Pickups comparable to 57/08

[PRS.Lujan]

Looking to replace the pickups in my sc245. Today I played a PRS Al Di Meola and the 57/08 pickups sounded great!! I would like to find some comparable pickups that sound like the 57/08 or pickups that suite my playing style. I play clean all the time very rarely use overdrive. Jazzy bluesy style playing.John Mayer style.

 

[justmund]

Why not 57/08s or 53/10s? They're (usually) available on the second hand market...

 

[Deleted member 7139]

I think that he's asking for a replacement as they are so overpriced on the 2nd hand market
I'd suggest BKP Mules

 

[justmund]

I'm not in the US but they seem to be the same price to me?

 

[Deleted member 7139]

I've seen 57/08 going as high as 300-350€/set in Europe on 2nd hand market, without box and stuff
Different story with 59/09, as they are roughly 170€ each but new and boxed

 

[justmund]

Well things are only worth what people are willing to pay for them...

For 350€ = 475USD you can have a brand new set installed by the PTC (excluding shipping).

 

[Deleted member 7139]

If he lives in the US it makes sense. Otherwise, is not reccomended

 

[Raven17]

I think that he's asking for a replacement as they are so overpriced on the 2nd hand market
I'd suggest BKP Mules

This...

 

[Proxmax]

i'd go with bare knuckle too.
in order of output - all great pups - for me the nailbomb alnico5 is hard to beat.
mule - abraxas - nailbomb

 

[Drew]

Save some money and go with the tried and true blue chip PAF pickups.... Duncan 59's or Dimarzio 36th anniversary PAFS. I don't get the boutique pickup thing. Some of the best music in history was recorded with pickups you can get now for 60 or $70 apiece. 57/08 pickups are great, don't get me wrong...but when I AB them with my JB/Jazz set, there really isn't a whole lot of sonic difference.... and dare I say, I think the JB is a bit warmer than the 57/08.

 

[PRS.Lujan]

Hey thanks guys for all the suggestions. I'm curious have any of you a/b the SC245 pickups with any of the suggestions you've made? Would it really be worth getting other pickups?? Will there be that much of a difference between the sc245 and the suggestions you made giving they all are built around an original PAF pickup?

 

[Drew]

Hey thanks guys for all the suggestions. I'm curious have any of you a/b the SC245 pickups with any of the suggestions you've made? Would it really be worth getting other pickups?? Will there be that much of a difference between the sc245 and the suggestions you made giving they all are built around an original PAF pickup?

To be honest, anything you throw in as a replacement is going to be a noticeable upgrade over the 245's. Not to be the PRS pickup basher but there is a reason you don't see those used as stock in Core PRS guitars. They were awful. My old KL33 had those and the ice-pickyness was pretty unbearable.

 

[Sage]

I've been using GFS Classic II Alnico 2 pickups in my Hollowbody II. I A/B'd them against 57/08s in the same guitar. The 57/08s were slightly more full with more output, but not by a hell of a lot. The PRS 57/08s were better, but not by enough to justify the price difference.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I have a Hamer Artist Semi-Hollow with OE Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers (Alnico IIs as well Sage) and the guitar sounds and feels amazing, very alive. The tone is different than the 57/08s (although so are the 2 guitars I have them in) but I would say the open-ness and clarity are indeed comparable.

Probably going to throw a set in my SE ZM as I think they might complement that guitar very well. I do have a moderate concern b/c the Seth Lovers are unpotted, and that might spell doom with a semi-hollow...won't know until I try.

 

[John Beef]

I found the SE pickups were upgraded quite a bit by swapping in a roughcast unoriented Alnico 5 magnet. $5 and 15 minutes, no soldering.

 

[TroyBaer]

I've swapped the pickups in two out of my three SEs -- my Bernie Marsden has a Tonerider Alnico 4 Classic in the neck and a Wolfetone Marshallhead Mk II in the bridge, and one of my Cu24-7s has Bare Knuckles Emeralds in it. FWIW, my tech compared the Emeralds favorably to 57/08s, and he loves 57/08s.

 

[CJM3175]

Imperial® Humbucker Pickups from Lollar are an affordable alternative with a great classic PAF sound

 

[Rider1260]

The 245s are nice pickups just a bit hotter that old PAFs
I had great luck lowering them a bit and they work great
Get the screwdriver out.

Hey thanks guys for all the suggestions. I'm curious have any of you a/b the SC245 pickups with any of the suggestions you've made? Would it really be worth getting other pickups?? Will there be that much of a difference between the sc245 and the suggestions you made giving they all are built around an original PAF pickup?

 

[FunkyFreeman]

To be honest, anything you throw in as a replacement is going to be a noticeable upgrade over the 245's. Not to be the PRS pickup basher but there is a reason you don't see those used as stock in Core PRS guitars. They were awful. My old KL33 had those and the ice-pickyness was pretty unbearable.

Interesting. But may you please describe in detail how awful the 245 set is.
To me it feels OK for mid-rangy vintage tones but honestly I've never tried one myself.
Been wondering why 245 pups have not been equipped in any core PRS anymore since the arrival of 57/08 pups.

 

[John Beef]

Interesting. But may you please describe in detail how awful the 245 set is.
To me it feels OK for mid-rangy vintage tones but honestly I've never tried one myself.
Been wondering why 245 pups have not been equipped in any core PRS anymore since the arrival of 57/08 pups.

They have been, technically, since SC245 pickups and Mira pickups are the same, only one has covers, and the other has a coil split wire. Same magnets, wire and turns. And frankly, I love the pickups in my Mira. Miras came with SC245/Mira pickups until 2013, when 57/08s debuted in 2008.

As for why they're not available any more, I would be willing to bet there's too much overlap. The specs are very similar to 59/09s, so why have both?