List of PRS Pickup Specs

[Micky!]

Same for 57/08


Product Description

Inspired by 1957 humbuckers and introduced in 2008 (hence the name), these proprietary pickups were designed by Paul Reed Smith and are made with vintage-style wire and wound in-house in PRS’s Electronics department. They were designed to capture the iconic tones of 1950’s era guitars and have become modern classics in their own right with their warm, even, responsive tone. If you are looking to refine the voice of your guitar, check out these pickups today.

“When we first came out with 57/08’s, we had just gotten exclusive rights to the wire made by the same machine that made all the wire in 1950’s pickups. Learning from that exclusive wire, we were able to make really great recreations of those early pickups with what we felt were some improvements in consistency, clarity, and tone,” says Paul Reed Smith. “57/08’s were embraced by our artists and our customers right away, and we have always been so appreciative of that. Until now, you have only been able to get 57/08’s in a guitar. We wanted to share these special pickups with a broader audience, so we’re now making them available for individual sale.”

Treble Pickup (ACC-3412)

• Magnet: Alnico 2
• DC Res: 9.4k
• Cover: Nickel

Bass Pickup (ACC-3413)

• Magnet: Alnico 2
• DC Res: 8.5k
• Cover: Nickel

Compatible with: 3-way, 3-way push/pull, or 5-way pickup selectors

 

[Micky!]

And 59/09

First introduced in 2009, PRS 59/09 pickups are articulate while providing rich harmonic overtones. With a powerful bridge pickup and a touch of brightness in the neck, these pickups are the perfect tool to achieve clarity and definition with a punch. - Uncovered with nickel screws/slugs.

Treble Pickup (ACC-3404)

• Magnet: Alnico 2
• DC Res: 9.3k
• Uncovered with nickel screws/slugs

Bass Pickup (ACC-3405)

• Magnet: Alnico 2
• DC Res: 8.4k
• Cover: Nickel

Compatible with: 5-way blade or 5-way rotary pickup selector.

 

[Micky!]

I think it's good to have a copy of the specs here, because the forum seems to have a better memory than the other prs websites

 

[eclecticsynergy]

EDIT: So according to official specs the 57/08 bridge is a hotter wind than the 59/09 bridge?

 

[bodia]

So according to official specs the 59/09 bridge is a hotter wind than the 57/08 bridge?

That would be correct on paper, and in real life.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I'm confused because I always considered the 59/09 a slightly hotter version of the 57/08. Slightly louder, with a bit more midrange.
Yet according to the specs given above it is the 57/08 which is hotter. That's what perplexes me.

 

[Micky!]

I guess you miss read it. The 59/09 seems to have more juice according to volume / amplitude bars. For 57/08 its goes max at the end of the word mids, and the 59/09 goes behong.

The winding and DC resistance does not said directly how a PU sounds. It may be not the same type of wire, not the same distribution between bobbins, not the same magnet strength... It's cooking and PRS has they own secret recipes. That's why I am more interested about graphs that give a rough estimation of the sound of the PU, than specs.

 

[HANGAR18]

The winding and DC resistance does not said directly how a PU sounds. It may be not the same type of wire, not the same distribution between bobbins, not the same magnet strength... It's cooking and PRS has they own secret recipes. That's why I am more interested about graphs that give a rough estimation of the sound of the PU, than specs.

Yep.

 

[littlebadboy]

I have been looking for information specs on the S2 Standard 22 pickups which I think have the 85/15 "S". I like the sounds from it but as a metal player, I feel that there's something missing. I was wondering if I could do a magnet swap with alnico 5s. But, the pickups has covers, so I'm not sure if it's easy and doable.

 

[HANGAR18]

I have been looking for information specs on the S2 Standard 22 pickups which I think have the 85/15 "S". I like the sounds from it but as a metal player, I feel that there's something missing. I was wondering if I could do a magnet swap with alnico 5s. But, the pickups has covers, so I'm not sure if it's easy and doable.

What amp are you using?

 

[littlebadboy]

What amp are you using?

Boss GT-100 preamp sims into a Headrush FRFR108.

I actually made a demo for the guitar for clean, mellow, and metal.

 

[HANGAR18]

Boss GT-100 preamp sims into a Headrush FRFR108.

I actually made a demo for the guitar for clean, mellow, and metal.

The reason I ask is because these newer pickups PRS is putting out are really fantastic. They are also invented by guys who plug directly into a really good amp. The amp is a huge part of the tone as evidenced by a crappy guitar sounding great by plugging it into a great amp. So, I would suggest keeping the pickups as they are and try getting a better amp. Also remember that you can get a lot more mileage from the tone and volume controls on a PRS guitar than you can on all those other brands. I too am a metalhead and these days I've started going with lower output pickups and high gain amps. That formula works great for me. Try an Archon, MT15 or a Sonzera. See below for what I've got.

