85/15 vs 57/08 vs 59/09

THESE! My favorite of the xx/xx series are the Artist V's. However, for some reason, I haven't liked the 57/08 or a proto-59/09 in the bridge of a couple Cu24's I've owned. Generally, I've found them to be weak and too bright, no matter how I adjusted the height, etc.. Very strange.

So, I'm puzzled by what must be in the Artist V's that make me like them so much more. Maybe it's just the 22 frets vs 24? Especially since I like the 57/08s in SCs and in a McCarty. And I like the DGT bridge, which should be in the ballpark of 59/09s?

Anyways, I'm intrigued by the 85/15's since they seem to be designed for the Cu24 and sound beefier, but I haven't had a chance to actually play them yet...

It sounds like your choice Of amplifiers Could be a Factor, Or overuse of distortion pedals, the rig or set up is very critical when using good pickups, A slight booster pedal into the mark III setting Of my Mesa boogie, and/or into JVM Marshall amplifier. SC with 59/09's produce easily guns and roses type of hard rock. Just beautiful fantastic blooming harmonics, tight power chords. Knock knock knocking on Heaven's door.
Often times people expect a good pickup to do everything in the world, I'm just not satisfied it doesn't do everything.
 
Question for all of you guys who are familiar with the current run of pickups. I have already swapped out the Archtop pickups from my HBI with splittable 57/08s. They are awesome. I love everything about them.

I am now faced with a decision. The PTC was just working on my '94 CE24 and long story short, I have to send it back to them for some more work. While it's down there again, I'm going to swap out the HFS/Vintage Bass pickups for something else. The HFS is too hot for my tastes and the VB is too boomy. For whatever it's worth, I still have the 5-way rotary selector on the CE, which gives me those in-between single-coilish tones.

I'm torn on what pickups to have them put in. I could have them do 57/08s again (since I already know I love them) but there's something in me that is telling me that I'm boring for doing that. I hypothesize that those pickups would sound pretty different in a Hollowbody 1 than it would in a '94 CE24. The alder body, nitro-finished maple neck, 24-frets, wide-thin neck carve, lower string gauge, 5-way rotary with the coil tap settings, and tremolo system all make the CE sound vastly different from the HBI. Do you even think they would sound like the same pickup in those two guitars?

I rarely play with super high gain or metal sounds. My amp is a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I tend to play rock, funk, classic rock, blues, jammy stuff (Phish, Dead, Allmans, etc.) and bluegrass. For those genres, and with a '94 CE24, which pickups would you recommend trying? I'm going between another set of 57/08s, a set of 59/09s, or most interestingly, a pair of Artist V pickups. How do the Artist V pickups fall within the line of 5X/XX PRS pickups? I've read anecdotally that they're right in between the 57/08s and the 59/09s, both output level wise and sonically. Any thoughts or opinions? Can anybody here speak to the tone of the Artist V pickups, and if you think that they lend themselves to being installed in a CE24?

My knee-jerk reaction tells me that I'd think the 59/09s would be too hot for my tastes. Please do correct me if I'm mistaken here. That said, do I go for the 57/08s again, counting on the fact that they'll sound totally different in such a different guitar, or do I go with the Artist Vs, which would give me a potentially higher gain option if I wanted, while still maintaining clarity and somewhat of a vintage PAF vibe?
 
Question for all of you guys who are familiar with the current run of pickups. I have already swapped out the Archtop pickups from my HBI with splittable 57/08s. They are awesome. I love everything about them.
Some subtle tricks that you might consider, as I just learned, I have a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates based on 59 PAF, in my Les Paul classic. I love the pickup in that guitar, so I picked up an Epiphone boneyard for $300. And decided to put Pearly Gates in that. But I decided to go with Nickel covered,
In the Epiphone Boneyard, Just to mix it up a little bit. And it took away some of the bite that the uncovered Provide.
And I definitely enjoy playing and observing the difference between the 2 guitars, Ever so slightly softer and warmer with the covers. And maybe a bit smoother in the gain structure.
So you might try to compare the woods involved(Maple neck) and consider uncovered versus covered as a way to create 2 similar guitars with different voices. Also the positions of the pickups are Subtly different and definitely cause different harmonics. So if you love the 57/08 you can try to push the characteristics that match the guitar and tones that you want.
You might swap the ones on the guitar you like and put a different version in that one.
I believe that I've heard the Maple neck bolts on is slightly brighter guitar you might put the steel covered ones in that one and put the open coils in the arch top that makes a lot of sense to me.
Cheers good luck
 
I had a similar situation with my Cu24...the HFS just never clicked with me. I tried everything under the sun but finalized on the 59/09 in the bridge. If it were me, if PTC would put a 59/09 in that works with a 5-way rotary, I'd do it. Plus, a 59/09 with big strings, in my rig, sounds great.

