Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

[mrb1946]

I'm looking for a pickup set recommendation for my first guitar build. I'm building what will be similar to a PRS Custom 22, and I want something that's similar to what the PRS 85/15 pickups provide. I mostly play hard rock, and I own a couple Tremonti guitars with Tremonti pickups, but I'm looking for this guitar to be more versatile across a wider array of genres. My goal is to be able to use it still for hard rock, but I'd like it to clean up crystal clear and I want to be able to coil split it for a strat/tele kind of sound.

I have not decided yet on what type of switching system I'm going to use. I'm open to suggestions for that as well. I'll either use a traditional 3-way toggle with a push/pull vol/tone pot, or the old PRS 5-way rotary knob. I suppose this also depends on which pickups I end up going with. It may also be worth mentioning that I want to put all gold hardware on this guitar, so I'd like to get gold pickup covers.

After doing research on my own, I feel somewhat led to believe that a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck may be the way to go.

TL;DR: looking for a versatile 2-humbucker set for a PRS-style guitar that sounds great with most genres. I play hard rock, but want to be able to use it for most genres. Also need the pickups to sound good in a coil split as I want to be able to get a single coil sound.

Note:FWIW, the guitar is a mahogany body and maple veneer top with a mahogany neck and a maple fretboard.

Thanks!

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

The C/59 is a really good pup and splits well. If you want to get closer to a strat or Tele tone when split then you'd be better off with a StagMag which splits to a true single coil {its pole pieces are the magnets...no bar magnet like a typical humbucker).

It's a really great pup, one of my favorites for the tone you're after.

The Jazz is very good for the neck. So also is the Screamin Demon, Pearly Gates, or Alnico 2 Pro. For versatility you can't beat a P-Rail with a Triple Shot mounting ring, however. But I don't think you can get a gold cover for it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

The Hybrid and Alnico II Pro is a a great combo in a mahogany/maple combo. I might add a master spilt switch to split both pickups at the same time, but that (it can be a push/pull), a 3 way switch, and I'd be set for pretty much any kind of music I'd play.

 

[mrb1946]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

The C/59 is a really good pup and splits well. If you want to get closer to a strat or Tele tone when split then you'd be better off with a StagMag which splits to a true single coil {its pole pieces are the magnets...no bar magnet like a typical humbucker).

It's a really great pup, one of my favorites for the tone you're after.

The Jazz is very good for the neck. So also is the Screamin Demon, Pearly Gates, or Alnico 2 Pro. For versatility you can't beat a P-Rail with a Triple Shot mounting ring, however. But I don't think you can get a gold cover for it.

I'll check out the Stag Mag. Thanks for that rec. Will also look into the others you mentioned.

 

[mrb1946]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

The Hybrid and Alnico II Pro is a a great combo in a mahogany/maple combo. I might add a master spilt switch to split both pickups at the same time, but that (it can be a push/pull), a 3 way switch, and I'd be set for pretty much any kind of music I'd play.

Awesome! Alnico 2 Pro definitely seems to be like a good option. And I agree, I think the 3-Way toggle with a master push/pull is looking favorable. Since this guitar will only have 1 vol and 1 tone pot, I'm thinking about making them both push/pulls, using one as a master coil split, and the other as either a series/parallel or phase reverse option. Any experience with something like that?

Just looking for as many options as I can squeeze in.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

I know it is tempting to squeeze in every option, but I tend to get the most mileage out of settings I will use all the time. I bet with a master split, you wouldn't need a phase reverse. As far as series/parallel, it depends if you'd need it for each pickup or the pickups together. Another option which encompasses all these options is adding Triple Shot rings. They really are an elegant solution.

 

[mrb1946]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

I know it is tempting to squeeze in every option, but I tend to get the most mileage out of settings I will use all the time. I bet with a master split, you wouldn't need a phase reverse. As far as series/parallel, it depends if you'd need it for each pickup or the pickups together. Another option which encompasses all these options is adding Triple Shot rings. They really are an elegant solution.

True. Seems easy to overdo it with all the options available. Thanks. I will look into those options.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup Recommendations for DIY PRS Style Guitar

I totally agree with Mincer. All the options are tempting and can be fun at first, but you actually won't use many of them. It's good to do as an experiment to find out what tones you like and will actually use. But then to keep your guitar realistically playable, and for the sake of simplicity, permanently rewire your guitar for those useful tones.

Triple Shots are a gret way to get most of the useful options available without the need for any other switches.