PRS bridge pick ups

[lotsa80sgtrs]

What do you guys like in the bridge position of your PRS's ?
I have a custom 22 (stop tail) with Dragon II's in it. The neck pu is ok but I am looking for something with a bit more
power and bite to it. I have thought about the Tone Zone (which I have in other guitars)but am wondering if there is
something more suitable. Seymour Alnico II's or a 59 ? I like a sound that is wide open but can chunk. Thanks

[jong]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

I have a JB in the bridge on my custom 24. Never owned a guitar with Dragon's in it, so I really can't compare it for you. JB/59 combo sounds very nice though.

[Twisteramps]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

I have an HFS in the bridge of my '91 custom 24 - it's certainly hot, but has a midrange hump and grit to it that I'm not entirely enamored with. I'm thinking Duncan custom custom possibly... but not sure yet. The Van Zandt I have in the neck KILLS though.

Pete

[MountainDog]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

I never played my Custom22 much due to the sound of the stock PRS bridge pickup. I installed a Chrome covered Duncan JB and ta-ta! nice sounding guitar that now gets played a lot. I highly recommend the JB in the bridge, and with the chrome cover, it looked exactly like the stock chrome covered pickup, so the guitar looks the same.

[markD]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

i like the HFS in my CE24. to me it sounds like a PRS!!

[Twisteramps]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

MountainDog - what was the stock pickup?
MD - maybe it's the difference in tone between a custom 24 and a CE. Mine just sounds real upper midrange/bright and has a ton of output.

Pete

[lotsa80sgtrs]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

Thanks guys. Is the PRS a regular size pick up or Fender
spaced ? Joey

[markD]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

[ QUOTE ]
MountainDog - what was the stock pickup?
MD - maybe it's the difference in tone between a custom 24 and a CE. Mine just sounds real upper midrange/bright and has a ton of output.

Pete

[/ QUOTE ]

maybe. all i know is that the notes slide into natural feedback when sustained for a while. i sound like santana. it prolly is all the mids. i like mids. they are boosted pretty high on my amps. sitting here looking at my riveras and my soldano, the mids are up around 6 and i keep the treble down around 2. i play pretty loud, even at home, so it still cuts good and has clarity...

but anyway, that HFS just sings!!! but i do agree with you about the output...WAAAAAAYYYYY hotter than i usually like my pickups. i prefer medium output pickups like the di'marzio PAF pro...but when i got the PRS it sounded right to me so i didn't change it.

curiously though, my PRS only gets used for leads in the studio!!! the sound gets too mushy for anything else. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[1trussell]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

Well, I can't help you with the PRS, but I've had quite a few pickups in my Hamer Special FM which is similar in construction to your Custom 22 (without the arch top). In the bridge I've used a Rio Grande BBQ, Duncan Distortion, Pearly Gates, 59, APH-1, and a Custom/Custom. The Rio is like a cross between a Pearly Gates and a JB with a bit more bottom end. It has great harmonics, but just a bit too much top end for my taste. The Pearly Gates is a great PAF type pickup with an extra bit of top end that really cuts through (think Billy Gibbons). The Distortion is one of my favorite pickups. It's hot, tight in the bass, spike in the low-mids, and tons of harmonics. It just wasn't the right fit in this guitar. The 59 was a great all purpose pickup. It does everything equally well. It just didn't stand out in any one area. The APH-1 was similar to the 59 in capability, it's just a load smoother and warmer. The Custom/Custom starts where the APH-1 leaves off and adds more crunch and more harmonics. It is a great rock pickup, think early VH. Next, I'm going to be getting a Duncan Custom Shop hot PAF wound around 10k with an AlNiCo 5 magnet and mismatched coils. We'll see how I like that one.

[MountainDog]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

[ QUOTE ]
MountainDog - what was the stock pickup?

[/ QUOTE ]
Dragon II

[MountainDog]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

[ QUOTE ]
Is the PRS a regular size pick up or Fender
spaced ?

[/ QUOTE ]
The PRS pickups are regular spaced.

The JB I used is SH-4 JB Model Nkl. Part Number is 11102-13-Nc

Here's some pics to tempt you into the nickel JB! (the dragonII I took out is sitting on the foam pad behind the bridge). Note how the JB looks so very much like the Dragon II. Note also how it fits the PRS mounting ring perfectly!

JB pic #1
JB pic #2

[lotsa80sgtrs]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

Thanks Mountain Dog, Travis and everyone else for the feedback. The JB with the cover looks pretty cool and I wil try either that one or the Duncan Custom Custom.

[hippietim]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

I own a prs santana iii. it came stock with santana iii model pickups. they really sucked eggs. particularly the bridge pickup. it was nasally and brittle with poor sustain. I tried a set of dragon ii's in it - those were worse in every way - dull and brittle if you can believe that - basically a piercing attack with a foul short sustain. I ended up putting duncan phat cats in that guitar and couldn't be happier.

this week i've managed to get out to a number of music stores to play prs's. I love the mccarty's! they really sustain well, have a clear attack, great string to string balance. they handle complex and disonant chords nicely clean or dirty - the smoke test for that is an Ebmaj7 chord with much gain [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

each time I tried a guitar with one of the other prs pickups I was uninspired. I played a beautiful custom 22 today with a wonderful solid rosewood neck - it got it's butt kicked by a usa dean hard tail in the tone department. it took a mccarty again to restore my faith in the potential of a prs.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

PRS McCarty's are definitely my favorite. My friend bought the best one ever from my store, and I wanted it.

[Twisteramps]

Re: PRS bridge pick ups

Mine doesn't count vs the new ones... it's pre CNC (91) [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I'm still thinking of ditching my bridge pickup though...

Pete