TCI-Tuned 58/15LT pickups!!!!

[WA Paul]

I missed a huge opportunity years ago on a pernie DGT. I just don’t care for the DGT nut, so I took the finger off the trigger. I don’t often (read: never) see pernie PRSi in the wild anymore.

Jay beat me to a nice blue one at Brian’s Guitars - I was on vacation in Hawaii so I can’t complain - too much!

 

[WA Paul]

I've yet to play a Brazilian-necked guitar of any variety, but I've never heard a bad thing about one. I do have a few PRSi with Brazilian boards and MAN do they sound good! The weight thing is important, though. I've found hobbling on stage is an inspiration-sapper.

This might fit the bill for you - 8lbs, 4oz of ME I SCT bliss with 59/09s

 

[ViperDoc]

This might fit the bill for you - 8lbs, 4oz of ME I SCT bliss with 59/09s

THAT’S KILLER!

 

[WA Paul]

THAT’S KILLER![/

I find 59/09s with RW necks just slay, every time!

I’ve had mixed luck with 57/08s and RW necks - loved it with Madagascar RW, but didn’t like it with the DC594 Braz neck I had a while back. Fault likely lies with my ears though!

53/10s work well too

 

[ViperDoc]

I find 59/09s with RW necks just slay, every time!

I’ve had mixed luck with 57/08s and RW necks - loved it with Madagascar RW, but didn’t like it with the DC594 Braz neck I had a while back. Fault likely lies with my ears though!

53/10s work well too

I have a P24 with a pattern thin rosewood neck and 57/08s. The neck feel is very unique, and the tone is warm and has a unique bite. I normally gravitate heavily towards the classic hogneck/rw board and maple-on-maple. I’ve yet to really bond with rosewood. Same with Korina bodies. Maybe it’s time to venture deeper into the jungle...

 

[WA Paul]

I have a P24 with a pattern thin rosewood neck and 57/08s. The neck feel is very unique, and the tone is warm and has a unique bite. I normally gravitate heavily towards the classic hogneck/rw board and maple-on-maple. I’ve yet to really bond with rosewood. Same with Korina bodies. Maybe it’s time to venture deeper into the jungle...

Funny, I’ve never got along with Korina either - seems too harsh to my ears. I’ve been hit and miss with maple necks.

I like Braz better than the other RW neck variants. But I think the mojo of the RW neck works best with the thicker PRS body types - McCarty Trem, 594, SC, etc rather than the Cu22 or Cu24 variants. Compliments the frequencies betters to my ears, but that my be due to what my ears can only hear these days...

 

[veinbuster]

Ah, I thought that was a Pernie neck. A rare bird indeed!

Do tell! Did I hear something of a Violin prototype????

Yes, the violin run used pernambuco, but the prototype was done with Brazilian Rosewood.

 

[Basauri]

Nitro, TCI pickups, bone nut... I’m not gonna lie, I want another PRS

 

[Bluesverb]

A lot of what PRS has done is Lean Engineering. Taking cost out of a product, and if it is a noticeable change, make a good marketing strategy out of it. When they took the chrome off the tuner pegs, it wasn't for tone. Chroming metal parts isn't exactly cheap. But if you believe that you can here the difference, then you will. Vintage Klusons are cheap tuners. The "tweaked tuners" were silly IMHO as the shaft is still connected to the button, and therefore the whole tuner still vibrates.

There are a few production stories that involve meeting deadlines that are now marketed into gospel as a tone quest enhancement. The tuners with no chrome is one one of them. The Santana no backplate/route, is another.

If Brass is "all that", it follows that we should have a Brass nut. The nut defines the tone at the head stock, not the chrome on a tuning peg.

I would make a bet that the cheaper Klusons on the 594's are now used to offset the cost of the Nitro finish/process.

Remember, they are are manufacturing company and economies of scale come into play as any other manufacturer.

I own around 40 PRS guitars, 3 PRS amps, and 5 PRS Cabs.
I am so tired of people stating that Paul said this or said that. "Paul said it and therefore it must be true".
If you can take cost out of a product, and make it better, than all the better.
However, they have an active cost cutting program to be sure, as well as they should.
I am now at a point in my life that I just don't want to pay $4000ish for a 10 top 594.
I have a SC-245 and an SC-58 (Artist Package), and I love them. Not to mention a HB DC and an HB singlecut.
NOW, I have to run out and get new ones???? Wow.......

The magic is always in your fingers. Not in a tweaked tuner with plastic this or that or reduced metal, etc....

 

[Tonart]

I don’t often (read: never) see pernie PRSi in the wild anymore.

Pernie-phile extraordinaire to the fore. I know of at least 3 pernambuco PRS still available in the wild.

 

[Tonart]

I don’t know why I like pernambuco PRS so much.

The cheap slut side of me admits it’s because of the exotic nature of the wood.

The respectable guitarist side of me insists it’s purely due to the sound. Cos I gotta admit, the word sounds great rolling off my tongue: perrr-nam-bu-co.

 

[WA Paul]

Pernie-phile extraordinaire to the fore. I know of at least 3 pernambuco PRS still available in the wild.

3?

I count 8 including acoustics. One is not a PRS, but a high end acoustic guitar with Pernie back and sides.

Like a ninja!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

A lot of what PRS has done is Lean Engineering.....The Santana no backplate/route, is another.

This one seems more like a lateral move, labor wise. Sure, they don’t have to have a plate and four screws, and they don’t have to worry about sanding the plate recess lip.. but of the three I have with them, the cavities are finished more thoroughly than the ones with them. Which means they have to take more care, and sand and polish that area.

