Texas_minor_blues
Rosewood or Bust
Very curious about the difference between these 2 and was hoping someone had some insight into the difference between the 2?
Anyone had a chance to compare 513 vs 509?
- Thread starter Texas_minor_blues
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Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
Well you don't have the 3 "over arching" tones with the 3 way. I think personally it might be a little more pure with the PRS style single coils now with 408 style switching, which I personally love.
Dancing Frog
Senior 513 Whore
Yes, I've played both. There are 10 PS 509's in existence, 5 in US and two of them are still available. I happen to have a PS 513(515) which is similar in that it has practically the same woods, a maple capped mahogany body with a maple neck. The fretboard woods differ in that 513 has Brazilian rosewood versus Kingwood in the 509. Both woods come from trees of the same genus, so I suspect the difference between them due to the wood is small. The are finished slightly differently in that the 513 has a body is finished in V12 and the rest is nitro vs all nitro for the 509 which I would also expect would be a small difference based on my experience. They both sound similar unplugged. Scale length is the same. Neck joint is the same. On production models, neck carve is the same. My PS 513 has a DGT carve versus a pattern regular on the 509.
The main difference is the electronics. The mini-switches on the 509 only switch between humbucking and singlecoil modes. Gone is the modern humbucking mode. However, the single coil mode is not like the 513 at all, because the 509 is a true hybrid between 513 and a 408 in that the active single coil pick ups steals winds from the inactive one. That result is that there is very little volume loss between the singlecoil and humbucking modes. The other big difference is the phase III trem which locks the balls in the saddles which prevents them from moving and increases sustain.
So, how much different is it in tone? The chime of the 513 is still there as is the characteristic neck pick up coo. What's gone are the nasal qualities that sometimes make the 513 sound brittle, so I don't have pull back on the treble and bump up on the presence to compensate. It also seems to be a bit clearer, more articulate, and touch responsive. The humbucking tones seem to be slightly fuller than clear humbucking, and the single coil tones are closer to a tele on the bridge and a strat on the neck. It actually twangs on the bridge a bit but can still snark on the mixed pick up positions.
If you were expecting it to be 9/13's of a 513, it is not. It is definitely its own complete instrument with its own unique voice that deserves consideration on its own merits and not to be saddled the murder of its dad, the 513.
Check out Bryan Ewald demoing both, and you kind of can get a sense of the difference. Listen to the end of the 513 video and compare it to the beginning of the 509 one. The 513 is on clear humbucking. That difference isn't all Archon.
The main difference is the electronics. The mini-switches on the 509 only switch between humbucking and singlecoil modes. Gone is the modern humbucking mode. However, the single coil mode is not like the 513 at all, because the 509 is a true hybrid between 513 and a 408 in that the active single coil pick ups steals winds from the inactive one. That result is that there is very little volume loss between the singlecoil and humbucking modes. The other big difference is the phase III trem which locks the balls in the saddles which prevents them from moving and increases sustain.
So, how much different is it in tone? The chime of the 513 is still there as is the characteristic neck pick up coo. What's gone are the nasal qualities that sometimes make the 513 sound brittle, so I don't have pull back on the treble and bump up on the presence to compensate. It also seems to be a bit clearer, more articulate, and touch responsive. The humbucking tones seem to be slightly fuller than clear humbucking, and the single coil tones are closer to a tele on the bridge and a strat on the neck. It actually twangs on the bridge a bit but can still snark on the mixed pick up positions.
If you were expecting it to be 9/13's of a 513, it is not. It is definitely its own complete instrument with its own unique voice that deserves consideration on its own merits and not to be saddled the murder of its dad, the 513.
Check out Bryan Ewald demoing both, and you kind of can get a sense of the difference. Listen to the end of the 513 video and compare it to the beginning of the 509 one. The 513 is on clear humbucking. That difference isn't all Archon.
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Texas_minor_blues
Rosewood or Bust
Thanks DF appreciate this!
