Warm up my CE22!!

[boardn10]

Any of you guys familiar with Suhr pickups? Wolftone?

I love a lot of PRS pickups.

I have an older PRS CE22 which is Alder with a maple neck and trem bridge.
I am not

It's got a lot of zing and edge to the tone. I prefer my singlecut guitars but I'm trying to make this guitar more to my liking with a bridge pickup swap.
I have to use a light touch on this guitar and be more delicate. If I palm mute on this guitar like on my singlecut, it has a Metallica edge I don't like. If I pull back and go lighter, it's better.

I think it also seems to struggle with hot over the top pickups.

Right now I'm using a PRS Tremonti which I like in one of my singlecuts but high output pickups in this CE22 seem overbearing. I still have the original Dragon 1 bridge in a box. I have better clarity and it's tighter with the Tremonti but still seems hard to control. Yet, these pickups don't feel the same in my singlecuts.

I'm looking for more warmth and, maybe less output, smooth highs.
I'm basically trying different pickups till I find the right match


Curious if anyone has tried the new Suhr Woodbucker Alnico II bridge bucker, Thornbucker or Thornbucker II.
The SSH is also of interest. It's not very high output.

I thought of the PRS 59/09 but honestly it's a lot to see if end for this guitar, considering this is not a heavily played guitar.

If I don't try a Suhr I may end up ordering a Wolfetone Fenris. I'm a big Wolfetone fan. I've used his Timbrewolf for years in various singlecut guitars including my current SC250. I also have a Suhr Aldrich in another PRS SC and a Gibson LP Standard. So, I am somewhat familiar with his pickups. To me the Aldrich is pretty balanced in my guitars and thick and chewy.

These days I tend to like to go with speakers and pickups that are more neutral and not too much of anything, like all kids, bass or highs and let my amp and it's EQ, plus my pedals do much of the work. But I know that isn't always possible. Heck, I still have some cabs with British V30s and they aren't exactly neutral.

The other pickup that comes to mind is a Rio Grande BBQ bridge pickup.

I may not know the best fit till I find it.

Thanks!

 

[JasonE]

I do not envy you on this journey. Many people love the Dragon I pickups that guitar had in it stock. Something with an Alnico II magnet is going to be a bit warmer but lower output is also going to brighten it up and add clarity. Higher output is going to darken the pickup. It is all kind of a balancing act.

I have a few Suhr guitars with various pickups but I am not sure if they are something you are going to like. I have an SSV+ in a custom standard I had them build for me. It is a mahogany body with maple cap, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. I like that pickup in my guitar. I also have an SSV in a guitar that has the same wood combination as yours and I like that pickup in that guitar as well. The SSV pickups I have are less output than the SSH pickup you mentioned.

 

[boardn10]

I do not envy you on this journey. Many people love the Dragon I pickups that guitar had in it stock. Something with an Alnico II magnet is going to be a bit warmer but lower output is also going to brighten it up and add clarity. Higher output is going to darken the pickup. It is all kind of a balancing act.

I have a few Suhr guitars with various pickups but I am not sure if they are something you are going to like. I have an SSV+ in a custom standard I had them build for me. It is a mahogany body with maple cap, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. I like that pickup in my guitar. I also have an SSV in a guitar that has the same wood combination as yours and I like that pickup in that guitar as well. The SSV pickups I have are less output than the SSH pickup you mentioned.

Very true and well said.
So many variables with pickups. I used the Dragons for years in this CE22 but when I switched to the Tremonti Bridge I gained a lot of clarity and tightness. However, this guitar has a ton of zing and is very lively so hot pickups almost feel like too much at times.

Right though, tons of pickup variables and many of the rules cross over. Like my Rio Grande BBQ bridge pickup is said to be darker than my Aldrich which is supposedly hotter. But I've gotten lots of high end clarity from my BBQ. So many variables that weigh into it.
I may give the Dragon 1 one more chance to see what I think.

I do enjoy the Suhr pickups I have. I find the Aldrich really fat and chewy, thick.

I am a huge fan of Wolfetone pickups. His Timbrewolf is one of my go to pickups. My SC250 sounds huge, chunky, bright and warm. I've used the TW in a Les Paul and a PRS SC. I may say it's fatter than my Aldrich. Also love his Fenris Alnico II.
His Timbrewolf and Fenris are my go to Alnico V and Alnico II pickups.

I thought about ordering a Fenris for the CE22. I also have a Rio BBQ here.
The Suhr pickups I thought of are the Thornbucker, DSV and DSH.
Suhr says their fattest humbucker is the DSH+.
The DSV, DSH and DSH+ are supposedly warm, fat and smooth. Not sure why dual screws would make it fatter.

 

[JasonE]

Very true and well said.
So many variables with pickups. I used the Dragons for years in this CE22 but when I switched to the Tremonti Bridge I gained a lot of clarity and tightness. However, this guitar has a ton of zing and is very lively so hot pickups almost feel like too much at times.

Right though, tons of pickup variables and many of the rules cross over. Like my Rio Grande BBQ bridge pickup is said to be darker than my Aldrich which is supposedly hotter. But I've gotten lots of high end clarity from my BBQ. So many variables that weigh into it.
I may give the Dragon 1 one more chance to see what I think.

I do enjoy the Suhr pickups I have. I find the Aldrich really fat and chewy, thick.

