Prs guitars picky with amps

G

gtr31

Well-known member
Hey all
I have recently tried out a few Prsguitars
The Ce24 and Cu24 one thing I have noticed is the pickups tend to have a lot of mid honk
Maybe it's just the pickups the guitars feel good to play have an awesome clean and neck smooth sustain violin tone
But I can't seem to love the bridge tones they just don't seem to work well with many amps
Especuaky the British EL34 amps its honk city they fare better with something like a Recto IMO
Anyone else notice this ??
 
I've owned dozens of PRS guitars, mostly DGTs and several from the Singlecut line, and they use lots of different pickups. Like most companies, some of their pickups are better than others.

In general, PRS guitars tend to match up very nicely with Marshall amps - that's what most of my amps have been over the years - EL34, Marshall based.

I'd say keep working on dialing in the amps. You'll find some great tones with PRS guitars.
 
Yeah, I've noticed this, too. I've just replaced the pups with something more inline with my preferences. All I have experience with are BKPs, but I have several sets installed in different PRS.

CU24 - BKP Crawler Set - More versatile, great cleans to killer heavies.
McCarty - BKP Rebel Yell Bridge + Stormy Monday Neck - Great lead tones and my favorite neck pup
HBI - BKP Stormy Monday Set - Love the neck, the bridge is good for lighter rock, but I should probably replace it with a BKP Mule
McSoapy - BKP Nantucket Set - Best P90s I've ever heard.
 
I only own 2 PRS guitars which I got earlier this year, a McCarty (rosewood neck) and a 1993 CE 24. They sound great through everything I have played them through so far (Amplifire 12, 1972 Fender Bassman 100, Marshall JVM1, Yamaha THR10, Bogner Shiva).
 
The excessive honk you’re hearing may be from the guitar’s construction, not the pickups. Those PRS models have thicker maple tops and thinner mahogany bodies than Les Pauls for example, so the maple to mahogany ratio is much higher in a PRS vs Gibson. Consider that if you believe, like me, that the woods used play a vital role in an electric guitar’s tone.
 
Mine love everything I plug em into, especially my marshalls. may be the pickups? (as was stated)
 
thegame":1uywt1i2 said:
The excessive honk you’re hearing may be from the guitar’s construction, not the pickups. Those PRS models have thicker maple tops and thinner mahogany bodies than Les Pauls for example, so the maple to mahogany ratio is much higher in a PRS vs Gibson. Consider that if you believe, like me, that the woods used play a vital role in an electric guitar’s tone.
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This ^ is Truth for the "C" series guitars. McCarty's and Singlecuts are better as they have thicker mahogany backs. The plain top CE's and Standards are not bad as they are just mahogany..

Every CU/CE22 I have own has been the same experience regardless of pickups..

BUT that honk cuts right thru on a track or in a band so keep that in mind
 
JTyson":127509o2 said:
Mine love everything I plug em into, especially my marshalls. may be the pickups? (as was stated)
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yeah this has been my experience as well. Though most of my amps I suppose lean to the "Modded Marshall" type. My SC245 sounds BRUTAL through my VHT/Fryette Sig: X and great though the Friedman/Hening/Splawn as well.

This was just captured on a Zoom Q8 so not "pro" but I think through all 3 amps the PRS brings the rock

 
The Cu24's have changed pickups several times over the years. I have a 2015 Cu24, and it came with 59/09's, the bridge did seem a little honky to me. I have a prs 1985 reissue treble pickup in it ATM, and it kills.
 
johnpace2":1khhqqnf said:
When I had a CU 24, I hated the HFS pickups, but the SC 245 stock pickups sound great to me.
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I had new '98 and '99 CU24s. For the first couple of years, I loved 'em. Best guitars I'd ever owned to that point. But eventually I started to hate them. Not the playability or fit&finish. The tone. It was sterile. It was just "blah". So I dumped them. I HATED the 5-way rotary turd as well. I should have wired a 3-way toggle in there and throw a Duncan JB/59 pair in. I'm sure that I would have kept them had I done that. I haven't played any of the newer PRS' in the last 15 years. I'm sure their tone is better. But I'm too in-love with Tom Anderson's guitars and my LP R0 to bother now.
 
