I know nothing about pickups and my PRS stock aint cutting it

[steviejr92]

So this is going to be one huge open ended question. Right now i have a stock PRS custom 22 semi hollow. I think the build quality is fantastic but the pickups kinda....well suck. The bridge is not too bad i suppose to me it sounds better when the coils are split (is that my strat talking in the case?) but the neck is horrendous i stay away from it at all costs. My dilemma is i dont know a thing about pickups. So i figured this forum would be a great place to start and ask which pickups should i go with and why?


Maybe i should give a little more info on what im looking for:
Clear and clean (pretty vague huh, well the stock ones arent...)
When pushed with a bunch of distortion theyre not gonna sound like s&^* (all muddy and barely audible, especially neck pickups!)
Something not too expensive im trying to spend 100-150 max! ( this may be harder to do as i looked at quick glance at the market and theyre all like 200 bucks or more)

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I don't wanna be that guy but have you played with your pickup heights yet? Is that an S2 custom 22? Also what age is it? I'm trying to work out which pickups are in it now.

 

[steviejr92]

I don't wanna be that guy but have you played with your pickup heights yet? Is that an S2 custom 22? Also what age is it? I'm trying to work out which pickups are in it now.

I haven't messed with the height of the pickups at all. I just got it like 4 - 5 months ago so im guessing the newer model?

 

[BuddytheReow]

Seymour Duncan's website has a questionnaire to help you select what kind of pickups may work for you. Of course they're going to sell you only their pickups, but still.

Seymour Duncan Guitar Pickup Finder

www.seymourduncan.com

 

[steviejr92]

Seymour Duncan's website has a questionnaire to help you select what kind of pickups may work for you. Of course they're going to sell you only their pickups, but still.

I was literally looking at the seymour duncans Pearly gates for $238 for the set before shipping. But sheesh 240 Ive been spending so much but it is on my list though....

 

[BuddytheReow]

I was literally looking at the seymour duncans Pearly gates for $238 for the set before shipping. But sheesh 240 Ive been spending so much but it is on my list though....

Try the used market, such as ebay or Reverb

 

[steviejr92]

Try the used market, such as ebay or Reverb

Never bought used pickups or pickups at all for that matter Anything specific i should look out for when purchasing used pickups?

 

[Harry Klippton]

Never bought used pickups or pickups at all for that matter Anything specific i should look out for when purchasing used pickups?

Just that they have enough wire left to hook them up. And if not, you can just add some since you know how to solder... Assuming you know how to solder 😂

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I haven't messed with the height of the pickups at all. I just got it like 4 - 5 months ago so im guessing the newer model?

First off before you spend $200 on new pickups have a go at the pickup heights to make sure they're definitely not for you. PRS stock pickups are a lot better these days IMO. Can you hold down the strings at the 22nd fret and measure from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string? If we know where you're starting off we can see what kind of adjustment you might need.

You'd need to measure the high and low e strings please.

 

[steviejr92]

Just that they have enough wire left to hook them up. And if not, you can just add some since you know how to solder... Assuming you know how to solder 😂

Well shit...

 

[steviejr92]

First off before you spend $200 on new pickups have a go at the pickup heights to make sure they're definitely not for you. PRS stock pickups are a lot better these days IMO. Can you hold down the strings at the 22nd fret and measure from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string? If we know where you're starting off we can see what kind of adjustment you might need.

You'd need to measure the high and low e strings please.

Gimme sec to get back to you!

 

[iamjackslackof]

I second the notion of messing with the pickup height. And tweak the pole piece height if they are adjustable. I bought some very expensive PAF replicas, and still needed to mess with both to get the neck to sound its best in my guitar.

 

[steviejr92]

Neck:
Low E string : .3mm
2nd pole: .3mm
High E string : .2mm
2nd pole: .2mm
Bridge:
Low E string : .2mm
2nd pole: .3mm
High E string : .2mm
2nd pole: .3mm

All done as i held down the 22nd fret
From pole to string

 

[SillyOctpuss]

They're actually set in a great place to start from. I'd get your bridge pickup to where you like it best and forget the neck for now.

If you move both sides of the bridge up by about half a turn and see if you prefer it to we're it's set now. Once you get close to the sweet spot you'd be amazed how much difference a quarter turn of the screw can make. Keep going up until it starts to sound unpleasant then back it off a bit. If you keep count of how many turns you make it's dead easy to go back to where you started.

Once the bridge is set to where like it best then balance the neck against it. I usually set both humbuckers using a ruler to about 1.6mm and then finetune/balance by ear.

 

[steviejr92]

They're actually set in a great place to start from. I'd get your bridge pickup to where you like it best and forget the neck for now.

If you move both sides of the bridge up by about half a turn and see if you prefer it to we're it's set now. Once you get close to the sweet spot you'd be amazed how much difference a quarter turn of the screw can make. Keep going up until it starts to sound unpleasant then back it off a bit. If you keep count of how many turns you make it's dead easy to go back to where you started.

Once the bridge is set to where like it best then balance the neck against it. I usually set both humbuckers using a ruler to about 1.6mm and then finetune/balance by ear.

Taking this advice right now going to start messing with quarter turns on each side and see where that gets me!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Taking this advice right now going to start messing with quarter turns on each side and see where that gets me!

Good luck sir

 

[steviejr92]

Good luck sir

immediately can hear a difference! So i think i went high by one quarter turn on each side and it sounds just a little hotter and i like it going to be messing with this a little more! Also too my neck pickup poles have a little corrosion on them how the hell did that happen?

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Pickup height - absolutely! Lots of great info online.

BTW, I shelled out $$ to replace the stock pickups on a PRS Custom 22, with Seymour Duncans. After a month of playing those, I decided I'd give the stock pickups another chance (like you, I hadn't tweaked them at all). Once I did that, I couldn't believe how great they sounded.

And while we love everything guitar-related here, maybe this is a question to post on the "Tech Questions" section of the Official PRS Forum - https://forums.prsguitars.com/forums/ptc-prs-tech-center.65/

 

[steviejr92]

Pickup height - absolutely! Lots of great info online.

BTW, I shelled out $$ to replace the stock pickups on a PRS Custom 22, with Seymour Duncans. After a month of playing those, I decided I'd give the stock pickups another chance (like you, I hadn't tweaked them at all). Once I did that, I couldn't believe how great they sounded.

And while we love everything guitar-related here, maybe this is a question to post on the "Tech Questions" section of the Official PRS Forum - https://forums.prsguitars.com/forums/ptc-prs-tech-center.65/

Thanks dude I didn’t realize how much of a difference pickup height makes!

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

immediately can hear a difference! So i think i went high by one quarter turn on each side and it sounds just a little hotter and i like it going to be messing with this a little more! Also too my neck pickup poles have a little corrosion on them how the hell did that happen?

That looks like an older Custom 22 (by looking at the pups, the knobs, and the switch tip.) Not unusual to have some corrosion on pickup slugs over time - they contain iron, after all. Especially if you live in a humid area, or have higher acidity sweat.