53/10 Pickups

T

tlhamon

New Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2015
Messages
10
I just scored a DC22 with a set of 53/10's installed (not the original pickups I know). Although they sound pretty good clean, they are just too ratty/dark sounding to my ears. I spend a lot of time twisting knobs on the amp and couldn't find my tone. Am I right in understanding that they are supposed to sound like a set of P-90's?

My all time favorite bridge pickup is a Dimarzio Tone Zone and I plan on installing it ASAP (I never use the neck pickup so I don't care what that is). I know the Tone Zone is a much higher output more midrangey pickup, but for the higher gain settings I play on, it works best for me. Having said that, I DID really life the old HFS.
 
53/10's are PAF inspired pups along the same line as the 57/08's and 59/09's. I really like them in my SC58. They're not dark in that guitar at all but they are low output pups, which doesn't sound like what your looking for. The good news is that if you pull them out of that guitar, you shouldn't have much trouble selling them.
 
Spikedog007 said:
53/10's are PAF inspired pups along the same line as the 57/08's and 59/09's. I really like them in my SC58. They're not dark in that guitar at all but they are low output pups, which doesn't sound like what your looking for. The good news is that if you pull them out of that guitar, you shouldn't have much trouble selling them.
Click to expand...

tlhamon is right, they are actually not PAF-inspired.

PRS_5909_5310_Pickups_Final.jpg


Being that P90s were the only single coils of note being used in 1953 I think it's safe to say we know where the voicing flavour is coming from.
 
Whitecat said:
Being that P90s were the only single coils of note being used in 1953 I think it's safe to say we know where the voicing flavour is coming from.
Click to expand...

Actually, Paul has stated that the pickup wire was similar to what was used on early Telecasters. Fender introduced the Broadcaster in 1950, and the Tele followed within a couple of years. 1953 sounds about right for an early Tele that Paul might have liked.

I really like them, but they're not for everyone. Then again, what pickup is for everyone? I think they do their best with a clean amp, as opposed to a higher gain one, but there are some players on the forum who undoubtedly love and use them with high gain amps, too.

They sound nothing like P-90s, the attack is much rounder and they have a warmer tone quality. It's also warmer in tone than some other PRS pickups. In any case, a P-90 has a sharper attack and more treble, as do the 57/08s and 59/09s.

Paul has said that the main difference between these pickups is the wire. In the 50s, the coating on the wire changed from time to time. Paul has mentioned this as an important detail. Thicker coatings mean that the pickup wire's density when the pickup is wound will be a little different from wire with thinner coatings, etc. I'm sure there are other differences, too.

The 58/15s and 85/15s are actually closer to the clarity of a P-90.
 
Last edited:
I agree with LSchefman in that they really don't sound like P-90's to my ears and they DO sound wonderful clean. Very warm. They just don't cut it for Alex Lifeson level gain. They would work well for a low gain tweed or AC30 sound though.

Thanks for posting the specs WhiteCat. I have been looking for which type of alnico was used. I'm guessing II based on the output.
 
I wish I could hear a set in my S2 Semi, but I like the pickups in it now so much that I'm hesitant to change them. Then I would need another guitar just for the pickups... this won't end well.
 
Blprice said:
Whitecat, they must be available in the uk only. I do not see 53/10's, on the PRS site for sale.
Click to expand...

That's because they are no longer made, and thus aren't for sale anywhere. The wire to make them is unavailable. So PRS can't make them any more.
 
I will probably put them on eBay and Reverb tonight. Like Andy said, I am trying not to buy more guitars just so that I can put pickups in them (like buying a car to test some tires).
I was a bid dubious about them when I picked up the guitar as I have never been a fan of vintage coils.
 
tlhamon said:
I was a bid dubious about them when I picked up the guitar as I have never been a fan of vintage coils.
Click to expand...

That's just...well, I mean...never been a fan of vintage pickups?...I dunno....

I live in a very different world, I guess. ;)
 
My suggestion is to raise the bridge pickup as high as possible, and don't sell the 53/10s until you've tried a different pickup in there. Something funky might be going on with the wiring (e.g tone pot) or maybe the guitar is just not for you.

I've used 53/10s in a semi-hollow body with a Mesa Mark V in full on gain mode and they sounded great, punchy with string definition.
 
Change your strings before you do anything else. Ernie Balls are known to be bright, I'd start with those. If that doesn't work, try adjusting pickup height (preferably by a pro). Small adjustments make a big difference.
 
Yeah there are definitely not normally dark, I actually had to lower my bridge on slightly longer screws to reduce brightness. Maybe the tone is shorted making it muddy sounding or something else funky with the wiring?

Here is a set of pictures showing how PRS wired them in an SE, if that helps troubleshoot for you

http://www.prsforums.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38448
 
pac90 said:
Yeah there are definitely not normally dark, I actually had to lower my bridge on slightly longer screws to reduce brightness. Maybe the tone is shorted making it muddy sounding or something else funky with the wiring?

Here is a set of pictures showing how PRS wired them in an SE, if that helps troubleshoot for you


http://www.prsforums.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38448
Click to expand...

your link is to a prs forum I am not familiar with.
 
The deed has been done. I switched over to the Dimarzio's and will string it up tonight (waiting on some TonePros). I've used the Tone Zone in at least a dozen different guitars and always liked it. It's a known quantity to me and I find it easier to dial back the high end on the amp. With the 53/10's I just couldn't find the midrange I was after. I guess maybe that is what I meant by "dark" was the midrange peak. I prefer an upper midrange peak.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

E
CE24 and DiMarzio's Tone Zone
Replies
5
Views
296
Em7
E
D
Quatro 4 Pickups
Replies
5
Views
214
Tone-y
Tone-y
S
P22 Pickup Problem
2 3
Replies
48
Views
518
Gtrbldr
Gtrbldr
Jbyrd78
School me on the HFS & Tremonti bridge pickup
Replies
7
Views
209
Jbyrd78
Jbyrd78
Rapdog
Anyone wanna trade two narrowfields for 53/10s?
Replies
0
Views
173
Rapdog
Rapdog
Back
Top