PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Alex Ilic

New member
Hi guys,
I'm since couple of weeks ago a proud owner of an PRS CU24. Everything is fine, great axe, great playability, steady in tune, fine tremolo but...HFS configuration is just too much. Is there anybody who also had similar experiences, and what could be a great set for an rock, blues-rock style.
Thank you kindly in advance matesIMG_20181214_224717.jpgIMG_20181214_224502.jpg
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Well PRS stopped using the VB/ HFS pickups years ago in their customs in favor of the 59/09 which are available aftermarket now
 
PRS pickups advice needed !Help

I like the HFS but I have my bridge pickup further from the strings than on any other guitar. The current 85/15 are lower output and brighter. I’m quite fond of their PAF equivalent pickups but for the price I prefer Duncans.

If you don’t like HFS don’t replace it with a Duncan custom. It’s the closest thing to an HFS than Duncan makes. The custom custom probably sounds the closest despite the magnet difference.

I’d go for a custom 59 hybrid to get some of the oomph needed to match with the vintage bass that I would assume is in the neck.


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Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Alex: People on the Seymour Duncan Forum have always been free to suggest pickups from ANY manufacturer. There is no corporate censorship here. That is why this forum is still alive and kicking. The day we are NOT welcome to continue in that tradition, will be my last day on the forum, as I suspect would be true of many others.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Thnx Adieu, but since we're on SD forum I would keep it with SD suggestions..

1) Not on the list of local hangups and gag orders. As evident from any cursory look, much less the existence of thriving guitar, pedal, and amp subforums --- markets in which SD has occasionally dabbled too (couple Seymour-branded Japanese guitars, couple amps, and a few pedals out there) but which would make for rather dormant forums if we just stuck to SD products.
2) you're the one talking PRS...they sell pickups retail too, you know? And again, no such freedom of speech problem here.
 
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Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Heey guys,
Thank you kindly for your inputs, just to clear slight misunderstanding...I've posted the question with a hope to get advice on SD pickups with a thought that it would go about SD pickups. At the first suggestion of Dimarzios I've understood that this goes further than SD pickups only.
Since I have SD antiquity single coils in my strat, and '59 custom hybrid in my epiphone, I wanted to stick to the winning team. Therefore my question if anybody with PRS already made a swap for other p'ups.
By the way...I've adjusted my HFS lower and yet...it's not the result that makes me wanna keep 'em.
Another PRS pickups set is not an option. I believe that SD makes great pickups which eventually will end up in my guitar.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

I think I'd go with some combination of 59, Whole Lotta Humbucker, or JB depending on how much juice you want out of it.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

I actually just got done doing a pickup swap in my McCarty 58 today. I went with a Alnico II Pro in the neck and a 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge (trembucker spaced). I really like the combo.

The A2P in the neck is a classic and is great clean or for a singing tone with dirt. It's a pickup I've had a ton of experience with though so no surprises for me there. The Hybrid is new to me though and I really like it. It sounds great when split, which is something that's important to a lot of PRS players. It's a good middle ground between classic sounding and a bit more modern. Seems like something that will be very versatile.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Thnx guys������
Custom '59 Hybrid has crossed my mind indeed, cause I have this one in my strat and since his single coil split sounds great it may be the good option for the bridge.JB as well.
One more to go...
I'm afraid that the neck position is gonna be the bigger issue. It has to be decent clean, which means lower resistance, which again means not that great sound when you split the pickup.
So far I'm satisfied with a fact that I have good starting point considering the bridge position .
Maybe I'm wrong considering splitting the hummies with lower resistance values, and in that case I'm open for any eye opener.
Cheers mates
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

A guitar that nice? I'd opt for Antiquities or Seth Lovers. It would depend on the guitar's natural voice. If you hear a lot of mids, go for the Antiquities. If not, go for the Seths.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Heey Mincer,
Thnx buddy, yes we have some looks, but my ears want some pleasure too mate.
Don't get me wrong, HFS aren't bad pickups, but I would like some more definition and not a set which needs much EQ-ing.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Alex, I like your CU24 ! You have good taste :)

A set for an rock, blues-rock style ? I will soon try a 59/Custom hybrid (bridge) to match a '59 neck. Just got it, but I haven't time to solder it yet.
I will review it later. But I suppose it would be cool on a CU24 except if you want more compression.

People on the Seymour Duncan Forum have always been free to suggest pickups from ANY manufacturer.
True. I noticed this.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Hola Francois,
Thanks buddy it's great axe indeed. I'm very satisfied with '59 Custom hybrid in my strat , I guess it'll work just fine in the prs as well. Orherwise, JB is also an option. I'm curios about your opinion, let me know please.
Cheerio
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

i'd would say pearly gates set but that's just because i really like zztop and the texas tone, bare knuckle riff raff set and finally railhammer hyper vintage set.

those 3 sets are probably the most biting paf style pickups so you can be sure they will blues and rock all the way to hell and back, also you can just keep throwing as much gain as you want on them and have greatness, so no fear of fuzz.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Those are ok, but I guess that you'd get very thin split coil sound due to low pickup resistance ....
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Actually, the split sound of many of Duncan's vintage output pickups is quite good.
 
Re: PRS pickups advice needed !Help

Well, if you were to go with a 59/Custom bridge and '59b for the neck, wouldn't you end up splitting to the same coils in the in-between positions? My knee jerk opinion is that should work quite well.
 
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