57/08 vs Archtops

H2-DGT

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Jun 16, 2012
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I have a 2005 H2 with the original Archtop pickups. It's a nice-sounding guitar but the top end is missing the sweetness my 2009 DGT has loads of. Has anyone swapped these sets out? I'm wondering if the 57/08s will deliver more of the sound I'm looking for. Thanks!
 
This is very much an apples to oranges kind of question, but I have HBII with archtops and 57/08. The two guitars are usually in different countries and played through different amps, but I am pretty comfortable saying that the 57/08 favours the top a bit more. I also feel they respond a bit better to changes in your picking - accenting dynamics of the pick stroke and the angle of attack.

That said, the 57/08 on the HBII doesn't sound remotely like my DGT. The structure of the guitars are so different that I don't think you could make them sound the same.
 
I just had the PTC swap out my Archtop Treble and Bass pickups with 57/08s (and had them install mini-switches to split the coils individually,) and they are awesome. Granted, I have a Hollowbody I, so there's less maple than a HBII, but the 57/08s have everything that I felt was missing in the Archtops. The Archtops were too rounded and mellow for the type of music I play, which is funk-rock.

I posted this in another thread, but I'm absolutely psyched about the mod. It makes what is already an extremely versatile guitar into a complete sonic Swiss Army knife.

The best thing about this is that I never, ever used to use the middle pickup switch position. Like ever. Now, being able to have the bridge as a single coil and the neck as a humbucker simultaneously (or vice-versa) is just awesome, especially with overdrive.

Highly recommended.

jeff_goldberg2.JPG.77be942efd0febe33f23bd9a8e2c845d.JPG
 
I just had the PTC swap out my Archtop Treble and Bass pickups with 57/08s (and had them install mini-switches to split the coils individually,) and they are awesome. Granted, I have a Hollowbody I, so there's less maple than a HBII, but the 57/08s have everything that I felt was missing in the Archtops. The Archtops were too rounded and mellow for the type of music I play, which is funk-rock.

I posted this in another thread, but I'm absolutely psyched about the mod. It makes what is already an extremely versatile guitar into a complete sonic Swiss Army knife.

The best thing about this is that I never, ever used to use the middle pickup switch position. Like ever. Now, being able to have the bridge as a single coil and the neck as a humbucker simultaneously (or vice-versa) is just awesome, especially with overdrive.

Highly recommended.

jeff_goldberg2.JPG.77be942efd0febe33f23bd9a8e2c845d.JPG
Wow! If you don't mind me asking, around how much did this set you back? Beautiful guitar btw
 
I believe we might have the same HB Mr. Goobs, mine is an AP though.

I can only go by my own experience, which I also posted in a separate archtop thread a few months back, I personally don't like the 57/08's. They make your guitar sound like a regular electric, and if you want a hollowbody for the lightweight aspect or the look then go for it. However you do lose the aspects that those archtop pickups bring out of the hollowbody.
When I was looking for a second hollowbody I brought along mine to a GC and when comparing the sound of it with a brand new white HBII with 57/08's we were both in agreeance that the archtop pickups just sounded better while the 57/08's just mae the guitar sound like...an electric guitar. We didn't really hear a difference between the HBII with 57/08's and a custom we AB'ed it with (this was the salespersons idea). He surprisingly forfeited a sale and said yea, what's the point of getting the HBII if it just sounds like a solidbody PRS. So I kept the search going for a hollowbody with archtop pickups.
It really depends on what exactly your looking for out of the guitar, what type of music you play, etc.
 
Matt, just out of curiosity, have you ever A-B compared the sound of a Hollowbody I vs. a Hollowbody II? They sound very different, which may be accounting for part of our different reactions to the pickups. The HBII is significantly brighter, having both a maple top and a maple back (as opposed to the HBI, which is routed-out mahogany with a maple cap over it.) My guess is that the more mellow, bassier pickups combine nicely with the brighter sounding HBII, but on mine, they were too dark.

Your write-up is interesting to me, mainly because the guitar sounds so much more "woody" to me now with the 57/08s.
 
