intothevoid
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2013
- Messages
- 64
The Vela D type single coil is the best PRS pickup i've come across. LOVE the 57/08s as well, they also have incredible split tones.
Best/favorite PRS Pickup Over the Years?
- Thread starter Mole351
- Start date
Basauri
Diamonds x Guitars deal with Paul
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2016
- Messages
- 373
I love the vintage and creamy tone of my neck 57/08. Like, but meh, the bridge one because I like hot pickups in the bridge. Despite that, it´s a wonderful PAF.
Surprisingly, lately I´m playing a lot my SE Cu24 and I think: "hey, these korean 85/15 are really punchy/powerful/modern but transparent pickups. Usually you have one thing or the other, but these have the best of both"
Surprisingly, lately I´m playing a lot my SE Cu24 and I think: "hey, these korean 85/15 are really punchy/powerful/modern but transparent pickups. Usually you have one thing or the other, but these have the best of both"
Huggy Love
Vintage member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
- Messages
- 2,766
Dragon IIs for hard stuff, Archtop Mccartys for clean & jazz.
Yup. Figured I said enough about it, and folks are sick of hearing from me!
EDIT: Also, what I value in a pickup isn't just how it sounds with the volume on 10. It's also how it sounds when the volume is rolled back, and how it works with the front ends of several amps.
So my criteria might be different from lots of other folks, and especially those who turn the guitar all the way up and leave it there.
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There is no 'BETTER'.
It's all personal taste. They are all great pickups.
Personally I agree with bodia on \m/ and Santana.
I also like my HFS/VB set.
85/15 definitely have their place, just not so much for me.
It's all personal taste. They are all great pickups.
Personally I agree with bodia on \m/ and Santana.
I also like my HFS/VB set.
85/15 definitely have their place, just not so much for me.
shallbe
New Member
Here are my favorites:
Old Artist Treble and Bass (Alnico 4)
Santana Treble and Bass
DGT Treble and Bass
The guitar does make a difference, but the old Artist series pickups are WONDERFUL and sorely underappreciated. They are uncovered, and usually have gold poles. A friend had an old PRS Artist (4?) with the gold birds and I loved the sound and feel of that guitar. Found a mint set on eBay. I pulled the DII's out of my CU22AP (too compressed with the band---just had no dynamics) and dropped in the A4's and the guitar is perfect.
Old Artist Treble and Bass (Alnico 4)
Santana Treble and Bass
DGT Treble and Bass
The guitar does make a difference, but the old Artist series pickups are WONDERFUL and sorely underappreciated. They are uncovered, and usually have gold poles. A friend had an old PRS Artist (4?) with the gold birds and I loved the sound and feel of that guitar. Found a mint set on eBay. I pulled the DII's out of my CU22AP (too compressed with the band---just had no dynamics) and dropped in the A4's and the guitar is perfect.
Great post. I find most of the pickups to sound great in the right guitars. I like the HFS in standards. And not just for hard rock. The Mira is a great pickup that covers a lot of ground. I'm a huge fan of the \m/ pickup as well. For any amount of crunch to high gain, I can make that pickup work in most guitars.
Korina Jack
New Member
Dragon II, PRS7's, McCarty and P90's (Old school). Enjoyed the 57/08's too!
andy474x
Knows the Drill
I've not owned most of the range... but my 57/08's are safe in my SE Akesson. The legend surrounding them is that they're an early, perhaps even prototype, unetched version. So naturally they sound better than most, because we all know the etching disrupts the magnetic field of the pickup
Mira pickups were fair I would say, although the guitar they were in was quite bright, so it's hard to truly judge.
The S2 7's are without a doubt THE pickups to be in my S2 Semi 22, but in my S2 Satin 22 the bridge was only decent, switching to a 59/09 was an improvement. Neck 7 was still a perfect fit.
As stated above, there are definitely many good ones, often depends on finding the right pairing with a guitar.
Mira pickups were fair I would say, although the guitar they were in was quite bright, so it's hard to truly judge.
The S2 7's are without a doubt THE pickups to be in my S2 Semi 22, but in my S2 Satin 22 the bridge was only decent, switching to a 59/09 was an improvement. Neck 7 was still a perfect fit.
As stated above, there are definitely many good ones, often depends on finding the right pairing with a guitar.
11top
Cousin Eddie's cousin
With a gun to my head......
I'd pick 59/09s.
I'd pick 59/09s.
True dat! Jack Gretz and I put a set of McCartys in my P22 a few years ago, and they worked wonders for that guitar. However, I put a set in my Custom 24, and it just didn't work that well. I'll be putting Dragons back in that guitar with the 5-way rotary. Still, I've had much better luck with those than the later PRS offerings.
CatStrangler
PRS Enthusiast
Those are certainly the ones I like the most along with 408s.
bluefade
New Member
I HAD a McCARTY standard , back in the 90's , with DRAGON 2's...It was KILLER 
Now it's GONE ARRRGGG
Now it's GONE ARRRGGG Today I played my 20th PS Anniversary Ltd with all of my amps. Love the Narrow 408s with the NF middle pickup.
So today these are my favorites. My problem, of course, is that the 57/08s on my McCarty Singlecut are also my favorites, and the 85/15s on my CU24 30th are my favorites, and oh yeah, there are the 58/15s on the McCarty and uh...
You get the idea.
So today these are my favorites. My problem, of course, is that the 57/08s on my McCarty Singlecut are also my favorites, and the 85/15s on my CU24 30th are my favorites, and oh yeah, there are the 58/15s on the McCarty and uh...
You get the idea.
dkilpatrick
Makes guitar faces
Each one is suited to that model.Today I played my 20th PS Anniversary Ltd with all of my amps. Love the Narrow 408s with the NF middle pickup.
So today these are my favorites. My problem, of course, is that the 57/08s on my McCarty Singlecut are also my favorites, and the 85/15s on my CU24 30th are my favorites, and oh yeah, there are the 58/15s on the McCarty and uh...
You get the idea.
Also nice that every guitar you own has its own voice.
watelessness
Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 2,549
I have played most of them. I like the 57/08's best
You're back!
Jimi D
@ the hundredth meridian
Ya, what they said... ^^^^^^^
It's nice for sure, but I realize we all have different needs.
As a guy who doesn't tour behind records, but who uses the guitars for studio work, it always made sense to me to have several models in order to have different tones on tap. I don't need backups, or guitars in different tunings to be handed to me on a stage. Heck, my guitars rarely leave home.
If I was known for a particular sound, or toured and needed backups or guitars for different tunings, I'd want more than one of the same model.
