Does TCI make a difference? PRS Pickups (85/15 TM vs TCI)
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- In this video we try to determine whether the new PRS 85/15 'TCI' pickups sound better than the older 85/15 'TM' pickups.
Get the PRS 85/15 TCI pickups here (limited supply): us.prsaccessories.com/collect...
Get the PRS 58/15 LT TCI pickups here (limited supply): us.prsaccessories.com/collect...
Get a PRS Custom 24 here: www.zzounds.com/a--3980936/it...
To set up this experiment, I took my 2016 PRS Custom 24 with stock 85/15 'TM' pickups and recorded several playing samples. Then I swapped the pickups out with a set of brand new 85/15 TCI pickups and played the exact same parts through the same Axe-FX III preset.
To keep things as consistent as possible, I used the same set of strings, and made sure the setup and pickup height were the same for both samples (they were done within a day of each other).
Gear details:
Guitar used in this video: 2016 PRS Custom 24 10-top
Gear used in the 'playing sample' clips: on-screen pedalboard into stereo amps (Dr. Z Z-Wreck and Matchless C-30, both into UA Ox's)
Gear used in the comparison clips: Fractal Axe-FX III using the Matchless C-30 amp model
Table of contents:
00:00 - Playing Sample 1 (TCI pickups)
00:29 - Let's answer the question: does 'TCI' make a difference?
00:55 - My pickup journey in my Custom 24
01:06 - PRS has been updating their pickups
02:56 - Playing Sample 2 (TCI pickups)
03:37 - What I don't love about the old 85/15 'TM' pickups
04:34 - Pickup comparisons - clean tones
05:38 - Pickup comparisons - drive tones
06:05 - Pickup comparison - add reverb and delay
06:57 - My thoughts after listening to the A/B samples and playing the TCI pickups
07:54 - The other big question: should you upgrade?
08:54 - PRS 85/15 pickups are underrated (in my opinion)
09:18 - All of the newer PRS pickups we've tried sound really good
10:04 - Playing Sample 3 (TCI pickups)
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Great Vid man. Excellent commentary and A/B on the TCI's. love my 58/15LT TCI's. Very convincing strat tones.
Excellent comparison, thanks so much - you’ve helped me purchase my next PRS guitar..!
Love the test. Am not that interested in the overdriven tones but love the clean comparison.
I like the warmer sound of the TMs.
I think the TCI pickups sound better overall. Just clear and chimey. Really nice.
Hello. Great and helpful video. Thank you. I have great respect for PRS. They make great products. At the same time, innovations are constantly introduced. And that sets them apart from many other guitar makers. I watched your video with sound through regular speakers. Then he brought the sound to the Boss Katana guitar amplifier. TCI pickups sound really a little more collected, balanced. At the same time, the high frequencies are warmer, and the low ones are not as deaf as on the usual 85/15. I have a PRS guitar, a 35th Anniversary SE Custom 24. Perhaps TCI pickups came to life from this series. I like their sound. The guitar is great for a variety of musical styles. But if I had a guitar with old-style 58/15 pickups, I wouldn't waste time and money replacing them. Perhaps the difference in sound will provide new opportunities when recording in the studio. But this is already a matter for connoisseurs with absolute pitch and taste. As for the price of PRS pickups. I have another guitar from this company. PRS SE Zach Myers Blue. This is Singlecut-Semi-Hollow-Design with PRS 245 "S" pickups and 24.5 scale. Great tool. Very light, comfortable and sounds great. She has bad pegs. I replaced them. And pickups, in my opinion, do not fully give out the sound that this guitar is capable of. And in this case, I'm thinking about whether to spend another 500 - 600 $. Whether it will be 58/15, 85/15 from PRS or the popular Seymour Duncan SH-JB Hot Rodded Humbucker Tonabnehmer has also not decided yet. Maybe it's better to buy a new guitar in the right configuration. Good luck. ✌
Thanks for doing this comparison b.c I didn't even know there were 2 different sets of 85/15.
I was thinking getting a new CE 24 to be cost effective since it comes with a pair of 85/15, but maybe they are not TCI?
@WT Tone - I can't seem to find your video on the 58/15 LT / McCarty video - can you post the link?
Amazing guitar tone
Do you have exact information on how to do the wiring for the new TCI? After watching your video, I bought the 85/15 TCI set and I can't find exact information on how to install them, since they have new color codes (I'm only sure that the orange wire is ground). Any information will be great!
