Zack Myers pickups

Steve Aldridge

Steve 0.6
Joined
Mar 25, 2021
Messages
15
Location
Birmingham
Hi newbie Steve hear. I have just bought a lovely Zack Myers. Lovely for rhythm playing. However I find the bottom E,A strings muddy and less resonant than the other strings although acoustically it sounds fairly balanced. Has anyone else found this. New strings didn’t solve this.

Would this be down to the pickups? What is the difference between the ZM pickups and the 245 pickups?
I am so impressed with the look and quality of finish etc of PRS
Also can anyone advise which model PRS has a wide slim neck?.
 
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Hey Steve,

The SE ZM pups are SE 245 pups.

Many times the pup sound can be improved by adjusting the height of either the bass side, the treble side, or both, depending on what you are aiming for.

Try a turn or two of the height adjust screw, up or down, then listen for the change, adjust to taste.

Obligatory pic of mine

45476596104_68b6990f89_c.jpg
 
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Thanks so much for the info. I did actually try this and it did as you say make a difference but I find the character of these 2 strings seem different to the others which are very strident or vibrant (for want of a better description).acoustically the difference is not so obvious but electrically it is more so_Other than this issue the sound from the ZM is exemplary. I need to try another ZM to compare with mine I think.

Love the photo. Mine is similar but yours has book matched veneer. Very nice
 
It could be the nature of the SH, giving a more subdued/airy response.

Either way, maybe you could do a NGD post, with pics and your thoughts on the guitar. :cool:
 
Yes the semi hollow vibe, I think only trying another similar guitar will tell me if it unique to mine or a standard feature of the guitar/pickups. As I say acoustically is is not noticeable as being dull so it must be electrics. I tried a graphic on the amp to drop out some frequencies which effected it positively.
I’m not sure if I can live with it long term however. So might try a custom 24 or 245. Anyway thanks you very much for your response and time
 
No it wasn't new and with restrictions I could not really try it out. Individual pole pieces, yes I could try that . Thanks for the suggestion
 
No it wasn't new and with restrictions I could not really try it out. Individual pole pieces, yes I could try that . Thanks for the suggestion

I only ask cause I'm more of a used market buyer than new myself. One of the cavets doing that is you never know what the previous owner did to dial it in. Just last month I bought a frailin pickup used. Great deal but the previois owner had every pole piece adjusted more so than I've ever encountered. It took me a while but now it sounds amazing. Good luck!
 
I wouldn't blame the pickups. They only amplify the source sound.

Having a guitar tech look at the guitar too can be quite helpful. We can't see, feel, or hear the guitar.

Re: wide/thin necks, PRS' website lists neck profiles on each model.

If you're new to guitar, I'd strongly suggest focusing on learning the instrument, and save all the nit-picking over specs and parts for later in your musical career.

Try some stainless steel strings. They are brighter than the common nickelwound strings and could cure your issue.
 
Thanks. The strings may be a good idea actually. I normally use super slinky and put a new set on and that’s why I I was supposed that the low E. A strings where still rather lifeless compared to the other strings electrified but not acoustically. I’m not a new guitarist only been playing 40 years. Lol. So I do have a good ear I might try the stainless next.
 
Also can anyone advise which model PRS has a wide slim neck?

I believe most of the SE series (except the ZM) has a wide thin neck. My SE custom semi-hollowbody does. That's actually the only thing I don't like about the guitar. I'm looking into getting a PRS with a pattern regular neck, so it will be slightly more narrow and thicker than my SE.
 
I have played a charvel jackson for 25 years which has a very wide slim neck. So going to a ZM wide fat neck is a big transition but credit to the prs it's very playable. Thanks for your information icetre
 
Some wide fat neck SE models:

SE Bernie Marsden
SE One
SE Soapbar
SE Soapbar II
SE 245
SE Chris Robertson
SE Santana
SE Santana Singlecut
SE Paul’s
SE Hollowbody
SE Hollowbody II
SE Hollowbody II Piezo
SE Zach Myers
SE 277
SE EG
SE Starla
 
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I was having issues with the electric sound of the e and a bottom strings and suspected the pickup. I have got round this by plucking the string where the neck meets the body or even over the fretboard. There, the sound is a lot rounder and full bodied. It's something I have read very little about but it's something we guitarists know, but don't practice the sound is very different where you pluck the string. I'm a lot happier with the sound now and in fact think the Z Myers pickups are are pretty damn good
 
Some Wide thin neck SE models:

SE Std 22
SE Custom 22
SE Std24
SE Custom 24
SE Custom 24 Floyd
SE Custom 24-08
SE Tremonti
SE Paul Allender
SE Mark Holcomb
SE Dave Navarro
SE Mira
 
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