Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

[tubescreamer]

I own a PRS Hollowbody II. The body is made out of maple (mahogany sides). It came with McCarty Archtop pickups (2 specially voiced humbuckers). It has has a fairly bright tone. I like its twang. However, the pickups are weak...too weak for a good sustaining/singing lead tone. I would like to replace the pickups in it now with hotter pickups...I want a warm sustaining/singing lead and also a good clean tone (i use extremely transparent distortion)...something like what the 59's would give me perhaps? I've heard so much about the JB/Jazz combo. Would the JBs be too hot for my guitar? Do the JBs have a good clean tone? I need some suggestions. I would appreciate it.

 

[tubescreamer]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

I dont necessarily want to lose the brightness of my guitar by getting a warmer tone...i just want my leads to be full...you know what i mean. ahhhhhh!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

The SH-55's I had in my Sheraton pushed when distorted and also had some twang when clean. Another option would be a hot pickup at the bridge, (like the CC) with a push/pull pot to split it, giving you a brighter, cleaner sound when needed.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

i think a set of seths would be fantastic but might not be much hotter than what you have in there. i bet a jazz/jb would work well as would a aph in the neck and a cc in the bridge for a warmer tone. both of those combos have a hotter bridge pup but i think itll be ok. i saw jimmy herring play a while ago with a prs hollowbody that had hotter pups in and even at high volumes he didnt seem to have any feedback problems.
if i was having this dilema i think id put a set of pearly gates in. pretty cleans from the neck and nice spank from the bridge. a great singing lead tone that can also do a nice crunch when ya want. not overly hot but enough to cut thru easily

 

[tubescreamer]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

Thanks Jeremy. You've given me some good ideas. I do like Herring's sound...maybe I'll check out what he's using. Although, the JB/Jazz thing does intrigue me a lot...I may just have to give that a try. What do you think of the JB clean tone? Is the JB transparent enough for blues/funk/jazz?...'cause I know its used for metal a lot and thats not really the sound I'm going for.

 

[tubescreamer]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

Just a bit more info on my sound. I play through a fender twin reverb with a compresser and a tubescreamer 808 (set with low distortion most of the time). I usually play in the middle position...but occasionally ill switch to either the bridge or the neck.

ps: this forum is great...I just discovered it this week.

 

[Benster®]

Re: Hotter pickups for a PRS Hollowbody

Jimmy Herring uses a set of McCarty pickups (the ones that come in the solidbody McCartys). They're 8k+ ohms, a bit hotter and fatter than the Archtop pickups.

Hmm. I am currently waiting for a Hollowbody I to be shipped to me. And i have a set of McCarty pickups lying around. *Gets strange ideas*...