58/15 Pickups - anybody not a fan?

[FunkyFreeman]

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.

Me too. Most PRS pups don't really do the jobs for me, especially current offerrings that are almost all vintage-inspired ones.

I love PRS craftmenship but tone, so I replaced most of stock pups on my PRS guitars like a BKP Aftermath on PRS Modern Eagle. Sold 53/10 pups and never look back.

 

[CyFan4036]

I'm thrilled with my 85/15 S pups! I can get just about any tone I want from them with nice clarity. And they're very vocal.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

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.

I’m a high gain player. I thought the same for a long time. I switched from EMG and Super Distortion to PAF style pickups around 2006 thinking I was onto something. Improved articulation from the pickups, let the amp do the heavy lifting. My idea was reinforced when I found out the Lamb of God guys were doing something similar.

I initially liked it, but for a long time I was unhappy with my sound. I blamed a lot of things, thought my tastes were changing, it took me a long time to realize it was the pickups. A couple years ago I started to clue in, made some changes and now half my guitars are high output (JB) while the other are low (58/15 and 85/15).

The pickups are the source and PAFs have weak midrange. Overwinding increases midrange and reduces top end. Feed that into a clean amp and it sounds dull and sterile, but feed it into a high gain amp and you start getting harmonics that you never realize existed if all you’ve ever used is vintage output. Stack on the output and compression and you start needing less gain on the amp. Hotter signal, fatter tone, screaming leads.

I won’t get the same result by boosting the mids on a PAF... I tried. I can’t boost what was never there in the first place, and I can’t shift the harmonics on a PAF using a tubescreamer.

All the harmonics on a PAF are higher up... sounds great clean and good overdriven, but keep rolling on the distortion it comes across as increased fizz... the stuff everyone is trying to EQ out. The end result is flat, boring, and lacks the cut in the mix. Add in the mush from an Alnico 2 magnet to the much from dirt and it’s not a recipe for success.

PAF style pickups are great sounding pickups for some things and they’re terrible for others. IMO, they’re just one option out of many and shouldn’t be put on the pedestal some like to put them on.

IMO and YMMV.

 

[Tone-y]

I’m a high gain player. I thought the same for a long time. I switched from EMG and Super Distortion to PAF style pickups around 2006 thinking I was onto something. Improved articulation from the pickups, let the amp do the heavy lifting. My idea was reinforced when I found out the Lamb of God guys were doing something similar.

I initially liked it, but for a long time I was unhappy with my sound. I blamed a lot of things, thought my tastes were changing, it took me a long time to realize it was the pickups. A couple years ago I started to clue in, made some changes and now half my guitars are high output (JB) while the other are low (58/15 and 85/15).

The pickups are the source and PAFs have weak midrange. Overwinding increases midrange and reduces top end. Feed that into a clean amp and it sounds dull and sterile, but feed it into a high gain amp and you start getting harmonics that you never realize existed if all you’ve ever used is vintage output. Stack on the output and compression and you start needing less gain on the amp. Hotter signal, fatter tone, screaming leads.

I won’t get the same result by boosting the mids on a PAF... I tried. I can’t boost what was never there in the first place, and I can’t shift the harmonics on a PAF using a tubescreamer.

All the harmonics on a PAF are higher up... sounds great clean and good overdriven, but keep rolling on the distortion it comes across as increased fizz... the stuff everyone is trying to EQ out. The end result is flat, boring, and lacks the cut in the mix. Add in the mush from an Alnico 2 magnet to the much from dirt and it’s not a recipe for success.

PAF style pickups are great sounding pickups for some things and they’re terrible for others. IMO, they’re just one option out of many and shouldn’t be put on the pedestal some like to put them on.

IMO and YMMV.

Well if course there are different options than just PAF type pickups, even within low output pickups there are different options. And then there are all the medium output pickups etc. And what you might want from high gain isn't necessarily the same as someone else. I agree if you want serious chug, PAF type, or even low output pickups in general probably won't be the best. But that doesn't mean you can't get PAF type pickups to rock hard these days (caveat being that PAF can mean a lot of different things to different people)

 

[Screamingdaisy]

But that doesn't mean you can't get PAF type pickups to rock hard these days

Truth.

And a fact that Slash takes to the bank daily.

 

[Callan]

Abraxas are in! Happy new pickup day to me!
Through my studio monitors it's like somebody has kicked on the loudness button.
Fatter in the low mids - more body if you like - and gone is what I perceived as a somewhat harsh top end.
So far very happy.
My 3 year old is asleep, bring on the weekend so I can really hear how these things sounds!

