513s

[Maertl513]

I never mind that this is coil tap, because either 509 or 513 consists of five Singlecoils and not HSH.

I dismounted my pups last year. A few pics of the pickups could be found here.

 

[jchix]

Yeah, it is. But, couldn't knowing all this information possibly compromise trade secrets that PRS is protecting?

Maybe, but I would venture a guess that any electronics expert capable of manufacturing a pickup could crack open a PRS bobbin-less pickup and reverse engineer it. Other blade pickups exist. I have a guitar with Joe Barden blade pickups that sounds killer: www.instagram.com/p/BHAySfMnCqB/

I'd be happy with simple output voltage specs and 2-3 options with tonal descriptions so I could try to dial in the sound I'm hoping to get out of my 513 (a little less nasal, and a little more chime). Swapping the pickups out yourself would be the hard part.

 

[Dancing Frog]

Why are you writing all that @Dancing Frog ? Might make me want to try a 509, but I wanna be disappointed the 513 is gone
Do you by any chance have a comparison of the SC Mode of the 509 and a Brushstroke 24 (or Paul's Guitar, they both have the narrow Version of the 408 PU's)?
And you know, if you say they're all different it'll make me wanna try the 509

I just can't let you wallow in misery. The closest I can come up with is an Experience 408 semi-hollow for comparison.

I dismounted my pups last year. A few pics of the pickups could be found here.

Yeah, but what's behind the tape? That's the secret zone. The basic structure of the pick up was published in Guitar Player in 2005 or so. And, please do not pull back the tape, I don't want someone screwing up their 513 to satisfy my curiosity. I've waited over 10 years already, and I don't have to know.

 

[Maertl513]

A few weeks ago one of my Crazyparts/Hailwood LS knobs broke unforseen - maybe some inner tensions. However, reinstalled the original lampshades until I took the opportunity to visit Crazyparts one day before Christmas. Got a new one. Flipped the lampshades off to get the fire back. Seeing my guitar´s top in today´s sun I realized that those LS knobs are the salt in the soup.

 

[g.wizz]

That is stunning my friiend

 

[Maertl513]

, @g.wizz!

 

[BALIstic]

Got the 513 today!!! OMG, that thing plays like butter straight outta the box! Played it for over an hour before my nephew's basketball game. Ran it through my Helix into FRFR and it sang like a bird and bit like a snake when I wanted it to.

I can't wait to crank it into some tube amps over the weekend! Wow, this guitar is so unique sounding!

Firstly I make no apology for resurrecting the 513 thread. Along with the Paul's Guitar, it seems to be a model largely overlooked by guitarists and even PRS afficianados ? Is it because of the proprietary pickups, because any PRS lover / potential buyer who doesn't give these models (& 408) a decent audition is cheating themselves out some of PRSZ finest and most versatile instruments........Tone Nirvana ! Glide-bmp.....Stunning example, congrats. I assume the Honeymoon is nowhere near over. You nailed it 513 pickups, is there anything they can't do...... .clean, crunch and "active" levels of nastiness. I love em.........If they really are done (discontinued) I may have to find another one. I have to ask myself why a person would go for a 509 over a 513 ? If anything Mr Smith should have developed a 520 !

This is my fav 513 vid ! These Music Force musicians have uploaded some seriously good vids of many of our beloved PRS and other high end guitars, check em out.

 

[Rider1260]

So I have a 513 and a 408 and a Brushstroke 24

Heres my take
Brushstroke 24 - fairly low output ( think 57/08 ish ) but great projection Split or Bucker Great at gain work and KILLER clean of with just a taste of OD

408 - Just a bit more bigger Bucker tones and bigger split tones all around a bit fuller in the neck position because of the 22 fret neck ( and mine is crackwood )

513 - Just has a few extra gears so to speak with the center single coil and the full bucker mode ( my ) 513 is a bit more compressed sounding ( in a good way ) than the 408 style pickups

Why are you writing all that @Dancing Frog ? Might make me want to try a 509, but I wanna be disappointed the 513 is gone
Do you by any chance have a comparison of the SC Mode of the 509 and a Brushstroke 24 (or Paul's Guitar, they both have the narrow Version of the 408 PU's)?
And you know, if you say they're all different it'll make me wanna try the 509

 

[bodia]

So I have a 513 and a 408 and a Brushstroke 24

Heres my take
Brushstroke 24 - fairly low output ( think 57/08 ish ) but great projection Split or Bucker Great at gain work and KILLER clean of with just a taste of OD

408 - Just a bit more bigger Bucker tones and bigger split tones all around a bit fuller in the neck position because of the 22 fret neck ( and mine is crackwood )

513 - Just has a few extra gears so to speak with the center single coil and the full bucker mode ( my ) 513 is a bit more compressed sounding ( in a good way ) than the 408 style pickups

Love that 513!

 

[Maertl513]

@grausch: I´m SPEECHLESS!

 

[Dancing Frog]

I have to ask myself why a person would go for a 509 over a 513 ?

Just guessing:
1. More simple controls.
2. Less loss in volume between humbucking and singlecoil modes, because it's a hybrid between a 408 and a 513.
3. Less noise in singlecoil modes
4. More of a Telecaster voiced bridge pick up.
5. Pick ups are more articulate sounding.

Basically, it's not a 513 lite, but something substantially different on its own.

Still sad the 513 is gone though. Rider's 513 is a subtly elegant example.

