PRS CU24 pickups

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walnutzz

Inspired
I have a 2014 PRS CU24, which I’ve always enjoyed. Lately, I find myslef playing it less since adding a few newer guitars to the collection. I’m finding the PRS pickups sounds anemic compared to the others (Majesty, Suhr strat, very old ESP with EMG pups, Anderson angel on order, etc). The stock pups are 59/09, so I’m considering swapping them out for 85/15, which I hear are more refined. I’m also very open to suggestions since I rarely swap pups. Anyone thrilled with changes they’ve made to their stock PRS pickups? Thanks.
 
Strings and picks for sure. Haven’t touched the pole pieces yet though. It doesn’t seem like something’s wrong or changed, just that the newer guitars are more articulate or refined. Maybe it’s just more vintage-sounding at this point. I know these descriptions are subjective and probably not much help to anyone. Got a recent professional setup as well, but it didn’t really make a differemce other than resolving some intonation issues.
 
This is a bit outside the box, but I put a set of TV Jones Power'Trons in my CE24 (Power'Tron Plus in the bridge). I've tried a couple of different sets but after installing the Power'Trons about 5 years ago, I have had no desire to try any others. One of my favorite sounding guitars.
 
What's your style of music and play? 59/09's are amazing for hi-gain stuff or lead work, but the cleans are terrible. 57/08's are my #1 favorite PRS pickups (though I've never played Dragon 1's): they split better than any humbucker I know (except BKP Abraxas & Mule), and the incredible clarity and balance doesn't take away any musical mid-range (juicy part). Have you considered Fishman Fluence pickups? Those are as good or better than EMG.
 
I got tired of the pickups in my 06 Singlecut Trem. Put Duncan P-rails in it with the triple shot mounting rings. Very versatile setup and I’m happy with it.
 
walnutzz said:
Strings and picks for sure. Haven’t touched the pole pieces yet though. It doesn’t seem like something’s wrong or changed, just that the newer guitars are more articulate or refined. Maybe it’s just more vintage-sounding at this point. I know these descriptions are subjective and probably not much help to anyone. Got a recent professional setup as well, but it didn’t really make a differemce other than resolving some intonation issues.
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Paul makes better pickups than he used too.
skolacki said:
I got tired of the pickups in my 06 Singlecut Trem. Put Duncan P-rails in it with the triple shot mounting rings. Very versatile setup and I’m happy with it.
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Is it really though? P90s that aren't as good as real one, humbucker tones mhe and brash characterless single coil sounds. Now add unusable out of phase sounds and yes a lot of tones but all worse than the three you would get with a pair of decent regular pickups.
 
I'm a big fan on PRS in general but not a fan of most PRS pickups. Of all the PRSs I've had, the only original pickups I've kept in the guitar are the 85/15s that I have in two Custom 22's. 58/15, 58/15LT, 57/08, 59/09 and Dragon 2's all went in favour of Bare Knuckles. The Mule, Rebel Yell, Abraxas are my favourites. In my first Custom 22 I tried a set of Bare Knuckle Rebel Yells but quickly went back to the 85/15's. I think they are great!
 
Andy Eagle said:
Paul makes better pickups than he used too.

Is it really though? P90s that aren't as good as real one, humbucker tones mhe and brash characterless single coil sounds. Now add unusable out of phase sounds and yes a lot of tones but all worse than the three you would get with a pair of decent regular pickups.
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They don’t do out of phase. The P90 is just the Duncan Vintage 90 which I use most of the time. All worse than a regular pickup? Well if you say so then I guess my ears are lying to me. 🙄
 
skolacki said:
They don’t do out of phase. The P90 is just the Duncan Vintage 90 which I use most of the time. All worse than a regular pickup? Well if you say so then I guess my ears are lying to me. 🙄
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I know the surrounds don't do phase ,I was referring to adding everything possible just because you can at the expense of core tone. I have wired up numerous LPs for Jimmy page switching and many do everything guitars for people who then end up using the original core setting that are now compromised. IME just a standard Duncan antiquity P90 is a lot nicer sounding. But the main thing is always please your own ears and if you'r happy then that's all that counts.
 
