Higher gain pickups for the beloved 594.

[ViperDoc]

I know this has been discussed, but I thought I'd concentrate opinion here, and all is welcome.

I love my Core 594. It's tonal versatility and playability are second to none. That said, I think I want two alternatives:

1) A heavier hitting 594 for more screaming harmonic rock and metal; and,

2) A higher gain, "chimier" version. Or,

3) Could you achieve both in the same guitar????

If PRS would sell 58/15 pickups, I could go there immediately. I've heard they're more updated and more well-rounded than the 59/09, although I'd be open to those as well. Would \m/ pickups be going too far? I have Tremonti's in a couple of guitars and I don't want to go there. I don't prefer heavy gain 80's humbucking tones or ceramic magnets. I like clearer, more precise pickups. I've never gone for high-wind P90s, but that could be a win.

On the chimier side, I thought about Fralin Unbuckers, Humbucker P90s, P92s; Lollars; What else? If I do a P90-esque version, what do I do with the split pots?

So with combining this effort in mind, would a 58/15 or 59/09 in the bridge and a Fralin P90 in the neck get it done? What's the British release SE Signature Singlecut with the P90 in the neck? That guy shreds that thing up on stage. It sounds great.

Any input would be great with examples if possible. Thanks!

 

[bodia]

I've got one of Brian's WL 594s with a 59/09 in the neck. I think it's perfect for what you're looking for. That guitar just makes me want to put it on 10 and go! Awesome for classic rock and early metal, like Ozzy, Priest, etc.

If you're thinking about a P90 for the neck, check these out

 

[TroyBaer]

What about bright-ish "vintage hot" humbuckers, such as Bare Knuckle Emeralds or Abraxas, with series/parallel switches? I have BK Emeralds in my ZM and my Cu24-7, and to me they sound more or less like what you describe.

 

[sloanthebone]

I will copy what I had posted in the other thread:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just replaced my 58/15 LT bridge in my 594 with a regular 58/15 and I am much happier. I did keep the LT at the neck.

Here is the resistance:
58/15LT Bridge 7.77 k ohms
58/15 Bridge 8.91 k ohms
85/15 Neck 8.01 k ohms

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After having the 58/15 in for a few days, I am still on the fence about the 58/15. I need some more time to tweak the amp. I might put in a covered 57/08 in the bridge and give that a shot. I love my uncovered 57/08s in my CU24. Its sounds so good for high gain tones. I also have \m/ pickups I may try just to go crazy. I measured the bridge \m/ and it was 17.24 k ohms!! It would also be cool if people could post the resistance of the pickups they are trying.

 

[ViperDoc]

Thanks. Like I said, I love love love the 58/15LT set, but the neck sounds downright anemic to me if I have the volume rolled back in the slightest. Need more chime and squeal. Never tried BK Emeralds nor BK Anything's for that matter. I'd do two Juggernauts in an extended scale guitar without hesitation, but I don't think they'd do well in the 594. But what do I know?

 

[elvis]

I can't recommend BKP Cold Sweats strongly enough. I use the ceramic bridge for great pinch harmonics, and it still cleans up really well. Or you could go with an Alnico bridge for a bit milder vintage tone. I play everything from classic rock and blues to modern hard rock and they deliver.

I hope the 58/15s on the 594 I ordered deliver like the CS.

 

[ReptilianNosewood]

The 58/15's kill. I played a set of covers that were all vastly different this past weekend and never had to change guitars. This other player came up to me after and said "Your guitar is amazing, the sounds you were getting!"

 

[MA Pete]

+1 for 5815's!! I have 58/15's in my SC 594 PS now, and they are AWESOME! Plenty of growl and bite in the bridge when desired, but still most the clarity and chime like the LT version.

I have tried a Brian's 594 with the 5909 in the bridge, and 2 Righteous ones with the 5708 in the bridge, and a ton of third party pickups (ThroBak PG-102B's & MC-102B's, Lollar Imperials (both regular and high winds) and Kinman Humbucker Shaped P-90's, in various 594's. They were all pretty good in their own ways, but the 5815's in my SC 594 are my favorite to-date, with the criteria of more zing in the bridge while retaining most of the magic of the 5815 LT's.

I like them so much that I now another set of 5815's and a set of the uncovered 8515's for future use for 594's, plus I switched the spec for one in the oven to a regular 5815 in the bridge, and 5815 LT in the Neck.

I do find that I like having options with the LT's in the bridge for those mellower tones, and others with a hotter bridge pickup (with the disclaimer than I am not currently playing out with a band). Or maybe that is just my lame excuse for justifying multiple 594's!

 

[CatStrangler]

I know this has been discussed, but I thought I'd concentrate opinion here, and all is welcome.

I love my Core 594. It's tonal versatility and playability are second to none. That said, I think I want two alternatives:

1) A heavier hitting 594 for more screaming harmonic rock and metal; and,

2) A higher gain, "chimier" version. Or,

3) Could you achieve both in the same guitar????