I agree with the assessments on the Archtop pickups so far. I initially liked them in my HBII. They have a nice warmth to them, but they're missing the top end clarity I've grown to prefer. I think they're great for mellower, cleaner tones, but the neck pickup particularly had a woofiness that I couldn't get rid of and the middle position was missing the sweetness I wanted.

I don't have much experience with 57/08s, but I'd guess they'd wake up the top end. They'll also have a bit more output. I went with Lollar Low Wind Imperials in mine. Still lower output like the Archtops, but with more clarity and a singing top end. Gets me more into the classic 335 tones I like.

Interesting to read Matt's comparison vs. the 57/08.
 
I have a Hollowbody (spruce top)with Archtops and I Hollowbody II with 57-08's . Both guitars sound great but are different. I use the Hollowbody primarily on the bass pickup with little no no effects other than reverb or delay and love the tone. Sometimes I will roll the tone know down to about 3-4. Other times it just stays at 10. Love the tone of this guitar. I find myself using the HB II more on blues songs that require some degree of OD (when not using it as an acoustic guitar), but it is very versatile as well as sounds great with limited effects. My feelings about 57-08's are similar to Matt's. As others have said I think the 57-08's will wake up the top end a bit. It just depends on what you sound are searching for.
 
Matt, just out of curiosity, have you ever A-B compared the sound of a Hollowbody I vs. a Hollowbody II?
Your write-up is interesting to me, mainly because the guitar sounds so much more "woody" to me now with the 57/08s.

Yes, the hollowbody that I brought with me to that GC when AB'ing with that new white HBII was a HB1.
I actually thought that the 57/08's lost that 'woodness.'

My feelings about 57-08's are similar to Matt's. As others have said I think the 57-08's will wake up the top end a bit. It just depends on what you sound are searching for.

I'm more curious as to what type of sound people are dialing in and what kind of amp that they keep saying that there are no highs in their sound.
 
I just had the PTC swap out my Archtop Treble and Bass pickups with 57/08s (and had them install mini-switches to split the coils individually,) and they are awesome. Granted, I have a Hollowbody I, so there's less maple than a HBII, but the 57/08s have everything that I felt was missing in the Archtops. The Archtops were too rounded and mellow for the type of music I play, which is funk-rock.

I posted this in another thread, but I'm absolutely psyched about the mod. It makes what is already an extremely versatile guitar into a complete sonic Swiss Army knife.

The best thing about this is that I never, ever used to use the middle pickup switch position. Like ever. Now, being able to have the bridge as a single coil and the neck as a humbucker simultaneously (or vice-versa) is just awesome, especially with overdrive.

Highly recommended.

jeff_goldberg2.JPG.77be942efd0febe33f23bd9a8e2c845d.JPG

I don't have an HB, so can't contribute meaningfully. I just wanted to compliment you on that beautiful guitar.
 
That's a great sounding guitar. If you can get over how big it is, friggin killer. I mention the body shape because I rarely play sitting down
Matt, I am a fairly small person all the way around, so I have a lot of trouble playing large body guitars sitting down. This was all validated yesterday at NAMM when I demoed a number of the competition's large body guitars (both electric & acoustic). This is one of the many reasons why I like the PRS Hollowbody Guitars
 
I've never played a Hollowbody II with the Archtop pickups, but I would note that I have three PRSi with 57/08s (25th Custom, Sunburst 22 and HBII SC) and there's a notable woodiness and breadth to the tone with the Hollowbody II that isn't present with the Customs. It's not subtle at all with my guitars - it's really quite pronounced, very audible...
 
Matt, I am a fairly small person all the way around, so I have a lot of trouble playing large body guitars sitting down. This was all validated yesterday at NAMM when I demoed a number of the competition's large body guitars (both electric & acoustic). This is one of the many reasons why I like the PRS Hollowbody Guitars

I don't think you'd like the JA-15 for sitting down. I like the PRS Hollowbody's for the same reason. I'm 6', but I'm very slender and they feel right. I tried the JA-15 a year ago because the price was ridiculously cheap but it felt so cumbersome. Definitly gotta be a certain frame type for it for sure.
 
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