SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

[streamline]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice.... I recently bought a PRS CE24 and I want to get some new pickups for it as I find the neck pickup to be too fat and loose whereas the bridge pickup is not tight, crunchy and does not pick up harmonics well enough.

I'm not happy with stock Vintage / HFS combination because:

1) the neck pickup is too fat and loose
2) the bridge pickup is not tight, crunchy and does not pick up harmonics well enough.


I was doing some research and I'm thinking about ordering a set of SD's, namely: Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge). Would this be a good combination on my PRS? (which has rosewood f/b, maple neck and mahogany body).

Here's the sort of sound I am looking for:

1) For the neck pick-up, it's only really between a Jazz / Pearly gates / 59 and it seems like the Jazz is the best option, since I really dig this sort of smooth and tight sound and it sounds like it's a versatile pickup - and I have a 5 way rotary switch to wire it to =)

2) I play in an extreme metal band, so I need the bridge pickup to be crisp and punishing enough. Something with a fairly pronounced and defined high end so all those diminished chords come through and I get enough black metal nastiness, whilst also having enough clarity for the palm-muted rhythms. Would a Custom respond like this?

I have a SD Duncan Distortion in another guitar and I find that pickup to be a bit thin.... So for the bridge pickup that I'd like, I'm happy to sacrifice some of the gain, of say a DD for a fuller sound. Also I want the bridge pickup to have a good lead tone with some presence, sort of Vai / Petrucci sound (I know these are Dimarzio users). I know Mikael from Opeth uses Full Shred's in his PRS - would this be better? I definetely want a pickup that will allow PRS's own tone to shine through... I want it to be very quite delicate but also cutting... Finally I would like the bridge pickup to have a good bell-like clean sound.



So what would you say about the possible Jazz/Custom combination - or are there other pickups better suited to what I want?


Thanks a lot.
Roman

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

Well, the Custom is going to be somewhat similar to the HFS. If you want tight, you have to sacrifice a little low end to define the pick attack better, one of the things the DD and Full Shred excel at. I have a Custom 24, and I don't find the HFS lacking tightness.

What you are describing sounds like you want an 81 or Blackout in the bridge. The Blackout set would do the trick for you, but that would be kind of an unusual choice for a PRS.

The Jazz is one of my favorites but it will be a little lower in output, the stock Vintage Bass is pretty close to the Duncan 59n...maybe the 59 has a bit more high end definition, but they are close.

 

[Rowan]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

What guitar do you have the distortion in?

In my experience, the Custom and distortion are similar when it comes to thick tone. Both have big tight low ends with lots of harmonics and high end. But I like the distortion's lead tone alot better than the custom's.

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I have a DD in my RG570. Perhaps it's more the guitar that makes it sound a little thin...?

re: 81 and blackouts, I would like to stay away from uber high-output pickups as they overpower the guitar's tonal characteristics, IMO....

by the way, what's a full shred like in the neck position?

and any thoughts on the GL screamin' demon?


Thanks,
Roman

 

[uOpt]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I dunno about the Jazz here. My Jazz sounds great in my Explorer, which is dark and creates something interesting with the Jazz. In my LP copy, which is softer, the Jazz just sounds dull, even worse than the '59 which is too scooped. I think the PG is a better bet (although I don't have one). The most satisfying neck sound I got out of that softer guitar is with an Antiquity neck humbucker. Which in turn sounds like mace on head in the Explorer.

Neck-wise, if you don't like the compression of ceramic magnets and more brightness your only option is the C5. The JB overloads the A5 magnets and makes it unusable for many things, the Custom coil and A5 are about as high as it gets with high-powered pickups. Again, guitars matter a lot. My C5 sounds great in my LP and totally idiotic in the Explorer. Even stranger, unless you play very dynamic, C5 ad 500T are very close in my LP but miles apart in the Explorer. Confused yet?

I speculate you guitar is closer to my LP than my Explorer and hence I think the C5 and a Pearly Gates will give you what you want. Be warned that the C5 acts up in some guitars, so YMMV.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

If it were my axe, I'd go with a Jazz/Demon combo, or with a PaTB-1n/PATB-3, since between a Mesa and a GT-8, you should have enough gain to get heavy.

 

[doctadre]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I had the exact same prs with a jazz and custom in it a couple years ago. I loved the combo. The bridge was nice and crunchy, punchy, but did lack that full harmonic range and overtones. U kinda have to sacrifice a little crunch and punch for the overtones and range.


I would go with the jazz for clarity and versatility, and the custom if you want crunch, but if you need metal tones and harmonics, try the jb or dimebucker.



Dre

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

Man Custom similar to HFS? Couldn't disagree more. That's usually my suggestion, although some like teh C5 as well.

I enjoyed he dual 59's, but likely not enough for metal.

I'd probably do Custom, or JB with a 59

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

****, so many options, so little time....

i'm concerned that the custom will be a little too dark, so I'm more or less decided in favour of a Full Shred in the bridge. I want to have quite a punchy and articulate bridge pickup sound.... JB, i think, would be too "in your face" but I've never played one - I guess I'll need to decide between those two. I've tried a Dimebucker and I think it's too blunt for lack of a better word.

I think I will get a Jazz for the neck, since most of the feedback about it seems to be positive - and my PRS does have a bit more maple than usual, so I hope that the Jazz won't have the same sort of dullness it had in u0pt's LP...

Maybe just a couple of more question for you guys, if you don't mind!

