PRS pickups

[itamar101]

I'd mess with the pickup height a bit. It does wonders even with the worst of pickups, and the emerald is certainly not bad!

[Slartibartfarst42]

I've messed around with all sorts but it's still bright. Tim said that there may be something on the volume pot that makes PRS guitars unusually bright and it should be removed. I didn't really notice anything but electronics isn't really my thing. My gut tells me that the volume pot is the key in the PRS but I'm away on holiday at the weekend so I can't afford to wait while I mess around with pots to see if it works so it is with some regret that I've decided to take the safe option and switch the bridge to a Holydiver. That way I can get the Emerald bridge returned in plenty of time and to be doubly sure I'm going to order new 550k pots and a 0.022 Jensen cap for it as well. I know the Holydiver will work as I remember reading that it was one of Twinfan's favourites in a PRS and upgrading the pots can only improve matters.

[Miracle Man]

I've messed around with all sorts but it's still bright. Tim said that there may be something on the volume pot that makes PRS guitars unusually bright and it should be removed. I didn't really notice anything but electronics isn't really my thing. My gut tells me that the volume pot is the key in the PRS but I'm away on holiday at the weekend so I can't afford to wait while I mess around with pots to see if it works so it is with some regret that I've decided to take the safe option and switch the bridge to a Holydiver. That way I can get the Emerald bridge returned in plenty of time and to be doubly sure I'm going to order new 550k pots and a 0.022 Jensen cap for it as well. I know the Holydiver will work as I remember reading that it was one of Twinfan's favourites in a PRS and upgrading the pots can only improve matters.

I'm really sorry to hear that.  :(  However, I googled your guitar and it seems that it also has a maple neck, which should be taken into account as most PRSi have mahogany necks (or rosewood... basically, NOT maple  :D ) So, maple top, maple neck, and a slice of mahogany for the back of the body. That would, indeed, make for a bright sounding guitar. I have a Holydiver in a SG supreme (mahogany back/maple top, mahogany neck/ebony board) and it sounds great, so it should sound pretty good in your PRS.

Anyway, since my Standard 24 is all mahogany, I guess I should still go for Emeralds, although I'm a bit hesitant, since I also do not like too much treble.  :?

[Slartibartfarst42]

In an all mahogany guitar I think it should be fine and there's always that adjustment you can make to the volume pot. It seems PRS set it up so that treble bleeds straight to the jack socket for some reason and that can make them brighter. I wish I could give you more detail but it was electronics so Tim spoke and I glazed over  :? If I had more time I'd have investigated it further but my holiday means I'm on a tight timeline to return this thing and I reason it was always a close call between the Emerald and Holydiver anyway so I'm not that bothered.

[Philly Q]

Anyway, since my Standard 24 is all mahogany, I guess I should still go for Emeralds, although I'm a bit hesitant, since I also do not like too much treble.  :?

I doubt it'll be too bright in a Standard 24, the all-mahogany construction will make quite a difference.

FWIW, I'll be putting Cold Sweats in my Standard 22, the bridge is (probably) at least as bright as the Emerald bridge.

Regarding the volume pot thing - PRS use a treble bleed capacitor so you lose less treble when the volume pot is turned down.  It shouldn't make much, if any, difference with the volume on 10.

[Slartibartfarst42]

In that case the Emerald was certainly too bright in the bridge of a PRS SE but I'll keep the neck Emerald as I'm guessing that should be OK.

[Miracle Man]

I doubt it'll be too bright in a Standard 24, the all-mahogany construction will make quite a difference.

FWIW, I'll be putting Cold Sweats in my Standard 22, the bridge is (probably) at least as bright as the Emerald bridge.

Actually, I already tried a bridge CS in my PRS. The top wasn't to bright but it was too scooped. However, I doubt that the CS is brighter than an Emerald, even though the tone chart on the site says so. I asked Tim how a CS and a Mule would compare in terms of brightness. Tim said that "The Mule would be considerably brighter than a Cold Sweat."  Hmmm.... even though the tone chart shows the CS to be brighter?!? That leads me to belive that the charts aren't that useful if your comparing a contemporary and a vintage output pickup. Which, honestly, can be very confusing. So, the Emerald, being a vintage hot pickup, is probably brighter than a CS. This is all just speculation though  :)

I wish I could give you more detail but it was electronics so Tim spoke and I glazed over  :? If I had more time I'd have investigated it further but my holiday means I'm on a tight timeline to return this thing and I reason it was always a close call between the Emerald and Holydiver anyway so I'm not that bothered.

No sweat man! I think you'll be very happy with the Holydiver and that's all that matters when you're spending big bucks on gear. It should mix well with your guitar's construction and woods.

Enjoy your holiday!  :D

P.S.: I can still expect a detailed review of the neck Emerald, right?  8)

[Philly Q]

Actually, I already tried a bridge CS in my PRS. The top wasn't to bright but it was too scooped. However, I doubt that the CS is brighter than an Emerald, even though the tone chart on the site says so. I asked Tim how a CS and a Mule would compare in terms of brightness. Tim said that "The Mule would be considerably brighter than a Cold Sweat."  Hmmm.... even though the tone chart shows the CS to be brighter?!? That leads me to belive that the charts aren't that useful if your comparing a contemporary and a vintage output pickup. Which, honestly, can be very confusing. So, the Emerald, being a vintage hot pickup, is probably brighter than a CS. This is all just speculation though  :)

Yeah, it is confusing, isn't it? 

I don't pay much attention to the tone charts, except to get a vague idea of how bassy, trebly or middy a pickup is.  Certainly don't use them to compare one pickup to another, unless they're pretty similar to begin with (like some of the Strat pickups, for example)

[PhilKing]

I have rebel yells in my PRS Standard and they sound great.  My emeralds are all in Les Pauls, where they perform excellently (though one of them is an all mahogany body and mahogany/ebony neck).  My cold sweats are in a BC Rich Mockingbird, which is again a mahogany guitar, and they work really well in that, giving me anything from metal to blues (partly due to the varitone and preamp).

[MyName]

Finding this thread interesting as I just got a set of VHii's for a PRS Mccarty and have the same issue. The neck is an absolute beast of a pickup very full and fat, very nice. I do find the bridge a little bright but very thin when soloing. They just don't feel as there from the same set. Been fiddling with height ever since.
Interesting to see if you send it back or not.

As you don't use the coil split, what about trying to disconnect the neck pick up from the tone knob? You might be able to roll off the highs on the bridge and the neck might get a touch brighter as it would be like a no load circuit?

I would try this myself but I love the coil split tone of the neck too much.

[darrenw5094]

Finding this thread interesting as I just got a set of VHii's for a PRS Mccarty and have the same issue. The neck is an absolute beast of a pickup very full and fat, very nice. I do find the bridge a little bright but very thin when soloing. They just don't feel as there from the same set. Been fiddling with height ever since.
Interesting to see if you send it back or not.

As you don't use the coil split, what about trying to disconnect the neck pick up from the tone knob? You might be able to roll off the highs on the bridge and the neck might get a touch brighter as it would be like a no load circuit?

I would try this myself but I love the coil split tone of the neck too much.

I have a set of VHII's in a PRS CU22 and bridge is not thin. Sounds like you might have a wiring issue. The McCarty should be a a pinch fuller than the CU22.

[MyName]

Hmm, i'm glad you said that, it does not sound right to me, I did ask Tim about it as it was making a hum also, just like my strat so I took it to a guy who re soldered it all back up and said it was fine.

Sorry did not mean to hijack the thread, I should start a new post about this I think.