If PRS would sell 58/15 pickups, I could go there immediately. I've heard they're more updated and more well-rounded than the 59/09, although I'd be open to those as well. Would \m/ pickups be going too far? I have Tremonti's in a couple of guitars and I don't want to go there. I don't prefer heavy gain 80's humbucking tones or ceramic magnets. I like clearer, more precise pickups. I've never gone for high-wind P90s, but that could be a win.

On the chimier side, I thought about Fralin Unbuckers, Humbucker P90s, P92s; Lollars; What else? If I do a P90-esque version, what do I do with the split pots?

So with combining this effort in mind, would a 58/15 or 59/09 in the bridge and a Fralin P90 in the neck get it done? What's the British release SE Signature Singlecut with the P90 in the neck? That guy shreds that thing up on stage. It sounds great.

Any input would be great with examples if possible. Thanks!

number 2 sounds like a 594 equipped with 408 pickups, just in case you wanted to go PS or wait for a limited run.

 

[ViperDoc]

A 408-594 would be f&cking dynamite. But I'm looking to *not spend $10K*. Great idea, though.

 

[ViperDoc]

+1 for 5815's!! I have 58/15's in my SC 594 PS now, and they are AWESOME! Plenty of growl and bite in the bridge when desired, but still most the clarity and chime like the LT version.

I have tried a Brian's 594 with the 5909 in the bridge, and 2 Righteous ones with the 5708 in the bridge, and a ton of third party pickups (ThroBak PG-102B's & MC-102B's, Lollar Imperials (both regular and high winds) and Kinman Humbucker Shaped P-90's, in various 594's. They were all pretty good in their own ways, but the 5815's in my SC 594 are my favorite to-date, with the criteria of more zing in the bridge while retaining most of the magic of the 5815 LT's.

I like them so much that I now another set of 5815's and a set of the uncovered 8515's for future use for 594's, plus I switched the spec for one in the oven to a regular 5815 in the bridge, and 5815 LT in the Neck.

I do find that I like having options with the LT's in the bridge for those mellower tones, and others with a hotter bridge pickup (with the disclaimer than I am not currently playing out with a band). Or maybe that is just my lame excuse for justifying multiple 594's!

You've covered more ground than I thought. Thanks for that due diligence!

Now my problem is finding a set of 58/15s. I could really make this simpler and just get a McCarty, but the 594 is so f&cking t!ts! Where do I get some of those????

 

[László]

I have the 58/15s in my McCarty, and they don't drive an amp like the 57/08 or 59/09, though that's not a bad thing at all.

The lower output gives them more of a single coil-like tone, with the clarity, etc. It's what the whole "classic vintage tone" thing is about. The early PAF sound. What people buy a great vintage instrument for big dough to hear.

When I want more gain, I do one of two things:

1. Turn up the amp's gain. Or...
2. Use a clean boost.

Works like a charm.

The 85/15s, on the other hand, seem to drive my amps harder, though I don't bother with things like measuring pickups, it's easy enough to hear. It's nice having both to choose from. Personally, I wouldn't want to give up that choice, so I'd keep the 594 stock, and add a CU24 with the 85/15s for more gainy sounds. My CU24 30th is a rock tone machine.

 

[garrett]

You guys can send all your cast-off LTs to me for disposal.

How about some Suhr stuff? Thornbucker+ in the bridge for the boosted PAF thing. The Aldridge set seems to get great praise for a high output set.

For singles, you could use one push pull for out of phase. Does anyone make tappable hum sized P90's? That could be fun.

 

[Johan Allard]

Hi guys, a bit of an old thread resurrection and I thought I throw my 2 cents in as well.

I've been at a bit of a pickup journey with my 594. Since I mostly play classic rock stuff I wanted something with a bit more bite than the 58/15LT's, and I also found the 58/58LT's in the neck pretty wholly and not really to my liking.

One thing I've noticed, and it could well be my individual guitar, is that it seems to amplify the pickup more than my other guitars. It could well be the woods in my particular 594, it's a Korina body, Maple top, Rosewood neck and Ebony fretboard. I love it, and at the same time it's all new to me, having had all my (dual humbucker and PRS) guitars today with mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fretboard.

Anyway, since the 594 is in the sort of Les Paul:ish ballpark the first test was a Bare Knuckle Mule neck and Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell Bridge. An awesome combination in any Les Paul, but in the 594 the Rebel Yell just felt completely over the top. I then tried Bare Knuckle Black Dogs, that I didn't really like in my (now sold) SC58 or my (now sold) Cu22. In the 594 I liked them but there was something missing. I then went back to The Mule neck with The Mule Bridge. Very good combination (the Mule is Bare Knuckles traditional PAF style pickups) but the bridge was very bright. I then tried a Riff Raff Bridge (alnico 5 bridge with more bite) with the Mule neck - this is another awesome combination in Les Paul's and SG's but in this it was again way to bright. Next test with Mule Neck and Abraxas Bridge (hotter PAF with Alnico 4) which ended up as my favourite Bare Knuckle combination. The Abraxas bridge is a real favourite in my P245 Semi Hollow. But it still felt it was a bit much in the 594 that I've never felt with this combination before. And yes, I have a LOT of Bare Knuckle pickups .

