Pickup time again

[Slartibartfarst42]

As some forum members may know, I've recently been speculating what to do after I sell my Jackson SL3. The main Rock/Metal guitar was always going to be my PRS and the other guitar was to be Blues/Rock and possibly a single cut to get that beautifully thick and rich Les Paul tone. The other option was to have two PRS Custom 24's to do this by using different pickups. As either way I'd have a CU24 as my main guitar and that being the case, I'd like one of the new spec ones, yesterday I struck a deal to P/X my Jackson against a new PRS SE Custom 24 in a purple quilt finish. I pick it up on Sunday and early next week I'll transfer the Holydiver/Emerald set into it  :D I then wondered if I could start to get something of that warm, thick and rich Les Paul tone out of my other CU24 by choosing the right pickup and therefore save myself the hassle and cost of changing another guitar.

Three names leap to mind for the tone I'm after and in order of importance to me they are Gary Moore, Slash and Santana. I'll concentrate on the first two for now. Although I know they both use(d) AII pickups, I'm not sure that's right for me to get their tone in a very different guitar. Obviously a CU24 is rather brighter than a Les Paul (at least the SE versions I use) but to me, vintage AII pickups always sound very open whereas with Gary Moore especially, he could play Blues with a rather more saturated tone. Obviously I'd like a pickup that cleans up well and does lower gain Blues well but will also have enough power for a more saturated Blues tone and all the while being thick and dark enough to give my CU24 more than a passing nod towards a Les Paul tone. Thick, fluid and smooth are characteristics I always seem to like in a pickup but with plenty of articulation and the neck should also be very creamy.

So, is it possible to do what I want and if so, which pickups will do it?

I've already asked Tim for his opinion but in the interests of entertaining speculation, I'll tell you what he said later  :D

[psalterium]

Abraxas set or Crawler set are the first that comes to my mind. But even Mules (unpotted or not) should be just fine.

[ericsabbath]

you're just looking for an excuse to order the 10th anniversary set  :lol:
stop thinking and order it while you can  :D

a PRS SE won't give you a les paul tone, though
a US made custom 24 won't deliver that either
the USA singlecuts sound close enough
I would consider selling both guitars and getting a used PRS USA
used, they're totally worth the price difference
a used single cut or mccarty goes for US$1500 and those are the absolute best guitars you can get in that price range, in my opinion (although I'm always pulled towards actual les pauls)

[Slartibartfarst42]

I love the possibilities that exist on this forum with so many great pickups to choose from. Two posts and three suggestions  :D

[Telerocker]

You already know what you want. Just order them and you'll be amazed how bluesy PRS-tones can be.  :)

[Slartibartfarst42]

To be honest, I was a bit thrown by what Tim said. For ages now I've worked on the assumption that I'd install a set of Abraxas pickups on the grounds that they were hotter than a normal PAF for the compression I liked and probably also thick and dark enough while the AIV magnet would make it versatile. I then started to wonder about the 10th Anniversary pickups as a hot AII seemed like it would fit the bill nicely. However, Tim said:

'As I read through your message my first thoughts were Crawler humbuckers. In a PRS they really will give you that fat, saturated blues rock tone you're after and they have a lovely clean tone too. The nice thing with that set is you get the punch of the hot AV bridge partnered with the hot AIV PAF neck so you really do get a good tonal palette to draw from.'

I confess I was still a shade unsure that a pickup change would change the guitar enough from the one with the Holydiver/Emerald set. Tim assured me it would and it would give me more than a nod towards a Les Paul tone. He felt the 10th Anniversary pickup wouldn't saturate enough for the tones I wanted in a lighter bodied PRS. A Crawler set hadn't really figured on my radar at all but I've tried researching them and it seems like they're a very versatile set, especially suited to Blues Rock and references like 'fat' and 'creamy' seem to be ideal so I guess I'll give them a go. There sems to be a destined logic about the whole thing. I love the Holydiver and I've always fancied an Abraxas and appreciated the qualities of the Mule. All four of these pickups seem to have something in common. It seems like when you move from Mule to Abraxas to Crawler to Holydiver, you keep moving to a hotter version of basically the same pickup. I must just like that style. Now I just need to sell my Miracle Man/Sinners set.

