Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

[Erskine]

I have a 2009 PRS Custom 24. It has Vintage Bass and HFS pickups fitted to it and I have always found these to be too bright. I am considering replacing these and would like some ideas on what would suit. I would also like to hear from anyone who has done this successfully and taken the edge of the tone of the original pickups.

What am I am aiming for is something less bright, more creamy and more smooth Les Paul blues type. I do realise that there is more to achieving tone than simply switching out the pickups and that is why I am posting. There is a big difference in the weight of a PRS to a Les Paul, the neck PU sits further from the neck, the vibrato cavity and springs make a difference, as do the switching combinations and inability to adjust tone and volume individually on the PRS. So, I am wondering if it is at all possible or if I am wasting my time. But at present I am becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the PRS.

I use a Laney L20t amp. And while I can get close to a reasonable smooth blues sound, I find that when the high strings sound reasonable, the bass strings sound muddy and loud. In trying to correct the bass strings, I again end up with a glassy, over-bright tone from the treble end. The PU switching on this guitar is:

Position 1: Bridge pickup
Position 2: Outside coils
Position 3: Series single coils
Position 4: Parallel single coils
Position 5: Neck pickup

I seldom use the 1, 2 and 4 positions as these tend to be just too bright.

So, just wondering if anyone has any ideas on what I could switch these pickups for.

 

[thegummy]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Funnily enough, I was "researching" this very question earlier purely out of interest while waiting in a waiting room for my girlfriend today.

After that Google session, the pickups I'd choose if I was going to replace the stock would be a 59 in the neck and a Custom/59 Hybrid in the bridge.

Hopefully people who actually have experience doing it will help you with advice but thought I might add this since it was just today I was looking in to this very thing.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Welcome to the forum!


For less bright and creamy, you can also check out the Alnico II Pro for the neck, and the Custom Custom for the bridge. Use the same switching you have, and I bet you will use those other positions a lot more.

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Many thanks for the feedback. I had already looked at the custom/custom. I'll now check out the others that have been mentioned. In fact, checking those links led me to the Guitar Pickup Selector page. That looks very useful.

 

[richard parker]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

A popular choice for many PRS models is the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set. It is basically an overwound version of their Mule PAF type pickup but it has a lot more punch and a lot less top end. I have mine in a PRS Bernie Singlecut and I love them. Great LP raunch but no icepick.

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

A popular choice for many PRS models is the Bare Knuckle Abraxas set. It is basically an overwound version of their Mule PAF type pickup but it has a lot more punch and a lot less top end. I have mine in a PRS Bernie Singlecut and I love them. Great LP raunch but no icepick.

That's interesting. I had heard of the Mule pickups and was wondering about those. But you think the Abraxas ones are more suitable? So you think they are even smoother/creamier than Mules?

 

[thegummy]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

That's interesting. I had heard of the Mule pickups and was wondering about those. But you think the Abraxas ones are more suitable? So you think they are even smoother/creamier than Mules?

They're named after a PRS player so that might suggest they were designed for a PRS.

Maybe not though, I don't know how specific the BKP names are. I think Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule uses Pearly Gates and don't think the BKP Mule is a copy of that.

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

They're named after a PRS player so that might suggest they were designed for a PRS.

Maybe not though, I don't know how specific the BKP names are. I think Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule uses Pearly Gates and don't think the BKP Mule is a copy of that.

It makes sense. The small sound clips provided on the BKP site do make them Abraxas sound a little more mellow. And the sound profile shown certainly indicates less top end.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

I've gotta be honest, I've went through most of the SD catalog in my CU24 and was never happy. I would find a passable bridge but never a thick enough neck pup. The closest SD I ever found was the Pearly Gates BRIDGE in the neck slot.

I finally ended up with Dimarzio's Petrucci Illuminators and haven't looked back.

Luke

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

I've gotta be honest, I've went through most of the SD catalog in my CU24 and was never happy. I would find a passable bridge but never a thick enough neck pup. The closest SD I ever found was the Pearly Gates BRIDGE in the neck slot.

I finally ended up with Dimarzio's Petrucci Illuminators and haven't looked back.

Luke

Thanks, Luke. Just checked those out but I can only find examples of Petrucci playing them. They sound pretty punchy, powerful and with a lot of high end. I am not sure they are in the creamy blues zone that I am looking for?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Thanks, Luke. Just checked those out but I can only find examples of Petrucci playing them. They sound pretty punchy, powerful and with a lot of high end. I am not sure they are in the creamy blues zone that I am looking for?

