Best Pickups for PRS SE Custom 24 (our top Pick)
Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker
Since the PRS SE Custom 24 is already a versatile guitar, we'd recommend adding the active Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers which are equally versatile. You get the clarity and subtlty of single coil tones along with the punch and smoothness of active tones.
We're making suggestions for people who are considering a pickup upgrade for their PRS SE Custom 24. Since this is an incredibly decent guitar for the price, it's a good candidate for a pickup upgrade, as the included humbucker set is of the cheaper PRS stock variety. They sound okay but the SE Custom 24 can sound much better with a nicer set of pickups from a third party.
We'll start by listing our recommendations - which are based on actual use and testing - then follow up with some additional information and consideration for making the full pickup swap.
If you have questions along the way, feel free to jump in via the comments section at the end of this article.
We'll see you there.
Read more: Best pickups for Jackson Dinky
The cheap stock pickups on the PRS SE Custom 24 make it a great "upgrade guitar."
Best Pickup Replacements for a PRS SE Custom 24
We've chosen five humbucker sets that we think are good fits for the PRS SE Custom 24. These sets all come with a humbucker for the bridge and neck, which will fit the SE Custom 24's pickup configuration. Use the compare buttons to browse pricing and audio samples.
PICKUPS | Name | Rate | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fishman Fluence Modern (Active set)
| n/a | |
 | EMG Zakk Wylde Signature (Active Set)
| n/a | |
 | Fishman Fluence Classic (active set)
| n/a | |
 | Seymour Duncan Invader Pickup Set (passive)
| n/a | |
 | Seymour Duncan Custom Shop High Voltage (passive)
| n/a |
For those wanting more information or help selecting pickups for their SE Custom 24, continue on to the paragraphs below which deal with several specific questions surrounding this topic.
Our Process
A PRS SE Custom 24 in blue with bird inlays. Flickr Commons image via Rum Bucolic Ape
How exactly do we choose a pickup upgrade for a specific guitar?
In my situation, I've actually owned the PRS SE Custom 24 electric guitar and have used/tested all of the pickups in this list.
This means that I have first-hand experience with what's mentioned here and I'm not just making blind suggestions. We can also make some judgements based on intended style and market for certain pickup sets. For example, a lot of pickups are designed specifically for blues and jazz, which we've sort of avoided for the SE Custom 24.
Because the SE Custom 24 is more of a heavy, modern rock guitar that should have pickups that compliment that style lean.
This leads us toward the following types of pickups:
- Ceramic magnets
- Higher output
- Heavier tone profile
- Thicker bass in the EQ
- Active pickups (powered)
All of these factors help inform the pickups we recommend for the SE Custom 24. Since PRS guitars naturally have a thicker and more percussive tone, we want to pair it with humbuckers that will help compliment that tendency.
Which is better: Active or passive?
Are you better off going with active or passive humbuckers?
What's the difference?
In simple terms, active pickups have/require a power source, while passive pickups do not. Most of the time you buy a guitar, they're going to come with passive pickups. Active pickups tend to have more output and are capable of producing a bit more volume.
Since active pickups need a power source, the most common configuration is a 9V battery attached to the pickups.
They also tend to sound better with heavy distortion, producing a warm and smooth tone that is distinctly different from passive pickups.
While one is not necessarily better than the other, I really like active pickups for the SE Custom 24 since it's already built for heavier playing styles and smoother tone profiles.
Read more: What's the difference between active and passive pickups?
Response to Distorted and Clean Tones
Another factor to consider is how a set of pickups responds to both distorted and clean tones.
Can it handle high levels of gain?
Does it sound good with a clean/basic EQ?
Since I've known the PRS SE Custom 24 to be a good distortion guitar, I wanted to target pickups that could also handle heavier levels of distortion. At the same time, your pickups should be able to produce a high-quality clean tone.
This is why the active pickups seemed like such a good fit. They tend to be quite good on both sides of the clean/dirty fence.
Additionally, the Fishman Fluence pickups are exceptionally good when it comes to balancing distortion and cleans, which is why we've included two different sets in this list.
Read more: Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker Review
What pickups come with the PRS SE Custom 24?
It's important to note that the pickups that come in the SE versions of PRS guitars are not the same as the pickups in the US versions, despite the naming conventions being similar.
Here's the entry and description for the PRS SE Custom 24 pickups on Sweetwater:
The pickups on the cheaper PRS SE guitars are not the same as the pickups on the more expensive US-made PRS guitars (the non-SE versions).
