BKPs on PRS SE Korina Singlecut

[stevenew]

Hi,

I recently got a new PRS SE Korina Singlecut at a rockbottom price and although once lowered I liked the stock pickups, they tended to mush on the lower notes, so I decided to put some BKPs on it. I already have a US PRS Hollowbody (McCarty Archtop pickups) so I wanted something a little hotter for the Korina.

I really liked all I have heard of the Abraxas but after discussion with BKP I went for a Crawler set. After messing around with the height settings etc for a couple of weeks, I have concluded I don't like the bridge pickup, too middy & compressed for me. Ben has suggested that I change the the pots & capacitor to BKPs which I am going to do but I am thinking I will get an Abraxas bridge or maybe a Abraxas set, decide which I prefer between Abraxas & Crawler.

I'm thinking that the SE Korina is a fairly 'mid' guitar, it is very resonant.
I like the neck pickup which I understand is not that different from the Abraxas,

Anyone have any experience of both the Abraxas and Crawler neck and/or bridge pickups? Is it worth changing the neck Crawler to Abraxas?

Anyone any experience of any BKPs in PRS SE Korinia?

Part of me also wonders if I might just prefer a set of Mules!

Hard to describe what I play but it could be summed up as old school Prog Rock mixed with a hint of modern 'Porcupine Tree/Riverside' type Prog, scattered with 'Bill Frisell' type ambient guitar....

Any thoughts would really be appreciated.

Thanks

Steve

[Philly Q]

Welcome to the forum! :D

Interesting post, I used to have a McCarty Korina (and a Mira Korina, now I think about it! :lol: ) and it was indeed a warm-sounding, resonant, middy sort of guitar so I have some idea of what your guitar may be like.

I'm quite surprised BKP recommended Crawlers, I owned a set some time ago and found them quite dark sounding (in a Les Paul copy), I would expect them (or at least the bridge pickup) to be bordering on muddy in an all-mahogany or all-korina guitar.

I've also owned an Abraxas neck pickup (I have the bridge too, in an HSS set but that's yet to be installed...  :oops: :roll:).  That was in a fairly similar guitar, a thin-bodied LP with no maple top.  It is very similar to the Crawler neck - similar DC resistance, AIV magnet - but the Abraxas neck is just a little brighter, which I think would be the general view from those who've tried both.

I believe the Abraxas are considered more "open" than the Crawlers, both neck and bridge are AIV so they're quite sweet-sounding, no piercing treble.  That could complement the natural tone of the korina quite nicely, or perhaps you could go with something more vintage for a slightly clearer tone.  I don't think you should be venturing into the high-output end of the range unless you are a metalist!

So basically I'm agreeing with everything you've said, not very helpful really!  Hopefully some of the guys who have more experience of the Abraxas will chip in.   

[BigB]

Sorry, I have very to answer, but still:

Is it worth changing the neck Crawler to Abraxas?

If you swap the bridge for a Abraxas, yes, definitely, even if only for consistency (the Crawler neck and Abraxas neck specs are quite close on the paper - the AB being a wee bit less hot - but I bet there are a couple twists wrt/ voicing too).

My 2 cents...

[Telerocker]

This puzzles me. You might expect a different recommendation for a korina setneck guitar. Crawlers kill in strats, but can be too dark in mahogany and korina. I would put Mules or RiffRaffs in a middy korina-guitar. The Abraxas for sure has more chime in the topend then the Crawler. I would folloe BigB's advice for a a calibrated set.

[PhilKing]

I put Crawlers in my 2001 singlecut, but didn't really like the sounds I was getting and changed them for an Abraxas set, which I really like.  The Crawlers are a very neutral pickup and I have one as a bridge pickup in my HSS PRS EG, where it works really well.  In the singlecut they just didn't seem to bring the guitars tone out.  The Abraxas really does bring this guitar to life, and I seem to get more sustain from it too!   

[stevenew]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies, looks like my original idea to go with the Abraxas would have been right. When I listened to all the audio clips on the BKP site it was always the Mules & Abraxas that stood out to me. So I have to decide, Abraxas or go vintage with the Mules. I guess I like Alnico IVs:-)

@Philly Q: Interesting you have had 2 PRS Korinas, I went after the SE Korina because of weight & price, ageing & shoulder problems have forced me to get lighter guitars, hence the PRS Hollowbody. I have to say I really like the SE Korina I am surprised how well it holds its own against the Hollowbody.

Thanks

Steve

[ericsabbath]

porcupine tree always makes me think of a nailbomb

but if you feel you prefer the warmth of a mule or abraxas, go for it
the mule set is probably the best matched pickup set I ever played in my life, although I tend to prefer the bridge riff raff for heavy stuff

[Philly Q]

@Philly Q: Interesting you have had 2 PRS Korinas, I went after the SE Korina because of weight & price, ageing & shoulder problems have forced me to get lighter guitars, hence the PRS Hollowbody. I have to say I really like the SE Korina I am surprised how well it holds its own against the Hollowbody.

