2017 Custom 24 - 85/15 Pickup Challenges

I also have the 58/15's and the 85/15's and i swear there seems like more of a difference then just covers. With the 58/15's into my Roadster on the Brit setting i get perfect Classic rock tones, the chorus riff from Ramble On sounds like a sledge hammer, but it doesn't quite hit a metal sound on the Modern channel. The 85/15's and the modern channel give me excellent Metal tones, nice and mid heavy but able to ring out chords on high gain like Petrucci likes to do. These two sets have made me stop thinking about the search for my perfect humbucker, but i dont know which one to choose, but they are technically the same and im still kind of confused.
 
To my ear, the 58/15 definitely attenuates some of the high end compared to the 85/15 and gets a bit wooly in the neck. As I said in a previous post, I found the 57/08 has that nice PAF growl in the midrange compared to the 85/15.

The new pickup tone profiles on the PRS site are really handy for this discussion. Based on what the OP is saying, it makes sense to choose the 57/08. 58/15 would also suit well, but are harder to come by.

As you'll see, the 85 treble has a significant high end, which gets attenuated on the 58 and the 57 has a bump in the lower midrange.

8515_treble_2017.jpg
5815_treble_2017.png
5708treble_chart_large.jpg



Pretty much the same deal with the bass pickups. 58 is less scooped than 85, and the 57 even less so.

8515_bass_2017.jpg
5815_bass_2017.png
5708bass_chart_large.jpg
 
Do all PRS pick ups perform like the 57/08 in split configuration? They sound excellent split, unlike nearly any other guitar I have owned. It certainly sounds strat like (without being totally like a strat, as it is not). Its even become my favourite position for all clean stuff...
 
Tim185 said:
Do all PRS pick ups perform like the 57/08 in split configuration? They sound excellent split, unlike nearly any other guitar I have owned. It certainly sounds strat like (without being totally like a strat, as it is not). Its even become my favourite position for all clean stuff...
Click to expand...

They do when wired with a resistor on the coil split.
 
My suggestion is to not try to force that guitar into something that it is not. Do you really need another vintage-sounding tool or is it time to accept the 85/15's for what they are and expand your playing?

That said, there are plenty of loose pickups around that will work with the 5-way switch.
 
watelessness said:
My suggestion is to not try to force that guitar into something that it is not. Do you really need another vintage-sounding tool or is it time to accept the 85/15's for what they are and expand your playing?

That said, there are plenty of loose pickups around that will work with the 5-way switch.
Click to expand...
??? - The guitar is great. It's just this particular pickups that aren't working for me. To 'accept' pickups I sonically don't resonate with in order to 'expand my playing' is silly to me. We all like what we like, that is the art in it. I really dig the guitar, I bonded with it right away - I just want to fine tune it to a sound that inspires me more and can rotate in and out of a gig without much amp/effect tweaking. Basic mod IMO. That is far more enjoyable for me. No disrespect to PRS or those who like the 85/15's. Thank you, RG
 
RG, There`s a PRS pickup video on YouTube, where Paul hisself talks about issues with wire consistency on the early 57/08`s. They then Hooked a computer to the winders to ameliorate that. A new pair of 57`s is more likely to float your boat. Having said that, a lot of players use a 57/08 in the neck, and a 59/09 in the bridge. I rely on my elephant ears and pea sized brain to make my pickup decisions.
 
I just replaced the 85/15s in my CE 24. Used them for over a year before making the change, but I finally decided to swap in an old set of Duncan Alnico 2 Pros that I just took out of my LP when my wife got me a set of the Slash pickups for the LP.

I'm quite a bit happier with the A2Ps. The 85/15s have a somewhat harsh upper mid range to my ear. I know they were designed that way to cut in a mix, but I found it to be overkill for my rig. I have a Friedman Runt 50, which has a very strong midrange, and I play through a Vintage 30 speaker, which has the same. It was just too much with the pickups on top of that. They might be much better with a more scooped Fender style amp.

Now I've got to decide what to do with them now that I've swapped them out. Tempting to hold onto them in case I change my mind down the road, but also tempting to unload them since they seem to sell for a fortune. It's unbelievable how much US PRS pickups go for.
 