 

[Bluesverb]

This one seems more like a lateral move, labor wise. Sure, they don’t have to have a plate and four screws, and they don’t have to worry about sanding the plate recess lip.. but of the three I have with them, the cavities are finished more thoroughly than the ones with them. Which means they have to take more care, and sand and polish that area.

The below statements are what was told to me by an ex PRS employee that is a friend of mine. True? You decide:

1) The story behind the Santana back plate is that Paul was up against a deadline building a Santana back in the day. He didn't have time to finish the tremolo cavity so he quickly rounded over the edges and sent it off to paint.THAT is how it came to be. However, since Santana was a Hendrix fan, and Hendrix took off the back plate to get at the springs (VanHalen as well), then that was told to everyone.
2) A shipment of tuners/pegs had no chrome and was used to build a NAMM guitar. When Paul was asked why there was no chrome, he stated for "tone" reasons.

Either way, people believe what they want to believe.

BTW - I never actually heard or played a 57-59 PAF and I am 51. I really couldn't tell you if any pickup is a PAF sounding pickup or not. Therefore, when people throw the PAF acronym around, I just shake my head. Besides, all PAF pickups are not the same, or are they???? LOL

The reason why a 59 Les Paul Standard is so hallowed is that that was the first year of that configuration since the Les Paul inception. There were approximately less than 1500 - 2000 of that particular configuration of neck/frets/pickups/bridge/wood, etc.. until the 1960's neck came to be and by then the SG was the new "Les Paul" for most of the 1960's. Therefore, if you wanted to get a suped up Les Paul for Rock, in the 1960's, the 1959-1960 year (bleed over production) was it. THAT is how the legend was born.

That said, EVH took a body that was going to be thrown out, put a Fender Tremolo on it, a sort of Gibson "broken" pickup/wiring that he fixed up, cut up a pick guard, and stuck an aftermarket strat type neck on it. He then made history.

 

[Tonart]

3?

I count 8 including acoustics. One is not a PRS, but a high end acoustic guitar with Pernie back and sides.

Like a ninja!

I am not worthy oh Kaneshiro HondaToyota PaultheGuitarHunter San! Any Collection Series II DGT within the 8? Or any kickass specimen?

A friend of mine, and Viperdoc would love to know...

 

[WA Paul]

I am not worthy oh Kaneshiro HondaToyota PaultheGuitarHunter San! Any Collection Series II DGT within the 8? Or any kickass specimen?

A friend of mine, and Viperdoc would love to know...

Whoops! Up to 10 now...

No Series II DGT

4 of them are the 2014 McCarty 408 Collection run with the museum birds
1 is the London Soot McCarty Trem
1 is a Collection III HB
1 is a Collection V Coral Snake
1 is a Collection Tonare with Pernie neck
1 is the non-PRS acoustic
1 is a one-off...that I’ll ‘keep’ for myself

 

[Tonart]

1 is a one-off...that I’ll ‘keep’ for myself

Way to go! I hope to see a spectacular NGD soon!

 

[WA Paul]

Way to go! I hope to see a spectacular NGD soon!

Poorly worded on my part - no NGD for me. But it’s been on my watch list for some time as it’s a one off right in my wheelhouse.

 

[shimmilou]

...Either way, people believe what they want to believe.

BTW - I never actually heard or played a 57-59 PAF and I am 51. I really couldn't tell you if any pickup is a PAF sounding pickup or not. Therefore, when people throw the PAF acronym around, I just shake my head...

I have to shake my head a little bit.......You've never heard music? There were many "PAF" pickups used by many great players. Patent Applied For from 56 to 62, Lap Steel, LP and SG (could probably include the Byrdland too).

 

[shinksma]

The below statements are what was told to me by an ex PRS employee that is a friend of mine. True? You decide:

1) The story behind the Santana back plate is that Paul was up against a deadline building a Santana back in the day. He didn't have time to finish the tremolo cavity so he quickly rounded over the edges and sent it off to paint.THAT is how it came to be. However, since Santana was a Hendrix fan, and Hendrix took off the back plate to get at the springs (VanHalen as well), then that was told to everyone.

Ex-employees are really good at not knowing the real back story, because they heard it from Bob in the breakroom over coffee, who heard from Nancy in accounting when they were dating, etc. The number of completely backwards rumors I have heard from friends of ex-co-workers at places where I worked...

Anyway, so a lucky mistake made over 30 years ago that is now a main feature of that model is a long-term cost savings for the brand? Why not spread it to all the other models of the line?

2) A shipment of tuners/pegs had no chrome and was used to build a NAMM guitar. When Paul was asked why there was no chrome, he stated for "tone" reasons.

Either way, people believe what they want to believe.

Indeed. But Kluson style tuners aren't just regular tuners with no chrome. They are a specific style that some artists and regular gigging or basement players prefer. PRS is changing them due to perceived demand, because it will make the 594 series very much match the classic G design. To look at typical third party stuff, Hipshot locking chrome tuners cost about the same as Kluson tuners on Amazon, for example.

BTW - I never actually heard or played a 57-59 PAF and I am 51. I really couldn't tell you if any pickup is a PAF sounding pickup or not. Therefore, when people throw the PAF acronym around, I just shake my head. Besides, all PAF pickups are not the same, or are they???? LOL

As @shimmilou said, you have indeed heard PAF style pups (the "successor" Patent Number pups are just refined PAFs, after the patent was granted), because I would guess 50% or more of the "classic rock" album up to 1980 that had HB-equipped guitars probably used them, with the rest using mostly Dimarzio SDs or Filtertrons. Certainly almost every Gibson guitar with HBs made before 1970 would have come stock with PAFs.

We get it, you are highly suspicious of PRS's motivations. Based on my impressions, I get the sense that very few (or zero) decisions are made that sacrifice quality just to save dollars. But I don't work at PRS, and I certainly am not a member of their senior management or board of directors.