In other words:
These pickups, despite being made by PRS and named similarly, are not the same ones you get in the $3000 and $4000 PRS models. While this might be a bit disappointing, it should come as no surprise.
And I want people to be clear on the fact that there is a difference, because the naming convention is deceptively similar, to say the least.
These pickups are a cheaper stock that PRS either makes in-house, or contracts out to their factory in South Korea while maintaining the rights to keep their name on them.
Either way, we don't love them, and can see why they're often subject to pickup swaps.
Which humbucker replacement set is the best?
Of the humbuckers listed, my personal favorite is the Fishman Fluence Modern set, especially if we're talking specifically for the PRS SE Custom 24. These multi-voice humbuckers are some of the absolute best when it comes to producing a great sound in both high and low-gain environments and they pair really well with the SE Custom 24.
Many guitar players describe them as bringing a lot of the qualities of both passive and active pickups into a single humbucker set.
For a lot of guitar upgrades, I'm a big fan of the Fishman Fluence series.
Installation Help
The way you install pickups into your SE Custom 24 will depend a lot on which pickup set you decide to get. Active pickups are installed differently since they require a 9V battery as a power source, though they'll usually have their own instructions included.
Here's how you'd likely wire up a set of active humbuckers:
Wiring diagram for active Seymour Duncan humbuckers running off a 9-volt battery.
If you're working with a passive humbucker set, you'll use the following wiring diagram, which I also pulled from the Seymour Duncan database:
Wiring diagram for passive Seymour Duncan humbuckers.
If you want to browse more wiring diagrams, Seymour Duncan has a ton of them.
Read more: Best Seymour Duncan pickups
What about a soldering gun?
In most cases you will need a soldering gun to do your own pickup swap, though it's not as scary as it looks. If you really aren't comfortable doing that kind of work, you can also take your guitar to a local shop and pay to have it done by a tech.
What if I already like the stock pickups on the SE?
Some people are happy with the tone they get from the SE Custom 24 straight out of the box, and there's certainly nothing wrong with leaving it that way.
However, I'd also say there's a lot of tone quality to be gained by investing in this guitar and taking time to do the pickup swap. My best advice is to try the guitar as-is for awhile, then maybe upgrade the pickups after you've had time to get a feel for its default sound.
That way, you'll be able to hear the upgrade in tone more so than if you change the pickups right away, before playing the guitar.
Additional Questions
For PRS SE Custom 24 owners, that's all the best advice I have for doing a pickup upgrade.
If you have additional questions, or if I've missed something, feel free to send me a note via the comments section below. That's a good place to continue the conversation, and add content that might be helpful to future readers.
We'll talk to you then.
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Written by GC Editorial on Guitars and Roundups
Written by Bobby on Pickups and Roundups
Looking for a middle single coil to put in a prs se 2023 swamp ash special that would match good with the set of monotone d w tomahawk humbuckers that are in it new….any help would be appreciated
Check here with DiMarzio. https://www.dimarzio.com/pickup-picker
Looks like the Injector might be a good option.
Richard here…i have a 2023 pros swamp ash special….going to put monotone d w tomahawk gen 2 in the neck and bridge…what would be a good single coil match for the middle position…..thank you for a little help
Oh wow, that’s a tough call. I would think staying on brand would be a safe bet: https://www.mojotone.com/Mojotone-58-Quiet-Coil-Strat-Pickup
Otherwise, maybe one of the DiMarzio rails? https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/strat/rail-hum-canceling-strat
Thanks for the advice….i think I am going with mojotone dw tomahawk in the bridge and neck and a seymour duncan hot rail in the middle position just for kicks.
I don’t mind it. 🤘🏻
Hi Bobby great article! I literally left a question on the PRS forum asking if anyone has ever swapped the 85/15’s for Fishman Moderns on the PRS SE custom 24 before lol. I have one arriving in September that I ordered last March. I was also thinking about the Fishman Abasi’s what would you think? My 7 string Schecter have the Fishman Moderns and that’s how I fell in love with the Fishman pickups. I’ve also got a mint condition never used set of PRS Dragon 1’s that I may put into it too. What would you do? The Dragon 1’s or the Fishman Modern/Abasi’s? Thanks bud.
Hey Neal, thanks for getting in touch.
Side note: Why is your Custom 24 taking so long to get there??
So I currently have the Matt Heafy Fishman set in my PRS CE 24, and I just absolutely leave them. So my bias would be towards the Modern/Abasi set.
Bobby,
I have a full stock SE Custom 24. I play a lot of blues in the cleaner realm of tone. What pickups would you suggest?