Red_Label":87re13ni said:
I had new '98 and '99 CU24s. For the first couple of years, I loved 'em. Best guitars I'd ever owned to that point. But eventually I started to hate them. Not the playability or fit&finish. The tone. It was sterile. It was just "blah". So I dumped them. I HATED the 5-way rotary turd as well. I should have wired a 3-way toggle in there and throw a Duncan JB/59 pair in. I'm sure that I would have kept them had I done that. I haven't played any of the newer PRS' in the last 15 years. I'm sure their tone is better. But I'm too in-love with Tom Anderson's guitars and my LP R0 to bother now.
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That was the trendy sound during that time. It's funny because I remember then, and even earlier you could buy vintage marshal amps, and such for next to nothing. It all comes full circle, I fully expect the HFS pickups to be the shit once again, that's why I'm stock piling them now :LOL: :LOL: J/K but it's probably the truth and I should be stock piling them. :confused:
 
JerEvil":e35zix59 said:
JTyson":e35zix59 said:
Mine love everything I plug em into, especially my marshalls. may be the pickups? (as was stated)
Click to expand...
yeah this has been my experience as well. Though most of my amps I suppose lean to the "Modded Marshall" type. My SC245 sounds BRUTAL through my VHT/Fryette Sig: X and great though the Friedman/Hening/Splawn as well.

This was just captured on a Zoom Q8 so not "pro" but I think through all 3 amps the PRS brings the rock

Click to expand...
Thats a great clip, the Henning's got killer mids!
 
Red_Label":2z9bsy21 said:
johnpace2":2z9bsy21 said:
When I had a CU 24, I hated the HFS pickups, but the SC 245 stock pickups sound great to me.
Click to expand...

I had new '98 and '99 CU24s. For the first couple of years, I loved 'em. Best guitars I'd ever owned to that point. But eventually I started to hate them. Not the playability or fit&finish. The tone. It was sterile. It was just "blah". So I dumped them. I HATED the 5-way rotary turd as well. I should have wired a 3-way toggle in there and throw a Duncan JB/59 pair in. I'm sure that I would have kept them had I done that. I haven't played any of the newer PRS' in the last 15 years. I'm sure their tone is better. But I'm too in-love with Tom Anderson's guitars and my LP R0 to bother now.
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Yup, mine was an 86 custom 24 and I also had a CE 22 from probably 94 or so...

I distinctly remember going into the studio and plugging in the CU 24 and the engineer going eeeeewwww. Swapped it for a 90's Gibson R7 Goldtop and that was just way more balanced and sounded great.
 
I have an 86 cu24 with original treble and bass pickups, and I would say it sounds great with everything I plug it in to. That being said, it is considerably brighter in tone than my LP or my mahogany body bolt neck guitars. Just another flavor.
 
I've played a lot of beautiful PRS's, but really none I ever came close to buying, just don't dig the tones. And when I think about it, there are literally no known pro guys I like who played PRS during their peak years, either. There are a few guys who used them briefly like Marty Friedman and Johnny Hiland that I definitely like but their best tones were not on PRS and really they're the kind of guys who sound very similar regardless of gear, it's their playing I dig, not necessarily their "tone." That said, I haven't played one with Duncans in them, that may fix it for me. Total respect for their build quality and looks, but after all these years, I kinda just know they're not my thing.

So I dunno I'd agree they're picky with amps per se, just that their inherent tone is its own thing and not a lot of people's cup of tea.
 
Their newer 85/15 pickups sound pretty much identical to a Duncan JB to me. If you like the JB you will like them,if you don't, you wont. All my guitars have JB's so my CE24 and CU24 with the 85/15 sound right at home with my setup.
 
BrokenFusion":ggk4hzju said:
Their newer 85/15 pickups sound pretty much identical to a Duncan JB to me. If you like the JB you will like them,if you don't, you wont. All my guitars have JB's so my CE24 and CU24 with the 85/15 sound right at home with my setup.
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I have a Cu24 and the 85/15 is pretty much the exact opposite of a JB. It's a low output PAF style pickup, so generally scooped with a bright top end.
 
'63-Strat":3qy2972v said:
I've played a lot of beautiful PRS's, but really none I ever came close to buying, just don't dig the tones. And when I think about it, there are literally no known pro guys I like who played PRS during their peak years, either. There are a few guys who used them briefly like Marty Friedman and Johnny Hiland that I definitely like but their best tones were not on PRS and really they're the kind of guys who sound very similar regardless of gear, it's their playing I dig, not necessarily their "tone." That said, I haven't played one with Duncans in them, that may fix it for me. Total respect for their build quality and looks, but after all these years, I kinda just know they're not my thing.

So I dunno I'd agree they're picky with amps per se, just that their inherent tone is its own thing and not a lot of people's cup of tea.
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Their tones are all over the place because the woods and electronics they use vary quite a bit. They have tons of different pickups they use, and that is a huge variable in your final tone.

There is no "PRS tone" just like there is no "Gibson tone." Way too much variety in the the styles, components, etc.
 
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