What model should ’like’ these PRS pups?

Casi1

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Yes, I’m shamelessly trying to distract myself from a certain Midnight Rose instrument... but I also really need recommendations on this topic. Please help.

I have a set of uncovered 53/10s in a SE semi-hollow. They sound ok in there but nothing to write home about. I know they would be better suited elsewhere but I just don’t know where. I’ve heard these pickups in a Custom 24 and they sounded thin but decent with a wee bit of gain. I know they sound great in a lightweight Korina McCarty but I already have that category covered.

What PRS stock (non WL, etc) models, based on your experience, might work well with those pups? I wish there was a way to go back and see the pickup evolution for each PRS model.

For example, I know that dragon I’s and 85/15 pups like Custom 24s and McCartys like 58/15 LTs... are there anymore combos to add to this list?

Thoughts?
 
I have a Modern Eagle Quarto with them and I love them. My PS CU24 hs them as well. I think the 22 frets with a Rosewood neck in my ME is what did it for me. They are very "airy" and will not give you the output as a 59/09. However, I dig them.

Do you dig them in the Cu24? Does your PS Custom24 have the same basic construction as a stock Custom24?

I’m thinking they like Korina and thick bodies.
 
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Do you dig them in the Cu24? Does your PS Custom24 have the same basic construction as a stuck Custom24?

I’m thinking they like Korina and thick bodies.

My PS24 has a maple birdseye neck/cocabolla fretboard, and a maple top with a maple back. It really is a differnt sound altogether. Not bad, just different. It kind of is a bright sounding guitar and the 53/10s are bright/airy on top of it. They should do fine in a stock custom 24, or any guitar with a rosewood neck is cool too.
 
My PS24 has a maple birdseye neck/cocabolla fretboard, and a maple top with a maple back. It really is a differnt sound altogether. Not bad, just different. It kind of is a bright sounding guitar and the 53/10s are bright/airy on top of it. They should do fine in a stock custom 24, or any guitar with a rosewood neck is cool too.

Cool. I had these in my Custom 24 with the rosewood neck... and they sounded less rounded and less mean than I expected. I ended up thinking that it was because of the thin body and brightness of the 24 fretter.

They are a beast in my McCarty Korina though. They sound HUGE, kinda like that LP 59 Burst HUGE sound.

I only have one Korina guitar though.
 
I have them in a PRS Experience 2012 Custom 24 (flame maple neck and ebony board IIRC) and really like them in that guitar. It is killer for early Van Halen for some reason.

I snagged a pair a while back and put them in my '08-ish piezo SCHB, and that was a drastic improvement over the stock SC245 pickups. They're fairly bright and airy in that guitar, where the stock pickups were kind of hot and bassy for what I wanted. That's my Hemispheres guitar now.

So two very different applications for those pickups and I like 'em both. And who doesn't like pictures...?

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prs10.png
 
I have them in the Koa Sister, solid slab Koa body with Braz RW neck. Wonderful with that, a Custom 22 so thinner body (Koa in a SC body would weigh a ton!)

Warm, woody tone and a touch on the bright side.

image.jpg


I also had them in my now departed Bahamma Mama MkII SCT. Obeche body (very light weight), maple neck with cocobolo board. Fabulous in that - incredibly stupid of me to trade it in on a SC594 SH which I never bonded with.

image.jpg


Always wanted to try 53/10s in a HB, just like Herr Squid for those classic Rush tones!
 
I have them in the Koa Sister, solid slab Koa body with Braz RW neck. Wonderful with that, a Custom 22 so thinner body (Koa in a SC body would weigh a ton!)

Warm, woody tone and a touch on the bright side.

image.jpg


I also had them in my now departed Bahamma Mama MkII SCT. Obeche body (very light weight), maple neck with cocobolo board. Fabulous in that - incredibly stupid of me to trade it in on a SC594 SH which I never bonded with.

image.jpg


Always wanted to try 53/10s in a HB, just like Herr Squid for those classic Rush tones!

MAAAAAAN! That beauty gets me every friggin time. I need to add it to my most coveted list.:cool:
 
I've only got experience of the 53/10 pickups. I have them in the limited edition launch model which is essentially a CU22 configuration. To me there isn't a guitar that they wouldn't go in - but it would depend on what you wanted that guitar to do and sound like as to whether they were suitable or not.
Although marketed as the lowest gain out of the first three 5x/xx pickups from the late 2000s, I wouldn't call them low gain as such but certainly into the vintage output territory rather than the slightly hot PAF of the 57/08 and slightly hotter still 59/09.

I actually think they'd go really well in a CU24. However, it might be worth experimenting with the 'treble bleed' cap on the volume pot, as I also experienced a bit of the thin sound at times with mine before I disconnected it. I think it shaves off too much bass at times. Disconnecting it really warmed my guitar up and gave it a more vintage correct sound
 
I've only got experience of the 53/10 pickups. I have them in the limited edition launch model which is essentially a CU22 configuration. To me there isn't a guitar that they wouldn't go in - but it would depend on what you wanted that guitar to do and sound like as to whether they were suitable or not.
Although marketed as the lowest gain out of the first three 5x/xx pickups from the late 2000s, I wouldn't call them low gain as such but certainly into the vintage output territory rather than the slightly hot PAF of the 57/08 and slightly hotter still 59/09.

I actually think they'd go really well in a CU24. However, it might be worth experimenting with the 'treble bleed' cap on the volume pot, as I also experienced a bit of the thin sound at times with mine before I disconnected it. I think it shaves off too much bass at times. Disconnecting it really warmed my guitar up and gave it a more vintage correct sound

That’s a very good point about the treble bleed! I hadn’t thought of that but I bet if it were disconnected then that would fix the thin tone issue. Hmmmm.

Right now I have Dragons in my Custom 24 and they seem to love it there. I might eventually end up gettting a used Custom 22 (trem) or one of the S2 hollowbody models to move these 53/10s into. I have both the uncovered and covered 53/10s and I do feel like the covers add a warm-ness to them.
 
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