recommend me a pickup for PRS CU22

[K-Roll]

hey guys

I just picked up a really nice prs Custom 22 artist with trem and a wide fat neck and I am planning to use it in lower tunings around drop B and such.
Have any of you had good results with a bridge pickup while tuning this low? I'm still messing with the pickup height, so it's still a fight .

I am not a huge fan of super high output pickups, prefer tones that are big sounding with some nice growl and definition and I like to let the amp do the gain/heavy lifting.

At this moment it's hooked up with a dragon 2 and as much as i'd like it it could be better honestly. One thing i really do not get is PRS's pickups as of lately .
It gets quite mushy and fuzzy while still being on the higher output the lower you go.

I'm also planning to get the new diezel VH2 amp soon and knowing diezel, I should definitely avoid high output pickups .
thanks for your input, this is the first time I own a PRS. It's really a very well made guitar.

https://78.media.tumblr.com/18abbd105e5 ... 1_1280.jpg

 

[Mr. Willy]

I really like the VHII in my CU24. Love the clarity and versatility. I haven’t tried one, but BK also recommends the Riff Raff for heavier styles using lower output pups. Some on here have mentioned the Mule is really good for heavy stuff, too. Good luck.

 

[K-Roll]

thanks do you think they'd be ok in lower tunings, too? I once bought some of those lower output pickups and one thing I noticed was as you'd increase gain on your amp they'd start smearing notes together and going with a lower drop tuning they flub out almost immediately. Can't recall which model that was i think a mule when i tried it in an LP-esque guitar.

 

[D-Rock]

Articulation and clarity is king with down tuned high gain tones.

I like actives, like the EMG 81, 57, Fishman Modern, etc.

For passives, the SD Black Winter, Nagzul or Omega would work well.

 

[Mr. Willy]

thanks do you think they'd be ok in lower tunings, too? I once bought some of those lower output pickups and one thing I noticed was as you'd increase gain on your amp they'd start smearing notes together and going with a lower drop tuning they flub out almost immediately. Can't recall which model that was i think a mule when i tried it in an LP-esque guitar.

Man, I don’t really play in that low of a tuning anymore. On second thought, you should probably go with D-Rock’s advice. He plays the lower, heavier stuff more than I do. I like a good amount of gain, but I’m usually in standard or Eb.

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

I don't play in low tunings, but I recently put Fishman Fluence KSE pickups in my PRS CU24, and they are awesome!!! It was a bit difficult to get both push pull pots installed in that small pickup cavity with enough room for a battery, but well worth it

 

[Kevin11]

I recently picked up a CU24 Floyd that came stock with PRS \m/ pickups. If you don't mind trying a different set of PRS', I highly recommend these. The DC on them is high, but the ceramic magnet keeps things tight and clear. Really loving both the neck and bridge and will be putting them in a few of my other guitars. They split great and even in full humbucker mode, clean up amazingly well with the guitar vol. I'm super picky about pickups and rarely fall in love with something as quickly as I did with them.

 

[vultures]

I've tried a ton of pickups in my CU24 and disliked most of them, hated a couple. Everything from a few PRS sets to Dimarzio to Duncan to EMG to BKP. The set I have in them now is Seymour Duncan Alpha & Omega and they sound incredible, I tune mostly in E, but I have tuned down to C and they sound great down low as well. They were designed specifically for a PRS guitar with low tunings and high gain so I'm not surprised. Give them a shot if you can find a set for a good price

 

[sloanthebone]

Prs newer pickup options are far superior to their older ones. 57/08s, 59/09 and \m/ pickups are fantastic in a CU22.

 

[dogman]

WCR Godwoods. I've tried almost everything out there from Duncans and Dimarzios to MC"s and BKP"s until I found the Wagners.
The Godwoods are just incredible. Not too hot and not low for output. The necks are right around 8.8 and the bridges at around 9.8-10.2.
They are very rich with harmonics and give that big open airy tone with growl. They do it all and clean up extremely well. So much that I have them in all my guitars now.
Totally amazing pickups. Custom wound to order and on your door step in less than 10 days. Cant say enough good things about them

 

[some dude]

I am not a huge fan of super high output pickups, prefer tones that are big sounding with some nice growl and definition and I like to let the amp do the gain/heavy lifting.

I thought like that for about 10 years. Went with lower output and let the amp do the work.

Fairly recently I finally that I was wrong and that (IMO) low output humbuckers kind of suck. It was a lesson I should've learned a few times in the past, but I had it in my head that low output was better and ignored the reality of what I was hearing when I used them.

I've seen the light and I've started the slow conversion to higher output ceramics. I'm keeping one guitar with PAF type pickups because I still like them for certain sounds... but for more driving rock and higher gain metal I've given up on them and moving to pickups with more clarity and punch.

For downtuning the PRS HFS works really well. A lot of people don't like them for standard tuning, but they seem to sound better once the guitar is tuned lower. Alternatively, a Duncan Custom is somewhat similar.