57/08 pickups for rock and heavy stuff

[Guitarjon]

Hey everyone,

I've had my PRS SC-58 for a while now and I love the guitar a lot. The 57/08 pickups are interesting. They're obviously more vintage sounding, so voiced like old PAF pickups. I think they work pretty well for heavier rock and even metal but they do have a unique sound. I'm just curious what you guys think and how you guys like to use these pickups?

Do you use the 57/08 pickups for rock and metal and if so, are there any things you feel you need to do to make them sound right? I recently made a little clip with my SC-58 and my Orange Rockerverb, I think it sounds great but I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. Should I change the pickups out or keep them in?

 

[markd21]

I toured with around with a classic metal band for a couple of years. One of my favorite guitars to use was my SC245 57/08 LTD. My rig was either a Helix Rack or a Bad Cat HC30R with a Bad Cat 1x12. It sounded ferocious. Plus, I could change channels, split the pickups and get great cleans as well. The 57/08 is still my favorite pickup.

 

[Rider1260]

As long as you have an amp that can do the heavy lifting it really shouldn't matter IMHO ( I would love a Rockerverb some day )
If you want some extra push look at The Suhr Aldrich , PRS HFS or Tremonti bridge , I would leave the neck pickup as is.
Nice playing

 

[markd21]

Watched yourvid. Sounds killer to me. I would not change them!!

 

[Guitarjon]

As long as you have an amp that can do the heavy lifting it really shouldn't matter IMHO ( I would love a Rockerverb some day )
If you want some extra push look at The Suhr Aldrich , PRS HFS or Tremonti bridge , I would leave the neck pickup as is.
Nice playing

Cheers! One of the reasons for my doubt is that I use this guitar for more than just heavy stuff. So I also like it for more vintage crunchy tones. If I change the pickups to something more modern sounding I'm afraid it might take away from that a bit...

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I have 57/08s in a C22 Semi Hollow and they sound fantastic. I have the 57/08 narrow fields in an NF3. Both sound incredible and I use them for everything from cleaner stuff to metal. I love and prefer them over the high gain pickups I've used, even for high gain stuff.

Dig that SC-58!

 

[Boogie]

Cheers! One of the reasons for my doubt is that I use this guitar for more than just heavy stuff. So I also like it for more vintage crunchy tones. If I change the pickups to something more modern sounding I'm afraid it might take away from that a bit...

This is why I have more than one amp…something for modern, something for vintage. They transform the guitar for me. It took me a decade or two to figure this out (and another couple of decades of enjoying the knowledge).

 

[Rider1260]

For ME ( I'm not a really heavy or metal player ) the 57/08s work perfectly as do any low output hum bucker BUT I do have a CU24 the HFS can easily do Clean - Metal and the Suhr Aldrich I have played on a KL-33 ( Santana ) , a 594 and several CU24 and it covers just abound anything even tho it is quite hot but I wouldn't call it modern sounding.
I think it would be fun to play with and hear what it does for your tone and its a pretty cheap experiment.

Cheers! One of the reasons for my doubt is that I use this guitar for more than just heavy stuff. So I also like it for more vintage crunchy tones. If I change the pickups to something more modern sounding I'm afraid it might take away from that a bit...

 

[HANGAR18]

I'm a big fan of the 57/08's. They sound great when I'm in my living room but listening to other guys talk who play a wide variety of gigs in different places, I take it that the 57/08's aren't the kind of pickups that are going to "cut through the mix" as I hear them say.

 

[dogrocketp]

I love the sound you got with these. I’m also a huge fan of 57/08’s. LEAVE EM!

 

[alantig]

If you’re happy with the sounds, that’s all that matters. Like @markd21, I have a SC 57/08 (from the Experience limited run). I’ve used it on a wide range of stuff. If you want it to get to those super gainy sounds, toss some form of metal pedal in there.

 

[vchizzle]

The clip sounds great. I wouldn’t bother messing with it if you feel comfortable. Although, the tried and true combo is 5909 bridge, 5708 neck. The thing I like about you clip is all the notes in those big chords shine through. A 5909 bridge pickup wound keep things pretty similar but put a bit more beef and grunt in there.

 

[tdarian]

Sounds righteous, those pickups and that amp team up well with your playing!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Cheers! One of the reasons for my doubt is that I use this guitar for more than just heavy stuff. So I also like it for more vintage crunchy tones. If I change the pickups to something more modern sounding I'm afraid it might take away from that a bit...

I think you should stick with these. Especially if you're happy with the less-than-high gain tones. Because I think these high gain tones sound absolutely smashing.

 

[Herr Squid]

I'll agree that I think that clip sounds great! I don't think anything needs fixing there. That said, I think there are a lot of ways to approach high-gain sounds, and I think that kind of amp can be pretty tolerant of pickups. The thing the 57/08s are great at is low- to medium-gain sounds, so I'd keep 'em in my arsenal.

 

[Boogie]

Listened to the video again. Don’t change a thing. Love it!

Liked and subscribed!

 

[bodia]

Dig your playing. I say leave ‘me. Although, as Vaughn said, a 59/09 in the bridge with the 08 in the neck would be fantastic.

 

[Guitarjon]

Thanks for chiming in everybody! I think I'll keep 'em in for now

 

[SinSir]

Good call on keeping them. I'm a huge fan of the 57/08. I think they sound great clean and with however much dirt I throw on em. I also think the 59/09 are great. As said along the same flavor just more beef.

 

[Black-Viper75]

Awesome playing and hot tone!!! I loved it. I can't see any reason to change them. The Rockerverb is doing a killer job with those pickups. As @alantig suggested, you can always throw a pedal into the tone equation to spice things up. Keep rocking !!!