It's funny you mention the high end, I bought them specifically because of their thickness. The high end they have is very malleable in my opinion. They are definitely hotter than your normal PAF, but I feel that you need that with a PRS, specifically a CU24, to get the low mids and girth added to the tone.

You might want to check out DarthPhineas.com he has a ton of reviews for lots of brands and lots of experience with the tonal differences in 24 fret guitars. It was him that steered me toward the Illuminators in mine.

Luke

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

It's funny you mention the high end, I bought them specifically because of their thickness. The high end they have is very malleable in my opinion. They are definitely hotter than your normal PAF, but I feel that you need that with a PRS, specifically a CU24, to get the low mids and girth added to the tone.

You might want to check out DarthPhineas.com he has a ton of reviews for lots of brands and lots of experience with the tonal differences in 24 fret guitars. It was him that steered me toward the Illuminators in mine.

Luke

You make a fair point that a PRS may need a hotter pickup. It may be why it proves so difficult to find the right set when comparing PAFs if they are being tested on single cuts. I'll have a look at that site you mention and see how it goes. Many thanks.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

You make a fair point that a PRS may need a hotter pickup. It may be why it proves so difficult to find the right set when comparing PAFs if they are being tested on single cuts. I'll have a look at that site you mention and see how it goes. Many thanks.

I tried SOOOOO many variations. The best SD I found for the bridge was the Alt 8, but the mids were too dense. I needed low mids and I got low mids...but I also got a lot of true mids, and upper mids. It was just too much for my guitar and amp combo. It also seemed hotter than the Illuminators are.

But the neck....I was just never happy with any SD offerings for the neck slot. Just too much high end for my guitar. I've got a thread from last year about them somewhere around here.

Btw here's his FB. http://www.facebook.com/darthphineas

Luke

 

[doctadre]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

I have a Duncan Custom in my Custom 24, sounds great. Crunchy, not too hot but not too light, not too bright. I have a custom built neck pickup, has Alnico 5 I believe, very chimey. I would also recommend Alnico 2 pro to fatten it up with bright top end.

Zhangbuckers are great pickups too, if you can find used or have the patience to wait for a build.

Dre

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Thanks again, Luke. Do you have any knowledge of the Bare Knuckle pickups that have been mentioned. I checked the Abraxas set and they sound decent in the sound clip.

I have a Duncan Custom in my Custom 24, sounds great. Crunchy, not too hot but not too light, not too bright. I have a custom built neck pickup, has Alnico 5 I believe, very chimey. I would also recommend Alnico 2 pro to fatten it up with bright top end.

Zhangbuckers are great pickups too, if you can find used or have the patience to wait for a build.

Dre

Thanks, Dre. Never heard of Zhangbuckers but I'll see what I can find on them.

 

[richard parker]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

That's interesting. I had heard of the Mule pickups and was wondering about those. But you think the Abraxas ones are more suitable? So you think they are even smoother/creamier than Mules?

I'v never tried Mules so I'm going by the description of the BK site. My Abraxas set is in a BK Bernie Marsden which is essentially an LP. You can get thick, smooth sounds out of them easily but they have plenty of bite without being screechy if you crank the top end on your amp a little. I can get classic LP/Marshall tones very easily but without having to try too hard because of the extra output of the Abraxas. If you research the BK forum they are a popular choice for players of many different PRS models. They seem to do well in pretty much any guitar. Some other BK models are much more guitar specific.

 

[Erskine]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Thanks, Richard. I will have a look across the rest of the site to see if anyone has fitted these to a 24. As you say, the Bernie Marsden is quite a different guitar in terms of weight, etc. so it would be interesting to hear what happens when these are fitted to a 24.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

Thanks again, Luke. Do you have any knowledge of the Bare Knuckle pickups that have been mentioned. I checked the Abraxas set and they sound decent in the sound clip.


Thanks, Dre. Never heard of Zhangbuckers but I'll see what I can find on them.

I have no experience with BKPs. I've never even seen them, but I AM here in Arkansas after all.

David makes really good pickups too, but you'd want to contact him ahead of time and tell him you are outfitting a 24 fret guitar.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

A 59 set. But with a UOA5 in the bridge and an A4 in the neck.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[metale]

Re: Pickup Replacements for PRS Custom 24

I recomend tou check out the Oil City Nightfighter. It's their take on the Abraxas receipt (I have both and they pretty much match each other) for a fraction of the price. I currently have one installed on my Godin xTSA which suffered from the bright/thin bridge syndrome. Problem solved. Will still do 90s Metallica (for example) when asked to.