Changing out pickups

[Paz]

Howdy gang,

I’m probably going to change out my 85/15 bridge pickup on my cu24 for something a little hotter (probably bare knuckle) if anyone’s done this and has any suggestions on what’s good, please let me know!

Now I know these squabbin pickup rings are slightly different to normal, Will this be a problem for me?

 

[jvin248]

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Lower the neck pickup and turn up the amp...

Raise the screw poles 1/8th inch.

.

 

[Paz]

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Lower the neck pickup and turn up the amp...

Raise the screw poles 1/8th inch.

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Not exactly the answer I was looking for!

 

[Callan]

I put BKP Mules into my HBii. Not "hot" by any means, but the process is easy enough.
There are so many BareKnuckle choices but I think you'll be able to find something you like easy enough, or you can email them too if you get stuck.

But... what are you trying to change from what you have now? Is it just hotter, or do you want something different? If different, in which way?
You're now at a level where they are all 'good' (read: great), just different flavours of good.

I tend to agree with @jvin248 , if it's just hotter, then change it at the amp
(I put a 'boost' switch into my Fractal AX8 for whenever I'm using a 594 or the above-mentioned HBii. I kick the boost in and get an extra ~2-3db input gain. works a treat)

FWIW, I went through looking to replace my 59/09's in my CU24 with BKP.
I ended up parking that idea, as I wasn't 100% clear on what I wanted to achieve from a pickup swap, apart from "new".
I've since found what I was after from that guitar by changing amp settings and saved myself a few dollars too

 

[gush]

If you haven't tried adjusting that pickup then I'd try that first before swapping it out.

Small adjustments make a huge difference and it's free.

 

[Paz]

Thanks for the replies, I’ll give it a go but chances are I’ll be making a change!

 

[Screamingdaisy]

I haven’t done my Cu24 yet, but I’ve been swapping my PAF style pickups out of the bridge of some of my guitars.

Vintage winds have an inherent hollowness to them that sounds sweet for some things and terrible for others. You can boost them all you want, but you can’t completely compensate for the fact that they have less midrange (can’t boost what isn’t there).

In my case I’ve found the JB is really setting my amp on fire. In the past I really hated this pickup, but right now I can’t argue against the results.

 

[Screamingdaisy]

To answer the question in the OP... I think the issue with squabbin rings is with trem spaced humbuckers (53mm). PRS uses standard spaced (49mm) humbuckers in the bridge.

 

[elvis]

I've got 58/15 in one SC and Cold Sweats in the other.

The Cold Sweat isn't hotter per se, but more direct, so it feels hot, but not too hot. Quite different totally. One step up from the CS is the Nailbomb.

I believe that the pickup rings from squabbin pickups take any style of pickup.

 

[matt3310]

If you sell that 85/15, hit me up!

 

[Paz]

If you sell that 85/15, hit me up!

Where are you based?

 

[elvis]

At the risk of generating animosity, think twice before selling an 85/15. They are not terribly replaceable.

 

[elvis]

Here is a quick vid to give you some idea of 58/15 vs Cold Sweat. The 58/15 is quite close to an 85/15.

The amp is pretty transparent, so you will get a reasonable sense for the differences in guitar tone.

 

[Mozzi]

At the risk of generating animosity, think twice before selling an 85/15. They are not terribly replaceable.

I agree!! I don't see any issue with the 85/15's that cannot be 'fixed' without either adjusting the set-up or using a pedal. I think its easier than swapping a PU and there is no guarantee that swapping the PU will give the 'tone', the clarity and/or effect the OP maybe looking for.

If the OP also trades guitars, A PRS guitar that is 'stock' also tends to hold its price better too so even if OP does still decide to replace, keep hold of the Original PU. 85/15's aren't cheap to replace.

I think the 85/15's are excellent and really suit the guitar. Its a more 'modern-vintage' - at least compared to the 58/15's LT's I own which are more classic-vintage. I still find it odd to think of the 80's as vintage at my age but 85 was nearly 35yrs ago (It makes me feel old too...). The 85/15's are so named because Paul wished he had designed these PU's for his first guitars back in '85. However, these are also using 30yrs of experience, knowledge and experimenting with making PU's.

The 'naming' of PU's in recent years have made it 'easier' to understand what the PU's are, what 'year' they evoke or are inspired by and the 'year' they were designed in. In other words, 85 relates to the era and 15 relates to the year of release. The Silver Sky PU's are 635's (meaning they are between a 63 and 64 Single Coil - so 63.5 (halfway between) is where they got their name.

 

[elvis]

To be clear, I'm not against changing. Just recommending not selling the pickup without due consideration.

 

[Paz]

To be clear, I'm not against changing. Just recommending not selling the pickup without due consideration.

Yes thanks a lot for the tips, it’s certainly cheaper than buying a new pickup!

 

[Rider1260]

Suhr Aldrich is a killer pickup, Ive heard it in a few CU24s and a KL-33 worked great in both !!!

 

[zone]

Swapping a pickup takes 5 minutes.
It’s super easy and the changes are reversible so I don’t see the big deal.
If the 85/15 aren’t For you, then swap em out!

 

[Paz]

How much do we think an 85/15 set would cost?

 

[Mozzi]

How much do we think an 85/15 set would cost?

https://uk.prsaccessories.com/collections/pickups May give you an idea on the prices of a 85/15 - even though they are currently not available to buy separately. I see prices in the UK which range from £120 up to £200 each (not per set) - The 57/08's and 59/09's are both at the £195+ each. Again, you may see different prices if you look on the Official PRS website under Accessories for the region you are living in. I would not be surprised though of the Price of a 'set' of 85/15's were $400 (or more) new which would still be less than the prices I see based on current Exchange rates.