Since you mentioned jam band, here's a clip from one of our practices, pulling stuff straight out of our butts (not the average jam-band kind of stuff, so don't expect Phish). It's rough but shows the 59/09 in a broad range of dirt, finger and flat picked, with reverb and tremolo at times. It's a long jam, so skip around to find the many different sections.

Glass on Metal
 
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I had a similar situation with my Cu24...the HFS just never clicked with me. I tried everything under the sun but finalized on the 59/09 in the bridge. If it were me, if PTC would put a 59/09 in that works with a 5-way rotary, I'd do it. Plus, a 59/09 with big strings, in my rig, sounds great.

Since you mentioned jam band, here's a clip from one of our practices, pulling stuff straight out of our butts (not the average jam-band kind of stuff, so don't expect Phish). It's rough but shows the 59/09 in a broad range of dirt, finger and flat picked, with reverb and tremolo at times. It's a long jam, so skip around to find the many different sections.

Glass on Metal

Nice. Good stuff. What kind of amp is that?
 
One would think, right? ;) No, actually, it's a PRS Super Dallas and my pedalboard. It's not generally what people expect from that amp.
Oh, that's right, you have the Super Dallas, I knew that. :facepalm: @ self... :confused::)
 
@LSchefman you've played around with all of the different pickups in question, correct? Now that you've had them for a couple years, how would you say the Artist V pickups compare with the 57/08s and the 59/09s? Do you still find that they're somewhere in-between the 08s and the 09s? Based on my inquiry above regarding my CE24, what say you? Your pickup opinions are highly respected on my end... I worked on sound for picture a long time ago, and I know you do sound for commercials, so your tonal referents are similar to mine, and I find your way of describing the sounds to be fairly spot on to the way I describe sounds as well.
 
If your'e sending the guitar to the PTC how about trying out the 58/15's? They're lower output like the 57's. I met with some of the guys from PRS at Sam Ash and they raved about those pups saying they're better than the 57's.
I'm definitely digging the 85/15's the more I play them. They freaked me out at first but they are an amazing pickup. Definitely not a mid range sounding pickup though. They are exactly what they say they are, extended bass and low end.
 
If your'e sending the guitar to the PTC how about trying out the 58/15's? They're lower output like the 57's. I met with some of the guys from PRS at Sam Ash and they raved about those pups saying they're better than the 57's.
I'm definitely digging the 85/15's the more I play them. They freaked me out at first but they are an amazing pickup. Definitely not a mid range sounding pickup though. They are exactly what they say they are, extended bass and low end.

Sadly, they aren't available through the PTC. At least they weren't when I asked prior to sending my Cu22 there. Granted, that was in March. Things may have changed since then. Never hurts to ask.
 
I had a similar situation with my Cu24...the HFS just never clicked with me. I tried everything under the sun but finalized on the 59/09 in the bridge. If it were me, if PTC would put a 59/09 in that works with a 5-way rotary, I'd do it. Plus, a 59/09 with big strings, in my rig, sounds great.

Since you mentioned jam band, here's a clip from one of our practices, pulling stuff straight out of our butts (not the average jam-band kind of stuff, so don't expect Phish). It's rough but shows the 59/09 in a broad range of dirt, finger and flat picked, with reverb and tremolo at times. It's a long jam, so skip around to find the many different sections.

Glass on Metal
I like it,:p reminds me of some heavier Pink Floyd riffage, did you choose covered or uncovered 59/09.
It sounded towards the dark side tone wise and yet some of the high strings were bright and crisp.
What amplifier Is that, The pickups and the amplifier combination is very important.
 
It sounded towards the dark side tone wise...

Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png


ct-dark-side-behaviors-0105-biz-20160104
 
I like it,:p reminds me of some heavier Pink Floyd riffage, did you choose covered or uncovered 59/09.
It sounded towards the dark side tone wise and yet some of the high strings were bright and crisp.
What amplifier Is that, The pickups and the amplifier combination is very important.
That is an uncovered 59/09. The amp is a PRS Super Dallas.