I am a huge fan of Wolfetone pickups. His Timbrewolf is one of my go to pickups. My SC250 sounds huge, chunky, bright and warm. I've used the TW in a Les Paul and a PRS SC. I may say it's fatter than my Aldrich. Also love his Fenris Alnico II.
His Timbrewolf and Fenris are my go to Alnico V and Alnico II pickups.

I thought about ordering a Fenris for the CE22. I also have a Rio BBQ here.
The Suhr pickups I thought of are the Thornbucker, DSV and DSH.
Suhr says their fattest humbucker is the DSH+.
The DSV, DSH and DSH+ are supposedly warm, fat and smooth. Not sure why dual screws would make it fatter.

I have Aldrich pickups in a custom built Modern. They are pretty versatile for hot pickups.

I don't think the double screws has anything to do with making it fatter. Having two rows just allows you more adjustment. I think it has more to do with how they wind them.

If I were really unsure what to do, I would call Lindy Fralin and have a discussion with him. I have done this twice and he knocked it out of the park on both occasions. We talked about the guitar, it's construction and the woods it was made of. We then talked about the pickups that were in it and what I didn't like about them. We talked about what I wanted to achieve and he got to work. The nice thing about going this route is once you receive the pickups if there something you still don't like, you can contact him and he will have you send them back for a rewind to adjust them. The only cost for the rewind is the shipping to send them back. I never had to discuss a rewind with him because the ones I bought did what I wanted on the first shot.

 

[boardn10]

I hear ya, love my Aldrich in my LP.

Suhr says the DSH+ is their fattest and warmest. Wonder why. I assumed the only difference between the SSH+ and DSH+ was dual screw coils and enamel wire. Must be more to it.
Makes me want to replace my Aldrich with the DSH+ since my one Singlecut is sort of lean and bright sounding. Not as fat and warm as my other SCs.

Never tried Fealin but gear great things!!!

Wolfe is the same way. He helps me a lot and will do rewinds.

Tempted to try the Rio BBQ, my Dragon 1 again or a Wolfetone Fenris.

 

[boardn10]

I am loving the Aldrich in my LP and SC.

With the Tremonti in my CE22, I have to roll down thr tone pot to take off the edge. And that is considered a dark pickup.

 

[Lewguitar]

I had the Suhr SSH+ and SSV set in my '00 CE22. After a few months i took them out and sold them.

To me, the tone just wasn't warm and paf like. Instead it was kind of "clinical". Kind of sterile, altho many would disagree with that description.

I like the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set in that guitar right now much more but someday I may put PRS 57/08's in that guitar.

If you're looking to warm up your guitar with the thick, sweet, warm tone of a real paf pickup, I've not found one I like better than the 57/08. Especially the newest ones.

I have Wolfetone Marshallheads in a Bernie Marsden LP style guitar. They were too bright and sizzley for my tastes with Wolfe's A5 magnets, but after putting in roughcast A2 magnets, that set sounds like a more rock oriented version of the 57/08's.

But if it's warmth and chewy tone you're after go for the PRS 57/08's.

 

[Bogner]

Thornbucker

 

[boardn10]

I like the 57/08s in my stripped 58 but they weren't holding up for low tuned heavy music so I swapped out the ridge pickup for a Wolfetone Fenris!

I frickin love my Aldrich pickups in my SC and LP. Just super warm, fat and chewy with this gooey compression that is addicting.
I may end up getting another Aldrich for my CE22. I wish I coild get the Dragon 1 bridge pickup to work for me. I could never get enough clarity or tightness in the lows.

 

[boardn10]

This is from Suhr:

"A step warmer/rounder from the Aldrich, and almost as hot, would be the DSH+ (Plus).

As for the not-as-hot option, it depends on the level of output you would like, but the DSH regular would be a warm, round, fat pickup, although with a healthy output (around 12k DCR), so the output would be to play something like EVH Van Hagar early era of output.

Lower output, we would recommend the DSV regular, as that would be like an idealized medium output PAF, but with a double row of screws, which makes it rounder and warmer.

The double-row of screws does affect the tone of the pickup, as you would be missing the steel slugs which do have a different frequency response than screw polepieces.
Hence we recommend the DSV pickups for bright guitars, ebony boards, etc."

 

[boardn10]

PAF pickups or at least a lot of the lower output models aren't that warm to my ears. Anything that bright, doesn't work for me. I a huge Wolfetone pickup fan but I coild not bond with the Marshall heads yet I love his Fenris and Timbrewolf. Just personal preference.

 

[Lewguitar]

PAF pickups or at least a lot of the lower output models aren't that warm to my ears. Anything that bright, doesn't work for me. I a huge Wolfetone pickup fan but I coild not bond with the Marshall heads yet I love his Fenris and Timbrewolf. Just personal preference.

Wish you had tried the Marshallheads with roughcast alnico 2 magnets.

I couldn't bond with the alnico 5 version Wolfe sent me. Too bright and edgey but also too much bass for my tastes and not enough of the thick midrange I get from the PRS 57/08's.

So I replaced his A5 magnets with AddictionFX Roughcast A2 magnets.

Made all the difference in the world for me.

Transformed them into more of a strong vintage (not underwound vintage) 57 or 58 paf and that particular set now resides in my favorite Bernie Marsden.

Wolfe winds a great pickup, I just prefer the sound I get when a roughcast alnico 2 is in it.

Gives the Marshallheads more mids and a thicker sound.

Smoother, less edgey treble but still some crunchy bite.

And I think A2 tends to make a humbucker more touch responsive so the sound compresses a little and then blooms.