Guitars:
Custom 24's and McCarty 594's with either 57/08's or a version of the 85/15 pickups.

Amps:
Archon 100w,
Dallas 50w,
Mesa JP2C 100w,
Mesa Rectoverb 25,
Mesa Mark Five:25
Marshall JCM800 (Kerry King signature)

Also just bought the PRS plug-in package of amps but haven't tried them yet.

 

[jvin248]

.

Maybe these notes will help you guys on this quest:

-You can tell a tone difference in magnet type if you set your pickups at a fixed distance from the strings, such as the classic 'two nickels gap', if you set pickup height by ear then a weak magnet will put the pickup closer to the strings and a strong magnet will put the pickup down by the trim ring for the same tonal output. Super strong or super weak magnets may run out of height adjustment space for what you want and then you need a different magnet. An eighth of an inch pickup height difference can make a remarkable difference.

-Wire is typically 42 or 43 gage, but there are tension issues in making the wire and in winding bobbins where sections can stretch and thin and thus increase resistance. Other than that, if you generally have the same gage wire between two pickups you will have generally the same output.

-Wire coating type can effect coating thickness and thus effect how close together or spread out each wrap of wire is from its next wrap, separated by 2x the thickness of the dielectric coating -- making for a weak capacitor between every winding. Get enough windings next to each other (there is a mile of wire in a typical pickup) and the capacitance adds up and will either make your pickup dark and muddy or bright and ice-picky. Coating thickness can vary over the length of a wire as it's applied by running the wire through a trough of liquid coating and warmer or colder factory or machines can cause thicker or thinner coating build up.

-Hand-built boutique pickups have natural scatter winding and break up the coil capacitance over machine wound. Tension kept on the wire as it is winding can change the output and capacitance from a densely packed bobbin to a loose bird's nest.

However, at the end of all that pickup variation ... you can still massage the output you get from the guitar by carefully measuring and selecting which pots and caps you use. Most players know what a 250k, 500k, and 1Meg volume pot swap does to a typical guitar, the same trend applies with an actual measured max spec 550k pot or a min spec 450k pot and all the possible measurements between when pulling a random 500k-stamped pot off the shelf. I used to swap pickups until I figured out how much influence pickup height and the pots and caps have. Often I can move a flipper to a keeper with a height adjustment and a nickels worth of caps or a pot or two.

.

 

[Mozzi]

I do agree that amps matter and that PRS Pick-ups are great. I don't know how great the GT100 is as an amp modeller and I wouldn't be surprised if its not quite up to the same standard of the next generation of Multi-FX pedals and Amp Modelling. There is no doubt that the amp and speaker do make a difference and even a 'cheap' guitar can sound decent in a great amp, but you can certainly hear the difference between low and high-end more so with a great Amp. You plug a high-end guitar into a cheap amp, its much closer to how a low end guitar sounds in that amp - especially if you use distortion effects.

That being said, I wouldn't count the 85/15 'S' as particularly low end humbuckers. Whether its more down to everything else (the guitar build, the nut, the bridge etc) or the fact the 'S' versions are different, but when plugged into the same high-end Amp with the same settings, there is a difference in the tone. The 85/15 'S' though is good enough that PRS are happy to use them in their S2 range and the S2 range isn't cheap.

I do use my Custom 24 (with 85/15's) for playing 'metal' although that's more old school metal. I don't think the Pick-ups are that hot compared to a lot of 'metal' guitars (Solar for example) and those with Active Pick-ups which maybe what is 'missing'. Of course you can make up for it with pedals and the right Amp if you want or need to for the type of metal you play. If you are intending to keep using the GT100, maybe think about using a high gain amp and pedals. I find the 85/15's quite well balanced and suited to Rock and Metal I play but you may want to look at hotter PU's - like the \m/ pick-ups - for the metal you want.

 

[Josh_guitarreiru]

I have been looking for information specs on the S2 Standard 22 pickups which I think have the 85/15 "S". I like the sounds from it but as a metal player, I feel that there's something missing. I was wondering if I could do a magnet swap with alnico 5s. But, the pickups has covers, so I'm not sure if it's easy and doable.

I think your guitar brings #7s not 85/15s, as the formers are covered while 85/15s are not. If your guitar is from 2016 or before that should be the case.

Cheers,

 

[littlebadboy]

I think your guitar brings #7s not 85/15s, as the formers are covered while 85/15s are not. If your guitar is from 2016 or before that should be the case.

Cheers,

Hey thanks for the information! Yes, I believe my S2 is a pre 2016.

So, would you have any idea on the specs of the #7s?

 

[Josh_guitarreiru]

Hey thanks for the information! Yes, I believe my S2 is a pre 2016.

