Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
Just curious. I Have a very bright DGT
Is the current 57/08 bridge pickup warmer than the current DGT bridge pickup?
- Thread starter Rod/
- Start date
I'm assuming by 'warmer' you mean 'darker', or 'fuller-sounding in the low mids and bass' (since more low end masks brightness in frequency response by balancing it out more).
I would love to offer a useful answer that question, but my current 57/08 guitar is a McCarty Singlecut PS, and it's a very different sounding guitar from my DGT - based on body thickness, single cutaway, etc.
I've had a few with 57/08s that were double cuts, but they aren't here any more to make a valid comparison.
So any comparison I'd make at this point would be flawed.
My McCarty SC is very full sounding with a lot of low mids and bass, perhaps thicker in those frequencies, but that's probably the body style. I wouldn't say it's less bright than the DGT. It can get plenty snarly in the upper registers.
However...I'm not a 'Set the controls on the guitar to 10' guy. So that may or may not be useful anyway.
I generally set my amps up with the guitar volume set to get 'edge of breakup' at 6, and play all of my guitars with the tone control and volume control rolled back a little bit so I can control the tone from the guitar, old-school. Roll up the volume, I get more dirt, back it off and I get cleaner tones. I set amps up with the tone controls around 7-8 so I can use the guitar to control the EQ while I play.
I would love to offer a useful answer that question, but my current 57/08 guitar is a McCarty Singlecut PS, and it's a very different sounding guitar from my DGT - based on body thickness, single cutaway, etc.
I've had a few with 57/08s that were double cuts, but they aren't here any more to make a valid comparison.
So any comparison I'd make at this point would be flawed.
My McCarty SC is very full sounding with a lot of low mids and bass, perhaps thicker in those frequencies, but that's probably the body style. I wouldn't say it's less bright than the DGT. It can get plenty snarly in the upper registers.
However...I'm not a 'Set the controls on the guitar to 10' guy. So that may or may not be useful anyway.
I generally set my amps up with the guitar volume set to get 'edge of breakup' at 6, and play all of my guitars with the tone control and volume control rolled back a little bit so I can control the tone from the guitar, old-school. Roll up the volume, I get more dirt, back it off and I get cleaner tones. I set amps up with the tone controls around 7-8 so I can use the guitar to control the EQ while I play.
One thing I love about the DGT is the. pickup blends in the middle position. I can dial in an awful lot of tones with varying levels of dark and bright.
For me, that's the secret sauce of the DGT, and a lot probably depends on the pickups and how they interact. But...we're all different.
For me, that's the secret sauce of the DGT, and a lot probably depends on the pickups and how they interact. But...we're all different.
Bogner
Redwood Original - Pure Blood
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2016
- Messages
- 2,744
I Will Chime In By Saying That Is A Very Difficult Question To Answer In A Blanket Statement. So Many Things Effect The Guitars Sound Overall That Unless You Change The Various Pickups In The Actual Guitar In Question It Is A Crap Shoot At Best. No Two Guitars Are Identical And I Would Ventura To Say No Two Pickups Are Identical Either. I would Also Say The Variances May Be Incredibly Minimal But They Are Still There. What Direction That Swings Is Anybody's Guess. I Have Identical Guitars That Sound Nothing Alike And IF I Focused On One Guitar I Could Easily Say Everything Is Dark Or On Another Identical Guitar Everything Is Bright.
I Know My Blabbering Probably Didn't Help And I Apologize For That But It Does Warrant It Being Said. Everything Sonically Is A Case By Case Basis For The Most Part. I Am Sure You Messed With Pickup Height, etc. How About Pots, Cables, Etc To See If That Does Something Sonically To Your Liking?
I Know My Blabbering Probably Didn't Help And I Apologize For That But It Does Warrant It Being Said. Everything Sonically Is A Case By Case Basis For The Most Part. I Am Sure You Messed With Pickup Height, etc. How About Pots, Cables, Etc To See If That Does Something Sonically To Your Liking?
Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
That’s a really good point Les… I’ve actually been using mine that way for recording sessions recently and there’s a good variation of tones available….I did lower the bridge pickup to find it’s sweet spot and that helped a lot with having it less bright. And if I want it darker, the tone control is my friend
That particular DGT has a very articulate tone signature which has taken me a bit of time to appreciate. And it’s so different than my SC58, P-22 and DC594, which are all so different from each other as well.. sounds like I’m talking in circles
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I think the blending thing makes it more useful than most, let's put it that way.That’s a really good point Les… I’ve actually been using mine that way for recording sessions recently and there’s a good variation of tones available….I did lower the bridge pickup to find it’s sweet spot and that helped a lot with having it less bright. And if I want it darker, the tone control is my friend
What kind of stuff have you been recording? I'm always interested in sharing experiences!
Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
I had a set of DGTs that I never got around to installing. Wish I could have tried them.
