OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

[Lewguitar]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

So here's where I'm at.

59 was almost perfect but I needed a bit more 'oomph' in this particular guitar.
JB was a bit too much.

Pearly gates isn't bad...but not quite right. Kinda stuffy sounding in comparison for me?

I've been through all the regular stuff over the years. Wanting to try something else.

What can you suggest...figuring 59 was close..but need a bit more attitude and push.

Custom hybrid? Bro bucker? S Deco?
Matching with a 59 in the neck that sounds fantastic.

PRS Custom 22 with trem from 2002.

Thanks!

So an '02 PRS Custom 22 should have come with Dragon II pickups. You didn't like those? Those are what Santana uses. I really like them.

Have you tried a Dragon I? That's a ceramic magnet pickup. Similar to a Duncan Custom but not quite the same.

That Dragon I bridge pickup is highly thought of by the guys looking for a heavier sound than the Dragon II's have.

I see them on Ebay and Reverb from time to time.

I'm surprised you didn't like the Dragon II's though.

There's a set on Ebay right now for $120.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

So an '02 PRS Custom 22 should have come with Dragon II pickups. You didn't like those? Those are what Santana uses. I really like them.

Have you tried a Dragon I? That's a ceramic magnet pickup. Similar to a Duncan Custom but not quite the same.

That Dragon I bridge pickup is highly thought of by the guys looking for a heavier sound than the Dragon II's have.

I see them on Ebay and Reverb from time to time.

I'm surprised you didn't like the Dragon II's though.

There's a set on Ebay right now for $120.

They're fine. But not as good as most 59 sets IMO which has been the closest so far.

59/pearly is better.

My rig changed a bit so just fine tuning.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

I currently have a WLH in the neck and a 59/C Hybrid in the bridge of my McCarty. I use the splits a lot as well as the full bucker tones and those two pickups cover a lot of ground. Not too hot, just some nice sizzle to top off some vintagey tones.


Sent from my TARDIS using timey-wimey talk.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

Got my magnet order in, hoping I get some time over the weekend.

Addiction FX was fast!

gonna try the UOA5 in the 59 bridge first, and an A3 neck (both 59's).

THanks!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

Funny...

I just did a magnet order too but my goal is to try to get the double cream Tom Holmes humbuckers in my '94 Custom 22 to sound a little more like the Dragon 2's in my '02 Custom 22! The Holmes are just a little bright for me and not as full sounding.

I replaced the Dragon 1 pickups in my '94 PRS with Tom Holmes HB's that I've owned for many years...used to have them in a Les Paul.

But after trading my EJ Strat for my '02 PRS I grew to love the Dragon 2's in that guitar.

I don't hear the bridge Dragon 2 as sounding like a Custom Custom or Custom 5, BTW.

More cut/edge than the CC and more mids than the C5.

The 8k neck Dragon 2 is very PAF like.

The 12k bridge Dragon 2 is like a hotter PAF.

Santana uses a single conductor cable version of the Dragon 2's from what I've read.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

I agree with where you are hearing the D2 in teh spectrum of those pickups.

they weren't bad, I had them in there for many years. But just straight up stock 59's or 59/jb (currently 59/Pearly Gates) sounded better than D2's to me.

I've been throuhg around 20 PRS guitars and about all their pickups. If they still made the 'artist' pickups of the 80's, I'd consider a set for these, they're really nice.

But I think this little fine tuning on the 59's will be great.

I forgot that 6 or 7 years ago I had a Burny Les Paul with 59's I did an A4 neck and A3 bridge magnet, sounded great.
Didn't know about this unoriented stuff.

Splitting hairs really, It could eb fine as is, but I've changed up my rig enough I want to shift this slightly.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

I agree with where you are hearing the D2 in teh spectrum of those pickups.

they weren't bad, I had them in there for many years. But just straight up stock 59's or 59/jb (currently 59/Pearly Gates) sounded better than D2's to me.