Thanks!
Definitely the Fluence Classic. They’re just really hard to beat, especially for cleans.
Very helpful, thanks for this, getting invaders in mine
The Invaders have been my go-to for a long time. Just recently replaced them with a Fishman Fluence set.
Greetings Bobby! I just bought the PRS SE Standard 24 in red with the zebra colored pickups and I want to change the bridge pickup for something more aggressive than the PRS pickup.
However I do not want an active pickup with battery and stuff and It has to be zebra colored. I was thinking I can play more aggressive metal with the new bridge pickup and some classic rock/blues on the PRS neck pickup. So far I have been looking at 3 seymoure, Invader, JB and Dimebucker, all passive in Zebra color. What do you think of those for more aggressive metal and do you think it is a good idea to keep the PRS pickup in the neck position to play softer kind of music on ? I do still like the sound of the PRS pickups on the SE Standard.
Thanks in Advance,
Mathias
So on my PRS, I have the Invader set, and they’re definitely metal leaning. Of the three you mentioned, I’d definitely go with Invaders or Dimes. Is the neck pickup the stock that comes with the SE standard 24? I would honestly just buy the Invader or Dime set and switch both out. Hope this is helpful!
Hi Bobby. I have a PRS SE Custom. While I would love to put active pick ups in the guitar, I am a bit concerned whether the additional installation requirements (read holes for the battery) will damage the guitar or impact playability ? Is it safer to go with passive pick-ups? Thank you for the article. This was really helpful 🙂
If you want to go passive I like the Seymour Duncan Invader set. That’s what I use. Active pickups are definitely – in general – riskier. But dang, I love how they sound.
Haha. Agreed Bobby. Thank you for the input. I am mostly going with invaders that you recommended.
You bet, Arjun. Hope it goes well.
Can you still do the coil split with the Fishman pickups?
I believe so, at least according to this document: https://www.fishman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Fluence_Humbucker_Coil_Tapping.pdf
Wiring is always more of a pain.
Hi,
I have a PRS SE 24 new model with the 85/15s pickups and I’m in the middle of choosing som Barenuckle pickups. I was concerned an Alnico 5 would be to bright for the guitar which has maple neck. The set I’m looking at is the Riff Raff, I’d be interested on your thoughts on this. Here’s the description:
The Riff Raff humbucker is based on the shorter rough cast Alnico V PAFs of 1960, with a more symmetrical wind of 42 AWG plain enamel wire providing more focus in the upper-mids and brighter highs. While the same build standard and components of the other vintage humbuckers in the range apply, the Riff Raff delivers a more aggressive vintage tone and unmistakable rock voice. The bottom-end is deep but very controlled and coupled with the extra cut in the high-end, allow for plenty of snap and a classic range of organic, clean and driven tones.
Although voiced as a vintage rock humbucker, hard rock and metal players will enjoy the punchy and focused tone when used with high-gain rigs.
SPECIFICATION
Position: Bridge DC Resistance: 8.2 kΩ Magnet: Alnico 5
Position: Neck DC Resistance: 7.4 kΩ Magnet: Alnico 5
Hey Mark – I’m not super familiar with those pickups but based on the description, too much high-end shouldn’t be an issue for you.
If you want to go ALL modern/metal, I would usually recommend a ceramic magnet (at least that’s what I prefer).
Those get you that smoother, more percussive low-end tone.
But if you want some balance between heavier lows and bluesy vintage sounds, I think the Riff Raff sounds like a happy medium.
Having said that, Alnico 5 magnets (outside of the Fluence humbuckers), are typically better suited for single coil rail pickups. They’re a Strat pickup magnet first and foremost.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have additional questions.
Hi Bobby,
Thank you for your reply I have gone for the Riff Raff in the neck and the Cold Sweat ceramic in the bridge so hopefully this will balance everything as well as give me a decent split coil tone as well.
Cheers
Mark
putting $250-$300 set of pickups on a $900 guitar is a bad choice. I wouldn’t do it Id get a guitar with the sound I want.
A valid approach.
Hi,
I have a PRS P-22. I have a Strat and a Tele with piezo saddles in the bridge which are pretty ordinary except as an additive to an electric tone. I don’t like the electric pickups in the P22, particularly the neck. I am wondering if you could suggest a replacement. I am more of a Fender guy but I like alnico pickups too… Any suggestions appreciated.
I take it the current pickups in the P22 are the PRS-branded humbuckers?
What kind of music do you play? Are you more of a lead or rhythm guitarist?