Mississippi Queens or VH11's for PRS Mccarty?

[MyName]

Hi there,

First post here but have been reading through this forum for a while trying to get some ideas for replacement pickups for my 1999 PRS McCarty.
I picked it up second hand a few weeks ago for £650 with the smallest chip in the body that can hardly be seen, other than that its a cracking guitar.
Not overly impressed with the pickups though.
I have restarted playing again after about a 12 year break (wife and kids blah blah) and bought a new Strat 2 years ago and love the pants off it playing through a Cornford Roadhouse amp. But after picking up this McCarty, I'm loving this just as much, love the wide thin neck.
So I now find that I love to play blues and blues rock creeping into a more classic rock but every now again find old habits coming back and whack up the gain a bit, nothing too heavy.

So the 2 ideas spring to mind are a calibrated set of either

VH11's, for classic rock and split coil tones. I'm liking some of Hunters clips for this.
or
Mississippi Queens.

I have done some looking and can't find to much info on here about the Mississippi Queens, especially on a McCarty.

So can anyone help me decide? I would like to know more about the MQ's, would they be much thinner than the buckers?
Do they rock?
Or do you think the VH11's would be better? I would need good split coil tones if so.

I am keen to keep it vintage but would like to avoid that strange tone everyone seems to like on the neck pick up, the only way I can describe it is like a distorted electric piano, i.e. Slash Sweet child o mine, Santana (love his music but not a great fan of the tone) which is why I ruled out the Mules and Abraxas (I'm sure I would be fine with these) I know I am always going to get a bit of that with a Mahogany set neck guitar but the PRS pickup do it a little but not too bad and coil split is fine.

Wake up, you've come to the end. Any advice or ideas.
 

[itamar101]

You'll enjoy Riff Raffs and VHIIs if you don't want that creamy neck tone. Maybe riff raff slightly more. But TBH that a standard neck tone... Most neck humbuckers are like that because being in the neck position makes them very warm sounding. BTW, slash played sweat child of mine on the bridge pickup with the tone turned all the way down.

[Telerocker]

Both rock, but in a different way. I would go for a calibrated RiffRaff-set, but I must admit the VHII is wicked too, just more a brownsound rockpickup. I have one in an ash-strat and kills. Also the splitted tones are quite good.

[Twinfan]

Sounds like RRs or VHIIs would both serve you well.  VHIIs will split a little better.  MQs would be FAT.

Are you sure you got a McCarty?  You mention a Wide Thin neck and they only come with Wide Fats......

[darrenw5094]

Sounds like RRs or VHIIs would both serve you well.  VHIIs will split a little better.  MQs would be FAT.

Are you sure you got a McCarty?  You mention a Wide Thin neck and they only come with Wide Fats......

Wondered that myself. All McCarty models have the Fat necks. They are fatter than the CU22 in neck and body. More Les Paul type sound compared to the CU22. The RR might be a better balance with the McCarty.

[ericsabbath]

I had a 1996 mccarty with a riff raff in the bridge
it was the best sounding guitar I ever played

[darrenw5094]

I had a 1996 mccarty with a riff raff in the bridge
it was the best sounding guitar I ever played

Where is she now? You sold the best? :lol:

[Philly Q]

I am keen to keep it vintage but would like to avoid that strange tone everyone seems to like on the neck pick up, the only way I can describe it is like a distorted electric piano, i.e. Slash Sweet child o mine, Santana (love his music but not a great fan of the tone) which is why I ruled out the Mules and Abraxas (I'm sure I would be fine with these) I know I am always going to get a bit of that with a Mahogany set neck guitar but the PRS pickup do it a little but not too bad and coil split is fine.

That made me laugh, personally I absolutely love that "strange tone" but a lot of the guys here on the forum seem to like a brighter, more defined neck pickup tone.  :)

Incidentally, the Abraxas neck pickup isn't particularly guilty of that "distorted electric piano" tone, it's actually a bit brighter than some neck models (e.g the Crawler).

[itamar101]

I am keen to keep it vintage but would like to avoid that strange tone everyone seems to like on the neck pick up, the only way I can describe it is like a distorted electric piano, i.e. Slash Sweet child o mine, Santana (love his music but not a great fan of the tone) which is why I ruled out the Mules and Abraxas (I'm sure I would be fine with these) I know I am always going to get a bit of that with a Mahogany set neck guitar but the PRS pickup do it a little but not too bad and coil split is fine.

That made me laugh, personally I absolutely love that "strange tone" but a lot of the guys here on the forum seem to like a brighter, more defined neck pickup tone.  :)

Incidentally, the Abraxas neck pickup isn't particularly guilty of that "distorted electric piano" tone, it's actually a bit brighter than some neck models (e.g the Crawler).

I also thought that comment was weird... I was under the impression that most people liked that tone... Including myself.
If I didn't have that tone and the neck was bright and cutting then I would only ever use the bridge pickup.

[MyName]

Yeah thanks guys, good comments so far.
Sorry Twinfan I realised I said wide / thin after, I did mean wide fat, for my fat fingers. I was hunting for a Strat with a fat neck a while back and I picked up a Mccarty in store to feel the neck and fell in love, absolute perfect for my hands so I had to hunt one down any condition. I am a bit clumsy so bound to put a few knocks in it at some point. I felt pains in my hand with the modern c shape on the strat after a few hours playing. Not so with the Mccarty.

Don't get me wrong I do like that tone in the neck when I listen to others playing but for me I just like the neck pick up slightly brighter and clearer. I have a balance issue with the stock Mccarty pickups where if I dial in the neck pick up how I like it, the bridge is to bright and thin. Neck is very muddy though.

Tim suggested checking the pots first so I will be doing that this weekend, I would be surprised if PRS didn't use 500k in these things. I hope to be placing the order for the Riff Raffs or VH11's also. The Riff Raffs did catch my attention at the beginning of my search but was not sure how they would split.

Thanks again guys

[MyName]

Or Abraxas.. Too hard to choose :x
Sure I'll love any of them.

[MyName]

If anyone is intereasted, here she is.

[Philly Q]

Nice!  We do love a PRS round here.  

Or at least some of us do.... there is the odd bit of "lawyer guitar" banter occasionally!  

[Twinfan]

£650 was a great price - have they got any more?  :lol:

Stock McCarty pickups aren't brilliant, as you're finding.  They use 500k pots, it's the pickups that are dark and flubby.

Get some BKPs and you'll be sorted  :)

[ericsabbath]

I had a 1996 mccarty with a riff raff in the bridge
it was the best sounding guitar I ever played

Where is she now? You sold the best? :lol:

well, I kept the pickup  :lol:
I'm a les paul guy and the wide and long scale just doesn't work for me
I love the deeper and heavier tone of my '73 les paul custom, but that mccarty sounded better in every other aspect
never heard such a rich tone in any other guitar
it was heavily beaten up and had the neck plucked off the body twice, but sounded nicer than any gibson or other prs I had or played, and the riff raff just made the difference even bigger
it would retain that rich natural breath even under the heaviest amp gain, like I had some sort of cleanish vox amp blended in the mix