I should perhaps point out, I'm usually the only guitarist in my band when I'm playing live.
I could see these being a bit dark for a 6-piece band, with multiple guitars, keys, brass, etc. and that's fine too! the ol 58/15's will be waiting if that day ever comes.

 

[gush]

Me too. Most PRS pups don't really do the jobs for me, especially current offerrings that are almost all vintage-inspired ones.

I love PRS craftmenship but tone, so I replaced most of stock pups on my PRS guitars like a BKP Aftermath on PRS Modern Eagle. Sold 53/10 pups and never look back.

You sold your 5310s and never looked back................not sure what to say......

 

[JohnA]

I’ve got mixed feelings on the 85/15s I had in my CE. They were very noisy, picking up clicks from switching power supplys in a way humbuckers usually don’t. The tone was very bright, probably too bright, but they split very nicely without much volume drop.

 

[Tahlee]

I have the 58/15 TMs in a Singlecut and I love them. I’m in a cover band so I’m playing a wide variety of songs and these pickups are great for that. The heaviest we play is Metallica and they handle it well.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’ve got mixed feelings on the 85/15s I had in my CE. They were very noisy, picking up clicks from switching power supplys in a way humbuckers usually don’t. The tone was very bright, probably too bright, but they split very nicely without much volume drop.

Sorry to hear that, John. I have them in an S2 Custom 24, and they scream and are great. I’m wondering if there was a wiring issue......

 

[JohnA]

Sorry to hear that, John. I have them in an S2 Custom 24, and they scream and are great. I’m wondering if there was a wiring issue......

Well I can only say that the guitar was stock and in good shape. My personal guess is that whatever was done to get the unusually nice coil split somewhat degrades the humbucking capabilities of the pickup.

Anyway, I traded the guitar for a pretty nice Jackson with Seymour Duncans and a bunch of cash. I still have my SC245 with Classic 57s and that one I’ll probably never get rid of. Plays and sounds beautiful. The stock 245 pickups were not very good either though.. overwound and very dark.

 

[Deli6505]

I'm not much of a fan of the 85/15s either. When I got my Chris Robertson, one of the first things I did was take out the 85/15 in the bridge and replaced it with a \m/ and I prefer that pickup so much better. The Tremonti is a close second for the \m/ just has that special something that I really like. Heck, I even put one in my DGT and that guitar screams now.

 

[pallajt]

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I'm not overly happy with the sound from my CU22 with 58/15 pickups.
Am I the only one?

They sound fine clean, but just don't seem to please me as I put them through a classic rock amp.
Thin, harsh top end, maybe almost strat like in their tone.. i dunno, maybe I just have GAS and want to change something up.

I've had some not-so-popular options in the past with pickups (like taking 57/08's out of my HBii), but that was the guitar I'm sure, as I have 2 solidbody single cuts with 57/08's and they are both great. The HBii also seems much happier with BKP Mules.

Anyway, tell me what you think of the normal 58/15's
58/15 LT and MT's are both different enough that they are a different beast again,

Cheers,

I think I'm with you on this but am not totally sure yet. I had a 2019 McCarty 594 that had 85/15 pickups that I eventually sold. I have a Zach Myers signature with Gibson Burstbucker 1&2s and I preferred the sound of that guitar. Not only that, but when I engaged the coil split on the 85/15s I found that sound pretty much unusable and nowhere near any sort of authentic single-coil sound (by comparison I have a Fender Parallel Universe Uptown Strat and those pickups are spot-on perfect when split). I just picked up a used 2016 594 that has 58/15LTs in it. So far I think I like them more than the 85/15s but still find the coil split to be useless. I have a set of Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers that I'm considering installing in it but haven't made up my mind yet. Just got the guitar yesterday so I'm going to spend a little time with the stock pickups first and see how it goes.

 

[Bandit49]

ffI'm not sure if it's just me, but I'm not overly happy with the sound from my CU22 with 58/15 pickups.
Am I the only one?

They sound fine clean, but just don't seem to please me as I put them through a classic rock amp.
Thin, harsh top end, maybe almost strat like in their tone.. i dunno, maybe I just have GAS and want to change something up.

I've had some not-so-popular options in the past with pickups (like taking 57/08's out of my HBii), but that was the guitar I'm sure, as I have 2 solidbody single cuts with 57/08's and they are both great. The HBii also seems much happier with BKP Mules.