I do have a 57/08 neck with 59/09 treble in my HB and the 59/09 definitely has some extra oomph to it
I do have a 57/08 neck with 59/09 treble in my HB and the 59/09 definitely has some extra oomph to it
Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
Well, I was hired recently to play rhythm and lead guitar parts on a very soulful singer/songwriter project which included violin, dobro, piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums.. lots of great tunes ,songwriting and musicianship. The engineer/producer is really quite talented, (probably a lot like yourself)
Next week it’s to play most of the guitar tracks on a recording for the Steve Miller Tribute band “The Space Cowboys that I’m in to be used as part of our promo package …
I think that’s it for now
That sounds like a LOT of good stuff!Well, I was hired recently to play rhythm and lead guitar parts on a very soulful singer/songwriter project which included violin, dobro, piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums.. lots of great tunes ,songwriting and musicianship. The engineer/producer is really quite talented, (probably a lot like yourself)
Next week it’s to play most of the guitar tracks on a recording for the Steve Miller Tribute band “The Space Cowboys that I’m in to be used as part of our promo package …
I think that’s it for now
When it's OK to do so, please post some links! I'd love to hear these projects. I've said many times that one of the best things about having musical friends is sharing the material with them.
Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
When I get the time I will certainly do so. am in Denver and Santa Fe this week. I used to live out here and was in school at DU a few (ahumm) years ago…..back to New England next week..
Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
Enjoy your time out here. Finally not blazing hot and only some rain.
GuitarJammin
Guitar Player
I have 57/08s in different guitars. I've also moved a individual set of 57/08s across 3 guitars. I'd swear they were different pickups in each guitar! Its so crazy. First off the factory equipped guitars: my private stock Singlecut...they sound rich and bright. In my Artist CU24 with maple neck and ebony board....they sound strong and full but dark with some amazing harmonic overtones i've never heard outta another PRS (keeper). I had a 57/08 in the bridge of a custom 24 with a Korina body...sounded amazing there too...lots of bite and attack and snarl.
Now I had purchased a set of 57/08s and installed the same set in 3 different guitars:
1983 Gibson Les paul custom...maple neck/ebony board....super powerful low end...they were and the darker side of rich.
22' Gibson SG standard.....bright, crispy, full of Attack...bottom end was nowhere near as prevalent as in the LP.
Currently installed in my 94 CU24 gold top.....freaking perfect...a appetizing amount of low end, lots of attack, lots of highs. Can't unplug the thing from my VH4...nails the cleans, nails the classic rock gain, Metal to your face and sings in the solos..
When I see the question how do 57/08s sound I usually get mentally blanked out because of my experiences using them.
You know what though? In every guitar I've put them in I LOVE them. That's the only consistent thing I can tell you.
Now I had purchased a set of 57/08s and installed the same set in 3 different guitars:
1983 Gibson Les paul custom...maple neck/ebony board....super powerful low end...they were and the darker side of rich.
22' Gibson SG standard.....bright, crispy, full of Attack...bottom end was nowhere near as prevalent as in the LP.
Currently installed in my 94 CU24 gold top.....freaking perfect...a appetizing amount of low end, lots of attack, lots of highs. Can't unplug the thing from my VH4...nails the cleans, nails the classic rock gain, Metal to your face and sings in the solos..
When I see the question how do 57/08s sound I usually get mentally blanked out because of my experiences using them.
You know what though? In every guitar I've put them in I LOVE them. That's the only consistent thing I can tell you.
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ViperDoc
Plugged In.
The DGT pickups have quite a bit of bite. Both do, but I recall the DGTs being broader in the upper mids-highs. They sound amazing rolled off. Hard to say how warm.
Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
You know, that’s a great description of how the bridge pickup sounds. Lots of upper high mids. I lowered the pickup to the sweet spot and that helped a lot and now use my tone control more often…
ViperDoc
Plugged In.
Perhaps I got lucky, but you can really hear it in that video posted above! I just listed to it with earbuds. Definitely a high mid hump in there. And solid splits!
Rod/
Vibrato & String Bender
Thank you. We had the same miserable Summer weather back in Seacoast NH as well as high 95 % humidity. On my PRS’s I was doing neck adjustments to every 2 weeks. (Mahogany necks). Now it’s 72 degrees there
Lewguitar
Old Know It All
I have the 57/08's from different years in two of my Bernie Marsdens. They're my favorite PRS pickup for most things.
I like to rock out with the Dragon1 set but the 57/08's do that too.
Someday I'll try them in my '00 CE22 with a vibrato bridge.
Wish the BKP Abraxas pickups I have it now didn't sound so darned good in the CE22.
But that same set of Abraxas pickups did not sound as good when I tried them in a Bernie. Not as lively.
That same Bernie sounds great with the 57/08's. Go figure!
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One of the things this video demonstrates clearly is that the DGT pickups sound a lot more like single coils when split than the 57/08s.
Probably the upper midrange and high frequency characteristics help a lot in that.
JasonE
New Member
I have a set of DGT pickups here and I have an SAS that I put 57/08s in years ago. I am very tempted to swap the DGTs into the guitar to see what it sounds like. The thing slowing me down on that is I like the sound of the 57/08s in that guitar. I have also wondered how the original SAS pickups sound in the guitar. I changed them so long ago that I don't remember them. I just remember I didn't dislike them. I changed them because I was trying to achieve more accurate split tones. I know now that can be done with resistors in the circuit. I have already installed the resistors with the 57/08s in it. If I get bored, I may do some experimenting with the DGTs and the original pickups. I know the 57/08s measure just a little higher than the original SAS pickups but I don't know if that will even matter... Decisions, decisions.