SORTED Pickups ulgrade help (PRS SE)

Kinioo

TTony said:

The "normal" route for upgrading PRS SE pickups depends a lot on your budget.

At the low-end are a range of made-in-China options.  I've found Iron Gear to be consistently good for the money.

At the top-end you have BKPs, but as you've already said, they're pricey.

In the middle you have the independents such as Mojo (linked above), Bulldog and Oil City.  Each of those is run by someone who understands pickups, and makes excellent quality units.  If you can articulate what you want, they'll either tell you which of their products meets your spec, or tell you that none of theirs does, so they'll either wind you something unique or they'll recommend someone else.

You wouldn't go wrong with any of them.  Check their websites, think about what you want, and then check back here because many of us have got experience of most of them.  

Got in touch with chap from Oil City, Ash - explained what I am after re: sound and he recommended The Forces Sweetheart for neck and bridge...all in (2 pickups would be circa 168pounds plus pp...

...set of Bare Knuckle Mule's is circa 225pounds.

I also quite like The mule @ neck and Riff Raff @ bridge (according to some YT videos)

Dont want really to go china option, as this is what I have now.

Chris

Funkfingers

TTony said:

If you can articulate what you want, they'll either tell you which of their products meets your spec.

^
This.

If you want Gibson '57 Classic and '57 Classic Plus humbuckers, do not settle for anything less. (Obviously, for this, you will have to pay the proper price.)

Do not be swayed by offers of inappropriate pickups that anyone else just happens to have available for sale. Me included. 

My earlier suggestion of Duncan P-Rails pickups was for their sonic versatility. I do own a pair of them. They are NOT for sale. The only thing that I am touting is the idea.

Kinioo

Funkfingers said:

TTony said:

If you can articulate what you want, they'll either tell you which of their products meets your spec.

^
This.

If you want Gibson '57 Classic and '57 Classic Plus humbuckers, do not settle for anything less. (Obviously, for this, you will have to pay the proper price.)

Do not be swayed by offers of inappropriate pickups that anyone else just happens to have available for sale. Me included. 

My earlier suggestion of Duncan P-Rails pickups was for their sonic versatility. I do own a pair of them. They are NOT for sale. The only thing that I am touting is the idea.

Fair enough. Thanks for help.

There was a set of '57 & '57+ on _bay for 180quid (ex display)...not bad.

But I dont say I dont consider other options out there (BKM / Oil)

C

Kinioo

webrthomson said:

dcg said:

FWIW, try a Bare Knuckle Mule; perfect for your guitar...

BKP Mules are an awesome suggestion, but they are a bit pricey.

Oil City PAT 63's sound like they might be in your ball park too:

http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/hbclassic.html

Yeah, I agree re: BAre Knuckle price.
Been on Oli City website - is the price given per a single pickup or a set of two ?? (i.e. covered PAT 63's @ £105).
Chris

Kinioo

webrthomson said:

dcg said:

FWIW, try a Bare Knuckle Mule; perfect for your guitar...

BKP Mules are an awesome suggestion, but they are a bit pricey.

Oil City PAT 63's sound like they might be in your ball park too:

http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/hbclassic.html

Yeah, I agree re: BAre Knuckle price.
Been on Oli City website - is the price given per a single pickup or a set of two ?? (i.e. covered PAT 63's @ £105).
Chris

OilCityPickups

All my humbucker prices are for singles, my standard range, say Nickel covered Forces Sweethearts are £156 a pair and my Masterwound range for example my Beano comes to £210 a pair covered ... both plus carriage 

Funkfingers

I detect a pattern developing here. Indisputably professional quality replacement pickups are not cheap - except when the builders run special offers to board members.

OilCityPickups

Funkfingers said:

I detect a pattern developing here. Indisputably professional quality replacement pickups are not cheap - except when the builders run special offers to board members.

Margins are getting squeezed for those of us who use premium US components due to pound against the dollar ... the US made vintage spec wire in Beanos costs me around £300 a roll ... compared to way less than a 1/3 of that for Far Eastern sourced wire. And yes ... there's a BIG difference in the resulting tone of the pickup. 
All that said ... I am always happy to do deals for Forum members
 :-)

Chalky

Can usually find a set of Gibson Classic 57s for not much more than £100, so I'd suggest a WTB ad in Guitar Classifieds. If you don't like them you can sell them on and lose very little.

Kinioo

OK a bit of update:
After conversation with Ash @ Oil City I opted for their pair of pickups...Order placed; Ash is working his magic...I have been waiting for delivery...

Ash recommended:
Bridge: Nightfighter A4 (nickel cover)
Neck: Forces Sweetheart (nickel cover)

I also received a forum discount as promised

Chris

sgosden

I've got a BKP holy diver bridge and crawler(I think) neck, that I was going to put up for sale.

might be a bit high output for what you want though.

I've got the holy diver in bridge of my S2 custom 24, and it plays lovely with marshall style amps.

Kinioo

sgosden said:

I've got a BKP holy diver bridge and crawler(I think) neck, that I was going to put up for sale.

might be a bit high output for what you want though.

I've got the holy diver in bridge of my S2 custom 24, and it plays lovely with marshall style amps.

Thanks for the offer, but as per my post above Im sorted for now...well awaiting delivery
C.

webrthomson

Kinioo said:

OK a bit of update:
After conversation with Ash @ Oil City I opted for their pair of pickups...Order placed; Ash is working his magic...I have been waiting for delivery...

Ash recommended:
Bridge: Nightfighter A4 (nickel cover)
Neck: Forces Sweetheart (nickel cover)

I also received a forum discount as promised

Chris

Excellent news - report back once they are in and let us know what you think

Megii

webrthomson said:

Kinioo said:

OK a bit of update:
After conversation with Ash @ Oil City I opted for their pair of pickups...Order placed; Ash is working his magic...I have been waiting for delivery...

Ash recommended:
Bridge: Nightfighter A4 (nickel cover)
Neck: Forces Sweetheart (nickel cover)

I also received a forum discount as promised

Chris

Excellent news - report back once they are in and let us know what you think

Indeed, please do report back @Kinioo - my own order is similar to yours i.e. a Nightfighter A4 bridge (uncovered, slightly over-wound) and Blitz Spirit A2 Neck (again uncovered) so it would be interesting to compare impressions.

Kinioo

OK my pickups from Oil City arrived today (well packed BTW) - thanks Ash!
Will try to post some picks tonight when back home.
Will get them fitted over the weekend and get back with some feedback;
Also going for a full guitar set up, so I am expecting f***ing awesome sound...the only s*it link now in my guitar set up is the "guitarist" (I should probably say a guitar player....I am far from being a guitarist).

Chris