BRIEF REVIEW OF PRS DRAGON II PICKUPS (Indoor Storm 3/10/98)
DougA70320
REVIEW OF PRS DRAGON II PICKUPS: A BRIEF REVIEW AND COMPARISON
Indoor Storm
3/10/98
We have been fielding a large number of questions on the differences between
Dragon I and the new Dragon II pick ups by Paul Reed Smith, so we sat down and
tested them out 3-10-98 head to head. Eddie chose the amp. In this case a
Fender Vibro King amp -- a new reissue amp that has 3X10's, reverb, and is tube
driven. (brown tolex)
The amp settings were:
Volume: 2 1/2
Treble: 5
Bass: 6
Middle: 6
Reverb: Dwell: 5 Mix: 3 Tone: 5
We used a 10' Horizon cable and a medium Fender pick. So, the field was even.
Same gear and same room, and same player.
The two guitars we chose were a Gold Top Custom 22 Maple on Mahogany, tremolo
with the Dragon I 's in it. The other was a Turquoise 10 Top Custom 22 also
with a tremolo and the new Dragon II's.
The first thing that I'd like to say is that Eddie actually liked the neck pick
up in the Dragon II. That is no small statement! [Doug's Editorial Comment: No
kidding. At our last rehearsal, Eddie stopped me in the middle of the song,
and suggested that he might have to break my guitar unless I switched off the
neck pickup of my PRS Custom 24]. The Gold top Dragon I is a favorite guitar
in the shop. It sounded fantastic. Very mid-range and full, great tone for
sure. The Dragon II floored us! The pick up sounded a little hotter in signal
and had notably less mid-range. The top end was very "sparkly", please do read
this as it had more treble to it! It was very, very clear. More balanced
over-all.
We spoke to our rep at PRS and he confirmed our theory. He said they were
shooting for a "hotter" guitar pick-up with a little less mid-range. I have to
tell you that they did it. They are fantastic!
Max and Eddie
Andrew P. Mullhaupt
DougA70320 wrote in message
<19980311040...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
>We spoke to our rep at PRS and he confirmed our theory. He said they were
>shooting for a "hotter" guitar pick-up with a little less mid-range. I have
to
>tell you that they did it.
Oh Hell. Can you still get the original Dragons? I may have to start
hoarding. The original Dragon pickups on my wife and my Custom 22s are among
our favorite sounds that guitars can make.
I just got bit by that other new innovation of PRS today. After restringing
a few of my guitars, I've decided that I'm going to be playing split gauge
strings for a while to come. I'm using an 011 E, an 014 B, and the rest
D'Addario 10s. This would pose no problem at all for my wife's PRS Custom
22, and isn't a problem for me Santana.
However. Anyone know if I can play split gauge on my Custom 22 with that
"clever" one piece stop-tail and not lose out on intonation?
I've already worked this out with Anderson and their Feiten system.
Later,
Andrew Mullhaupt
DougA70320
><HTML><BR>
>DougA70320 wrote in message<BR>
><19980311040...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...<BR>
>>We spoke to our rep at PRS and he confirmed our theory. He said they
>>shooting for a "hotter" guitar pick-up with a little less mid-range. I
>to<BR>
>>tell you that they did it.<BR>
><BR>
>Oh Hell. Can you still get the original Dragons? I may have to start<BR>
>hoarding. The original Dragon pickups on my wife and my Custom 22s are
>our favorite sounds that guitars can make.<BR>
><BR>
>I just got bit by that other new innovation of PRS today. After
>a few of my guitars, I've decided that I'm going to be playing split
>strings for a while to come. I'm using an 011 E, an 014 B, and the rest<BR>
>D'Addario 10s. This would pose no problem at all for my wife's PRS Custom<BR>
>22, and isn't a problem for me Santana.<BR>
><BR>
>However. Anyone know if I can play split gauge on my Custom 22 with that<BR>
>"clever" one piece stop-tail and not lose out on intonation?<BR>
><BR>
>I've already worked this out with Anderson and their Feiten system.<BR>
><BR>
>Later,<BR>
>Andrew Mullhaupt<BR>
*************
I'll check with PRS and Eddie and Scott McDonald (our guitar tech) and let you
know. I do know that Paul Smith was recommending that people use as thick a
guage string as their playing style would permit. I'm assuming from that that
hybrid strings will work; but I'll let you know. I have both dragon I and
Dragon II pickups in PRS guitars that I own. For my playing style, I love
them both, but I love the Dragong IIs alittle more. I realize it is a matter
of personal preference, but if you haven't had a chance to play the dragon IIs,
they are well worth checking out. Thanks, Doug
Matthew Ivaliotes
douga...@aol.com (DougA70320) writes:
>I'll check with PRS and Eddie and Scott McDonald (our guitar tech) and let you
>know. I do know that Paul Smith was recommending that people use as thick a
>guage string as their playing style would permit. I'm assuming from that that
>hybrid strings will work; but I'll let you know. I have both dragon I and
>Dragon II pickups in PRS guitars that I own. For my playing style, I love
>them both, but I love the Dragong IIs alittle more. I realize it is a matter
>of personal preference, but if you haven't had a chance to play the dragon IIs,
> they are well worth checking out. Thanks, Doug
I played some in Chicago this weekend. They sounded good, but I still
think I prefer the Dragon Is. Trouble is, it looks like PRS is not going
to continue making Dragon Is, and I think that's a mistake. After all,
if I can't get Dragon Is new, I'll just buy used, which is less sales for
PRS. I know your guys were willing to help me order one with the old
Dragons, but I wasn't ready to buy right away, and it sounded like PRS was
running out fast. What's so hard about winding a few of each type?