So, would you have any idea on the specs of the #7s?

No, sorry...
I've just got an S2 Custom 22 (2016) from a trade and I'm also considering to change the #7s.

 

[littlebadboy]

No, sorry...
I've just got an S2 Custom 22 (2016) from a trade and I'm also considering to change the #7s.

Thinking of changing too, but I'm torned between Duncan Custom 5 bridge/jazz neck or DiMarzio's X2N/Gravity Storm neck.

 

[Johnny Rigs]

NOTE: Post moved to it's own thread: https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/updated-list-of-prs-pickup-specs.40489/

----

Ok, somebody has to do this. I’m starting to put together some of the pickup info in this thread into a text searchable post, instead of images. Also, I hate Photobucket and don’t trust that image links will always stay working. If you think I should just start a new thread, I’m open to that, too.

I’ll get it stared here and come back to add more and organize better. Nothing like an ACSII table!

 

[littlebadboy]

Ok, somebody has to do this. I’m starting to put together some of the pickup info in this thread into a text searchable post, instead of images. Also, I hate Photobucket and don’t trust that image links will always stay working. If you think I should just start a new thread, I’m open to that, too.

I’ll get it stared here and come back to add more and organize better. Nothing like an ACSII table!

+--------------------+--------+-----------+-------------------------------+
|       Pickup       | DC (k) |  Magnet   |         Compatibility         |
+--------------------+--------+-----------+-------------------------------+
| 245 Treble         |   9.60 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| 245 Bass           |   8.96 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| 250 Treble         |  15.42 | Ceramic   | Toggle                        |
| 250 Bass           |   8.00 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| 408 Treble         |   9.70 | Alnico    |
| 408 Bass           |   9.00 | Alnico    |
| 509 Treble         |   8.46 |           |
| 509 Middle         |   5.96 |           |
| 509 Bass           |   8.20 |           |
| 57/08 Treble       |   9.40 | Alnico II | 3-way, 3-way Push/Pull, 5-way |
| 57/08 Bass         |   8.50 | Alnico II | 3-way, 3-way Push/Pull, 5-way |
| 58/15 Treble       |   9.03 | Alnico    |
| 58/15 Bass         |   8.15 | Alnico    |
| 58/15 LT Treble    |   7.75 | Alnico    |
| 58/15 LT Bass      |   7.75 | Alnico    |
| 59/09 Treble       |   9.30 | Alnico II | 5-way Blade, 5-way Rotary     |
| 59/09 Bass         |   8.40 | Alnico II | 5-way Blade, 5-way Rotary     |
| 85/15 Treble       |   9.03 | Alnico    |
| 85/15 Bass         |   8.15 | Alnico    |
| Paul’s Guitar T    |   8.98 | Alnico    |
| Paul’s Guitar B    |   8.98 | Alnico    |
| \m/ Treble         |  15.70 | Ceramic   |
| \m/ Bass           |   8.40 | Ceramic   |
| Tremonti Treble    |  15.42 | Ceramic   | 5-way Rotary or Push/Pull     |
| Tremonti Bass      |   7.36 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| HFS                |  15.00 | Ceramic   | 5-way Rotary or Push/Pull     |
| VB                 |   8.50 | Alnico    | 5-way Rotary or Push/Pull     |
| Dragon II Treble   |  12.00 | Alnico IV | 5-way Rotary or Push/Pull     |
| Dragon II Bass     |   8.00 | Alnico IV | 5-way Rotary or Push/Pull     |
| Santana III Treble |  10.00 | Ceramic   | Toggle                        |
| Santana III Bass   |   7.00 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| Santana Treble     |  10.00 | Ceramic   | Toggle                        |
| Santana Bass       |   7.00 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| RP Treble          |   9.20 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| RP Bass            |   8.20 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| McCarty Treble     |   9.00 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| McCarty Bass       |   8.00 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| DGT Treble         |   9.00 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| DGT Bass           |   7.30 | Alnico    | Push/Pull                     |
| #7 Treble          |   8.44 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| #7 Bass            |   7.36 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| Hiland Treble      |   8.19 | Alnico    | Toggle/Blade                  |
| Hiland Bass        |   7.30 | Alnico    | Push/Pull or Blade            |
| Swamp Ash Treble   |   8.19 | Alnico    | 5-way Blade or Push/Pull      |
| Swamp Ash Bass     |   7.30 | Alnico    | 5-way Blade or Push/Pull      |
| Archtop Treble     |   7.00 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
| Archtop Bass       |   6.20 | Alnico    | Toggle                        |
+--------------------+--------+-----------+-------------------------------+

Wow... Thanks! The 85/15s or #7s... whatever it is I have on my S2 Standards, according to your chart (which is awesome) has way too low resistance than I thought!