PRS Tremonti pickup?

Rex Rocker

Rex Rocker

Well-known member
How is it? I read it was based on the Gibson 500T. Is it? Is it super hot?

Any info you guys can give me on it? How does it compare to the usual suspects like the Duncan Distortion?

Thanks!
 
JTyson

JTyson

Well-known member
I love that pickup, its fairly even with a nice midrange and tight bottom end. Its hot, I wouldn't say super hot, but hot as a JB for sure, but very clear. Note definition is good. Chords ring out with a good bit of detail and complexity. Its been awhile since I heard a DD or a 500T
 
RedPlated

RedPlated

Well-known member
It's pretty hot. I just replaced one in my PRS Tremonti with a Suhr Aldrich. The Aldrich is much tighter and more clear while still enough output.
 
B

bubucci

Well-known member
I don't think it is possible to make overwound 17kohm Alnico 5 tighter than ceramic pickup. Aldrich have huge bottom end but tightness and clarity are much better with Tremonti pup. I have them in the same guitar too.
 
jabps

jabps

Well-known member
I personally love them in my PRS Tremonti's. For me they are the perfect pickup for that guitar and I went through alot of pups in one of my Tremonti's to only end back up with the stock pickup and scratching my head why I ever wasted my time and money. I tried a 500T (since I love those in my Pauls), JB since that is one of my fav all time pups, SD Dist, SD Custom 5, Motor City Afwayu , Dimarzio Tone Zone, Gib 498T, Bare Knuckle Nailbomd and Rebel Yell. I think that's it might have forgotten something. I finally stuck the stock Tremonti pup back in as was like, wtf.

The bridge and neck pups are voiced fantastic together IMO.

Is it like a 500T tonally? Close since that was what MT was going for. That said the Tremonti vs the 500T in the same Tremonti guitar. The 500T is a little to much, not quite as tight and not quite as vocal. To me the Tremonti although ceramic at times can feel like a bit like an Alnico 5, the 500T never feels like that. The Tremonti also cleans up better than the T.

Btw/ I own two Tremonti Sig's (2007 and 2011) and I own four Les Pauls. 3 of my LP's have the 500T which are perfect for me on those guitars and of course the Tremonti's are stock. Further how does it compare to the SD Distortion - to me both the 500T and Tremonti just have alot more beef, punch and dynamics than the SDD. I've tried the SDD in multiple guitars and in the end it always comes out.
 
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jeff5

Active member
Imo underrated and not talked about enough when people are looking for high output passives. It is a great pick up for hard rock and metal. Big and thick and just tight enough for great palm mutes and has a great high end for solos. It can be a bit trebly so you may have to watch for that and control it.
 
JTyson

JTyson

Well-known member
I thought the magnet was a custom Alnico V ?
Its got a bit more beef on bottom than a ceramic pickup to my ears, and dosent have that "brittle" thing going on.
I went through a similar thing that jabs did, I think I tried a JB, and an Aldrich and ended up going back to it. The Aldrich was great, but more compressed sounding to me, which I had plenty of..
I have 2 PRS guitars with them in the bridge, a McCarty and an original Modern Eagle with a solid Braz Rosewood Neck. I haven't heard them in anything else, but the Eagle sounds massive. ;)
 
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jabps

jabps

Well-known member
JTyson said:
I thought the magnet was a custom Alnico V ?
Its got a bit more beef on bottom than a ceramic pickup to my ears, and dosent have that "brittle" thing going on.
I went through a similar thing that jabs did, I think I tried a JB, and an Aldrich and ended up going back to it. The Aldrich was great, but more compressed sounding to me, which I had plenty of..
I have 2 PRS guitars with them in the bridge, a McCarty and an original Modern Eagle with a solid Braz Rosewood Neck. I haven't heard them in anything else, but the Eagle sounds massive. ;)
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"To me" that's the thing about the Tremonti pup, it's got a sweetness that most ceramics pickups do not have. Granted I've only tried them in the Tremonti.

Even with the 500T in the Tremonti guitar (and that's the pup it's designed after) it did not have that sweetness the Tremonti pup has. Now I love the 500T's in Pauls...for me those guys just bring all the Paul goodness out but I know they aren't for everyone.
 
JTyson

JTyson

Well-known member
jabps said:
"To me" that's the thing about the Tremonti pup, it's got a sweetness that most ceramics pickups do not have. Granted I've only tried them in the Tremonti.

Even with the 500T in the Tremonti guitar (and that's the pup it's designed after) it did not have that sweetness the Tremonti pup has. Now I love the 500T's in Pauls...for me those guys just bring all the Paul goodness out but I know they aren't for everyone.
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So it is ceramic?
I mean, it would not surprise me given the clarity it has under stupid gain levels, but they never say its ceramic, they say "custom" yet they call a bunch of their other pickups ceramic. Ive seen a bunch of other places say its an alnico V, which also made sense given the sweet bottom end and midrange. Not trying to stir the pot, I just can't find any info that says its ceramic. Unfortunately, PRS just says "custom" :bash:
Just be nice to know for sure one way or the other
 
jabps

jabps

Well-known member
JTyson said:
So it is ceramic?
I mean, it would not surprise me given the clarity it has under stupid gain levels, but they never say its ceramic, they say "custom" yet they call a bunch of their other pickups ceramic. Ive seen a bunch of other places say its an alnico V, which also made sense given the sweet bottom end and midrange. Not trying to stir the pot, I just can't find any info that says its ceramic. Unfortunately, PRS just says "custom" :bash:
Just be nice to know for sure one way or the other
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Yes, the bridge is ceramic. You can find the original PRS pickup charts on the web, usually in PRS forums. Bridge is around 15k. Neck is Alnico around 7k. Click here. It's like the second post down and expand the image out. Guy has an attachment in there. Lists all the PRS pups as of 2015. Not sure why they say "custom" now, no clue.
 
I

itsme

Well-known member
It's a great pickup. Love it in my tremonti. Having said that, I'd only put it in a thick mahoghany body. Would probably be too bright in an alder super strat.
 
Jugghaid

Jugghaid

Member
I'm 99% sure that the bridge pickup is the same as the SC250 pickup. And the neck is a #7. Specs are identical.

Having said that, I love them. I kept my Core Tremonti stock because there was no need to mess with it. Sounds great the way it is.
 
jabps

jabps

Well-known member
Jugghaid said:
I'm 99% sure that the bridge pickup is the same as the SC250 pickup. And the neck is a #7. Specs are identical.

Having said that, I love them. I kept my Core Tremonti stock because there was no need to mess with it. Sounds great the way it is.
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Based on the PRS chart the bridge pups are identical, granted it doesn't go into too much detail. Neck pups are different, spec wise from the 250. One thing about the Tremonti, that neck pup is sweet, works perfect with the bridge.
 
Jugghaid

Jugghaid

Member
jabps said:
Based on the PRS chart the bridge pups are identical, granted it doesn't go into too much detail. Neck pups are different, spec wise from the 250. One thing about the Tremonti, that neck pup is sweet, works perfect with the bridge.
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I think it's a #7 neck pup. Sounds the same as the #7 I had in my singlecut and the specs match up.
 
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