I've been throuhg around 20 PRS guitars and about all their pickups. If they still made the 'artist' pickups of the 80's, I'd consider a set for these, they're really nice.

But I think this little fine tuning on the 59's will be great.

I forgot that 6 or 7 years ago I had a Burny Les Paul with 59's I did an A4 neck and A3 bridge magnet, sounded great.
Didn't know about this unoriented stuff.

Splitting hairs really, It could eb fine as is, but I've changed up my rig enough I want to shift this slightly.

Big fan of the 59's.

The 8K Dragon 2 neck model, being alnico 5 supposedly (PRS won't say...) should be similar to the bridge model Duncan 59.

I've often recommended a pair of 59b's for guys who want their SG to sound exactly like a vintage SG like Clapton used to play, because in the old days Gibson used two matching pickups in the SG and in all of their guitars.

Whenever I've measured those old Gibson pickups they were around 8K. 8.2K is what the 59B is.

Mike, did you leave the 180 pf. bright cap on your volume control? PRS used that on both of my guitars. I left it on my '02 but removed it from my '94.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

You know, I can't remember if I left it or not.

I'll let you know when I dig back in.
I generally don't use them. If the taper on the pots is good enough, I generally don't need em. I know I cut it out of one of my older ones.

(My kingdom for Hamer Taper pots in everything!)

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

You know, I can't remember if I left it or not.

I'll let you know when I dig back in.
I generally don't use them. If the taper on the pots is good enough, I generally don't need em. I know I cut it out of one of my older ones.

(My kingdom for Hamer Taper pots in everything!)

I never use a bright cap with a guitar that doesn't have one. Always too sizzley. But the Dragons do sound good with the bright cap PRS installs. Complimentary.

I picked up a set of Dragon II's with original prs pots and the rotary switch on Reverb for a good price.

I might just put them in the '94.

What's holding me back is that I'd like to get the Holmes HBs to sound "right" in this guitar and I don't want to remove the nickel cover on the bridge Dragon II to flip the magnet.

The two pickups in a Dragon set are out of phase with each other but that's corrected within the rotary switch.

I installed a McCarty style 3 way toggle on my '94, so I'll need to flip the magnet on the bridge pickup to get them in phase.

I also have a set of regular Dragon I's that were originally in my '94.

I've thought about putting the covered 8K Dragon II neck pickup and the uncovered black Dragon I bridge pickup in that guitar. It would be easier to flip the magnet in the uncovered Dragon I, too.

That might be nice.

Dragon I & II in my '94 and Dragon II in my '02.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

I've been throuhg around 20 PRS guitars and about all their pickups. If they still made the 'artist' pickups of the 80's, I'd consider a set for these, they're really nice.

My favorites of all PRS pickups are the original T&Bs in my '87. Those unorthodox slug coils really give them something unique and special. I have a pair of 57/08s in a McCarty that are mighty sweet too though. Gorgeous PAF tone with a 3D quality that I find compelling and addictive, almost hypnotic. They're far more colored than my Holmes set but it's a beautiful coloration.

I think you'll be happy with the UA5 in your 59b. Definitely my preferred mag for that particular pickup; all but one of mine now have UA5s (and the last will get one too, when I'm motivated enough to address that axe- it's been unaltered since '83 when I first put 59s in it). I suggested A8 upthread because you said you wanted a little more "oomph" from your 59b, and the UA5 is actually a bit less punchy that the stock A5- much smoother top end though, and better balanced overall. To my ear, anyway.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

Had trouble with the 59 long legs. Not sure how I had it in there before but it wasn't cooperating. So I went with UOA5 in the JB. Digging it! Not as peaky. No bypass cap in it btw Lew

Will play with it for awhile and see if it's where I need to be but so far so good

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: OK probably a stupod question..PRS Bridge Pickup help

I've thought about trying UA5 in one of my JBs too, to tame it a bit. Replacing stock A5s with UA5s has been my favorite mag swap by far, for every pickup I've tried it in.