would you change pickups on a prs custom 24 (oldish one - can't remember year) and to what?

nickp

I think I'm after a sort of fuller creamier tone.......I've seen a SD custom custom and pearly gates combo but I'm completely open to suggestions - just wondering

sweepy

I changed the pickups in my v v old McCarty to DiMarzio Evo and Tonezone, suited it very nicely 

ThorpyFX

Yes, try the bare knuckle VH2s love them a lot, probably the most versatile set I’ve heard for all styles 

thegummy

If it came with VB and HFS I'd definitely not change them

richardhomer

thegummy said:

If it came with VB and HFS I'd definitely not change them

I had a ‘92 Custom with these - and always liked them. But it isn’t a combination that sounds ‘that’ Gibson-like. More modern PRS pick-ups sound more PAFish - but I’m not convinced a 24 fret PRS particularly needs that - it has its own thing going on.

tekbow

Yeah. One thing PRS aren't known for are their pickups. The old McCarty PU's were particularly wet blanket.

crunchman

Not sure any core US PRS with a big thick maple top is good for that kind of tone.  I've owned 5 of them in the past (all gone now).  I've found I much prefer the sound of Les Pauls when I want humbuckers.  Part of it is the PRS pickups, but I think it's down to the construction.  The bridge is anchored in the thickest part of the maple, and it's a much deeper carve on the top than a Les Paul, so it is much thicker at that point.  The overall ratio of maple to mahogany is much higher on a PRS than a Les Paul as well.  I think that gives PRS their own sound.

The 24 fret guitars are also worse than the later 22 fret guitars for that thicker sound.  It was a desire to get a thicker sound that led to the 22 fret guitars in the mid 90s in the first place.

Fundamentally, if you want a thicker and "creamier" sound, the Custom 24 is not the best guitar for it.  Changing out the HFS and VB pickups might help a bit, but you will always be limited by the guitar's construction.

chromatuna

I didn’t like the HFS/VB combination and went on a bit of an odyssey with it learning about pickups as I went. Depends what you want of course. I was after a versatile Gibson-ish sound , clean and overdriven, with the 70s very much in mind. After going too hot (12-14k b. 8-9k n - too much mid emphasis) and too cold (standard 8.4 7.5k winds - just a bit weak and meh) and various magnet combinations I found a second hand set of PRS 59/09s which I understand to be moderately overwound with Alnico 2 magnets. Best I have found for what I want from my CU 24

Jalapeno

Change them to whatever you want - keep the originals in the case.

nickp

hfs treble and vinage bass are original pups in it - from 2002 (just checked) - and like chromatuna I'm after a similar sound I guess  

imalrightjack

tekbow said:

Yeah. One thing PRS aren't known for are their pickups. The old McCarty PU's were particularly wet blanket.

I had a 2000 model and it sounded incredible with stock pickups.

nickp

crunchman said:

Not sure any core US PRS with a big thick maple top is good for that kind of tone.  I've owned 5 of them in the past (all gone now).  I've found I much prefer the sound of Les Pauls when I want humbuckers.  Part of it is the PRS pickups, but I think it's down to the construction.  The bridge is anchored in the thickest part of the maple, and it's a much deeper carve on the top than a Les Paul, so it is much thicker at that point.  The overall ratio of maple to mahogany is much higher on a PRS than a Les Paul as well.  I think that gives PRS their own sound.

The 24 fret guitars are also worse than the later 22 fret guitars for that thicker sound.  It was a desire to get a thicker sound that led to the 22 fret guitars in the mid 90s in the first place.

Fundamentally, if you want a thicker and "creamier" sound, the Custom 24 is not the best guitar for it.  Changing out the HFS and VB pickups might help a bit, but you will always be limited by the guitar's construction.

thanks - I get that and I'd quite like a DGT but don't have any money at the moment.  The custom 24's dead handy for the wonderful neck so I'm on a mission to get it "more" where I want it whilst accepting the issues and sell everything in the house for a s/d dgt

nickp

Jalapeno said:

Change them to whatever you want - keep the originals in the case.

yup although the guitar has lost a shitload in value since the dog knocked it off the stand and I've had the headstock repaired as it was badly cracked (fuck!!) - so it'll probably be a keeper!!

tekbow

imalrightjack said:

tekbow said:

Yeah. One thing PRS aren't known for are their pickups. The old McCarty PU's were particularly wet blanket.

I had a 2000 model and it sounded incredible with stock pickups.

I have an 04 and they were awful. The BKP's made a big difference.

nickp

just lookig at the bkp ones that thorpy mentioned.  Ash @OilCityPickups ; also does similar on the face of it

GuyR

nickp said:

Jalapeno said:

Change them to whatever you want - keep the originals in the case.

yup although the guitar has lost a shitload in value since the dog knocked it off the stand and I've had the headstock repaired as it was badly cracked (fuck!!) - so it'll probably be a keeper!!

I would be working on an eye-for-an-eye basis here.

OilCityPickups

nickp said:

just lookig at the bkp ones that thorpy mentioned.  Ash @OilCityPickups ; also does similar on the face of it

My NightFighter alnico II Customs were designed originally to replace PRS pickups ... more cream and less spike ...

nickp

OilCityPickups said:

nickp said:

just lookig at the bkp ones that thorpy mentioned.  Ash @OilCityPickups ;; also does similar on the face of it

My NightFighter alnico II Customs were designed originally to replace PRS pickups ... more cream and less spike ...

you bad boy ash   they are much higher output than the sort of 8-9ish that I was lookin at originally.  alnico 2 so smoother

OilCityPickups

nickp said:

OilCityPickups said:

nickp said:

just lookig at the bkp ones that thorpy mentioned.  Ash @OilCityPickups ;; also does similar on the face of it

My NightFighter alnico II Customs were designed originally to replace PRS pickups ... more cream and less spike ...

you bad boy ash   they are much higher output than the sort of 8-9ish that I was lookin at originally.  alnico 2 so smoother

Don't judge output on DCR ... they have a bit more ouput ... but as they are wound with 43awg wire the DCR is naturally higher than say a PAF :-) They have more compression and mids than a PAF though

nickp

OilCityPickups said:

nickp said:

OilCityPickups said:

nickp said:

just lookig at the bkp ones that thorpy mentioned.  Ash @OilCityPickups ;; also does similar on the face of it

My NightFighter alnico II Customs were designed originally to replace PRS pickups ... more cream and less spike ...

you bad boy ash   they are much higher output than the sort of 8-9ish that I was lookin at originally.  alnico 2 so smoother

Don't judge output on DCR ... they have a bit more ouput ... but as they are wound with 43awg wire the DCR is naturally higher than say a PAF :-) They have more compression and mids than a PAF though

thanks Ash - when I feel like I have wriggle room I'll order - either this side or the other side of santa 

sweepy

I changed mine because the bridge pickup was spiky and harsh and the neck pickup was muddy and in distinct