New pickup for PRS recommendations

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smdb

smdb

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I am looking to replace the HFS pickup in my PRS cus 24. I like the HFS for lead work but it really seems to lack definition on the chords. I would like to leave the neck pickup in the guitar so I am looking for a replacement that would be a good match for the neck pu that will remain.
I play mostly straight forward rock style. No metal for me.
Any recommendations?
 
If it were me and I wanted a clearer tone I lower the power of the bridge...the HFS is a HOT pickup.
I'd look at a low power PAF like the WCR Darkburst. I have them in a SC245 and it's a completely different and better guitar with them compared to the stock PRS pickups.
The Motor City and Lollar pickups are also supposedly great.
 
Duncan Custom! Without a doubt what you are looking for :thumbsup:
 
PRS 59/09 ....

Or Lyle Caldwell just picked up something intersting called Zhangbuckers .... The guy who's winding 'em has something he calls "splat" winding. I don't completely understand it, but it uses one coil and a portion of the 2nd coil so the split impedance doesn't drop quite so low ( ie; half the humbucker ) .... check 'em out and report back if you go that way.

Good Luck !
 
Motor City pickups beat the shit out of Duncans for me. Clearer and better string definition, with no harsh frequencies.
 
prs 5909 sound pretty nice, i played them a week ago and liked them alot.
 
I find hte HFS needs to be set around 6-7 on the guitar volume controls for rhythms...and full for leads.
i just did a swaperoo between 2 PRS i have (standard 24 mahogany and CE24 alder) and the SD custom5 (alnico5)has my vote...it does what the ceramic magnet(yuk) Custom tries to do (ie PAF on steroids) and my fav pickup for a mahogany guitar. ive had the Custom Custom (alnico 2) but that suits a brigter guitar IMO

twoPRS.jpg


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the 57/08s are quite tasty too!
 
Oh, SNAP! I just went through this too. I bought a beautiful maple top PRS in 2003 - it's always played great, huge sound acoustically, but every pickup I have tried in there, including the stock pickups, has sounded harsh.

I wanted something like PAFs, with a bit more gain, but without getting muddy or boomy. I was going to try some Suhr SSV and SSH+ in there but then I met David Allen at NAMM in January. He did me a deal on some custom humbuckers he was prototyping - 8.8K bridge and 8.38k for the neck.
(this model doesn't have a name yet, but tell David you're interested in the specs above and he will know what you mean).

I'm so happy with this guitar now! I use it in front of all the 65Amps that I own - all vintage voiced amps. It growls, it drives hard, rich harmonics without sounding shrill, it still has the ability to give you a chimey clean when you back it off. No matter what you do, the clarity is always there.

http://www.dallenpickups.com/

Check his stuff out - he's a new manufacturer and very customer focused. Pleasure to do business with.
 
WCR Godwoods or Darkburst. Jim makes the best PUPs and his customer service is exemplary!
 
I never 100% jived with the HFS either. If you can find a Dragon I I think it is the perfect pup for the PRS customs.
 
JakeAC5253":3iwg46yh said:
Duncan Custom! Without a doubt what you are looking for :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I had the Custom and Pearly Gates neck in my Custom 22 - best that guitar ever sounded.

The JB/JAZZ was good as well.

JQ
 
I've got an Alnico Pro II and '59 in the Bridge/Neck of my CE22 maple, and a JB/Jazz setup in my CE24 maple. The JB/Jazz combo is a little more aggressive for rock tones, but I love the definition of the jazz in the neck, especially when tapped. The APII/'59 is just a huge, fat sounding combo. It's my preferred guitar for versatility, mainly because those pickups can do so much, especially with a coil tap. I find that the CE22 can actually "out-strat" a decent (read, not great, but still good) strat any day of the week.
 
Duncan custom 5 will probably keep the things you like about the HFS lead tone but give you more clarity on your chords. The alnico 5 mag makes it a little more dynamic as well. I use both these pickups in my PRS. Custom 5 is a great all around sounding pickup that works for a pretty wide range of styles and it's inexpensive. I've had a Godwood in the same guitar but didn't like it as much as the 5. I think the Godwood suits the 24.5 scale guitars better because its fairly bright and gives LP's and 245 guitars extra definition.
 
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