bridge pickup is a touch higher than the middle and neck though.

I absolutely love the neck pickup in mine so I don’t have any useful suggestions there. Is your SSH mahogany neck and back? Mine is swamp ash and maple neck so I’m wondering if that’s why my neck pickup doesn’t sound muddy at all.
 
Goodsal said:
OP here. In thinking about all of the responses I realize that I love the sound of the 58/MTs in the tapped position, they're kind of a middle ground between humbuckers and single coils. I find the neck pickup way too hot and muddy when in full humbucker position and I almost always leave the neck in tapped mode. The bridge sounds great to me as is. I tried lowering the neck pickup all the way down to be flush with the pickup ring and that helps. Any other advice re pickup heights to sweeten the tone and also to maximize the quack with the middle narrowfield pickup?
Click to expand...

You can always go lower on the neck pickup too.. there is no right answer on height only guides. Our ears hear differently every guitar is unique, our rigs, style, and environment too. Sometimes even a quarter turn can make the difference. For more quack you'll need to find the sweet spot for the middle pickup. I usually find that a little higher than the rest.
 
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