58/15 Pickups - anybody not a fan?

[Phil M]

I have 58/15s in my 2018 McCarty. I love the guitar and the pickups seem OK but I will probably put some WCRs in down the road. I’m one of “those” guys ... love the guitars, only like the pickups. Wolfetones and WCRs are generally improvements for what my ears like to hear.

 

[Callan]

So I spent a good hour today with my speaker cranked up loud and my CU22.
I found that with the tone on about 50% I am much happier, pleasely surprised shall we say.
Normally I would leave tone at 100% as the starting point and roll back when needed, I haven't really ever tried values other than this from the moment I plug in.

There's been a few gigs where I've just had this metallic, digital kind-of sound out of this guitar that was less than inspiring to play.

We'll see what September brings, the Abraxas might end up in one of the 594's and my CU22 at some point soon

 

[Tone-y]

So I spent a good hour today with my speaker cranked up loud and my CU22.
I found that with the tone on about 50% I am much happier, pleasely surprised shall we say.
Normally I would leave tone at 100% as the starting point and roll back when needed, I haven't really ever tried values other than this as my

There's been a few gigs where I've just had this metallic, digital kind-of sound out of this guitar that was less than inspiring to play.

We'll see what September brings, the Abraxas might end up in one of the 594's and my CU22 at some point soon

You might be someone who benefits from disconnecting the treble bleed cap on the volume pot. This can add a top end presence and harshness in the top end on some setups, though as you've noticed this can be tamed by turning the tone control down a bit. Disconnecting the cap might smooth out some of your top end and make the overdrive sounds more pleasing to you. Or you could just carry on using your tone pot - that's what it's there for after all!

 

[Callan]

You might be someone who benefits from disconnecting the treble bleed cap on the volume pot. This can add a top end presence and harshness in the top end on some setups, though as you've noticed this can be tamed by turning the tone control down a bit. Disconnecting the cap might smooth out some of your top end and make the overdrive sounds more pleasing to you. Or you could just carry on using your tone pot - that's what it's there for after all!

Well that sounds like a pretty simple change, thank you I might try that too

 

[Tone-y]

Well that sounds like a pretty simple change, thank you I might try that too

Can't hurt anything can it? Easy job just to unsolder one of the legs. That's what I've done on mine. I've also changed the tone cap from .033 to .022uf, but that can always be done at a later stage

 

[Herr Squid]

I have a very bright SC594 that borders on shrill, and a while back I dropped a 57/08 bridge pickup in it to see if that made me happier. It only kinda sorta helped. I have NYXL strings installed on it, and was poking around doing some research last night. Lo and behold, the D'Addario site says that those strings have a boost in the 1-2.5 kHz range, and even have a chart showing it. So as an experiment I tried using a graphic EQ to subtract 1-2 dB in the frequencies shown on that page.

Y'know what? I thought it sounded better. So I'm definitely trying different strings on that guitar. Candidates are 10-46 Slinkys or Curt Mangan nickel-plated.

 

[Callan]

I have a very bright SC594 that borders on shrill, and a while back I dropped a 57/08 bridge pickup in it to see if that made me happier. It only kinda sorta helped. I have NYXL strings installed on it, and was poking around doing some research last night. Lo and behold, the D'Addario site says that those strings have a boost in the 1-2.5 kHz range, and even have a chart showing it. So as an experiment I tried using a graphic EQ to subtract 1-2 dB in the frequencies shown on that page.

Y'know what? I thought it sounded better. So I'm definitely trying different strings on that guitar. Candidates are 10-46 Slinkys or Curt Mangan nickel-plated.

Interesting, I have 10-46 slinky’s now, but nyxl‘s ready to install somewhere as a trial. (Currently Enjoying my first nyxls on my HBii, they are 10-52, I wasn’t yet sure where to try 10-46 I purchased the same day)
I might avoid nyxl’s on my sc594 with maple neck, it’s a bright enough guitar with slinky’s, I don’t need shrill..

 

[Herr Squid]

Interesting, I have 10-46 slinky’s now, but nyxl‘s ready to install somewhere as a trial. (Currently Enjoying my first nyxls on my HBii, they are 10-52, I wasn’t yet sure where to try 10-46 I purchased the same day)
I might avoid nyxl’s on my sc594 with maple neck, it’s a bright enough guitar with slinky’s, I don’t need shrill..

Just to show that I can mess up anything, I went to slap the Mangans on that guitar today and realized there were already Slinkys on there, not NYXLs... So much for that theory! My solution to the dilemma was to crank it into a Flexi 50 for a while. It felt good, so I'm mollified for now.

 

[gush]

I put a set of 8515s in my McCarty. I was really bummed that the bridge pickup didn't do it for me. It didn't sound bad by any means but I could not get excited playing it.

