NGD: 53/10 Limited

Waaaaaaaay...ahead of ya dude. I was one of the first 5 stalkers of the 40 stalking it. It really is special. It reminds me of a certain employee build (Shawns) that I still call the "Dreamsicle". It haunts my dreams man.

I'm standing in the bushes right next to you....stalking.......
 
Freaking beautiful!

And I still contend that the 53/10 pickups are the best humbuckers to ever come out of PRS, and most other manufacturers for that matter. You describe them well, with that sweet sparkle and just the right amount of output. But alas, the magic fairy dusted wire ran out and they're gone forever, so don't ever let that one go!
 
I adore that guitar. I swear I've seen it before, was it here? If I ever order a PS, I'm going to get a one piece top something like that. Where it has just ton's of character in it's asymmetry.
I’ve posted this in several different threads. Photos are the original glam shots from Brent Moss at the Guitar Shop in Canada who picked out the woods for the build. I bought it from the original owner a few years ago while doing a search for the photos for it and saw it was up for sale. :)
 
Just spent a magnificent couple of hours with this guitar, having just restrung it with PRS strings. I love Pyramid Nickel Classics on my DGT, but they sounded a bit lifeless on the 53/10. NYXL’s were better, but still not there. The PRS strings are the bomb on this one. One of the many things that amazes me about this guitar is how radically you can control the tone with pick placement. Stunning!
 
I love 5310s , I have a set in a hog ce22 plus I have a spare set in my parts drawer. I also have a squabbin neck plus a covered bridge in the parts drawer too.

That covered bridge could end up in a HB if I'm not careful.
 
I have 53/10's in my CU22, more akin to an overpowered P90 as I seem to recall Paul saying.
The original spiel of the pickups suggested that they were modeled on the sound single coils from the early 50s. I guess that could be taken as meaning P90 like, somehow I've never made that connection before. However, I've never really understood this. To me they sound like humbuckers and nothing like a single coil. No humbucker will ever have the sound characteristics of a single coil as this is down to the physical shape and layout of the pickup not the output levels. If they truly wanted the sound of an early 50s single coil, they should have just made a P90.
And I wouldn't want a humbucker to sound like a P90 either.

I honestly don't quite know where the 53/10s stand in comparison to historical 50s pickups. Are they PAF like? I'm not sure. They're Alnico and lowish output, and with no treble bleed cap fitted, they are warm and vintage voiced. But like a vintage set that was put in a time machine and sent from the past, rather than one that has sat and aged for 60+ years slowly de-gaussing.
 
The original spiel of the pickups suggested that they were modeled on the sound single coils from the early 50s. I guess that could be taken as meaning P90 like, somehow I've never made that connection before. However, I've never really understood this. To me they sound like humbuckers and nothing like a single coil. No humbucker will ever have the sound characteristics of a single coil as this is down to the physical shape and layout of the pickup not the output levels. If they truly wanted the sound of an early 50s single coil, they should have just made a P90.
And I wouldn't want a humbucker to sound like a P90 either.

I honestly don't quite know where the 53/10s stand in comparison to historical 50s pickups. Are they PAF like? I'm not sure. They're Alnico and lowish output, and with no treble bleed cap fitted, they are warm and vintage voiced. But like a vintage set that was put in a time machine and sent from the past, rather than one that has sat and aged for 60+ years slowly de-gaussing.

Yep - I can agree, it was a statement that I recall from awhile ago re the P90. So the HB overcomes the hum, but the low power gives the sweetness. Interestingly how do they stack up against the 58/15LT's? The 53/10's are such rarities I have never witnesses a direct comparison.
 
Yep - I can agree, it was a statement that I recall from awhile ago re the P90. So the HB overcomes the hum, but the low power gives the sweetness. Interestingly how do they stack up against the 58/15LT's? The 53/10's are such rarities I have never witnesses a direct comparison.

I can get the low power and sweet sound angle, but still don't understand the marketing angle comparing to 50s single coils. A P90 just has different things going on that a standard configuration humbucker just hasn't got. I would have understood more if they made old sweet PAF comparisons. However, that is not really important, they are what they are, which is a fantastic humbucker.

...But, the 58/15LTs comparison, that is something I am also really interested in hearing, and something I've not come across yet. They are both the low output PRS humbucker options, though I don't know if they approach that the same way. I'm not aware that the 53/10s are underwound at all. And I also have no idea of how they compare output wise. Which one is the lowest output?