1) I've heard good things about the JB / Jazz combination, but how about a Full Shred/Jazz one? Would it be balanced and would it provide enough variation? Or would a Full Shred set (i.e. neck and bridge) be a better bet?

2) Which pickup has a better lead tone - JB or Full Shred?

3) Is there a big difference in output and crunch between the JB and the Full Shred?


Thanks,
Roman

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

****, so many options, so little time....

i'm concerned that the custom will be a little too dark, so I'm more or less decided in favour of a Full Shred in the bridge. I want to have quite a punchy and articulate bridge pickup sound.... JB, i think, would be too "in your face" but I've never played one - I guess I'll need to decide between those two. I've tried a Dimebucker and I think it's too blunt for lack of a better word.

I think I will get a Jazz for the neck, since most of the feedback about it seems to be positive - and my PRS does have a bit more maple than usual, so I hope that the Jazz won't have the same sort of dullness it had in u0pt's LP...

Maybe just a couple of more question for you guys, if you don't mind!

1) I've heard good things about the JB / Jazz combination, but how about a Full Shred/Jazz one? Would it be balanced and would it provide enough variation? Or would a Full Shred set (i.e. neck and bridge) be a better bet?

2) Which pickup has a better lead tone - JB or Full Shred?

3) Is there a big difference in output and crunch between the JB and the Full Shred?


Thanks,
Roman

Do you have the 5-way switch? If so, the 59n/JB combo gives fantastic tones for inside coils parallel (notch-like), outside coils series (tele middle position-like), outside coils parallel (notch-like). My ESP Ltd. H-500 has the combo. Funkilicious! But if you are metal fan then the 5-way would probably be pretty useless.

The JB has, by far, the best singing lead tone of any humbucker. In my experience, singing tone (from any pup) is almost a polar opposite quality/ability to crunch. YMMV

 

[Diocletian]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I still prefer the JB over the Custom or Custom 5. But any of these three will do a job.

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

thanks guys! ordered a hot rod (jazz/jb) combination plus a full shred bridge because I love the tone guitarist of Opeth gets with a similar setup, will try both the jb and the full shred.... will let you know what happens next...!

Roman

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

ok, i need some more advice!

i've tried the following p-ups all of which i didn't think are "perfect" -

SD jazz neck - sounded too sterile and boring.... really clear sound but nothing in it, i felt like it didnt have any soul or any quirkiness that i like in neck pick-ups

DMZ Evolution neck - lovely creamy tone but far too FAT. no good on this guitar. i want a thinner more delicate sound.


SD JB - awesome sound at gigs, where it cuts through everything, but bad soloing sound (far too trebly and makes me think of grainy thrash sounds) - i'd like a smoother sounding more complex pickup.

SD Full Shred - great solo pickup but the rhythm tone is too much like a thrash pickup. i prefer a fuller sound....


Also, because of PRS switching options, I can get thinner inner & outer coil parallel sounds, which I will want to use - to emulate thinner fender and ibanez sounds - but I do still want reasonably thick and creamy, though defined and articulate series sounds on both humbuckers - so what would you guys suggest?

How about a 59n / Custom combination?

Thanks!
Roman

 

[Diocletian]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I have that set in my RR3 and the Custom is fine, but the Jazz is boring there. Good pup in my Epi SG but not in the RR3 with the Custom. And even at that, the Custom isn't as good as the JB IMO.

Get Blackouts, that's what I'm waiting on to replace these!

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

What woods is the RR3 made from? I definetely want to stay clear of actives with this guitar though!

Thanks,
Roman

 

[uOpt]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

For the neck, put an A2 into the Jazz or get an APH1.

For the bridge, Custom sounds right.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

I tried a Fullshred one time, and couldn't yank it back out of the guitar fast enough. I put the JB back in and all was good. Never tried another one since.....hated it.

If your guitar has a rotary switch, I believe you have to flip the magnet around on either the bridge or neck pickup, in order for the notch positions to be hum-cancelling or phased right, or something. Double check by PM'ing Robert S, who has instructed many on installing into PRS rotaries.

 

[GaryCancer]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

Personally, I love PRS pickups. The HFS has been one of my favourite bridge pickups. Dragon II also. Their neck pickups also get my thumbs up

 

[streamline]

Re: SD Jazz (neck) and Custom (bridge) for PRS?

For the neck, put an A2 into the Jazz or get an APH1.

For the bridge, Custom sounds right.

Oooh, cool idea about the magnet swap. Alnico 2 sounds like it'd work well... =)

Tried a DD today in the PRS and I think I'm getting close, it's pretty good with the creamy lead sound and powerful rhythm, except it's a tad too mid-range and not concise enough.... the Custom should really be the one! =D

I tried a Fullshred one time, and couldn't yank it back out of the guitar fast enough. I put the JB back in and all was good. Never tried another one since.....hated it.


If your guitar has a rotary switch, I believe you have to flip the magnet around on either the bridge or neck pickup, in order for the notch positions to be hum-cancelling or phased right, or something. Double check by PM'ing Robert S, who has instructed many on installing into PRS rotaries.

Yeah I've done all the magnet swapping =) The sound without it is kinda odd in the middle positions, sounds like there's a wah pedal on all the time!

Personally, I love PRS pickups. The HFS has been one of my favourite bridge pickups. Dragon II also. Their neck pickups also get my thumbs up

Each to his own I guess. They're definetely good pickups, but I don't think they're concise enough for what I want. I'm surprised you like the PRS pickups if you play death metal, i think they're very rock sounding p-ups, personally...

cheers guys!
Roman