 :D  I'm very fussy about weight, I drive sellers on eBay mad asking them to weigh their guitars!  My Mira X is the champ, it's just a fraction of an ounce over 5lbs (a bit too light to be honest, it sounds great but the balance on a strap is a bit funny).

Never tried a PRS hollowbody, but I have been getting into smaller-bodied semis along the lines of the Gibson ES-339 and CS-336.  I like Thinline Teles too.

[stevenew]

@Philly Q: The Hollowbody is real light, just over 2kg, I used to have a 1998 Hollowbody Spruce about 10 years ago, loved it, then in a fit of GAS for something else sold it, instant regret. Then last year I came across a mint used Hollowbody II at a good price plus it was a custom made model. I missed a Mira Korina just before I bought the Hollowbody.

Back to pickups, been listening to as many Mule & Abraxas clips as I can, but I can't decide, despite my moments of 'Porcupine Tree type prog metal' I think perhaps I just prefer vintage type pickups and should go for the Mules...? Decisions decisions:-)

Steve

[PhilKing]

What amp are you using?  Depending on what you use to drive the amp, the mule is an excellent all round pickup.  I prefer lower output pickups myself (though I have got most of the BK range and have a Miracle Man set in a Korina/Rosewood Warmoth PRS clone).  I like to use overdrives to push the amp a bit, once I have a nice crunchy rhythm tone set.  I don't like a lot of high gain preamp tone, as I think it loses all the dynamics in your playing.   Having said that, the Abraxas set will give you some nice tones too (I have it in a Hamer sunburst too).  The difference is that you will have a bit more sustain and drive in the Abraxas, at the expense of a little bit of top end (this is the bridge only).

My favourite BK's are an AV Mule bridge with an AIV Stormy Monday neck in my Zemaitis pearltop clone.  Everyone who ever plays the guitar loves it, and it has been played through just about every amp around (I took it down to Invisible Sound's tone geek day where lots of people played it though lots of amps - http://www.invisiblesoundstudios.com/).  This has a nice wide range of dynamics and you can use pedals to add drive if you want to.  An Emerald/Mule combination is also a great setup (I have that too in a Les Paul), if you want a little more drive from the bridge.  The Emerald doesn't lose the high end harmonics like some higher output humbuckers, and I think it's a great classic rock pickup.  You could swap out the Crawler bridge for an Emerald, and that might give you what you want if you are happy with the Crawler neck.

Sorry if I'm muddying the waters a bit here.  One thing you should do is listen to the sound of your PRS unplugged to see what it's main characteristics are.  That might help you with the final choice (and help with which pickups to avoid too).

[stevenew]

Hi,

Sorry if I'm muddying the waters a bit here.  One thing you should do is listen to the sound of your PRS unplugged to see what it's main characteristics are.  That might help you with the final choice (and help with which pickups to avoid too).

No problem it all helps, the Korina unplugged is very resonant, almost as loud as my hollowbody unplugged and has a surprisingly deep tone, when you play a full 6 string open chord no way is it tinny, yes I guess it has a bass/mid tone. I recently changed my amp to a Hughes and Kettner Tubemeister 18 & 1x12 cab (shoulder problem also means no more heavy amps) which after changing the stock tubes I am pretty happy with, at some point in the future I may get a 'lunch box' size Mesa but not for a while. For overdrive I have a Fulltone OCD. I also have a Engle E530 preamp which I use from time to time - really I don't play metal:-)

I am leaning towards a Mule set but will think about it for a few more days.

Thanks again

Steve

[stevenew]

Hi,

Decided to go for a Mule set for my PRS SE Korina, got them last week and installed over the weekend - superb! I also installed BKP pots & cap. The sound is much more open and dynamic, while the bridge pup may not have as much bottom as the Crawler it has more tone and sings, they just suit my playing much better. Interesting there is definitely a difference between the Mule & Crawler neck pickups, I can't put my finger on it yet but it is definitely there. Also the Mules feel more balanced tone wise between the neck & bridge, the middle position is superb as well. Still early days but all in all very pleased, found them much easier to set height wise as well.

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated.

Steve

[Telerocker]

Good choice! Mules are great and nearly perfectly balanced. I have a set in a mahogany Saint Blues and everytime they I'm surprised how articulate they are and how detailed they sound. The Mule-neck is a total gem.
Btw, I like the Crawler in my swampashstrat very much. It's at it's place in there, but I wouldn't recommend it for a dark or medium to dark mahogany based guitar.

[Kiichi]

Nice to hear about that.
If you get a clearer picture on the Crawler / Mule neck difference I would love to hear it. I have both, but not in the same guitar, so I hear a difference too but I would love to hear which difference you hear!