Cu24 85/15 or 408 pups?

[ozboy]

Either is available right now., via the 30th anniversary model or the "brushed" birds. Then there is the regular model that I have with the 59/09s

quite a lot of choice in pups there. You'd need a good shop to carry them all and then be able to try them out. That will never happen here in Australia.

Which will ill have the more enduring appeal? I like the 59/09 but have always wondered Vout Thorne 408s and as for the 85/15 are they anything different?

 

[László]

I love the 408 pickups. They're wonderful, versatile, do-everything-well pickups. I've had them on two guitars, and was happy both times. As far as I am concerned, there's nothing lacking with the 408s. They make for a great guitar.

However, my dealer was kind enough to do a clip of the 85/15s for me recently, and I loved what I heard, so I have a CU24 30th coming. The coil splits sounded very good, and I loved the frequency balance on the full humbuckers. You might ask why I picked the 30th Anni model over the Brushstroke 24 they had, and I have no answer for that other than, "seemed like a good idea at the time," just a gut feel that it'd be a useful guitar. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.

I'll post a report when the guitar arrives.

 

[XiXora]

This thread doesn't help me currently decide between a CU22 vs 408.
I just wished PRS kept the stoptail option on the 408. It'd make my decision much easier… not that I have the 85/15 option.

 

[László]

This thread doesn't help me currently decide between a CU22 vs 408.

Nor should it, since it's about the Cu24.

I'm sure a lot of dealers still have stop tail 408s in stock.

 

[Suppalak Klabdee]

I don't have 85/15s but I love my Brushstroke 24. I was also stuck with the same thought for sometimes. There is no way to try them out first here as well (Thailand) so I just have to go with my gut feeling and I went with Brushstroke 24 based heavily on the look of this particular one.

Actually all my PRSi have the 408 pickup of some sort, 408MT BRW, Paul's Guitar and Brushstroke 24. Very versatile and suit what I play really well. Interesting thing is that although similar in some ways, all 3 guitars sound quite different.

 

[Rider1260]

Since I have a newly acquired CU24 and have played a CU24 with 57/08s if it was my $$$ I would go 85/15s, the small 408s are a great pickup which are very clear and articulate, I think I would like them better on a 22 fret guitar
( they kill on my 408 )

 

[justmund]

I think it also comes down to switching options, with the BS24 you get the single coil tones with no volume loss (and all those combinations of HB and SCs), where as the CU24 doesn't have those SC options. Having said that it's a piece of the proverbial to put in a push/pull to tap the HBs in the CU, so you get all those SC tones too (albeit with some volume loss)

 

[aristotle]

I have a couple of Signature Limited's and a 30th CU24 with 85/15s. For my tastes, I like the tones out of the CU24 better than the SL's hands down. Different guitar of course, but I also like the 85/15's better in the CU24 than with CU24s with 57/08s or 59/09s. Having said that, I'm not certain that the wiring in the 30th isn't different also, so can't swear it's all the pickups. Regarding volume drop when going split coil with the 85/15's, that may actually be a good thing depending on what you're going for. Lots of people complain that 408's don't have that single coil quack, and I contend it's because the output is hotter when in single coil mode. So if I want that sort of fender tone with a 408, I have to dial down the volume control. Works fine, and not a problem at all, but I'd just as well not have to do it. Let's face it...how many songs do I need to swap from PAF tone to strat quack mid-song?

 

[AaeCee]

Anyone know of any clips with the 85/15's?