So something had been bothering me about my PRS Core Holcomb. I didn't dig the sound of its pickups.
It had always been on the back of my mind since I had bought it, but last week, it came to the fore when I made the collection video and played a bunch of guitars back to back, with identical amp settings.
I was surprised by how relatively low output it sounded despite the ratings and it had none of the thump/chunk/insert your own sound here, you expect from djenty pickups.
I first suspected it was a loose connection so I got the multimeter out which verified the factory stated resistances. No issue there.
Then it struck me that the answer was staring me in the face. The pickups were depressed almost all the way to the top. Standard PRS guidances are 3/32 on the bass side and 5/64 on the treble and these were almost 3 times that.
2 minutes with the screwdriver and ruler later, the issue was fixed. And I could swear I had a brand new guitar. I go through the process in the video below..
Point is, so many of us are often going the last mile for tone. Thinking about that perfect guitar, that perfect pickup. Judging we like the sound of this, don't like the sound of that. My realization is that if you don't particularly like the sound of a guitar and are contemplating a pickup change, first check the pickup heights (are they too high or low, particularly on a used guitar) and secondly play around a little. Feel the bridge pickup is too hot. Lower the pickup a little and see how it goes. The neck too anemic (We have all seen these descriptions on forums). Perhaps try raising that pup.
Anyway I'm sure this has been said before, by folks much more adept than me, but I thought I'll put it out here anyway. And yes, I am really enjoying the Holcomb now.
It had always been on the back of my mind since I had bought it, but last week, it came to the fore when I made the collection video and played a bunch of guitars back to back, with identical amp settings.
I was surprised by how relatively low output it sounded despite the ratings and it had none of the thump/chunk/insert your own sound here, you expect from djenty pickups.
I first suspected it was a loose connection so I got the multimeter out which verified the factory stated resistances. No issue there.
Then it struck me that the answer was staring me in the face. The pickups were depressed almost all the way to the top. Standard PRS guidances are 3/32 on the bass side and 5/64 on the treble and these were almost 3 times that.
2 minutes with the screwdriver and ruler later, the issue was fixed. And I could swear I had a brand new guitar. I go through the process in the video below..
Point is, so many of us are often going the last mile for tone. Thinking about that perfect guitar, that perfect pickup. Judging we like the sound of this, don't like the sound of that. My realization is that if you don't particularly like the sound of a guitar and are contemplating a pickup change, first check the pickup heights (are they too high or low, particularly on a used guitar) and secondly play around a little. Feel the bridge pickup is too hot. Lower the pickup a little and see how it goes. The neck too anemic (We have all seen these descriptions on forums). Perhaps try raising that pup.
Anyway I'm sure this has been said before, by folks much more adept than me, but I thought I'll put it out here anyway. And yes, I am really enjoying the Holcomb now.