Changing the PU's of my PRS S2 Vela (Semi Hollow Reclaimed Woods)

[MattBlue]

Dear Forum,

I recently purchased a PRS S2 Vela (Semi Hollow Reclaimed Woods). I like it very much, but I feel like the PU's could be better. The guitar is so outstanding, so light and resonant, brilliant playability... I just think plugged in there could be... MORE. You see what I mean?
Now I was thinking about which PU's would be a good match for this guitar, and I think the following two would fit the guitar perfectly: For the Neck a TV-Jones T-Armond Single Coil, and for the bridge a TV-Jones Classic Plus Humbucker. My problem is: I think they won't fit size-wise... the neck pick up which is installed now has the size of a mini humbucker / firebird PU, so I doubt that the T-Armond will fit without a lot of work/tools/shims etc. ... for the bridge PU - I guess the string spacing will be a problem here.

What would you do? Do you own a Vela, did you change PU's?

[Dru Edwards]

Hi Matt,

Just looked at the Vela and the specs. That neck pickup looks larger than a single coil and smaller than a P-90. It's called a "Type D Single Coil". Looks like it might be a bit smaller than a Gibson mini humbucker? Do you have the pickup dimensions?

I don't own a Vela but I've changed pickups on many of my guitars. They've always been humbucker or single coil though so never any issues.

[MikeMcKee]

Well, I've owned two, and I personally thought the pups were outstanding, so I can't offer anything positive.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by MattBlue

Dear Forum,

I recently purchased a PRS S2 Vela (Semi Hollow Reclaimed Woods). I like it very much, but I feel like the PU's could be better. The guitar is so outstanding, so light and resonant, brilliant playability... I just think plugged in there could be... MORE. You see what I mean?
Now I was thinking about which PU's would be a good match for this guitar, and I think the following two would fit the guitar perfectly: For the Neck a TV-Jones T-Armond Single Coil, and for the bridge a TV-Jones Classic Plus Humbucker. My problem is: I think they won't fit size-wise... the neck pick up which is installed now has the size of a mini humbucker / firebird PU, so I doubt that the T-Armond will fit without a lot of work/tools/shims etc. ... for the bridge PU - I guess the string spacing will be a problem here.

What would you do? Do you own a Vela, did you change PU's?

I've never played an Indonesian PRS, but I've owned and own many of them. The guys at the PRS shop are really smart, and helpful. I'd give them a call and get some opinions, for me, I'd start with Seymour Duncan. Pickups are the only imperfect link on prs guitars.

[jdto]

The Vela neck pickup looks just like the T-Armond. Why not grab a ruler or caliper and take measurements, then write TV Jones and ask them. They are very responsive and knowledgeable and I found them quite helpful. The bridge pickup is humbucker size, which TV Jones also makes. You can measure the string spacing and ask them about that, too.

These two look like the ones you're after, but I'd confirm it with TV first.
https://store.tvjones.com/t-armond-d...ount-p231.aspx
In the case of this one, you might have to mount it to the pickguard.

https://store.tvjones.com/tv-classic...ount-p209.aspx
This one looks like it would be a drop-in.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by aknow

I've never played an Indonesian PRS, but I've owned and own many of them. The guys at the PRS shop are really smart, and helpful. I'd give them a call and get some opinions, for me, I'd start with Seymour Duncan. Pickups are the only imperfect link on prs guitars.

+1. If the bridge pickup is the same size I'd throw a SD '59 in the neck, but I guess it depends on the music you'd like to play.

[MattBlue]

Originally Posted by MikeMcKee

Well, I've owned two, and I personally thought the pups were outstanding, so I can't offer anything positive.

Well... the PRS S2 line are high quality made in US guitars. Except the pickups. The pickups are made in asia... that Singlecoil neck pickup is made by G&B, a Korean company which also produces the ones which are in the cheap SE-line... doesn't have to bother you. I think there are better options.

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Hi Matt,

Just looked at the Vela and the specs. That neck pickup looks larger than a single coil and smaller than a P-90. It's called a "Type D Single Coil". Looks like it might be a bit smaller than a Gibson mini humbucker? Do you have the pickup dimensions?

I don't own a Vela but I've changed pickups on many of my guitars. They've always been humbucker or single coil though so never any issues.

The single coil is indeed the size of a mini humbucker, like the one you find in a firebird.

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

+1. If the bridge pickup is the same size I'd throw a SD '59 in the neck, but I guess it depends on the music you'd like to play.

I like SD! For the bridge an SD '59 would fit, for the neck for example a SD SM-1 vintage mini humbucker would fit - but if they would match volume and tone wise...?

Originally Posted by jdto

The Vela neck pickup looks just like the T-Armond. Why not grab a ruler or caliper and take measurements, then write TV Jones and ask them. They are very responsive and knowledgeable and I found them quite helpful. The bridge pickup is humbucker size, which TV Jones also makes. You can measure the string spacing and ask them about that, too.

