85/15 vs 57/08 vs 59/09

Clean or distorted? And through what signal chain?

Duh - distorted. Elephants have no use for clean.

And they don't play fingerstyle. Why? No thumbs.

And tapping has proven disastrous to necks.

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I'm DYING to try the new pickups!
Been playing the 57/08s vs 59/09s vs the Suhr pickups in my S4.
57/08s definitely sound the coolest - a tad muffled but in a good way. Very raw and rocky, bit like a Les Paul.
59/09s are clearer, louder and higher gain - not as "vintage" as the 57/08s.
Suhr pups sound fantastic and yes there is a lot of tonal variation but it's an HSS guitar with large distance between pups so I guess you'd expect all of that! The 57/08s and 59/09s have their own sound which doesn't change much when switching pickups - it's more like a little EQ has been applied as opposed to the dramatic variation I hear on the S4 (bridge humbucker crunch to single coil quack) - but it's all cool... the pickups sound absolutely amazing. Seriously good.
 
The 57/08s and 59/09s have their own sound which doesn't change much when switching pickups - it's more like a little EQ has been applied as opposed to the dramatic variation I hear on the S4 (bridge humbucker crunch to single coil quack)

And.... We're back...

Expecting a humbuckler to 'quack' makes about as much sense as trying to get an elephant to 'moo'.

Alan???

****

I wonder if we can get Chris to append his shootout vids with newer pup offerings...
 
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I don't know - seems like it's more a picking style and a clean tone to get a bit of a quack of a humbucker.

I have heard a dog go meow, though.

Had to put it in a freezer for a few days, then run it through a band saw, but it really went meeee-ooowww.
 
Well, even though I don't quack (I do walk like a duck but that's another matter), I'll remind everyone that what makes a guitar quack is the out-of-phase signal that comes from a middle pickup blended with another pickup. No middle pickup, and it's just not going to really quack.

This is why an SAS will, and a Custom won't. It's why an HSS guitar or an HSH guitar like a Suhr will also.

It's just physics, guys. Nothing more.
 
Last week, I got a PS with covered 58/15s (my first experience with the new pups). In order of tonal preference, I'd rate my pickup choice from least to most favorite: 53/10, 58/15, 57/08, 59/09.
 
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THere's a stone when we are looking for 85/ bones. Please atone, or join da ramones
 
Last week, I got a PS with covered 58/15s (my first experience with the new pups). In order of tonal preference, I'd rate my pickup choice from least to most favorite: 53/10, 58/15, 57/08, 59/09.
Which just shows to go ya……with the exception of the 58/15's because I've never tried them, my preferences are the exact opposite, with the 53/10's leading the way.

So to the OP, this further confirms the idea that in this guitar world of infinite potential iterations, it all comes down to personal preferences above all.


I am right about the pickups however. ; - ))
 
I really don't have much of a pecking order for the pickups; horses for courses.

I love the 53/10s, but don't currently have a guitar with them; the 57/08s sound great in my Singlecut, and the 85/15s are great in the CU24. I like the Artist V pickups a lot, too, they're fantastic pickups with a vintage vibe but plenty of bite. Ever since the 57/08s, I've loved PRS pickups.
 
Expecting a humbuckler to 'quack' makes about as much sense as trying to get an elephant to 'moo'.

As usual, I'm siding with Les. My 3 pickup Les Paul Custom quacks with the best of them. Set the pickup control to the center position, play the opening lick of Sweet Home, and you'd swear that it's a Strat. It's way more quacky than a Tele for example, even though it's all humbucker. It's all a function of the pickup placement and how the magnetics work out. There isn't anything "split" with a 3 pickup custom. It's the physics of how the pickups interact. In any case, if you're really looking to dup a strat, go with a 513 or a 305. I still say that a 30th CU24 in position 4.... or a 408 with the volume dialed back to around 6 will cure you of wanting to dup a strat though...
 
I really don't have much of a pecking order for the pickups; horses for courses.

I love the 53/10s, but don't currently have a guitar with them; the 57/08s sound great in my Singlecut, and the 85/15s are great in the CU24. I like the Artist V pickups a lot, too, they're fantastic pickups with a vintage vibe but plenty of bite. Ever since the 57/08s, I've loved PRS pickups.

A CU22 or a P22 with 53/10s is second to none.....
 
I'm not trying to suggest that one pickup is better than the other. The determination will be based upon the genre of music played, and what your ear wants to hear. I typically play songs with more gain, and I prefer a more smooth silky tone. While I think all are great pups, the 53/10s and 58/15s, have too much bite for me. However, for clean chimey (is that even a word?) tones, I can see those pups being a good choice. And, I will admit that I have tried neither in my bands, but it wouldn't surprise me if both did a good job of cutting through the mix. I have (on that rare occasion :creep:) been known to change my mind. :tongue:

That said, for me the 59/09s are numero uno.
 
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