I'm totally ok with that description. :D
 
Question for all of you guys who are familiar with the current run of pickups. I have already swapped out the Archtop pickups from my HBI with splittable 57/08s. They are awesome. I love everything about them.

I am now faced with a decision. The PTC was just working on my '94 CE24 and long story short, I have to send it back to them for some more work. While it's down there again, I'm going to swap out the HFS/Vintage Bass pickups for something else. The HFS is too hot for my tastes and the VB is too boomy. For whatever it's worth, I still have the 5-way rotary selector on the CE, which gives me those in-between single-coilish tones.

I'm torn on what pickups to have them put in. I could have them do 57/08s again (since I already know I love them) but there's something in me that is telling me that I'm boring for doing that. I hypothesize that those pickups would sound pretty different in a Hollowbody 1 than it would in a '94 CE24. The alder body, nitro-finished maple neck, 24-frets, wide-thin neck carve, lower string gauge, 5-way rotary with the coil tap settings, and tremolo system all make the CE sound vastly different from the HBI. Do you even think they would sound like the same pickup in those two guitars?

I rarely play with super high gain or metal sounds. My amp is a Fender Deluxe Reverb. I tend to play rock, funk, classic rock, blues, jammy stuff (Phish, Dead, Allmans, etc.) and bluegrass. For those genres, and with a '94 CE24, which pickups would you recommend trying? I'm going between another set of 57/08s, a set of 59/09s, or most interestingly, a pair of Artist V pickups. How do the Artist V pickups fall within the line of 5X/XX PRS pickups? I've read anecdotally that they're right in between the 57/08s and the 59/09s, both output level wise and sonically. Any thoughts or opinions? Can anybody here speak to the tone of the Artist V pickups, and if you think that they lend themselves to being installed in a CE24?

My knee-jerk reaction tells me that I'd think the 59/09s would be too hot for my tastes. Please do correct me if I'm mistaken here. That said, do I go for the 57/08s again, counting on the fact that they'll sound totally different in such a different guitar, or do I go with the Artist Vs, which would give me a potentially higher gain option if I wanted, while still maintaining clarity and somewhat of a vintage PAF vibe?
Check out what Paul Reed Smith says about covered versus uncovered 57/08, in cu22
70% of sale use the 57/08 pickups so they took the covers off to see how the would look.
They opened up the the sound. at 1:20 minutes
I think it's an important choice to consider.
 
Thanks. I'm definitely leaning in the direction of getting the uncovered 57/08s.

I'm also flirting with the idea of a covered 59/09 in the bridge and an uncovered 57/08 in the neck, but that might look weird.
 
Thanks. I'm definitely leaning in the direction of getting the uncovered 57/08s.

I'm also flirting with the idea of a covered 59/09 in the bridge and an uncovered 57/08 in the neck, but that might look weird.

I've found it works better the other way around. Last year I pulled the covers off the Burstbuckers in my Les Paul as an experiment. I found myself putting the cover back on the neck because I preferred the increased honk and reduced attack in that position.
 
Thanks. I'm definitely leaning in the direction of getting the uncovered 57/08s.

I'm also flirting with the idea of a covered 59/09 in the bridge and an uncovered 57/08 in the neck, but that might look weird.
There is some precedent for an uncovered mixed with a covered the Tremonti signature.
217045-4sm.jpg
 
THESE! My favorite of the xx/xx series are the Artist V's. However, for some reason, I haven't liked the 57/08 or a proto-59/09 in the bridge of a couple Cu24's I've owned. Generally, I've found them to be weak and too bright, no matter how I adjusted the height, etc.. Very strange.

So, I'm puzzled by what must be in the Artist V's that make me like them so much more. Maybe it's just the 22 frets vs 24? Especially since I like the 57/08s in SCs and in a McCarty. And I like the DGT bridge, which should be in the ballpark of 59/09s?

Anyways, I'm intrigued by the 85/15's since they seem to be designed for the Cu24 and sound beefier, but I haven't had a chance to actually play them yet...

@Skeeter I'm curious what your thoughts are about the idea of putting an Artist V in the bridge of my CE24 to go along with a 57/08 in the neck. Are they still your favorite pickup?
 
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