Favorite aftermarket pickups for a Singlecut?

[Herr Squid]

(Mods feel free to nuke this thread if it's inappropriate)

I'm waffling fearsomely about what to do with my 2001 Singlecut (this beauty right here):

Acoustically it sounds great, and it plays beautifully. But after years of being spoiled by PRS' post-57/08 pickups, the Number 7 pickups just don't cut it for me anymore. But have you tried finding PRS 5X/XX pickups in gold? They're pretty darn scarce. I think pickups in that vein are what I'm after for this guitar. I love this guitar except for the pickups (oh and the tuners). I think I don't want to sell it off for just those reasons.

So for those of you use and love 57/08s, 58/15s and the like: what aftermarket pickups have you used and considered comparable? I've looked at Lollars, Fralins, Duncans, etc. and i'm fishing for some good word of mouth, since all the ad copy looks the same after a while.

 

[Callan]

I love bkp mules in my hollow body ii, and for a short while also had them in my LP where they also worked well. great pickups and worth checking out bkp - bare knuckle pickups.

So many options though, what style do you play? What sound do you want? What amp? Live, studio or both?
Pickup choices get overwhelming quickly unless you narrow down your options.

 

[László]

Curve ball here: lately I’ve become addicted to tone-shaping with a good EQ pedal. It works so well that I can’t bring myself to turn it off.

The best ones on the market cost less than a pair of pickups, there’s no installation, and so on, blah, blah, blah, I hope you’re convinced.

 

[WA Paul]

I had Lollar Imperials in a different brand guitar (Baker B3) and they reminded me of 57/08s.

Haussel 59s are quite good (in my Huber Orca) as well, little less output than 57/08s to my ears.

 

[mojo1fan]

I'm an EMG89 guy for coil-splitting capabilities

so you may pelt me with rocks and garbage at your leisure.

 

[Herr Squid]

Well I was trying to duck the "what do you usually play?" question, but OK: 90% of the time I'm playing through an Axe-FX II, so the answer to "which amp?" is "any amp." I'm looking for the kind of dynamics that'll let me play full-on dirty rock/metal (a la Metallica, Porcupine Tree, Opeth), then roll the guitar volume back to nice full chimey cleans. There are several amp (models) in the Axe that do this with the right pickups. The 58/15s are good at it, so I think I'm looking for a medium-low output PAF-style. The Axe can make gobs of gain even with that kind of pickup.

 

[You-S4-It]

I really like the BK Rebel Yells in my PRS SCs (Tremonti SE and in the bridge of my Marsden).
I’m usually running them thru a Kemper, AX8 or my recently acquired AxeFx3. Really articulate and clear. Works with “all” rock amps and cuts thru the band mix nicely.
My other SC Trem originally had #7s and I swapped them out for 59/09s. I couldn’t bond with the #7s.

 

[AP515]

One word...Antiquities...

Or two words...Seth Lovers...

Unpotted sonic nirvana

 

[Eddie kim]

I'm an EMG89 guy for coil-splitting capabilities

so you may pelt me with rocks and garbage at your leisure.

I have the emg89 in my Paul Allender and I like them....

One word...Antiquities...

Or two words...Seth Lovers...

Unpotted sonic nirvana

3 words... Duncan pearly gates....

 

[Herr Squid]

Thanks for the replies so far! I do have to say I like the Antiquity P90s in my 594 SC Soapbar an awful lot.

And playing around tonight with a handful of guitars through a Trainwreck model in the Axe-FX I thought my early 594 nailed the sound I'm after. Seems like I really want this guitar to sound like it has 85/15LTs in it.

 

[bodia]

I dropped a set of Klein Epic '59s in a SC594. Awesome sounding and reasonably priced. Throbak Peter Green are really good, but really pricey. I'll toss another thumbs up behind Bare Knuckles. I've got a set of Zhangbuckers ordered. He hand winds in a one man shop, so the wait is long. If you want a touch hotter, the Suhr Doug Aldrich are really nice, and not expensive.

 

[Birdsofprey]

Pearly Gates sound great in the bridge position, Got um in four of the eight PRS guitars that I own. I do not have a single cut YET, I'm on the hunt. I think I'm going to try a BK (not sure witch model yet) in the bridge. Only neck PRS pickups I've ever changed were from the two SE's I have.

 

[markd21]

My favorite singlecut - my SC245 - has 57/08s. My other - an SC250 - has Duncan Saturday Night Specials. They are not as nice as the 57/08s, but I needed gold pickups, and after EXTENSIVE research they seemed to be what would fit the bill the best. I was looking for something that wasn't terribly hot, but not an exact PAF clone either....

 

[Rider1260]

Buy a set of 57/08s and change the covers and screws would be what I would do if you love the 57/08s !!!!
I also really like Mira pickups

 

[JJJ]

Someone near me is selling gold 58/15s for a thousand dollars..........

Yeah for singlecuts nothing beats low-mid output PAFy types. And I don't think you need to spend much, there sure are a lot of high end PAF clones going around these days that cost quite a biut but something from Seymour Duncan or bareknuckle would probably do really well and leave you change.

Emerald finishes look great with open coil black or zebra bobbins btw. So if you aren't looking at gold covers it really opens your options up, because nearly everyone offers their humbuckers uncovered with black bobbins

 

[elvis]

I was hugely hooked on BKP Cold Sweats, and still have them in my emerald SC avatar guitar. But I got a P245 with 58/15s and they are crazy good.

Still, lots of great pickups out there. Are you looking for pickups that work well with overdrive, or more highly 3D pickups for cleans?

 

[JJJ]

Also here is my token mention of Lace pickups which I offer in every thread about pickups, because I really love them. I put a set of hemi humbuckers in a Les Paul and it really woke the guitar up. It sounds like a big fat telecaster now

 

[django49]

Hard to go wrong with Lollar Imperials, IMO. And if you want to go the "low turn" route like the 594s, the "Low Wind" version are a good option.....Have them in a Collings I35-LC and it is a really nice set up. And I think you will find Jason very good at listening to what YOU want and making them specifically for you.

Another Washington State winder, Wolfetone, is also great. Their Dr. Vintage is a great "vintage" take.

 

[pac90]

I think in the bareknuckles range that the stormy mondays are supposed to be like the 58/15LTs, at least I have read that, if thats any help, and they offer gold covering

Failing that sometimes you get 85/15 square bobbins uncovered on ebay

I think you are in europe? I dont have LTs but I have a 58/15 neck (but its not gold of course) & uncovered pearlygates bridge if you want to pm me. I am not using the SE SC that they are in as I prefer the feel of my S2, which has 85/15 pickups

 

[ViperDoc]

Lollar Imperials are fabulous pickups. I’ve also heard dark horse lore regarding the pickups coming out of Onemac Windery, but have never tried them. They’re on FB.