Prototype Pickups… Taboo To Own?! Forbidden Fruit To Discuss?!

[guitar (gu)rube]

I’m a little hesitant to even post or ask about prototype pickups here. This is a cool forum filled, with seemingly cool folks! Everyone seems very accepting and responsive to all members/owners, whether they’re SE owners to PS owners, and that’s very cool!

Anyways… what do you know about prototype pickups? Are they common to be in the wild? Is it in any way taboo to own them because they’re never meant I be out and about in the first place? Just curious what you know, or what you think on the matter. I’ll read the room before I ask anymore questions haha!!!

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

What prototypes are you referring to?

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

What prototypes are you referring to?

A couple different 58/15 LT sets I’ve had experience with. Mainly just curious how common any proto pickups are, or if they’re a thing people scoff at for owning.

 

[jxe]

people here have full proto guitars, what’s so big about pickups?

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

people here have full proto guitars, what’s so big about pickups?

Gotcha. I wasn’t aware of that, that’s all. Thanks!

 

[andy474x]

Not at all - if anything I’d say we here would find them interesting. I have a set (or so I’m told), and other guys here do too. Even sometimes pickups that never make it to final production.

My assumption is PRS sends protos out to artists to see what they think, and doesn’t insist on getting them back.

I have what, as I was told by the seller, are a very early/proto set of 57/08’s that Paul sent to a friend to check out. Wish I knew who that friend was! Again, that’s just what I was told, but we had already made the deal when he mentioned it, so I don’t know what he would stand to gain making it up. They’re the “unetched” (not engraved) pickups, which are said to have some kind of magic in them, maybe a little hotter.

So, you gonna tell us the story with what you’ve got???

 

[ViperDoc]

A great question. Nothing taboo at all. Indeed, prototypes are in the wild, so if you find one, enjoy it!

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

A great question. Nothing taboo at all. Indeed, prototypes are in the wild, so if you find one, enjoy it!

Gotcha, and thanks!

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

Not at all - if anything I’d say we here would find them interesting. I have a set (or so I’m told), and other guys here do too. Even sometimes pickups that never make it to final production.

My assumption is PRS sends protos out to artists to see what they think, and doesn’t insist on getting them back.

I have what, as I was told by the seller, are a very early/proto set of 57/08’s that Paul sent to a friend to check out. Wish I knew who that friend was! Again, that’s just what I was told, but we had already made the deal when he mentioned it, so I don’t know what he would stand to gain making it up. They’re the “unetched” (not engraved) pickups, which are said to have some kind of magic in them, maybe a little hotter.

So, you gonna tell us the story with what you’ve got???

Very cool, and thanks! Sure! I owned an artist guitar that had an early set (I’m told as well) of 58/15 LT TCI pickups. Engraved plate, but handwritten small, white label simply stating 58/15, treble or bass, then TCI. They were amazing! When I traded the guitar for an LP (mistake on my part), they went with the guitar.

Newest set bought from a friend, are also supposed to be 58/15 LT protos as well. Same engraved plate, small, white, handwritten label stating 5815 (no hash mark) 5183, Pg. 14, ALH. No treble or bass listed. I haven’t installed them yet, so I have no idea how they sound. Fiend assured me they’re great, and I trust him.

I know the artist, and my friend, and like the fella you knew, they had nothing to gain from telling me about them.

 

[jxe]

Very cool, and thanks! Sure! I owned an artist guitar that had an early set (I’m told as well) of 58/15 LT TCI pickups. Engraved plate, but handwritten small, white label simply stating 58/15, treble or bass, then TCI. They were amazing! When I traded the guitar for an LP (mistake on my part), they went with the guitar.

Newest set bought from a friend, are also supposed to be 58/15 LT protos as well. Same engraved plate, small, white, handwritten label stating 5815 (no hash mark) 5183, Pg. 14, ALH. No treble or bass listed. I haven’t installed them yet, so I have no idea how they sound. Fiend assured me they’re great, and I trust him.

I know the artist, and my friend, and like the fella you knew, they had nothing to gain from telling me about them.

know anything about the guitar they were pulled from?

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

know anything about the guitar they were pulled from?

That I don’t, sorry! I’m sure I could ask.

 

[veinbuster]

They are around, but as noted above typically find their way into the wild in a guitar. My prototype collection pickups came in a fairly nice guitar.

 

[Broseph]

I know 58/15 have gone thru quite the updates since release. MTs, LTs, LT+, TCI LT/LT+
It would not shock me one bit if prototype versions have been released. Certainly prototype guitars can be found; sometime dealers will sell guitars that were research and development, such as early silver sky's prior to official release or various paint finishes on other guitars that PRS uses to see if they could become integrated.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Never owned a set myself, but have played a few. They’ve run from “work in progress” to “holy f’ing s***! These are nice”.