At that point I ordered a set of 59/09's which I loved in my SC58 and Cu22 but didn't have any left, having sold both of those guitars to make room for the 594, and I also ordered a set of Throbak MC-102B's (my first Throbak's) and a set a Suhr Thornbuckers (Thornbucker+ bridge), just to get something else to test.

While waiting for those pickups and had another look in the cupboard and my next test was to put in a DiMarzio Bluesbucker (a P90 in a humbucker casing) Neck and 58/15 (not LT) Bridge and there it was. It just felt right. The Bluesbucker is a really cool pickup and I've tried it i a few different guitars but never really loved it. In the 594 it's awesome. And the 58/15 matches up really nicely with this as well and gives just that extra bite that I was looking for without being over the top in any way. Since the Bluesbucker has extremely offset coils, the slug coil is basically a dummy coil to make it noise cancelling, I wired the push/pull for series parallel wiring in the neck and this is just a really great combination now.

So, the Thornbuckers was the first to arrive and I put them in my P245 SH and they worked really, really well in this guitar as well and the bridge and neck is very nicely balanced with each other. The neck pickup especially was really, really good. It's an Alnico 5 in the neck with an Alnico 4 in the bridge. I think this is a stroke of genius actually. I've only seen the reverse combination where the Alnico 5 is there to give the bridge more bite. But what they must have done is to have a really low turn Alnico 5 neck that is then brighter than most neck pickups, in combination with the slightly hotter Alnico 4 Bridge. The resistance values for the Thornbuckers is 7.35kOhm for the neck and 8.86kOhm in the bridge. The bridge is almost identical to the 58/15 bridge (8.86 vs 8.88) and the neck is lower than than any PRS neck pickups I have 59/09 (8.74), 57/08 (8.52) 58/15 (8.0) and 58/15LT (7.95). It's almost identical to BKP The Mule Neck (7.26) but the Mule is Alnico 4 so it's brighter than The Mule. This could well grow to become my all time favourite neck pickup.

So now I have a set of untested Throbak's and the 59/09. I think I might try the Throbak bridge in the P245 and the 59/09 in the 594. I also have a Les Paul Axcess that I've had Rebel Yell's in for as long as I can remember that could be cool to try the Throbak's in as well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading about my 594 pickup journey, it never ends

 

[garrett]

Wow, Johan, quite the journey indeed. Your 594 has an interesting combo of woods.

I love the Thornbuckers. After my own humbucker journey on different guitars, I found that A5 neck and A4 bridge makes so much more sense than the reverse or A2 neck with A5 bridge.

I think the clarity of the LT defies it's resistance rating, though. With the standard 594 woods, anyway...

 

[Rider1260]

Great read I played a 59/09 in the bridge of a 594 and it was sweet !!!
I am not a modding kind of guy ( way to slippery slope for me ) I just have different pickups in every guitar

 

[Rich2016]

Great read I played a 59/09 in the bridge of a 594 and it was sweet !!!
I am not a modding kind of guy ( way to slippery slope for me ) I just have different pickups in every guitar

I wound up sending my 594 off to the PTC to swap in a covered 59/09 in the bridge and I couldn't be happier; imo it kept the guitar in the same ballpark as the 58/15LT but added a little extra power making it feel more easy to play the brootz (although I got on great witht the LT too).

 

[Dusty Chalk]

...the neck sounds downright anemic to me if I have the volume rolled back in the slightest...

Perhaps you need to revisit the treble bleed?

And yeah, second looking into Bareknuckle -- they have a pickup for every level between "vintage" to "vintage hot" to "high gain" -- and more importantly, everything in between.

 

[Skeeter]

Reviving this thread for a quick question - I've never owned a short scale, two piece bridge PRS - but I assume any replacement pickups would be 50mm, with short legs? (this is probably a dumb question, it's just that most of my guitars have trems and use 53mm).

While I love the character of the LT's, I'm thinking of getting Mules for a bit more oomph in the bridge and some more clarity in the neck. Also considering Abraxas - just not sure if that would be too much and take away from clean clarity of the bridge?

I do want the neck to be a touch less muddy and more flexible across the volume knob. This is for a Singlecut 594 BTW - and naturally has a lot of resonance and power.

I might also consider 59/09s. Sadly, I think if it was just the regular 58/15s, I'd be perfectly happy.

 

[garrett]

The LT is long leg and 49.2mm spacing, so short leg 50mm will do just fine.