85/15 "S" Variations

[Masta' C]

Got my hands on a 2020 SE CU24 a few months back and I'm really liking the stock 85/15 "S" pickups. Looking for more info about them, I became curious...

For one, PRS switched pickup manufacturers from G&B of Korea to another major OEM out of China/Indonesia around the 2019 model year.

Has anyone compared the original "G&B" versions to these newer ones? There appear to be some obvious differences in construction, so I wonder how different they sound to each other and compared to their U.S. counterparts?

The G&B's have gray sheathing over the lead wires on the neck pickup and nickel-silver baseplates with the "G&B" logo stamped on the bottom. The newer ones are labeled with a part number beginning with "PTP", have plain brass baseplates, and black covered lead wires on both pickups.

So far, I've seen at least 3 versions of the "PTP" labeled pickups...

1) What appear to be the first ones from ~2019 that just have the part number on a decal
2) Some intermediate versions with a second decal that says "Design Change"
3) More recent ones that say "VER. 09.2019" after the part number (as found on my 2020 SE CU24).

Visually, the only thing different between the "PTP" versions is that the first 2 iterations have round pole piece holes on the baseplate and an "F" stamp, which usually refers to the pole piece spacing. The "VER. 09.2019" version has elongated (i.e. elliptical or oval) holes for the pole pieces and no baseplate stamp.

I'm curious if anyone knows how the older G&B's compare to the newer ones and if anyone knows what aspect(s) PRS keeps changing about these more recent versions?

 

[HawaiiBoy]

I recently purchased a PRS SE Standard 24 from my local dealer. I'm the store's guitar instructor. I've checked out all the guitars as they come in.
This PRS SE Standard really spoke to me. It is an Indonesian made SE. Didn't realize that PRS moved the manufacturing from Korea. This didn't matter, I just really liked this guitar more than any other SE that I have played. I've tried a Suhr SSV and a Lawrence L-90XL pickups in this guitar.
Those are my favorite replacement bridge humbuckers. In the end, the original went back in.

 

[John Beef]

How 'bout that... my only 85/15s set is from a '17 SE 277. I didn't specifically realize that these are the only non-bronze or brass bottom G&Bs I've seen. There are several others in my pickup shoebox (and I can't even tell you how they all got there), but they range from very early (no G&B stamp, just a R) to SE245 - all brass/bronze. Also, the 58/15s set from my '20 SE hollowbody are also Nickel Silver and are not stamped G&B, and the bases are cut totally different so they could be from anywhere. That guitar was made in China, I suspect at the same factory that does the SE acoustic guitars.

 

[Draconomics]

As far as where the new ones are made, no idea. In the Cor-Tek factory tour PRS has on youtube, they show the manufacture of these pickups, but it's not mentioned where they are made or who makes them.

Anyway, I used to have an SE Singlecut with G&B's from around 2006/2007. I remember I liked them, but wasn't in love. Not quite enough bite, a bit mellow. I ended up swapping for some burstbuckers my cousin gave me. The newer stuff in SE's (the PTP things) I like much better. Little more output, more clarity. I actually wish they were sold alone, I would drop em in a few projects.

 

[Masta' C]

I've seen examples of other PRS "PTP" labeled pickups with a "CW" logo below the part number on the label, but not the 58/15 or 85/15 versions. They are clearly made by the same company.

Similar pickups appear as the newer Ibanez "Quantum" pickups and stock pickups in the newer Sterling guitars, like the John Petrucci signature models...same baseplates (sometimes painted black), same "PTP" style labels.

Since the pickups appear in the tour video of Cor-Tek, I wonder if that's who is making them now.

 

[Masta' C]

I recently purchased a PRS SE Standard 24 from my local dealer...It is an Indonesian made SE. Didn't realize that PRS moved the manufacturing from Korea. This didn't matter, I just really liked this guitar more than any other SE that I have played. I've tried a Suhr SSV and a Lawrence L-90XL pickups in this guitar. Those are my favorite replacement bridge humbuckers. In the end, the original went back in.

I've owned both Korean-made and Indonesian-made SE models, as well as an older core CE (wish I kept it), an S2 Singlecut, and a Wood Library Core CU24 with Floyd Rose.

I like my Indonesian CU24 as well as any of the others and possibly more than my Korean SE's from a sound and feel standpoint, aside from the factory nut being cut by a 2 year old with safety scissors. I upgraded the nut to a Core model and this SE is fighting my Jackson Rhoads for the #1 spot in my collection!