Mississippi Queen in the neck for a PRS McCarty?

[nikosteph]

In a previous thread I was pondering bright/bluesy neck pickups for a new PRS Custom 24 and Slartibartfarst42 suggested the Mississippi Queen. While I think I'm gonna go with a Holydiver for that guitar, I'm now intrigued by the idea of putting a MQ in my other PRS, a 2004 McCarty model.

Does anyone here have experience with this pickup in this guitar? Currently that guitar has a Mule neck and VHII bridge, and while I absolutely love the bridge, I'm curious to experiment with the neck. It's great for thick creamy solos, but given the natural bite of the guitar I have a feeling that a P90 might give it a really wonderful bluesy sound. I mostly want it for jazzy cleans and overdriven blues, not as much for high-gain type solos. Seems like this could be the perfect halfway house between a Strat neck pickup (which, in my opinion, is reason enough to get a Strat!) and a thicker PAF-type humbucker; chime and sparkle and bite together...

Slartibartfarst42 also floated the idea of using the bridge model in the neck position, does anyone else have experience with this? Thanks for the help!

[pac90]

Not really exactly, but i have a pair of MQs in 2 different guitars, one a basswood steinberg with maple neck, the other a all mahogony prs soapbar1 (routed)

Had mules in both too, mule neck was creamy, MQ is like a louder strat. Comes across as a strat with a boost pedal clean, - I have a strat with jeff beck noiseless pickups and when switch to prs everything is way louder for same amp settings.

They do an exchange program so can try and see if works and if not move up/down the range nantucket or supermassive, but think neck MQ or nantucket  could work, didnt find the mule that 'strong/loud' the MQ punches above its numbered rating, quite loud.

For dislcosure..limited range purchade, but bit of a fan of MQ, not tried nantucket or supermassive...found stockholm too heavy/dark

[nikosteph]

Cool! "Strat with a boost pedal clean" sounds like the ideal tone for what I'm looking for, that's very promising! I do often wish the Strat neck had a bit more "grunt" so this could be quite the ticket!

[Slartibartfarst42]

From memory I suggested trying the MQ bridge model in the neck for two reasons; firstly, you were running quite a hot bridge pickup and secondly, it seemed like for that application you might be looking for the extra bite of the AV magnet. In this guitar I think the standard neck model would be fine as you say the guitar has plenty natural bite anyway and the bridge pickup you're using isn't as hot. Kiichi is really the man for P90 pickups as they're not something I have too much experience of playing. The only BKP P90 I've tried is a couple of Mississippi Queens in different guitars so I guess I have a natural soft spot for that particular model. It seems to have a lot of the qualities of a neck Strat pickup that I love (I agree, they're the main reason I have a Strat) but with some of the thickness and grunt of a humbucker. They're a great halfway house between the two and I have no idea why more guitar manufacturers don't offer models with a humbucker in the bridge and P90 in the neck. I can't see anyone being disappointed in a MQ.

[nikosteph]

Awesome, I'm totally sold! Will definitely try the neck model and report back for posterity :)...

[Kiichi]

Seems like my preaching to Slarti has taken hold. Annoyed him with it long enough.^^ While I was away he pretty much said what I would have, but he did it better.

All I can add is that the volume and tone knob are what feels like 100 times more useful with a P90 compared to a humbucker. Scream or sing, all within a turn of the controls.

I love all three of my P90 necks (and the bridge too), even though the Stockholm set is homeless till I find a guitar that really makes em shine (best case baritone of some kind). The MQ does wonders together with a Crawler in my Ibby S series and the Manhattan does a unique job in my headless downsized semihollow LP....reminds me, I need to crank that again with some dirty fuzz. =)

[nikosteph]

Very cool, I'm super stoked to try it out. While I hesitated because of the aesthetic "mismatch" between a P90 and a humbucker (at least the McCarty has a covered humbucker), now I'm thinking it may be that extra bit of swag that sets an already beautiful guitar apart :).

[Kiichi]

Very cool, I'm super stoked to try it out. While I hesitated because of the aesthetic "mismatch" between a P90 and a humbucker (at least the McCarty has a covered humbucker), now I'm thinking it may be that extra bit of swag that sets an already beautiful guitar apart :).

Yeah, its something else. I for one used to hate uncovered bridge covered neck combos, but they quickly grew on me. Both aesthetically and on the sonic level. Especially with my now favorite cover, brushed nickel, I just think it works.
Deffo want pics when it is in your axe. PRSs are already beauties and with a certain edge you can really kick it out of the park.

[nikosteph]

For sure, will do! I'm ordering the MQ neck tomorrow and will post a picture as soon as it's installed, along with my impressions of the sound...

[Slartibartfarst42]

I'm really looking forward to hearing your experience with the MQ. From everything you've said, I'm as confident as I can be that you'll like it. I find myself in a difficult position with P90 pickups because I have tried them enough now to know I really like what they bring to the party but I just don't have a guitar to put one in so I'm a bit stuck. It was my intention to put one in the neck of my Les Paul but I just had to try an idea I had for a custom build neck humbucker and I can't complain because it has turned out to be, far and away, the best neck pickup I've ever used. Unfortunately, that's left me a bit stuck because I don't like having too many guitars so I have limited wiggle room. My PRS is my main Metal guitar so I feel it should retain the H-H layout and that just leaves my Strat. I can see me moving the bridge single into a humbucker as I fancy an Abraxas in there and I really don't want to give up the neck single that I love. I suppose I could get a scratchplate made that would allow me to put a P90 in the middle but I've no idea how that would work out. The other option of course is to get another guitar and a humbucker - P90 SG does appeal to me but it's just not practical with me now just a couple of months away from moving abroad. I've already annoyed the wife by packing so few clothes for the plane to allow me the weight capacity to take all of my guitars with me rather than ship them! No doubt your experience with the P90 will make my suffering even more acute.

[nikosteph]

Sounds like you just have to wait until after the move, and then get yourself a guitar for the MQ as a reward for your patience :). I'll let you know my experiences, but I have a feeling that yeah, it's only gonna exacerbate your P90 itch!

On a related note: does BKP make Strat-style single-coils (i.e. not P90's) in a humbucker casing? It appears that Seymour Duncan does this (http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/strat-in-humbucker/), but of course if I ever went this route I'd prefer something like a good ol' Irish Tour pickup instead!

[Slartibartfarst42]

There are manufacturers who will make one for you I'm sure and quite possibly cheaper than Seymour Duncan but I doubt BKP will these days, I may be wrong though.

[nikosteph]

I wonder, do I just need the proper humbucker casing, and then mount any single coil into it? Or do they have to custom wind the single coil ON the humbucker casing itself? Cuz if it's the former, I could always get a BKP and mount it myself...

Anyways, this is only a random musing, I'm hoping the MQ will hit the proverbial spot!

[Kiichi]

I wonder, do I just need the proper humbucker casing, and then mount any single coil into it? Or do they have to custom wind the single coil ON the humbucker casing itself? Cuz if it's the former, I could always get a BKP and mount it myself...

Anyways, this is only a random musing, I'm hoping the MQ will hit the proverbial spot!

If I recall correctly there are adapters that allow you to fit any SC in a HB space. Though, tbh, Iīd just go for a P90 every time then. Guitars that need that usually donīt work awesomely with SCs to begin with.

But you could do that with a little bit of searching.

[nikosteph]

Yeah, you're probably right, I'll cross that bridge if/when I get to it. For now, the MQ is on deck for this guitar :)!