The neck pickup was completely different though. The very second I strummed a chord I knew it was a keeper.

I don't roll my tone pot down very often but I do on the 8515 neck pickup. I find that there is a ton of tonal options with this pickup by simply using the tone pot. It never sounds like an amp with a bunch of blankets covering it. Just sweet tones everywhere.

It makes me WANT to explore tones I normally wouldn't.

 

[Summer]

I have 58/15s in my 2018 McCarty. I love the guitar and the pickups seem OK but I will probably put some WCRs in down the road. I’m one of “those” guys ... love the guitars, only like the pickups. Wolfetones and WCRs are generally improvements for what my ears like to hear.

I'm finding my 58/15 LT's on my new 594 just don't have enough punch for heavy rock. Looking at 58/15's (can't find) or 85 for Bridge position. Also think 59/09 could work. Thoughts?

 

[WA Paul]

I'm finding my 58/15 LT's on my new 594 just don't have enough punch for heavy rock. Looking at 58/15's (can't find) or 85 for Bridge position. Also think 59/09 could work. Thoughts?

59/09s are my go to PRS pickups, especially with rosewood necks

 

[Mozzi]

I'm finding my 58/15 LT's on my new 594 just don't have enough punch for heavy rock. Looking at 58/15's (can't find) or 85 for Bridge position. Also think 59/09 could work. Thoughts?

I find them more than adequate myself. Of course that may mean I need to add something (either a pedal or two and/or adjusting the amp settings) to get the Punch that hotter Pick-ups may offer.

The issue with offering advice on a certain pick-up is that the person who is recommending or advising doesn't have the same rig or the same preferences as you. Metal \m/ pick-ups may give the 'punch' you are looking for and maybe more than the 58/15, 85/15 or 59/09's offer - assuming you can find any of these. You may also find Bare Knuckles, Seymour Duncan's etc give the Punch you want. There are a lot of options and some a lot easier to get your hands on than others. With so many potential options, what suits you, the Heavy Rock you are playing etc, could be different to me and anyone else who plays that type of music on their 594.

I very much doubt that you are playing clean - I could be wrong but I think of Heavy Rock as playing with more gain especially as you mention 'punch'. As such, then the Rig is a major contributor to delivering the Punch, the gain you are looking for. Plugging in a 594 to a rig that's been set up for a different guitar, maybe for EMG's, then I can totally understand the lack of punch, The output from the guitar isn't going to hit the pedals/amp as hard and so you may need to adjust the settings or put another pedal in that will give the punch you need. I am sure I could get the Punch from a high gain Amp to offset the lower output but whether that's the sound or punch you want is a different matter.

 

[Summer]

Yea we play classic rock, blues and some metal so not much clean.
I play thru an AX8 so the gain and drive you can achieve are pretty amazing.
My 59/09’s came in yesterday but I may hold off and give these LT’s a little more time.
Love the guitar.
My favorite is the 85/15. On my Custom 22 and they are perfect.

When PRS decides, do you think they will release the 85/15’s first or the
58/15’s ?

Thanks much.

 

[gush]

I'm finding my 58/15 LT's on my new 594 just don't have enough punch for heavy rock. Looking at 58/15's (can't find) or 85 for Bridge position. Also think 59/09 could work. Thoughts?

5909s are incredible.....do it

 

[Summer]

Came today.
Will install this week.
Thanks much.

 

[Callan]

Came today.
Will install this week.
Thanks much.

Be sure to come back and let us know your thoughts

 

[Bsic]

5909s are incredible.....do it

Agree with this- 5909 to me are the perfect rock pickup. Just the right amount of output and excellent clarity without that “hifi” overly present feeling.

 

[Summer]

Lookin forward to it.
Thanks for everyone’s input.
Have a great day.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

PAF style pickups are great if you want a pickup with scooped mids and scratchy top end. They’re great for some things, but they kind of suck for others. You can roll off the tone knob, boost the mids and EQ your amp all you want, you’ll never get a PAF to sound like an overwound pickup, and if that’s the sound you’re after you’re wasting your time fighting it.

There’s a reason dudes in the 60s and 70s were throwing out their original PAFs and installing hotter bridge pickups.

IMO.

 

[Tone-y]

PAF style pickups are great if you want a pickup with scooped mids and scratchy top end.

That's not a sound I associate with PAF type pickups

There’s a reason dudes in the 60s and 70s were throwing out their original PAFs and installing hotter bridge pickups.

Well that's partly because there were less options for getting higher gain back then. Amps didn't have as much gain and there weren't as many boost/overdrive pedal options. Hitting the amp harder with a hotter pickup was the thing to do. Now days getting lots of gain is no problem at all so hot pickups are less necessary.