PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

martinsmith99

New member
Hi all

Looking for advice on an upgrade for the above.

I play classic rock mainly with this guitar, but currently playing more modern rock at medium gain. I'm looking for something fat sounding with plenty of clarity. I play through a fairly bright amp (Victory V40 Deluxe).

I did think about an antiquity set.

Thoughts, comments, brickbats.....
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

Bridge (Less output to more output): Pearly Gates, Whole Lotta Humbucker, JB, Custom.

Neck: 59, Jazz, Pearly Gates

Personally, I would pick the Pearly Gates for the bridge and a 59 or Pearly Gates in the neck. The antiquities are a PAF style similar to the 59, Pearly Gates, and Seth Lovers. Of those four the 59's might be the least PAF sounding because they have a Alnico 5 magnet instead of a Alnico 2.
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

There's not a whole lot to add to LPP's post except to suggest a 59/Custom Hybrid for the bridge, since you're hitting some modern rock. It's a little better with higher gain than the PAFs listed, and to my ears is a better tone than JB and Custom. Opinions, guitars, and amps vary, so you might disagree.

I've currently got a 59n and the hybrid in my LP standard, and it's great for hard rock. Note that my guitar is brighter than most LPs, so I swapped in A4 magnets to take out some of the highs that come with the stock A5 magnets. You might want to change magnets too since your amp is bright.

I've also got a set of Seths in an old SE Singlecut that does surprisingly well at 80s metal levels of gain. I've decided that it might be impossible to make Seths sound bad, unless you're playing at arena volume and making them squeal.
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

You might also consider the Parallel Axis trembuckers. PATB-1n and PATB-3 is a great combination for a trem guitar, brought extra body and new life to one of my Floydcasters.

I love the Custom but think it might be a little harsh through a bright amp in a long scale axe.
CustomCustom generally sounds wonderful in Strat types though.
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

Perhaps a bit off the beaten path, but "fat with clarity" in the bridge makes me think Pegasus.
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

Parallel Axis are great for fat & clarity. PATB-3b is like a '59B with higher output that didn't lose the high end. But the high end is remarkably smooth, despite there being a healthy amount of it. And it's very responsive to pick attack, lighten up and it's smooth, dig in and it snarls.

I have a PATB-1b in an RG570 that had excess lower mids, but NO bass, and managed to sound both dull AND piercing, with a JB in the bridge. Indescribably enormous improvement, it has bass, the low mids aren't bloated, there's singing upper midrange and crazy harmonics, actual high end but not shrill... Perfect for that guitar. It can be a bit scooped in some guitars, especially if you get the height adjusted wrong (when I initially set it up, it was a bit too far from strings, mids simply DROPPED out, it sounded like a cross between a piano and a tele, huge sounding bass, biting highs and little else. Very cool, but not what I was looking for). So if one doesn't sound right, play with height a bunch before throwing towel in! Which is generally good advice for any pickup, there are plenty of others that are radically different beasts when you find the right height.

BTW, PRS SE Floyd appears to be 25" scale, so not long scale, though it's a hair longer than the typical Gibson 24.75", it's not a strat's 25.5", either.

Antiquities could be amazing, if you want A2 PAFs. Not sure they do trem-spaced, or how much that bothers you. I tend to find polepieces not aligned with strings visually distressing, and I have run into it affecting tone/volume balance. I don't think PAF automatically means A2, magnets in real PAFs varied considerably. A2, A4 and A5 are all known to have been used. If you want something with a bit more output, but still has a bit of A2 feel, a magnet swap to Unoriented A5 might be the way to go.

Perpetual Burn/Sentient might be a fun combination. Not too overamped for low gain or cleans. I'm not sure I'd do '59/Custom, given the bright amp.

There's plenty of great Seymour Duncan choices, but I'm considering Railhammer Alnico Grande bridge & Hyper Vintage neck for a PRS SE Custom 24 I'm redoing the electronics on. Bridge seems a bit warmer than a Custom, but not scooped like a Custom 5. Little more PAF feeling from the samples I've heard, even though it's a 15K wind IIRC. Tight on low end, smooth on high notes. Neck pickup is 7.5K and much more PAF level of output, but smoother high strings, tighter low strings due to the mix of rails & oversize stud poles. [I'd probably go with a Railhammer Reeves Gabrels neck, but they aren't readily available yet outside his custom Reverend guitars...]
 
Re: PRS SE Floyd Pickup Options

Those Railhammers are great. Alnico Grande is very much as described - tight lows, smooth highs. Big sound with a fairly modern feel.
 
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