57/08 or 85/15 Pickups in CE24???

[TonyT]

A couple questions for you PRS pickup experts …

In April of 2024 I purchased my first PRS which is a CE24 built in 2023. I had assumed it had 85/15 pickups in it. Today I was changing the strings and cleaning up the fret board and pickups and noticed both pickups have “57/08 TM” engraved on them. I looked at my invoice and it did not indicate specific pickups. On this dealer’s website they currently have 12 other CEs in stock, all with 85/15 pickups, the 15 Wood Library CE models in stock are all shown with 57/08 pickups. Did they ship me a Wood Library CE by mistake? I love the tone of the guitar but are 57/08 pickups preferred over 85/15?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts in this.

 

[Birdsofprey]

It’s personal choice Tony T, I can say 59/09’s & 57/08’s are some of my fav PRS pups closely followed by the \M/‘s Least fav PRS pup in any iteration is the 85/15’s. I have a Semi Hollow CE24 and a Solid CE24 both have 59/09’s. Have 57/08’s in other PRS models. CU24, SE Singlecut , parts draw (they don’t sound so good in there).

 

[Bogner]

If You Like The Way They Sound Keep Them In. If Not, Take Them Out For Something Else. I Am Happy To Help Point You In A Direction Should You Want To Change. I Just Need To Know Your Musical Style, Tone You Are After And What You Guitar Does Well At Naturally (Sonically Speaking) And Where It May Be Weaker Naturally (Sonically Speaking). If It Aint Broke, Don't Fix it. If It Is Broke, Fix It Fast!

 

[RC Mike]

I had a 2021 CE that had 57/08s and an ebony fretboard. Labeling non-Core guitars as Wood Library is a relatively new thing. Dealers were able to order special runs of CEs prior to the label change.

I liked the 57/08s in it a lot. I’ve never played anything else with 57/08s, and I’ve never owned a guitar with 85/15 pickups. I do have a set of four-wire 85/15 TCI pickups in the parts cabinet, but haven’t put them in anything yet. I keep toying with putting them into a maple-top Mira.

 

[TonyT]

If You Like The Way They Sound Keep Them In. If Not, Take Them Out For Something Else. I Am Happy To Help Point You In A Direction Should You Want To Change. I Just Need To Know Your Musical Style, Tone You Are After And What You Guitar Does Well At Naturally (Sonically Speaking) And Where It May Be Weaker Naturally (Sonically Speaking). If It Aint Broke, Don't Fix it. If It Is Broke, Fix It Fast!

Thanks for the offer. I am fine with the 57/08s pups now in my CE, they really do sound great, I was just curious about how they compare to the 85/15.

 

[RC Mike]

Thanks for the offer. I am fine with the 57/08s pups now in my CE, they really do sound great, I was just curious about how they compare to the 85/15.

I suspect that you’ll be able to find a video of an 85/15 CE playing through the amp of your choice. It’ll give you a in-the-ballpark comparison.

 

[SinSir]

In general 5708 > 8515 to my ears. You won on that one. Think PRS take on PAF with 5708 and 8515 more modern. The way PRS names pickups says it all.

5708= 57 pickup released in 2008
8515= 85 pickup released in 2015

The 5708 is probably my favorite PRS complete pickup set. The neck pickup is tied for my fav with the 5815LT.

5708 doesn't automatically mean WL. There were/are CE24 releases out there with 5708. Several with 5708 are all hog bodies without the maple cap, but not all.

I've tried the 8515 in multiple guitars, personally they just haven't done it for me and have all been swapped for something else. Funny, the only guitar I did like the set in was a CE24. The 8515 neck, I like in a couple, but the bridge hasn't done it for me yet.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

57/08 all day

 

[gush]

8515 pickups are a different animal.

The neck pickup on all versions 8515/5815 are incredible but what i have found is getting a good balance between neck and bridge PUs can be a challenge.

I have 8515 in a 97 ce24 and 5815LT in an older McCarty. On both, neck PU tones are to die for on both bridge PU is the odd duck.

I don’t absolutely love tones on bridge PU but when I play them there is this "push" that feels good under my fingers and when I just play the dang things I find that I'm happy???? I probably sound crazy!

5708 neck is great, it has a high end shimmer that 8515 doesn't BUT 8515 isa fat, well rounded tone that begs to have tone pot rolled down a bit and the cleaner the tone the better it sounds.

5708 bridge PU is just ok to me. Never really bonded with it. Had 5707 squabbins in my ce24 for a couple years and had an HB2 with covered 5708s. Just couldn't bond with bridge PU.

Of course your results may vary.

 

[Broseph]

I was very pleased with the 57/08 in a CE. I preferred them over the 85/15. I imagine the 85/15 bridge is better for higher gain tho. But if you play clean/low gains/dirt? 57/08 and don't look back

 

[TonyT]

Thank you for all the feedback above. I play “clean tones” for the most part without a lot of gain so it sounds like I may have got lucky with the 57/08 pups that came with the guitar. I’m very much a newbie so learning quite a bit from this forum. You people are very helpful and I appreciate the feedback, opinions and advice.