West Coast Jerryfied PRS

[Matt Sarad]

I bought this first year PRS SE for my son about 23 years ago. The pickups and pots were useless.
I found a small town luthier who did great work for about $550.
Jerry Garcia used Dimarzio super distortion Humbuckers. That's what I chose along with push pull pots on volume and treble for split coils. A six position switch, on board effects loop and preamp finished it off. There are more than 12 distinct tones available. The neck pickup is rich and fat. Bridge bright and airy. The single coils diminish the volume, but I can use the JROCKETT Holdsworth pedal for boost.
Overall, it's a great sounding guitar that is more in tune than my Fenders or Gibsons.

 

[brookdalebill]

Cool!
Bend that thing to your will!

 

[Matt Sarad]

At band practice last night I started off with my '58 3/4 Les Paul Jr. With just 19 frets, it is fun to play. The pickup goes from clean and clear to snarling bulldog with a turn of the volume knob.
Second half I switched to the PRS.
It was sparkly bright to rich and warm with less
growl. My brother, the Hammond organ player, commented how versatile it is, more so than my Tele, Strat, SG, LP TV Special, McCarty with P90s, and Melody Maker with TTop PAFs.
My amp at practice was the '58 Tweed Deluxe turned up to 3, plenty loud.

 

[8bitlooper]

Very cool! I bet it sounds killer. I’ve got my own Jerry-ish parts build. Fun to play!

 

[scook]

Did you do Super Distortions in all 3 positions?

 

[Matt Sarad]

Did you do Super Distortions in all 3 positions?

Yes.

Dual Sound® | DiMarzio

Take a Super Distortion®, include a push-pull pot for series-parallel or single-coil operation and you have the Dual Sound®. The extra flexibility puts cleaner, crisp tone choices at your control. Lighten up on the lead tone in parallel operation, then roar back in with the standard series...

www.dimarzio.com

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

Cool guitar! I seem to remember Garcia once stating that the majority of his playing involved the center pickup in some manner. His sound was superior to anyone who walked out on stage to jam with him. I would describe it as rich, yet penetrating. One time in particular involved Steve Miller and Norton Buffalo joining the Dead to open the Dead’s second set at Soldier Field. Everyone loved Norton, but ol’ Steve must have been paying the price for writing Abracadabra that evening because he sounded thin & weak next to Garcia, and several in my seating area were throwing serious shade & ridicule on Miller.