Matt I.
SEFSTRAT
Andrew wrote:
<<Can you still get the original Dragons? I may have to start
hoarding. The original Dragon pickups on my wife and my Custom 22s are among
our favorite sounds that guitars can make.>>
Interesting. I always hated the original Dragons. I think they sound thin and
wimpy, for humbuckers.
Steve
SEFSTRAT
Matthew Ivaliotes
sefs...@aol.com (SEFSTRAT) writes:
>Interesting. I always hated the original Dragons. I think they sound thin and
>wimpy, for humbuckers.
I think they're full of midrangy goodness. I particularly like them in
Standard22s and Custom22s. I tried the Dragon IIs this past weekend, and
I thought "nice sound, but not all that unlike other nice-sounding
humbuckers I've heard." They seem more generic. The original Dragons
seem to have a more unique personality.
Again, all to my ears.
Matt I.
Andrew P. Mullhaupt
Matthew Ivaliotes wrote in message <6i2jlg$fv5$1...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>...
>I played some in Chicago this weekend. They sounded good, but I still
>think I prefer the Dragon Is. Trouble is, it looks like PRS is not going
>to continue making Dragon Is, and I think that's a mistake. After all,
>if I can't get Dragon Is new, I'll just buy used, which is less sales for
>PRS.
They had a few left over when we ordered our spare sets. They told our
people that they wouldn't dismantle the winding machine so they can do them
as a custom order.
Weirder still - Custom 22s will no longer have Dragon IIs either!
They get things called "Archtop IIs" which to me sound better than Dragon
IIs but not as good as Dragon Is.
Later,
Andrew Mullhaupt
Andrew P. Mullhaupt
SEFSTRAT wrote in message
<199804272125...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
>Andrew wrote:
>
><<Can you still get the original Dragons? I may have to start
>hoarding. The original Dragon pickups on my wife and my Custom 22s are
among
>our favorite sounds that guitars can make.>>
>
>Interesting. I always hated the original Dragons. I think they sound thin
and
>wimpy, for humbuckers.
Well, The Dragon IIs sounded _really_ thin and wimpy on the middle
combinations to me. The Archtop IIs you get now are a lot better than the
Dragon IIs to me.
But I'm still into the Dragon Is. Keep in mind that I use almost all my
guitar playing in my studio where I don't need to crunch through a
problematic stage sound. I also string with 11s over 10s which thickens
things up a bit.
Later,
Andrew Mullhaupt
Andrew P. Mullhaupt
SEFSTRAT wrote in message
<199804280319...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
><<I'm told that
>the Archtop pickups are a McCarty variant,>>
>
>If so, I'll probably love them. I really like the McCarty and the Vintage
Bass
>pickups.
They don't really sound like that. Otherwise I wouldn't have liked them.
They're pretty good for me, which as far as PRS pickups go, probably means
you won't like them. But variety might sell more C22s.
Give them a listen.
Later,
Andrew Mullhaupt
STRATQUEEN
Matt wrote:
<<Again, all to my ears.>>
Your ears are all that matter, babe. ;-)
Slide on........
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/STRATQUEEN/index.html">Stratqueen's Page</A>
**************************************
Sharon L. Demmerlé, Esq.
Demmerlé Law Offices, P.L.L.C.
Post Office Box 688
Manchester, NH 03105-0688
Matthew Ivaliotes
"Andrew P. Mullhaupt" <amul...@nospam.ix.netcom.com> writes:
>Weirder still - Custom 22s will no longer have Dragon IIs either!
>They get things called "Archtop IIs" which to me sound better than Dragon
>IIs but not as good as Dragon Is.
That's not what I've heard from both dealers I work with. I'm told that
the Archtop pickups are a McCarty variant, and are going in the
hollow/arch guitars, with the Custom22s in fact getting Dragon IIs.
Anyone else verify things one way or another?
Matt I.
SEFSTRAT
<<I'm told that
the Archtop pickups are a McCarty variant,>>
If so, I'll probably love them. I really like the McCarty and the Vintage Bass
pickups.
SEFSTRAT