TCI "S" pickup versions and revisions?

[sumitagarwal]

I've been looking at TCI "S" pickups, possibly to replace my #7 "S" pickups, and I noticed at least three versions. One without a version, one VER 10.2019, and one VER 10.2021.

Does anyone know what PRS changed over time? Specifically the 10.2021 looks like a brass baseplate to me, which would seem like a downgrade compared to the earlier versions.

 

[SinSir]

Get the measurement from the sellers, but yes the obvious difference is the change of the base plate to brass between the first and last pic. I'm assuming the bobbins are black from both of those by the product number and then middle has zebra.

My personal preference is anything I've ever added as brass to a guitar improved the tone.

 

[sumitagarwal]

Get the measurement from the sellers, but yes the obvious difference is the change of the base plate to brass between the first and last pic. I'm assuming the bobbins are black from both of those by the product number and then middle has zebra.

My personal preference is anything I've ever added as brass to a guitar improved the tone.

Thanks. I've generally found that brass is great on the hardware side of things, but bad on the electronics side of things. Nice for saddles/etc that carry vibrations, but for example brass pickup covers make pickups more dull.

As I understand it placing a lot of brass near the pickup coils alters the magnetic field in a way that dulls things.

 

[SinSir]

LAs I understand it placing a lot of brass near the pickup coils alters the magnetic field in a way that dulls things.

They supposedly change the Q slightly. Not sure I'd say dull. Like everything else there's those that say they do nothing. It's all up to the players ear.

I'll add, every one of my core pickups have brass plates, and some of them are my favorite pickups of all time. Brass plates work for me.

 

[sumitagarwal]

They supposedly change the Q slightly. Not sure I'd say dull. Like everything else there's those that say they do nothing. It's all up to the players ear.

I'll add, every one of my core pickups have brass plates, and some of them are my favorite pickups of all time. Brass plates work for me.

Ah, found this good write-up here: https://alexkenis.wordpress.com/201...e-material-effect-on-self-resonant-frequency/

Basically yes there are some differences in baseplate sound, but brass and nickel-silver in particular are so close that it doesn't matter.

Surprisingly the finding is that brass is brighter than nickel-silver, which is the opposite of what I expected. Although I expected that based on brass covers being darker than nickel-silver covers, and the blog very briefly mentions that materials in the baseplate have the opposite effect as the same materials in covers!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

My understanding is the TCI process incorporates pickups, the whole wiring loom, resistors etc.

Not sure if the pickups are TCI’d on their own.

 

[SinSir]

My understanding is the TCI process incorporates pickups, the whole wiring loom, resistors etc.

Not sure if the pickups are TCI’d on their own.

The se has pickups called TCI.. PRS an their marketing strikes again