Untrained ears

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thx712517

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I have a PRS single cut SE. All mahogany body. I'm looking to swap out the stock pickups because they sound sterile and lack high end chime compared to the stock pickups in my Epiphone SG. I've listened to sound clips for the Alnico II Pro, the Slash set, Seth Lovers, Antiquities, Whole Lotta Humbuckers... I gotta say, with headphones or without its hard for me to tell a difference in the clips. To give you an idea of what I'm looking for,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4gDsbOraiqg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G7B767HYUqQ

I'd like to play clean and quiet, then crank up the volume and hit the overdrive pedal to get rude. That's why I've been focused on Alnico II pickups with vintage output. Any suggestions?
 
Re: Untrained ears

+1 to this. How can you go wrong. Though I have often wondered how a PGn would mate with a WLH bridge?
 
Re: Untrained ears

I find that the PRS SE single cutaway models always go well with P90 pickups.

For your guitar, I would go with the SD P-Rails and P-Rails Hot pair via Triple Shot mounting surrounds. Complete the upgrade with a push-pull tone pot for Phase Reversal and, possibly, a push-pull volume pot for series/parallel interconnection of the two pickups.
 
Re: Untrained ears

thx712517 said:
I have a PRS single cut SE. All mahogany body. I'm looking to swap out the stock pickups because they sound sterile and lack high end chime compared to the stock pickups in my Epiphone SG. I've listened to sound clips for the Alnico II Pro, the Slash set, Seth Lovers, Antiquities, Whole Lotta Humbuckers... I gotta say, with headphones or without its hard for me to tell a difference in the clips. To give you an idea of what I'm looking for,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4gDsbOraiqg

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G7B767HYUqQ

I'd like to play clean and quiet, then crank up the volume and hit the overdrive pedal to get rude. That's why I've been focused on Alnico II pickups with vintage output. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

If you notice, in the first video, JP talks about dynamics. He flips between the neck and bridge pickup when playing. On a Les Paul guitar, you can do those dynamic settings quite easily given the 4 knobs...

Being aware of such things is way more important than magnet type and pickup output. Play softly, and it will will sound soft. Adjust for desired effect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Untrained ears

+1

For the Page loud/quiet switching thing, a two volume control arrangement is essential. Unfortunately, most of the PRS SE Singlecut models feature a controls array of selector switch, Master Vol., Master Tone.
 
Re: Untrained ears

Funkfingers said:
+1

For the Page loud/quiet switching thing, a two volume control arrangement is essential. Unfortunately, most of the PRS SE Singlecut models feature a controls array of selector switch, Master Vol., Master Tone.
Click to expand...

I was lucky enough to find a PRS with two volume and two tone. It's a Tremonti SE (didn't know who he was until after I bought the guitar) but basically a 25" scale single cut with mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fingerboard. I was leaning toward Alnico II as the magnet of choice because I do play some 50s rhythm guitar stuff. I'm learning some lead guitar pieces as of late, like George's solo on Something. I like how the new Epiphone pickups in the Les Paul have an airy/chorus effect when played clean, and I find my PRS is meant that chiming/ringing top end.
 

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Re: Untrained ears

IMHO, PRS SE Tremonti + WLH set = win.

You might want to upgrade to American-made pots.
 
Re: Untrained ears

Just to check though, how would the APH-1 covered neck and uncovered bridge compare to WLH for clean tone and dynamics? I like the idea of a vintage low output A2 but I played a Slash Epiphone and wasn't overly impressed. I play through a Vox AC4C1-12 which will be getting a Celestion Blue speaker in the near future to emphasize that British chime/swirl.
 
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