Pickup Suggestion for upgrading a PRS SE CUstom 24-08
Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers (active)
To be honest, any of the Fishman Fluence pickups would be a great fit with the PRS SE Custom 24-08. I like the Moderns and Matt Heafy signatures, since I've used them both. They're percussive and heavy, like you would expect from an active pickup, but the cleans are very articulate and capable of emulating a single coil tone. These would really boost the value of an SE Custom 24-08, especially with the additional tone-shaping ability this guitar already has.
BEST FOR: Percussive tones, heavy distortion, articulate cleans, and guitars with a lot of onboard tone flexibility (pickup switching/coil-splitting).
MAGNET
95
VERSATILITY
95
PRICE/VALUE
90
TONE QUALITY
97
- Fishman's stacked coil technology gives you the tone qualities of both an active and passive pickup, equating to very heavy and smooth distortion, along with articulate and sparkly cleans.
- I like the look of these for the SE Custom 24-08. The cover with the line through it is just a menacing vibe.
- Percussive, like PRS guitars.
- Price point is decent.
- Will take a little bit of ingenuity for the installation, since you'll have to squeeze a battery in the back panel of the 24-08.
Why we like the Fishman Fluence Modern Humbuckers for the 24-08
The Fluence series is the first line of humbuckers I've seen/heard that can truly meld classic and modern sounds in one pickup. It's even a good balance of active and passive tones. Humbuckers always seem to be one or the other. This flexibility is a fantastic compliment to an already very flexible guitar, since the 24-08 is named for the eight total onboard tones. Coupling this with the Fluence humbuckers will give you a ton of room to experiment and shape your sound, before the signal even leaves your instrument cable.
This is the Matt Heafy signature set of Fluence humbuckers in my PRS CE 24. They're similar to the Modern set, but I got these because the gold matched my PRS's hardware.
Additional Pickup Upgrade Options for the PRS SE Custom 24-08
I've added the Seymour Duncan Invaders and Pearly Gates to my pickup recommendations for the SE Custom 24-08. Note they're both passive humbuckers, which will be more straightforward to install, though we don't like them as much as the Fluence Modern set.
Selection and Recommendation Methodology
For PRS SE electrics, I typically recommend the same handful of humbuckers that I've had the most experience with. The brands we recommend are also very consistent - usually Fishman, Seymour Duncan, EMG, or DiMarzio. From there, I was looking for a pickup that (as mentioned) is flexible and percussive, while also being able to handle a wide range of gain levels. The Fishman Fluence Modern was a very logical landing spot. If you have questions about our methodology, please feel free to ask. We want to be as transparent as possible.
Read more: Best PRS SE Guitars
There are several covers available for the Fluence Modern pickups, if you want to go with a different aesthetic for your SE Custom 24-08.
Compare More Pickups
If you want to compare the Fishman Fluence Modern pair to other humbuckers, you can search for them here and add them to the comparison bar at the bottom of this page.
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