Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

[srmd22]

I have a custom 24 I bought used. I am not sure what the pups are, but I read that they should be HFS/VB.

I don't hate the sound, but after playing the guitar for a few months, I am coming to the conclusion that I would prefer a more vintage, less hot sound, more like my ’71 Les Paul custom. Nice, round, mellow but clear. The PRS pups sound a bit flat on the one hand, and overly bright and biting on the other. Again, I can get a good sound from them, or I would never have bought the guitar, but compared to my tele, LP, strats, they seem less colorful and harsher. I don't want them to sound exactly like a vintage axe, just a bit less harsh and mellower. I am mostly concerned with getting a nice clean country/blues/jazz tone. I find I can enjoy distortion just fine with low output pups, except shred, which I rarely play.

I have heard lollers, fralins and wolftones is other guitars, and loved them. I have not heard bare knuckles, but I see they are very popular, paticularly in PRS's.

Others I see mentioned are SD Antiquities and DiMarzio 36 Ann PAF. Btw, I want to change both the neck and bridge. I had a hamer artist USA with SD I think a seth lover and something else in the bridge, sounded pretty good, but a bit thin in that particular guitar.

Just looking for experiences, opinions, suggestions.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

Welcome to the forum.

Stock PRS HFS and VB pickups will have a self-adhesive label on their undersides to confirm their identities. (To confirm this, at your next string change, undo the pickup surrounds and take a look at the baseplate of each pickup.)

The obvious secondary questions are,
1) What amplification and pedals do you use?
2) How much do you adjust the guitar's volume pot whilst playing?

 

[srmd22]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

Checked the hang tag: they are indeed the hfs/vb.

I play through fenders, vibrolux, BFDR, princeton clone with a 12". Occasionally a mesa boogie ta-15, occasionally a Roland JC77.

Pedalboard has a fulltone drive 2, mxr carbon copy delay and a keeley katana clean boost. Often I play direct to the amp, though, sans effects.

I adjust volume and tone a lot. I am often around the half way mark on the PRS for both, or around 5 on tone, 8ish for volume, in oreder to mellow out he pup sound. I'll dime the volume for a solo, or to drive the amp to breakup, or to drive a fuzz pedal. Sometimes I use a boost for that purpose, and leave the volume rolled off slightly. When I play straight ahead rock, I'll often leave the controls dimed on other guitars, but the PRS volume is rarely dimed, other then on a solo. Just to trebly for me.

Btw, I also have a 25th Ann McCarty NF, and I like the sound of those pups, but prefer the vol and tone substantially rolled off for clean sounds on that guitar as well.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

You can't mount regular Antiquity neck humbuckers. They come with long legs and the neck position in the PRS can't take that.

Seth Lovers or Pearly Gator will probably be good for you. 59 if you need them more snorty.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

You can't mount regular Antiquity neck humbuckers. They come with long legs and the neck position in the PRS can't take that.

Seth Lovers or Pearly Gator will probably be good for you. 59 if you need them more snorty.

I was about to recommend Seths as well. I love them.

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

The HFS was designed to be hot and bright to cut through all the processing that was du jour at that time in regard to guitar tone. Although some folks love 'em, I personally find them shrill sounding. Looking at what your ideal tone is (a vintage Les Paulish tone that is warm and clear), you'll definitely get more bang from a pickup change and likely won't have to keep the tone control dropped way down to compensate for an overly bright pickup.

I played a Les Paul equipped with Seth's and I echo that it would be right up your alley. The alnico2 pro's and Slash set would also fit the bill in a Custom 24, with the Slash set being a little more aggressive. Another more modern sounding option would be the Custom custom. It has a little less output than the HFS and a very smooth top end.

 

[srmd22]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

Very cool, great suggestions, thanks!

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

You can't mount regular Antiquity neck humbuckers. They come with long legs and the neck position in the PRS can't take that.

I have an 04 and ran a long leg 59 for a long time.

OP, whatever you do make sure you get a PAF bridge pup for the neck too. Olin actually uses two PG(b) pups in his 94 cu24. I think a PG(b) in the neck with a 78 in the bridge would sound great for you. Also the Custom Custom isn't really hot and sounds good to warn up a PRS.

 

[srmd22]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

I should say, I want to retain the coil split configuration with hum-cancellation of the middle position-- my guitar is the three way toggle with the push-pull coil split on the tone knob.

Will the pearly gates accommodate this? Or any of the other suggestion? Also, I recently read that in the CU24, one needs the bridge pickup to have the magnet reversed, to retain that hum cancellation feature (I think that is the purpose). Can anyone confirm this, and can SD do that?

Thanks!

 

[dvanburen]

Re: Replacement pups for 2010 PRS CU24

mag swaps are easy. just unscrew the 4 screws on the bottom of the base plate and pull the mag out and flip it. screw it back in, have a drink, and enjoy