The only nugget I have heard so far, is Shaun@PRS discussing the pickups John Mayer has in a 594 which are slightly higher output versions of the 58/15LTs. And all he said was that they have a different thing going on than the 53/10s.
 
I can get the low power and sweet sound angle, but still don't understand the marketing angle comparing to 50s single coils. A P90 just has different things going on that a standard configuration humbucker just hasn't got. I would have understood more if they made old sweet PAF comparisons. However, that is not really important, they are what they are, which is a fantastic humbucker.

...But, the 58/15LTs comparison, that is something I am also really interested in hearing, and something I've not come across yet. They are both the low output PRS humbucker options, though I don't know if they approach that the same way. I'm not aware that the 53/10s are underwound at all. And I also have no idea of how they compare output wise. Which one is the lowest output?

The only nugget I have heard so far, is Shaun@PRS discussing the pickups John Mayer has in a 594 which are slightly higher output versions of the 58/15LTs. And all he said was that they have a different thing going on than the 53/10s.

I have both pickups sets, but the guitar specs are quite different. To my ears, the 53/10s are warmer and the output level is a bit higher than the 58/15LTs. I love the 53/10 in the neck. Those are in a PS with a Koa body and full Braz neck.

My 58/15LTs are in a PS with a African Mahogany body, maple top, dark Peruvian Mahogany neck and Madagascar RW board (more classic wood formula). They seem lower output to me with more clarity (less bass?) and they split really well. Frankly I think all the 5x/xx series split really well. If I’m splitting hairs they sometimes seem a tad sterile next to 53/10s, but again, could be the wood differences between the guitars.

Here’s and old GW article comparing 59/09s and 53/10s specs:
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/prs-guitars-5909-and-5310-pickups-now-available-purchase
 
All of the 53/10 Limited guitars look like monsters. This one is no exception. Congrats. This run was seriously awesome!
 
I have both pickups sets, but the guitar specs are quite different. To my ears, the 53/10s are warmer and the output level is a bit higher than the 58/15LTs. I love the 53/10 in the neck. Those are in a PS with a Koa body and full Braz neck.

My 58/15LTs are in a PS with a African Mahogany body, maple top, dark Peruvian Mahogany neck and Madagascar RW board (more classic wood formula). They seem lower output to me with more clarity (less bass?) and they split really well. Frankly I think all the 5x/xx series split really well. If I’m splitting hairs they sometimes seem a tad sterile next to 53/10s, but again, could be the wood differences between the guitars.

Here’s and old GW article comparing 59/09s and 53/10s specs:
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/prs-guitars-5909-and-5310-pickups-now-available-purchase

Thanks for the comparison. That's kind of how I'd imagine the difference in my head. Your PS with the 58/15LTs sounds closer in construction to the 53/10 limiteds, mahogany body, maple top and Peruvian mahogany neck. How do you fancy shipping it to the UK so that I can do an in depth comparison between the 53/10s and the 58/15LTs? ;)
 
Thanks for the comparison. That's kind of how I'd imagine the difference in my head. Your PS with the 58/15LTs sounds closer in construction to the 53/10 limiteds, mahogany body, maple top and Peruvian mahogany neck. How do you fancy shipping it to the UK so that I can do an in depth comparison between the 53/10s and the 58/15LTs? ;)
Ha! Funny thing is that my PS was at World Guitars!

image.jpg
 
I have both pickups sets, but the guitar specs are quite different. To my ears, the 53/10s are warmer and the output level is a bit higher than the 58/15LTs. I love the 53/10 in the neck. Those are in a PS with a Koa body and full Braz neck.

My 58/15LTs are in a PS with a African Mahogany body, maple top, dark Peruvian Mahogany neck and Madagascar RW board (more classic wood formula). They seem lower output to me with more clarity (less bass?) and they split really well. Frankly I think all the 5x/xx series split really well. If I’m splitting hairs they sometimes seem a tad sterile next to 53/10s, but again, could be the wood differences between the guitars.

Here’s and old GW article comparing 59/09s and 53/10s specs:
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/prs-guitars-5909-and-5310-pickups-now-available-purchase

I had 58/15LTs in a 594, as with WA Paul, there was a significant difference in guitars. That said, my experience was very much the same. The 58/15LTs split wonderfully well. (I especially loved splitting the bridge and leaving the neck in HB mode, as the 594 controls allow.). But the 53/10s have more character to my ears.
 
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