MAPete’s Rumbleseat prototype pups were amazing.

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

I know 58/15 have gone thru quite the updates since release. MTs, LTs, LT+, TCI LT/LT+
It would not shock me one bit if prototype versions have been released. Certainly prototype guitars can be found; sometime dealers will sell guitars that were research and development, such as early silver sky's prior to official release or various paint finishes on other guitars that PRS uses to see if they could become integrated.

Thanks for the info!

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

Never owned a set myself, but have played a few. They’ve run from “work in progress” to “holy f’ing s***! These are nice”.

MAPete’s Rumbleseat prototype pups were amazing.

58/15 TCI proto set that were in the ‘18 McCarty I owned were incredible! Wish I still had that guitar !

 

[JasonE]

I would have to pull guitars out and check, but, I think I have at least two guitars that have 57/08 pickups in them that do not have engraving on the covers. They are earlier in the runs. One of them actually has shiny covers, not brushed, and have gold screws in them. I know those came out of a limited run guitar. I can't remember exactly what it was but remember it was a limited run. I have those pickups in my SAS at the moment. They are definitely hotter than my other guitars with 57/08 pickups in them. It has been a long time since I have seen the back of them. They have been in that guitar for a good while now.

 

[Mozzi]

Pickups are a 'personal' preference thing - some may want high output, others prefer low output and of course, the guitar they are going in makes a bit of difference too.

Whether its some very cheap mass produced Pups (especially with the 'value' perspective) or some hand wound one-offs made by a world famous person, its still going to come down to individual preference. It bugs me when people ask what 'Pups' to swap in to their new SE that's coming next week before they have even played the guitar or understand what those Pick-ups offer - they assume they must be 'bad' because they were not $400+ a set and/or made by a well known brand - even though they are designed and made exclusively for PRS. Without understanding what those Pickups sound like and therefore, what they may 'prefer' to replace them with.

My point is that most people don't really know or understand Pups, what it is they like/dislike and/or what sets would really suit their preference - it generally seems that brand name is more important - some cheap licensed Seymour Duncans are preferable because of the 'brand' name...

Prototypes are generally cool to collectors and/or historians. They can have some 'curiosity' attached to them as well but I'd want the 'end' product - something derived from all the Prototyping and all the kinks ironed out - in general. As far as Pups go, its an individual preference thing...

 

[guitar (gu)rube]

Pickups are a 'personal' preference thing - some may want high output, others prefer low output and of course, the guitar they are going in makes a bit of difference too.

Whether its some very cheap mass produced Pups (especially with the 'value' perspective) or some hand wound one-offs made by a world famous person, its still going to come down to individual preference. It bugs me when people ask what 'Pups' to swap in to their new SE that's coming next week before they have even played the guitar or understand what those Pick-ups offer - they assume they must be 'bad' because they were not $400+ a set and/or made by a well known brand - even though they are designed and made exclusively for PRS. Without understanding what those Pickups sound like and therefore, what they may 'prefer' to replace them with.

My point is that most people don't really know or understand Pups, what it is they like/dislike and/or what sets would really suit their preference - it generally seems that brand name is more important - some cheap licensed Seymour Duncans are preferable because of the 'brand' name...

Prototypes are generally cool to collectors and/or historians. They can have some 'curiosity' attached to them as well but I'd want the 'end' product - something derived from all the Prototyping and all the kinks ironed out - in general. As far as Pups go, its an individual preference thing...

I agree. I was only asking about proto pickups. How common they were, and any general info on them. I also understand some of them may be dogs… as they’re prototypes towards developing the end product. Thanks!

 

[Mozzi]

I agree. I was only asking about proto pickups. How common they were, and any general info on them. I also understand some of them may be dogs… as they’re prototypes towards developing the end product. Thanks!

The purpose was more to say that they are more a curio with little value to anyone outside of collectors/historians because they are likely one-offs, meaning very few if any have actually heard them, difficult to find any reliable information, and arguably not as 'good' as the finished product that has been refined from the Prototype. So that makes discussing a prototype pick-up quite difficult as few would actually have experienced or have information about them.

With a Guitar for example, you can at least discuss it based on shape for example but a pick-up is a completely different proposition. They are often quite a secretive thing - with little known about the way they were made, what wire and shielding was used, how it was wound etc that really makes it sound the way it does. one covered HB can look the same as another but sound very different.

So other than the Curiosity factor, I really don't know who would be interested or have a lot of info/experience with them. If its an early Prototype, it could be quite different from the later ones too - different magnets, different wire, different number of winds etc.