Replacement Pickups for a PRS Tremonti SE

skinfreak

I would be interested to find out your thoughts on pickup upgrades for a 2016 PRS Tremonti SE. Buying the signature model, you guessed that I would be a fan of Tremonti's tone (which is true) but I am looking for a versatile mix. I know that Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy plays Seymour Duncan Custom Customs which by all accounts should not fit a PRS Single Cut (but do!). Myles has a fantastic tone.

Myles plays a SC245 which I believe is thicker bodied than the SE Tremonti. There's a concern that the TB-11 pickup should be used for brightening up guitars and I wonder if the thinner SE construction is naturally brighter anyway than the luxurious US made guitars that Kennedy plays? Therefore is it going to have the same effect or should I focus on another pickup? I did look at the JB or Custom but they both seem to be higher output. Having said all of this, someone on the Seymour Duncan forum thought I was barking up the wrong tree in questioning the Custom Custom but however I try the SD pickup configurator it never recommends a TB-11. So that's why I've been emailing the guys at Oil City, Creamery and Mojo for their thoughts. Comaring the cost of a new set of SD to them it seem like a no brainer to buy British.

In terms of tone, anything from Kossoff/Free, through to Van Halen, Pearl Jam/Alice In Chains when it suits me. I want that warm, rounded tone of a vintage Les Paul after a few whisky's that isn't afraid of picking a fight with James Hetfield in the bridge pickup. Maybe that means I should get two guitars but at the moment the only thing letting this great PRS down is the bridge pickup. If I am changing one then I may as well change the other. My main amp is a Blackstar HT-1RH so I can dial a suitable amount is distortion in there which makes me think I need more an overwound but classic in the bridge opposed to a pure distortion beastie...

hubobulous

Suhr Thornbucker+ in bridge and Thornbuckers in the neck

DrCornelius

I stuck Tonerider Alnico IV in my Zach Myers and it made a big difference . Took off a load of harshness and gave it a warm vintage tone.

MikeB

If you're a Tremonti fan then surely these are worth a punt? And no, there not mine and no affiliation. 

Maybe not quite as versatile as some of the other suggestions but Mark manages plenty of variety with his. 

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292042355792

skinfreak

MikeB said:

If you're a Tremonti fan then surely these are worth a punt? And no, there not mine and no affiliation. 

Maybe not quite as versatile as some of the other suggestions but Mark manages plenty of variety with his. 

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292042355792

I hadnt seen them so thanks for the spot. 

skunkwerx

Out of interest, which se tremonti do you have?

I doubt it would make too much difference tonally, but I have the base base tremonti se. (The one with the fixed bridge/wraparound bridge), and although the body is still skinny, the neck is a fat/wide cut, wheras the higher tremonti models with the trem have a thin/wide neck. 

Wondered if the less wood on the thin/wide neck carve sounds tonally different to the wide/fat carve. 

skinfreak

skunkwerx said:

Out of interest, which se tremonti do you have?

I doubt it would make too much difference tonally, but I have the base base tremonti se. (The one with the fixed bridge/wraparound bridge), and although the body is still skinny, the neck is a fat/wide cut, wheras the higher tremonti models with the trem have a thin/wide neck. 

Wondered if the less wood on the thin/wide neck carve sounds tonally different to the wide/fat carve. 

2016 Custom with trem. The neck is fantastic and generally sound is too. Read some reviews praising the pups but I need a bit more bite from the bridge at least

grungebob

I put a set of Gibson 490, 498 in the one I had, sounded great but a tad too powerful as I couldn't lower the pickups enough

guitarfishbay

The US Tremonti pickups are really quite hot, easily as loud as a JB or Custom.

Custom would be closer to a Tremonti type tone if you want to use a Duncan. The Custom Custom would be fine in a Tremonti SE IMO, if that's what you want to use.

skinfreak

guitarfishbay said:

The US Tremonti pickups are really quite hot, easily as loud as a JB or Custom.

Custom would be closer to a Tremonti type tone if you want to use a Duncan. The Custom Custom would be fine in a Tremonti SE IMO, if that's what you want to use.

I'm seriously considering the eBay Tremonti pickups but know they are hotter so I have been listening to some AB tracks to see if Clean tones are too hot. Why is this so sodding hard????