Philip34 said:
What's your style of music and play? 59/09's are amazing for hi-gain stuff or lead work, but the cleans are terrible. 57/08's are my #1 favorite PRS pickups (though I've never played Dragon 1's): they split better than any humbucker I know (except BKP Abraxas & Mule), and the incredible clarity and balance doesn't take away any musical mid-range (juicy part). Have you considered Fishman Fluence pickups? Those are as good or better than EMG.
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I do get a good high-gain rhythm sound out of the bridge pickup, but I'm less enthusiastic about leads, particularly from the neck pickup. And cleans are lacking, as you said. I'll look into FIshman, thanks for the recommendation. I've also been following another thread (and a comment here) about Bare Knuckle. I reached out to them, and they suggested the Polymaths based on my desires, which are (1) tight, articulate high-gain from bridge, (2) soaring, fluid leads from neck, and (3) crystal-clear, pristine cleans, usually played from center position. Still deciding if that's a direction I want to go. It seems like I have some good options, but my biggest obstacle at the moment is mentally getting over messing with the authenticity of the PRS, in general.
 
My 2001 CU24 has a Vintage in the Neck and a HFS (Hot Fat Screams) in the Bridge. My favorite guitar. The sound is a little on the dark side, but I love it. This was my only electric for 20 years.
 

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walnutzz said:
I have a 2014 PRS CU24, which I’ve always enjoyed. Lately, I find myslef playing it less since adding a few newer guitars to the collection. I’m finding the PRS pickups sounds anemic compared to the others (Majesty, Suhr strat, very old ESP with EMG pups, Anderson angel on order, etc). The stock pups are 59/09, so I’m considering swapping them out for 85/15, which I hear are more refined. I’m also very open to suggestions since I rarely swap pups. Anyone thrilled with changes they’ve made to their stock PRS pickups? Thanks.
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Ironically I put 59/09s into my CE24 taking out the 85/15s... well, not before I had a set of uncovered \m/ in there for a bit.
Fav PRS pup is Santana though.

It'll depend on your style though. For me the 85/15 were too clear. I like some 'grit and dirt' in my pups, can't explain.
 
I am a clean to lower/medium gain player. I am also a big PRS fan. I have a CU24 that has the stock VB, HFS pickups in it. I am okay with the pickups in it. I was able to adjust them to get them where I wanted them. Fast forward a bit. I got my hands on a set of 57/08 pickups. These are by far my favorite PRS pickup. I bought a 594 and the LT pickups were too big of a volume difference for swapping guitars at gigs. I took those out and put 57/08 pickups in it and love the guitar now. At some point I may put the stock pickups back in it because I didn't dislike the tone, just the output of them. To me the 57/08 pickups are the best balance of open sound and output level of the PRS pickups I have tried. Some guys like the 85/15 pickups better but I always like what I am getting from the 57/08s.
 
walnutzz said:
I have a 2014 PRS CU24, which I’ve always enjoyed. Lately, I find myslef playing it less since adding a few newer guitars to the collection. I’m finding the PRS pickups sounds anemic compared to the others (Majesty, Suhr strat, very old ESP with EMG pups, Anderson angel on order, etc). The stock pups are 59/09, so I’m considering swapping them out for 85/15, which I hear are more refined. I’m also very open to suggestions since I rarely swap pups. Anyone thrilled with changes they’ve made to their stock PRS pickups? Thanks.
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Not sure about the Core 85/15, but the import models' 85/15S pickups sound great, and I found a set to upgrade my SE245 with. Trimmer in the lows, clearer, and just a smidgen cooler, and works great with series/parallel switches.

I also have 59/09s in my CU24, and they also sound great, but in more of a punchy rock kind of way. It lets my SE Standard 24 and CU 24 have somewhat different voices....
 
walnutzz said:
I do get a good high-gain rhythm sound out of the bridge pickup, but I'm less enthusiastic about leads, particularly from the neck pickup. And cleans are lacking, as you said. I'll look into FIshman, thanks for the recommendation. I've also been following another thread (and a comment here) about Bare Knuckle. I reached out to them, and they suggested the Polymaths based on my desires, which are (1) tight, articulate high-gain from bridge, (2) soaring, fluid leads from neck, and (3) crystal-clear, pristine cleans, usually played from center position. Still deciding if that's a direction I want to go. It seems like I have some good options, but my biggest obstacle at the moment is mentally getting over messing with the authenticity of the PRS, in general.
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Don't know why I didn't think of this before, but have you tried the PRS \m/ pickups? I put those in a PRS Hollowbody and they cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter- so satisfying.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Paul makes better pickups than he used too.

Is it really though? P90s that aren't as good as real one, humbucker tones mhe and brash characterless single coil sounds. Now add unusable out of phase sounds and yes a lot of tones but all worse than the three you would get with a pair of decent regular pickups.
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Got these on a DF start with a single coil PU sounds pretty good in fact also in P90 position.
 
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