This was PRS' stock neck pickup in their flagship Custom 24 guitar for some 25 years. Although some people assume it has some special voicing voodoo for 24-fret guitars. I've gotten good results from installing it in a couple of 22-fretters (from PRS and other builders). But you'll be most pleased if you set your expectations accurately: The "vintage" name accurately describes the pickup's EQ, which yields a sweetly woody tone. PRS' online store currently describes this as a "high mid" tone, and lists the pickup's specs as 8.5K with an Alnico 2 magnet. The Alnico 2 part is what's crazy. This pickup has nothing like the vintage, soft, chewy attack I associate with A2. Consistently, it has a very fast attack, which is characteristic of Alnico 5 or your-favorite-pickup through a compressor. PRS #7 pickups have the same fast attack. This can be a very good thing: You get great articulation and clarity, especially on low notes – keep this in mind if you downtune. And certain pedals (like EHx synth pedals) respond especially well to distinct attack. Just don't expect characteristics like "pillowy," "spongy," or "chimey" here – that's not what this pickup is designed for. You can soften the attack a bit by rolling off your tone slightly, which cuts the transients. So these (and PRS' #7's) are the first pickups where I've found my guitar's passive tone control truly useful. You can also miitigate the attack using your amp's EQ. If you don't want the hard edge, I'd rate this an especially good complement for guitars whose physical construction provides some natural "give": those with tremolo tailpieces (rather than hard tails), and/or bold-on necks (rather than set necks). On my ESP Les Paul-inspired guitar (with a hard tail and set neck), it's created a very "live"-sounding instrument. I'm keeping it on there because that characteristic is so distinct, but it's not for everyone.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
Great sounding in all positions would highly recommend this pickup. Store is great to work with good communication and prices.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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