One more question @WT Tone - did you have to do anything different with the wiring on the TCI pickups?
Love the video. I just lifted the pickups up out of my 2021 PRS CE 24 to see what they had. They're 85/15 TCI's!! They were not specified as being TCI's on the PRS website. That being said, I feel like I could improve these a bit with the right pickup height. Would you mind replying with what pickup heights you are using?
Thanks! I set the pickup height at 4/64” (from the slug to the string while pressing down on the last fret).
I tend to set them all at that height (neck and bridge, treble and bass strings) and then make slight adjustments based on preference and output level from there.
If they’re too low, things will sound a bit dull and lifeless.
@@wttone Dude! Thanks so much for the reply! I am going to adjust that right now. I would agree that mine were prob too low and just lacked that spark that I was looking for.
I’m curious where you set the height on your 85/15’s? I can’t seem to find the sweet spot on my CE24 semi hollow. They run pretty hot and seem to clip most of your patches n my Helix floor.
For single note runs, I like the TCI pickups but for chording, it’s the TM pickups that sound better.
I didn't really hear much (if any, considering you can't just loop a playing sample like you can with amp comparisons) difference between the two. I definitely hear the darkness in your TM neck pickup, but I didn't feel like the TCI was much different. Very ho-hum kind of sounds from both. Incidentally, my CE24 Semi-hollow (which has some form of 85/15 USA pickup) is my least-played guitar, and like you said, something about the neck pickup is not right. I've got an S2 Standard 22 upgraded with 58/15 LT pickups that I absolutely adore, and I play it much more than the CE. Those pickups are even darker, if anything, but I guess the lower output is what draws me to them. Maybe I should upgrade my CE, too. :D
The 85/15 TCI came stock in my CE24 semi hollow. I felt like they were to high output. I dropped cremas in it and never looked back. I might give them a shot again but I love the way it sounds with cremas.
Crema's are fantastic pickups
I have the same guitar and honestly don’t care for the stock 85/15s. High output and the neck pickup is dark and muddy. Have tried to change heights but still not happy.
My dream guitar PRS custom 24 faded whale blue which I could not get up to know as I can’t order from the us directly 🤦🏻
I think this video shows that the TCI version may be slightly different but wonder if pickup height could
be the reason or if any 2 sets may have subtle differences
A decent question would be... are they better than the two OG's of after market pickups? i.e. Duncans or Dimarzios? The PRS pickups are significantly more expensive? If you compared them to the 3x flag ship sets from each brand are you getting something next level? I reckon Dimarzio pickups, the bassier ones with a 1meg volume pot would have a lot of similarities to the modern PRS pickups. But as pickups what crowd are they most suited for? The Fender nerd who couldn't commit to PRS because they weren't bright enough? The Les Paul Nerd and hearing more detail in everything? Are these guitars more suited to live and recording session guitarists? Do these pickups give genre advantages like country? Do they have the same mid range and body for heavier gain sounds? Perhaps that brightness makes them more Neo-Classical sounding?
Is TCI just pickups, or is it also different wiring or caps, pots… etc?
Hi, that’s a beautiful PRS , what’s the color name
Maybe the RUclips compression comes a bit into play, but the difference was subtle enough such that someone could have convinced me this was a demo for using the ’Presence’ setting on Helix dirt pedals.
That said, I have 59/09’s, and they imo have more top end clarity- particularly in the neck.
It could be that. On my end, listening to the raw audio through monitors, the TCI neck pickup sounds very different, and subsequently the middle position sounds a lot different, too.
In the past when I’ve dialed things in with this guitar, if I get the neck where I like it, the bridge sounds bright and shrill. Or if I get the bridge where I like it, the neck is muddy.
With the TCI set everything is much better balanced.
But it’s important to keep in mind that these things can come off very subtle. I spend all day every day trying to hear the differences between sources when building patches, setting up amps, etc.
I have 2014 59/09 in my Cu24 and I personally think my SE 85/15 s sound better.
What height did you set them at? problem is different pups can sound better at different heights so the height for the TM may not be the best sound for another set. I have a TCI set of 58/15 LT on a S2 594 thinline. They sound great but I've had better guitars (now sold ;( ).
I set up the guitar exactly the same for each set. My go-to for most guitars is the pickup height at 4/64” in both positions. That seems to work best for both the 85/15 sets.