I'm also going to swap the electrics over on the two guitars so when I move the Holydiver/Emerald set into the new guitar, I'll also transfer over the pots and capacitor as they're BKP. I don't need coil taps in that guitar anyway but by using the pots etc. from the new guitar in the old one, I will be able to coil split the Crawlers and I think I would like that option. It seems I'm something of a PRS guy. The longer I've had my CU24, the more I've grown to love it. The only things I've not liked on it is the flat top and silly positioning of the pickup selector but both of those things are fixed on the new one so it really is my ideal guitar.  :D

[Telerocker]

I expected you to go for the Abraxas, I admit. But it's not a big leap towards the Crawlers. They have just a fuller midrange and a slightly dimed topend then the Abraxas, but for me there's still enough chime. In my strat the Crawlers works fine, even in swampash solotones are impressive. It cleans up great too and the clean tones are really good. I think you will lke the splitted tones: very tele-esque. I don't know how Crawlers will perform in a PRS, but it's gonna be fat and growling when pushed.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I think my concern was that the Crawler would end up being a bit too close to the Holydiver in the same guitar so I wouldn't have a distinctly Blues Rock tone in the same way I imagined I would with the Abraxas but from what I can gather, I think Tim must have opted for the Crawler because it seems to be that much fatter and a bit darker than the Abraxas so would do a better job of moving me towards that rich Les Paul tone. In a way I'm kind of disappointed he didn't say Abraxas because I've been hankering after a set for years but as we've often said on here; Tim knows his stuff so I'm inclined to simply follow his advice. If the Crawlers will get me closer to the Les Paul tones of Gary Moore and Slash in a PRS then that's what I'll do.

A quick additional note of praise for Tim while I'm on. Despite everything he has going on with the 10th anniversary celebrations and the band etc. he kindly agreed to respond to a number of questions from some of my Year 9 English students for an article in a newspaper they're having to produce at the end of next week. I am already at a loss to explain how he finds enough hours in the day to do everything he does so I really am very grateful that he agreed to do this for them as writing out answers to all of the questions they had will take some time. Absolutely top bloke.  8)

[Zaned]

Speaking of a Les Paul tone; I mentioned in another thread that a good LP is not muddy. Pete Thorn’s LP in this video pretty much summarizes what I mean. Just bright and right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-duj8uNLdjs&feature=player_embedded

Sorry for the off-topic! Be sure to report back when you have installed the pickups, the Crawler bridge has become increasingly intriguing to me.

-Zaned

[Slartibartfarst42]

Well I certainly don't want anything muddy and I don't want anything too dark sounding so the bass starts to take over. Broadly balanced with a bit more on the dark side and some push in the mids. That Les Paul tone in your clip isn't too dark at all and isn't muddy either but there is a thick richness about the tone that is so characteristic of Les Pauls to me. No other guitar seems to get that and I realise a PRS won't do it either but I am hopeful that the Crawler set will evoke the idea of a Les Paul.

[Kiichi]

Well, thick richness is certainly a great short desciption of the Crawler for me. The bridge really is just that, rich. Also the set has lovely clean tones, I really really dig those. There is a certain gravitas about them I like.
Hopefully I will finally get around to recording a few clips in the next days. If all stars align I might even finally write up a review of my P90s...

Anyhow, I should be able to do some clips of the Crawler set, SH middle, RY bridge, IT middle, MQ neck, MH neck, Stockholm bridge, Supermassive Neck and for comparison the Dimarzio Liquifire Crunchlab combo. At some time in the future the Mule neck too when I change it for the MQ again.
I got the mics set up already, only takes a little fine tuning now. Will be done with a Orange Tiny Terror, Juansolo Klone and a Marshall 2061Cx-e cab. Maybe later also clean (and maybe more crunch) clips with my HTH Amps 5w Fender Tweed Champ style amp.
Just gotta find something to play and do that resonably decently....the later will be the hardest part.

[Zaned]

Well I certainly don't want anything muddy and I don't want anything too dark sounding so the bass starts to take over. Broadly balanced with a bit more on the dark side and some push in the mids. That Les Paul tone in your clip isn't too dark at all and isn't muddy either but there is a thick richness about the tone that is so characteristic of Les Pauls to me. No other guitar seems to get that and I realise a PRS won't do it either but I am hopeful that the Crawler set will evoke the idea of a Les Paul.

Yeah, Crawler most likely will do just that. I've found that when a guitar sounds balanced and not muddy, you can really easily tailor the tone with pickup choises, and that all will sound good but just different. In this case, add that thump that Pauls have, while keeping that PAF character. It should be a good choise :)

-Zaned

[Telerocker]

The Crawler doesn't need much ampbass when using a 2x12 cab, is my experience. Depends on the combi you have. You might have to dial in the amp a little different then you're used to.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'm using a Blackstar HT-60 1X12 and at a gig, I don't want to start messing with settings. I want to be able to switch from the Holydiver/Emerald set to the other guitar without any messing around.

[Telerocker]

I'm using a Blackstar HT-60 1X12 and at a gig, I don't want to start messing with settings. I want to be able to switch from the Holydiver/Emerald set to the other guitar without any messing around.

The Diver is also midheavy, so that should not be a real problem.