 

[BALIstic]

So I have a 513 and a 408 and a Brushstroke 24

Heres my take
Brushstroke 24 - fairly low output ( think 57/08 ish ) but great projection Split or Bucker Great at gain work and KILLER clean of with just a taste of OD

408 - Just a bit more bigger Bucker tones and bigger split tones all around a bit fuller in the neck position because of the 22 fret neck ( and mine is crackwood )

513 - Just has a few extra gears so to speak with the center single coil and the full bucker mode ( my ) 513 is a bit more compressed sounding ( in a good way ) than the 408 style pickups

Hey, nice collection. My 513 is very similar looking to yours but I believe it's a totally different colour from memory. So are you saying the pickups in the Brushstroke 24 are different to 408 / Paul's pickups, I honestly have no clue. In fact I wasn't aware of the Brushstroke model until recently ?

Here's my 513's (The Royal Blue Ive actually now given to my eldest son. Hey, ya can't play two at once.) and Paul's......cause Dancing Frog slipped in his 408 and a Brushstroke 24.

 

[Rider1260]

I believe the Brushstroke has the same pickups as the Pauls guitar , the 408 because of the bigger bridge pickup has a bit more umpf and is a bit darker sounding but a lot of that is the wood combo I think , I keep posting this video the frost on his mine
Chris does a great job showing off these great guitars

 

[MNG]

Firstly I make no apology for resurrecting the 513 thread. Along with the Paul's Guitar, it seems to be a model largely overlooked by guitarists and even PRS afficianados ? Is it because of the proprietary pickups, because any PRS lover / potential buyer who doesn't give these models (& 408) a decent audition is cheating themselves out some of PRSZ finest and most versatile instruments........Tone Nirvana ! Glide-bmp.....Stunning example, congrats. I assume the Honeymoon is nowhere near over. You nailed it 513 pickups, is there anything they can't do...... .clean, crunch and "active" levels of nastiness. I love em.........If they really are done (discontinued) I may have to find another one. I have to ask myself why a person would go for a 509 over a 513 ? If anything Mr Smith should have developed a 520 !

This is my fav 513 vid ! These Music Force musicians have uploaded some seriously good vids of many of our beloved PRS and other high end guitars, check em out.

Nice video - lovely tone on that.

I went through a phase where the 513 was my favourite guitar, so I certainly have an appreciation for them. I think that they are not very popular for 3 reasons:

1) People seem to think they are too complicated - they aren't, it's just a Strat with a 'thickening' switch.
2) The proprietary pickups put some off as there is no option to change in the future. May also affect resale value
3) The reason that I moved on from the 513 is that whilst it is one of the best all rounder guitars out there, you can get better SC tones from a Strat type guitar and better HB tones from a true HB guitar. There's not much that covers the whole range so well though, as that video demonstrates.

 

[BALIstic]

Nice video - lovely tone on that.

I went through a phase where the 513 was my favourite guitar, so I certainly have an appreciation for them. I think that they are not very popular for 3 reasons:

1) People seem to think they are too complicated - they aren't, it's just a Strat with a 'thickening' switch.
2) The proprietary pickups put some off as there is no option to change in the future. May also affect resale value
3) The reason that I moved on from the 513 is that whilst it is one of the best all rounder guitars out there, you can get better SC tones from a Strat type guitar and better HB tones from a true HB guitar. There's not much that covers the whole range so well though, as that video demonstrates.

I ceratainly agree on what you've said in relation to a 513 approximating a Strat they get close in a few positions but I have Strats coming out my ears so that doesn't bother me in the least.

I think it's humbucking tones particually in thick or full humbucking are awsome but very "active like" think EMG or DiMarzio in that they are quite compressed but they make an excellent high gain pickup and that works for me.

 

[fgeorge097]

Does the 513 have the "Jumbo" fret size or the standard PRS fret size?

 

[Dancing Frog]

Does the 513 have the "Jumbo" fret size or the standard PRS fret size?

Don't know what it has now, but in the beginning it was neither. It had taller frets that were dressed to have a flatter crown than the standard PRS frets. Maybe, someone who has a 25th Anniversary or later 513 will chime in. That's when everything changed. The unique neck carve, inlays, and the scalloped nut went away. I just don't have any that post date the 25th Anniversary to verify whether that changed too.

 

[Maertl513]

I've played a 2005 513 RW, two 2011 513 MT (one of them is my property) and one 2013 513 MT.
From my experience the only difference was having a RW neck or a V12 coated mahogany neck.
As far as I know DGT and 513 are equipped with kinda Jumbo frets.

 

[Victor Ng]

Hi 513 experts,
I have a 2005 513 with a rosewood neck and I'm trying to get U2 strat tones e.g. the dotted eight delay riff on "with or without you".
What amp and efx do i need, on which pickup position pls?
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Maertl513]

The Edge - as I remember - used to play VOX AC30 amps.

On of his pedal boards is depicted here: http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/u2-exclusive-the-edges-stage-setup-revealed-223342

https://www.andyguitar.co.uk/online-lessons/how-to-sound-like-the-edge-from-u2-with-or-without-you/

I recommend to use either the 2nd or 4th blade switch position, mode switch on singlecoil, try to adjust brightness, snappiness, drive by turning the volume knob of the 513 to a certain extent.
The middlepickup alone may work aswell for that. You should hit the strings right away from the bridge.