PRS CE-22 and good bridge pickup choice?

[papersoul]

OK, I thought I was done swapping pickups years ago but a new amp changed all that! I have owned a PRS CE-22 stock since 2003, it is a 1994 alder bodied/maple topped CE-22. I have always loved the Dragon pickups, the bridge is ceramic and 19k, thick, rather dark, very smooth!
Great single coil tones.

I recently picked up a PWE Event Horizon and the PRS did not play nice with it. The bridge Dragon is too hot and causes all sorts of mud with the amp so I am forced to use my Gibsons with Bill Lawrence pickups with this amp.

I tried Dragon IIs, but the bridge just is not my thing and I miss the beef of the Dragon bridge p'up.

So, I am looking for somthing to work in the bridge slot of a CE-22 (alder/maple) that will not be too hot to overdrive the front of my PWE, but still thick, smooth and creamy enough.

It gets real tricky swapping pickups because every guitar can be so different so I am looking for some guidance maybe from people who have a CE-22 or similar and what pickups have worked for you maybe in the medium output range.

I am thinking of waiting and finding a used PRS 57/08, WCR Godwood, Wolfetone Caretaker or Timbrewolf, maybe a Duncan JB or a Rio Grand BBQ/Texas set. I have a love hate relationship with the BBQ, but it depends on the guitar.

Rather than replace both pickups I might keep the neck stock and have someone like Jim Wagner wind me a GW for the PRS 5 way.

My other thoughts was to convert the guitar to a three way toggle and McCarty split pot wiring and just do something like a Duncan JB/59 or even the Godwood and a 59. I don;t use the neck pickup a lot....only for the split positions once in a while.

Would love to hear opinions before I make a move!

Thanks!

[big mike]

Didn't we just do this on Bam?

[papersoul]

Goodness Mike...you are everywhere!

[big mike]

true...no life. LOL

i'd go with either the Timberwolfe or the Godwood.

[papersoul]

Originally Posted by big mike

true...no life. LOL

i'd go with either the Timberwolfe or the Godwood.

Sound slike it is the way to go.

Gets tough to put up the cash but I guess if you want the best.

Since this guitar seems to like hot pickups, I might be tempted to grab the TWolfe. Oh the agony!

[In Absentia]

What kind of music do you play?

[JamonGrande]

my ce-22 is a later maple mahogany, and I've used the following:
Stock HB's (don't remember the model, Dragon II's?) - it had the hot and dark like you mentioned. a little too much for the funk/R&B tones that I regularly need, even when split

Fralin Unbuckers - nice sound, but honestly a little "plain" overall for my tastes

Harmonic Design z-90 - about the right output for my taste. I always wanted to roll my tone down with this one to smooth it out, which made the neck too dark (at least for a 1-tone knob guitar). Kept the Z-90 in the neck, which I do greatly enjoy.

(currently) SD P-Rails w/ Triple shot switching rings - i actually like these quite a bit as I get a good range of tones, including the hot/dark tone from series humbucking mode, brighter p-90 narly-ness, open sounding parallel mode, and thinner single coil mode. Not a big fan of the triple shot as I regularly knock one switch to half-way inbetween which kills the pickup almost entirely. But without going to a 5-way knob or installing push pull on both volume and tone knobs, it will have to do.

this works for me, haven't felt a hankering to change it in the last year or so (which is generally pretty good for me).

joe

[RockDC]

I'll take your Dragon I... its the best pickup I've ever had and I've had a ton. I've actually asked Paul to reissue it on numerous occasions.

[papersoul]

Originally Posted by In Absentia

What kind of music do you play?

Amps...
Bogner 20th shiva
PWE Event Horizon

Music...
Original - a mix of Rush, VH, STP, AIC, Metallica (Classic rock to grunge to hard rock)
Covers - classic hard rock to grunge to 90s hard rock and some modern

A coupld I should consider are the Duncan JB and Custom for the bridge.

[papersoul]

Originally Posted by RockDC

I'll take your Dragon I... its the best pickup I've ever had and I've had a ton. I've actually asked Paul to reissue it on numerous occasions.

It is great....but does not work into hot amps. Try it into a modern high gain amp....and then get back to me.

[samarshll]

+1 on the P rails with push pull pots on the volume and tone controls. Lots of good choices = 12 combinations with a 3 way switch.

[In Absentia]

Originally Posted by papersoul

Amps...
Bogner 20th shiva
PWE Event Horizon

Music...
Original - a mix of Rush, VH, STP, AIC, Metallica (Classic rock to grunge to hard rock)
Covers - classic hard rock to grunge to 90s hard rock and some modern

A coupld I should consider are the Duncan JB and Custom for the bridge.

Both of those Duncan offerings would be great. Also, check out the vintage hot offerings from Bareknuckle.

[papersoul]

Man, this CE-22 had blown the doors off all my other PRS guitars through the years, was the only PRS I owned that had the beef to stand up to my Les Pauls. It has worked with all my amps through the years, so why now is it now working with my PWE amp. This amp is really sensitive to hot pickups. I put the Dragons back in tonight and it sounds killer again, real thick, smooth and musical though my Bogner. I will give it a try with the PWE again once I can get the volume up during the day and maybe spend more time messing with the settings and pickup height. Might even try new preamp tubes.

But speaking of WCR..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwnMi...eature=related

[papersoul]

Another great one is the Duncan Custom! That could be it because it is ceramic but lower output than the Dragon....might be a nice fit.

[big mike]

I like the custom a lot. It's a great all around pickup and usually you can get them used for cheap.