How old were the strings on the original TM set? The LT had a fresh set obvs..
Both sets were brand new. Same brand/type.
I'm no guitar tech, but I know I have heard recently that a new TCI guitar not only has the TCI pups but also a different wiring schematic with the toggles. There are more leads coming out of the TCI pups. I think you not getting the full effect of the new tech by doing a straight swap. If I'm dead wrong, okay but that is what I recall. The main point was to isolate the single coil option and get true Fender tones. I think they nailed it, but you need a new TCI guitar or a lot of craftmanship and knowledge to do the swap the way it is designed.
The bridge and position 2 sounded WAY better with the TCI pickups while in every other one I found the TCI's to be a bit too ice pick-y almost like a strat. I'd imagine it's down to personal taste though. Even when distortion was added I just found they added too much top end for me. Again, personal taste and I'm glad so many people like them but I feel like I'd have to go in to the my EQ to tamp down just a hair on those frequencies. (Granted I'm listening on studio monitors that are probably louder than I would normally listen to a single guitar, in the mix it's probably great to have those higher freq)
I also listened on studio monitors and do agree with you. I also do tend to lean to the 'better have it and remove it than not have it at all'. My Adams in this room do tend to highlight the top end too which added to what I heard. I'm not a huge fan of the TM 85 in the neck. I *loved* the non TCI 58/15 in the neck in my McCarty, and the TCI 85/15 seems down that path - sharper attack, a little more bitey. I think I'll buy a pair and see for myself!
It sounds like the highs tend to sustain longer with the TCI pickups, where they roll off faster in the TMs.
Probably would’ve been better if you ran a hand wired tube amp than all those effects and the pickup height has a lot to do with the tone also. That would have been a better comparison. When I set the pickup height on my guitars that’s what I do. It definitely tells you what your guitar sounds like. Good topic though.
I made sure pickup heights were set exactly the same for both sets.
I find for these types of experiments, axe FX (or other modeling units) are far more consistent, unless you can do all the playing samples in the same setting. Otherwise mic position, or even things like temperature in the room can cause tube amps to sound slightly different.
The TMs have an overtone in a frequency that actually hurts my ears. The TCIs sound great.
You also gotta take into account PRS is constantly altering the actual specs of the PU's also. I have an original set of 57/08's that came in a 2009 guitar, not even what they now sell as a 57/08.
I don't hear enough difference to ascribe it to the "TCI" process/version/whatever. I think you'd be just as likely to hear that much variance by installing ANOTHER set of 85/15 TMs.
That said, I prefered the stock pickups. Less harsh.
I prefer the TM pickups. They sound more natural and open than the TCI. The TCI pickups sound a little brittle.
Agreed. A little prickly in ways that I’d rather up the treble in the TM than pull pack on the TCI.
how do i know if a guitar is using 85/15s or tci pickup?
The back of the pickup would say 'TCI' if you've got one of those. The 'S' pickups are the ones made overseas used on the SE models, but they're voiced to sound like the US made pickups.
I believe the US made pickups they used prior to TCI were labeled 'TM'
Yess, mine tci s pickup sound awesome @@wttone
I have a PRS CE 24 from 2018 but I think the 85/15 I have in my axe are amazing and you can jazz up the sounds with all types of pedals. So, my point is a bit moot. The 85/15s that I have are fantastic. I have a strat that I put Texas Specials in and it is fantastic, but your thought on moving to the TCI is not really interesting. Yes, I get you want viewers, but don't knock the PRS TMs and I know you were not so don't go woke on me please. Good video.
So to be correct about this, we are talking about 58/15 LT's ?
No these are 85/15’s. The 58/15’s come in the McCarty’s (and a few other models).
For me, the TCI's have to much high end. I love all the stock PU in my PRS's (1987 Custom 24 to 594 Hollowbody II).
But there are different TCI pickups, my TCI S pickups are warm and sound amazing. Same with my TCI 58/15s. 85/15s probably what you are referring to are better for gain tones imo.
those pole pieces are adjustable
Didn't notice much difference, if anything the TM's seemed like they had more high end. FWIW, when doing comparisons, it's best to turn off any effects other than distortion. For clean, better to have zero effects.
Lol what?? Your ears aren’t very good then. Tci had way more high end
Same strings or did the tci get fresh strings? Fresh strings are brighter.