TexasHeartRush said:
Covered - In truth I would prefer covered pickups in general, both aesthetically and tonally (any covered vs. non covered debate aside) it is my preference. Even split coil the 57/08 was cool.
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I have 57/08s in my 25th Anniversary Custom 24 and two other PRS's - it's probably my favourite pickup... I gigged my CU24 for years and really love it to this day. I have 85/15s in a CE24 I picked up this year, and I find the pickups glassy, a bit brash, maybe even harsh at times, and quite a bit louder than 57/08s ... "hi-fi" is a good description, I like it... They're really very different pickups in my opinion. I think the CE is really cool and like having it for a different vibe and flavour but honestly my Custom 24 is more my speed on the pickup side of things...
 
Elgravos said:
I was experiencing the same thing with the 85/15s. I swapped them for a set of BKP Abraxas. Absolutely love them; though I will admit that they bring the guitar a little more into LP territory than I had anticipated. Overall, I am really digging them.

Did a review here: https://forum.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/index.php?topic=34311.msg430567#msg430567
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Cheers, REALLY appreciate that! A set of BKP were in my cart a couple days back - but they don't take PP. I read the whole review, similar to my own experience, good to hear. I pulled out the PRS today and sure enough the voicing is so dang thin, midless and trebly with the 85/15s and my rig/setup. (This was after hours of Tele work also) I have to keep my tone control down to 15% (nearly off) in order to find some workable sweetness - but what a nice guitar otherwise. I'll take a closer look at the BKPs It was a good tip to read about reversing the bridge magnet , appreciate that! Thank you, RG
 
Personally, I am still leaning towards a 3-way and coil tap push/pull... I sense a more natural relationship in a live setting.
 
No problem, happy to help. I should add that I'm a few months in beyond that initial review and I'm keeping the neck pickup, it's just too good. Also, what swayed me to make the initial buy was this response I got from Tim (founder of BKP) when I asked him what he thought should go in a CU24 given my issues with the 85/15s:

"I designed the Abraxas humbuckers for PRS players with this very much in mind. I find these to be a lot more balanced in a PRS than BDs and not so strident in the mid range plus you get excellent split tone."

FYI - BDs is a reference to their Black Dog model pups. I will confess to missing the squabbins though. I was initially skeptical of those, but I grew to like that look very quickly!
 
Ferrinbonn said:
I just replaced the 85/15s in my CE 24. Used them for over a year before making the change, but I finally decided to swap in an old set of Duncan Alnico 2 Pros that I just took out of my LP when my wife got me a set of the Slash pickups for the LP.

I'm quite a bit happier with the A2Ps. The 85/15s have a somewhat harsh upper mid range to my ear. I know they were designed that way to cut in a mix, but I found it to be overkill for my rig. I have a Friedman Runt 50, which has a very strong midrange, and I play through a Vintage 30 speaker, which has the same. It was just too much with the pickups on top of that. They might be much better with a more scooped Fender style amp.

Now I've got to decide what to do with them now that I've swapped them out. Tempting to hold onto them in case I change my mind down the road, but also tempting to unload them since they seem to sell for a fortune. It's unbelievable how much US PRS pickups go for.
Click to expand...
OK, update that I wanted to share. Turns out, some of the mid honk was due to the fact that the power tubes on my Friedman were on their last legs. Got new tubes biased up and my bass is back in full. :)

But I think I'm still going to stick with the A2Ps for now. I like the warmth I get from them. Dirt sounds may be a toss up, just different flavors, but for cleans I prefer the more scooped sound of the A2Ps.
 
Just recently picked up a CE24 Reclaim semi hollow. Love the neck etc. I just think the pickups are too hard in the upper frequencies.

Did you get your pickups swapped?
 
Forgive me if I missed it whilst skimming this thread (and I see you've already resolved your issue, sort of, with a tube swap) but I didn't see any mention of string material (stainless, nickel, cobalt, etc.).

I've had pickups that just didn't get along with certain amps. RP's, for example, sounded like dookie (for my tastes) through a VOX AC15 or AC30 and sounded great through a blackface circuit. If you've already yanked the 85/15's, sell them to me.

Aslo, my favourite plectrum isn't one-size-fits-all, tonally speaking.
 
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