These two look like the ones you're after, but I'd confirm it with TV first.
https://store.tvjones.com/t-armond-d...ount-p231.aspx
In the case of this one, you might have to mount it to the pickguard.

https://store.tvjones.com/tv-classic...ount-p209.aspx
This one looks like it would be a drop-in.

Those two are exactly the ones I mentioned in my first post. But the T-Armond does not fit, because the single coil in the neck position of the vela looks like the T-Armond but in fact it is mini-humbucker-size. And unfortunately TV Jones does not produce a single PU in the size of a mini humbucker...

[MattBlue]

Meanwhile I found out, that there is more about the pick ups that bothers me than just their "style"...
Something is not right about the sound of notes played on the high e-string. It becomes most noticeable when the guitar is played plugged in and only the neck pick up is engaged - which is how I play my guitars 90% of time. Compared to notes played on the other strings, the ones played on the high e-string seem a bit dull, life-less, less sustaining and less loud to me.
I had some problems of this kind with other guitars in the past, so I tried to solve the problem myself: Since the action was quite low, I thought maybe the string touches one of the frets somewhere on the fretboard causing the sound to abate - so I raised the string action a lot, making sure that the string can swing freely. It didn't help.
My second guess was, that maybe the hight of the poles of the pickup had to be adjusted - but then I noticed: You can't adjust the single poles on this pick up. It is so weird: There ARE screws on the poles, but they do not do anything - they turn but don't move up or down... so the hight of the single poles is not adjustable. Now you can bring the whole pick up closer to the strings with the two screws next to the pick up frame. I tried that, too - but it did not help.
Since I can note hear the described problem when the guitar is played unplugged or when the bridge pick up is engaged, I GUESS it is a problem about the neck pick up. But I am not sure, maybe it is just me not hearing it in the same way...
I could return the guitar to the store - but I really don't want to. I actually really like the guitar: Great playability, great look, quite collectable since it is a very limited run... but I can't live with this thing. Everytime I play a chord I feel like the note on the high e-string slightly stays s behing all the others.
Do you think there is any sense in trying a different pair of strings, made from another material than the ones which are currently installed?
I think the next step would be to bring it to a tech, but then I fear he charges me 100 bucks for telling me that it is not repairable or so...
I mean, it is if the high e-string would be completely dead or so, probably it would not be noticeable if I used a compressor pedal. But I spend a lot of money on this guitar, 1500$ really is quite a fortune for me, as I am a student. So I want it to be perfect...
For swapping out the pick up I still didn't find a replacement that fits... and I don't even know, if this particular problem is actually caused by the pick up or if it is something else!
I feel really desperate about this... please help?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by MattBlue

Meanwhile I found out, that there is more about the pick ups that bothers me than just their "style"...
Something is not right about the sound of notes played on the high e-string. It becomes most noticeable when the guitar is played plugged in and only the neck pick up is engaged - which is how I play my guitars 90% of time. Compared to notes played on the other strings, the ones played on the high e-string seem a bit dull, life-less, less sustaining and less loud to me.
I had some problems of this kind with other guitars in the past, so I tried to solve the problem myself: Since the action was quite low, I thought maybe the string touches one of the frets somewhere on the fretboard causing the sound to abate - so I raised the string action a lot, making sure that the string can swing freely. It didn't help.
My second guess was, that maybe the hight of the poles of the pickup had to be adjusted - but then I noticed: You can't adjust the single poles on this pick up. It is so weird: There ARE screws on the poles, but they do not do anything - they turn but don't move up or down... so the hight of the single poles is not adjustable. Now you can bring the whole pick up closer to the strings with the two screws next to the pick up frame. I tried that, too - but it did not help.
Since I can note hear the described problem when the guitar is played unplugged or when the bridge pick up is engaged, I GUESS it is a problem about the neck pick up. But I am not sure, maybe it is just me not hearing it in the same way...
I could return the guitar to the store - but I really don't want to. I actually really like the guitar: Great playability, great look, quite collectable since it is a very limited run... but I can't live with this thing. Everytime I play a chord I feel like the note on the high e-string slightly stays s behing all the others.
Do you think there is any sense in trying a different pair of strings, made from another material than the ones which are currently installed?
I think the next step would be to bring it to a tech, but then I fear he charges me 100 bucks for telling me that it is not repairable or so...
I mean, it is if the high e-string would be completely dead or so, probably it would not be noticeable if I used a compressor pedal. But I spend a lot of money on this guitar, 1500$ really is quite a fortune for me, as I am a student. So I want it to be perfect...
For swapping out the pick up I still didn't find a replacement that fits... and I don't even know, if this particular problem is actually caused by the pick up or if it is something else!
I feel really desperate about this... please help?

I wonder if the e string isn't seated properly at the bridge, although that wouldn't explain why you don't notice a problem with the bridge pickup. I'd change strings first before doing anything else - unless you've already done that.

I recommend posting over at the PRS forum. Someone else may have had this issue. Perhaps PRS had a batch of bad pickups (unlikely but you never know).