I changed the strings before both sets of playing samples. So they were both on a fresh set of the same brand strings.
@@wttone the TCI pickups had more definition and attack, less muddy overall.
Yeah I agree with that for sure
$500 for electric guitar pickups is a solid no go for me…
Yeah they're expensive...
I think it depends on what you have. I just bought a set of 58/15 LT for my 96’ CE24 that came stock with a set of the old HFS/VB pickups and it was night and day… it totally worth the change !!!
I also got a set of the 58/15 TCI pickups for my McCarty. They are 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Yeah, I prefer Bare Knuckle or Fralin instead of swapping another PRS pickups
@@joaguilar7to be fair, VB/HFS is not hard to beat - a cheaper pair might also have been an improvement.
How could you tell with all the sound alterations to the signal?
I think PRS has done a pretty good job matching up their pickups to the guitar over the years (except for the HFS/Vintage bass in the early 90's) so we are not stuck in the past. The dig on PRS is that they don't sound nor have the 'vibe' of vintage Gibson or a Fender (all true) but they are missing the entire point. The PRS has made it a point to side step all of this to bring it's own voice to the table with an emphasis on clarity, articulate definition, and punch while delivering those in-between positions very nicely. In my mind (and some money spent on this subject) there is no question PRS is making their best sounding and playing instruments right now. Golden age!
TCI set wins fairly convincingly to my ear…especially in the middle and neck position. I really dig the 85/15 set in my Custom 24 at the moment, but there’s always room for improvement and that’s what I love about PRS. With Paul he’s always improving, so unlike other manufacturers where I look for their older stuff, it seems to be the newer the better with my PRS gear. What’s another $500 when it comes to a $4k guitar anyway, right?! 😂
If you can name the video we were watching that appears on the screen at 03:40 in this video, you get a prize 🤣
It's this one! ruclips.net/video/WByfM1zIEP8/видео.html
@@Sarg7 WINNER! We started with Maine Justice and RUclips led us to that one, haha
@@wttone Main Justice with Foxx and Sudekis is too good!
Interesting. You’ll never play the same with each set of pickups, is of course the problem …
I see what you mean about the TM .. seem a bit dull. But then, the TCIs seem a bit harsh to me.
So, “neither”, I guess, for me. Maybe they sound good through a dual rec/high gain amp, or whatever - seems to be metal/‘prog’ players who really gravitate towards PRS guitars … with the notable, old exception of Santana … but maybe there are others I’m not aware of … ?
I know Mayer jumped ship (which no doubt included a handsome pay-day) and PRS made as much of a Strat copy as they could for him, but imho his tone suffered a bit for it. Most of the crowd have probably never heard anything but digital modelers these days, anyway, though - so he can use what he wants in the studio, then buy lots of watches with his PRS deal, I guess … 🤷🏻♂️
There's a subtle difference but one isn't better or worse than the other. If you had kept it blind, I don't know that I would have been able to tell the difference.
TCI version more sensitive to string attack
hey listen to these pickups **nine different fx pedals in place.
Kind of a strange way to word it lol. Do they make a DIFFERENCE? Well yes...
Edit: Please for the love of god turn the FX off in comparison videos.
That's not the way we play. So it's good to hear them in context.
Prs should bring back the standard treble and bass pickups. All these experiments they do has no kinda of sense imo, i bought a 1993 custom 24 and i had to chose between the 35th anniversary, i sold the 1993 and bought a 1986 custom 24. I'm Much happier with the tone and sound of the standard pickups and the craftmanship on the 80's prs are way better to Play.
TC is more clear less warm which is not that attractive as PRS cause that what make PRS special to me cause clarity is for Gibson. Form TM
No need to change pickups in aPRS anyway they sound the same
No I don’t think they make enough difference!
😎 ρяσмσѕм
TCI is a marketing strategy. Golf clubs use a similar strategy. Create a new “scientific” acronym to give the illusion that this product is better than the previous version. However, the truth is there is no difference. It just costs more. 😊
Can you back up this claim?
I am sorry I am one of the people that cannot tell the difference.
Not a significant difference worth the swap.
not a real, significant difference between the two in my opinion.
My wife says that makes no difference, that sounds exactly the same … I’m ok with the stock 8515 🫶
You got to test her loyalty. Find a p90 to humbucker comparison video.