Anyway, tell me what you think of the normal 58/15's
58/15 LT and MT's are both different enough that they are a different beast again,

Cheers,

Just picked up a New SE Hollow body with the 58/15 s pickups . I found them to be lacking sparkle and articulation even after my tech guy set them up. The bridge pickup cut through the live band mix, but the neck and middle position were useless although they were fine for solo chord melody stuff. I've always used Fralins in all my guitars and was ready to go with his Un-Buckers with coil splitting but my Tech guy insisted I try the SD Alnico 2 pros. I'll let you know how they sound in a week.
Tone is very subjective and people like different things but most of the time I find that people are happy with stock pickups because they've never experienced the difference that an upgraded pickup can make.
Rock on

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Just picked up a New SE Hollow body with the 58/15 s pickups . I found them to be lacking sparkle and articulation even after my tech guy set them up. The bridge pickup cut through the live band mix, but the neck and middle position were useless although they were fine for solo chord melody stuff. I've always used Fralins in all my guitars and was ready to go with his Un-Buckers with coil splitting but my Tech guy insisted I try the SD Alnico 2 pros. I'll let you know how they sound in a week.
Tone is very subjective and people like different things but most of the time I find that people are happy with stock pickups because they've never experienced the difference that an upgraded pickup can make.
Rock on

Congratulations on the new guitar and welcome to the forum.

 

[chicagoslim]

Welcome Bandit and congratulations on the SE Hollowbody. Did you get the Hollowbody Standard or Hollowbody II? The difference in wood makes a big difference in brightness of sound.

I've got 58/15S pickups in a S2 McCarty SC 594 and a Hollowbody II. I love them in the Hollowbody II and hate them in the McCarty 594. For more Vintage sounds I've got Seymour Duncan (alnico IV) SNS's in a S2 Singlecut Semi, Poter (alnico V) Gatekeepers in a S2 Custom 22 and Bootstrap Vintage Cleans (alnico II neck and alnico V bridge) in a SE Zack Myers.

 

[gush]

I bought a set of 8515s some time ago and put them in my 2000 McCarty. Absolutely LOVED the neck pickup the instant I plugged it in but bridge was just blah.

I keep hearing people praise the bridge pickup AND I'm running my amps a lot differently now so I am tempted to put bridge back in and give it another go.

I had sent this guitar to prs for some work and had them install push pull pots on both vol and tone for a 408 style switching.

I have convinced myself that this dual tap setup is a step backwards as the last two bridge pickups I've had in it don't sound as good as I think they should and may be why prs uses mini toggles instead.

I'm going back to stock McCarty switching to find out.

 

[Whodat84]

I put 58/15LTs in my 2000 mccarty, I like the tone but was expecting more. I played around with it and found out the closer the pups are to the strings, the more I liked them and the more they sounded like a great set of PAFs. Wouldn’t change a thing now.

 

[Bandit49]

Welcome Bandit and congratulations on the SE Hollowbody. Did you get the Hollowbody Standard or Hollowbody II? The difference in wood makes a big difference in brightness of sound.

I've got 58/15S pickups in a S2 McCarty SC 594 and a Hollowbody II. I love them in the Hollowbody II and hate them in the McCarty 594. For more Vintage sounds I've got Seymour Duncan (alnico IV) SNS's in a S2 Singlecut Semi, Poter (alnico V) Gatekeepers in a S2 Custom 22 and Bootstrap Vintage Cleans (alnico II neck and alnico V bridge) in a SE Zack Myers.

Thanks for the welcome ....It's the standard Hollowbody . I was looking for something a little different than my Gibson 339 semi-hollow.
My Bass player picked up a CE 24 Semi Hollow and I loved it but his came with the 85/15 pickups and mine the 58/15s.
Very impressed with the guitar but the pickups were dull and flat so I had my Tech install Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 Pros, a push / pull for coil splitting and a Vitamin Q cap on the tone. I plugged in and strummed a major 7th chord and was blown away .
Clear, Chimy , Glass like, notes. Beautiful Articulation. I was hoping to get something close to my 339 which has Fralin Pure PAFs but this guitar surpases that . My buddy with the CE24 just ordered a set too after playing mine.
Final thoughts on my first PRS guitar......Beautifully made , great neck and fret board ( even on my $1000 model ) but disappointing electronics.
Anyone spending this much and probably more on a PRS guitar, go the extra mile and upgrade your pickups . It makes a world of difference.

 

[shinksma]

Just picked up a New SE Hollow body with the 58/15 s pickups .

Anyone spending this much and probably more on a PRS guitar, go the extra mile and upgrade your pickups . It makes a world of difference.

There are a lot of folks who seem to find the import "S" versions of PRS pickups found in the SE and S2 lines to be underwhelming. I generally don't have an issue with them, but maybe I'm not picky. Or maybe I just use them as alternative voicings to what I hear from my core PRSi.

So you will be amongst a large crowd of folks who have swapped out their 58/15S pups for something different. Let us know how your journey goes!