So a guitar player and an engineer walk into a studio...

[edgarallan]

Yesterday I was in the studio and as I set the EQ on a Twin Reverb and set my Friedman BE-OD I'm thinking I got a good tone right? After two takes the engineer says "here, try some takes with this guitar" and he hands me a Steinberger Synapse with EMG's. That tiny guitar just blew my PRS CE 24 outta the water. Huge, massive tones fat and clear highs and deep bottom end. I couldn't believe that tone. I switched to a Mad Professor Golden Cello for leads, equally fat and sustainy, wonderful. Which leads me to the question. What pickups would make my PRS CE 24 sound that huge? I'm partial to Dimarzio but at this point I'll take any suggestions. Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Tone_Terrific]

Steinberger Synapse with EMG's.

I'd start there.

 

[Willicat]

EMG 57/66's

 

[Digidog]

Steinberger Synapse with EMG's.

It's been said, I'll say it again: Get it from there.

 

[BMX]

Yeah, if you really want that sound I'd go with Steinbergers. That said, you don't always want the same thing for studio and live work. Specifically, if you get the biggest clearest sound you might end up taking up space that the bass player, the keyboard player and singer etc. sit. I think that's why stuff like PAFs and Tube Screamers are so popular, because they are mid heavy and cut lows and often highs so they sit in a band well (let other instruments shine).

 

[Mr.Darwin]

Also rocking the golden cello, nice

 

[FatsoForgotso]

I've never seen the reason for people getting offended by these situations. Not to say I haven't had an issue here or there with a soundguy, but its not like we can't just hit the "delete" key these days.

I clicked on this thread thinking it was a typical TGP "I hate soundmen" threads and was prepared to defend my trade.

Thank you for sharing a positive story and thank you for being open minded enough to be willing to experiment with different gear during a session.

 

[LittleC]

Never been a fan of the PRS (just my simple opinion) anyway.

 

[RolandKorg]

Wait—what's the punchline?
I don't get it.

 

[majordanger]

Err, why not emg?

 

[RolandKorg]

Err, why not emg?

The stigma, man. The stigma.

 

[edgarallan]

I clicked on this thread thinking it was a typical TGP "I hate soundmen" threads and was prepared to defend my trade.

Thank you for sharing a positive story and thank you for being open minded enough to be willing to experiment with different gear during a session.

Much respect for soundmen/engineers. After working with him I will not go back to recording my own stuff. I'm having such a blast just concentrating on playing. Actually at the end of the session he says "Next week I'll let you try that Strat on the wall", and I look over and see a H-H Start with a Floyd. I'm thinking my PRS will either end up on ebay or I change the pickups.

 

[buddaman71]

The stigma, man. The stigma.

I've tried countless pickups over the year because doods say "EMGs are sterile man..."

I love passive pickups too, but there's just something pure and transparent and uncolored about EMGs that lets the tonal differences of different guitar/amp/FX combinations to shine through.

They also have a piano-like sound when played really clean that's unlike anything else.

I love them, and they don't load down with pedals like most passive units do.

PS: I am NOT a metal guy and mostly play strats/teles. EMG T pickups are absolutely righteous.

 

[Sirloin]

I have owned four PRS (Custom 22, Hollowbody I, McCarty, Ted) over the years and to me they tended to get "lost" in a live band mix. I moved them on.

 

[rsm]

I have 4 Steinberger Synapse SS-2F guitars. They are my main players. New ones are virtually non-existent thanks to Henry J., but at least he kept them alive for a few years...

edit: these have EMG 81/85 in them. I'd say these are my favorite pickups for clarity and versatility. They work very well with my digital modeling gear

 

[Sirloin]

New ones are virtually non-existent thanks to Henry J., but at least he kept them alive for a few years...

I built my own

 

[dczay]

I have owned four PRS (Custom 22, Hollowbody I, McCarty, Ted) over the years and to me they tended to get "lost" in a live band mix. I moved them on.

+1 I found the same thing.

 

[ripgtr]

The stigma, man. The stigma.

Not necessarily. I had the single coils in a strat and the humbucker in another guitar. I certainly liked the quiet, but I really didn't like them much. Good with more gain, but clean and light OD, they just seemed, well, sterile. Really was my thought. And this was back in the late 80s when they were quite popular and there was no internet to tell me.

If I was using a lot of gain and looking for a smooth sound yea I could see that. but to me there wasn't any stigma, I just didn't like the way they sounded.
They sounded great for what the OP was doing, so more power to him, use'm, enjoy'm. Just wanted to comment that, it wasn't stigma for me.

 

[kiki_90291]

Yesterday I was in the studio and as I set the EQ on a Twin Reverb and set my Friedman BE-OD I'm thinking I got a good tone right? After two takes the engineer says "here, try some takes with this guitar" and he hands me a Steinberger Synapse with EMG's. That tiny guitar just blew my PRS CE 24 outta the water. Huge, massive tones fat and clear highs and deep bottom end. I couldn't believe that tone. I switched to a Mad Professor Golden Cello for leads, equally fat and sustainy, wonderful. Which leads me to the question. What pickups would make my PRS CE 24 sound that huge? I'm partial to Dimarzio but at this point I'll take any suggestions. Thanks in advance guys!

Just put EMG's in it - so much of the sound in an electric is from the pickups. If you want that sounds, go with what got you there in the first place.

 

[RolandKorg]

Not necessarily. I had the single coils in a strat and the humbucker in another guitar. I certainly liked the quiet, but I really didn't like them much. Good with more gain, but clean and light OD, they just seemed, well, sterile. Really was my thought. And this was back in the late 80s when they were quite popular and there was no internet to tell me.

If I was using a lot of gain and looking for a smooth sound yea I could see that. but to me there wasn't any stigma, I just didn't like the way they sounded.
They sounded great for what the OP was doing, so more power to him, use'm, enjoy'm. Just wanted to comment that, it wasn't stigma for me.

Personally, I was just joking. I've never played EMGs but I've seen a crapload of YouTube genius posts about them. Just playing off their snobbery....