PRS 57/08 pickups...whatcha think about 'em?

Lewguitar

Lewguitar

Old Know It All
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
3,539
Location
Paonia Colorado
Got another used PRS Bernie Marsden coming in next week (#3) and it's loaded with upgrades:

·MannMade USA Vintage Style Locking Tuners, nickel with cream button

·MannMade USA Intonable Stoptail Bridge for SE/2S guitars

·PRS 57/08 Bridge and Neck Humbucker Pickups, nickel

It's incredible that you can score these great guitars for under $800.

I've wanted to try the 57/08's for years now. Everyone seems to at least like them. Some people love them and say they're their favorite PRS paf type pickup.

Some say they're fuller in the mids and have a warmer tone than the 58/15 set and 58/15LT set and that the 58/15's are thinner and brighter.

But others have written the opposite!

Watched videos of guys grinding out power chords and strumming plinky clean tones in YouTube videos but can't really tell much from that.

Not my palatial estate in the background but here's Bernie #3:

https://imgur.com/Cp1ewpL

https://imgur.com/363xmGG
 
Last edited:
If you’ve got a Bernie with 57/08’s coming, it’s gonna be a monster!

I would agree with the description you gave of 57/08 vs 58/15, although I’ve not tried them in the same guitar. 57/08 bridge and 58/15 neck would be a dream set for me, but I like both sets.
 
Gtrbldr said:
Like the bridge, kind of conflicted about the neck. Prefer a brighter neck pickup actually. To my ears the 57/08 is a little more lo fi or dirty to my ears compared to other PAF offerings I have
Click to expand...
It's usually the neck pickup that doesn't fully satisfy me in any humbucker set.

I do play some lead on the neck pickup so it has to be ballsy enough to sound good for that.

Think BB King, or Robben Ford or Larry Carlton although I'm not in the same league as those guys.

But my rhthym playing is important and I like to throw in some jazzy chords when I play the blues so I need a good clean tone that's not too thin and bright...nor too full and woofy when I turn the guitar's volume control down.
 
Last edited:
Lewguitar said:
That's what I wanted to hear!

Next!

(BTW, what have you compared them to and why are they the best?)
Click to expand...
I would concur that the 57/08 are fuller and warmer through the mids than the 58/15 (I'm talking the non-LT version here). But they're definitely close siblings. In fact, I think PRSh described the 58/15 as a "slightly [tweaked] EQ'ed 57/08."

But the 58/15 are attractive in their own right, in that they're a little more sparkly and clear... sort of halfway from the 57/08 and towards the LT but not as low output as the LT. (I actually perceive the 58/15 as maybe 5% more output than the 57/08).
 
Going Modal said:
I would concur that the 57/08 are fuller and warmer through the mids than the 58/15 (I'm talking the non-LT version here). But they're definitely close siblings. In fact, I think PRSh described the 58/15 as a "slightly [tweaked] EQ'ed 57/08."

But the 58/15 are attractive in their own right, in that they're a little more sparkly and clear... sort of halfway from the 57/08 and towards the LT but not as low output as the LT. (I actually perceive the 58/15 as maybe 5% more output than the 57/08).
Click to expand...
Thanks! Very informative.
 
andy474x said:
If you’ve got a Bernie with 57/08’s coming, it’s gonna be a monster!

I would agree with the description you gave of 57/08 vs 58/15, although I’ve not tried them in the same guitar. 57/08 bridge and 58/15 neck would be a dream set for me, but I like both sets.
Click to expand...
I have this combo in my SAS and it's one of my favs, if not favorite. It kills! I play my other guitars a lot less since installing them. I also have a 5909 and 5815LT combo to try next for my KL33. The 5909 is in there now with an 8515.

OP- The 5708 are killer pickups and the neck is amazing. Sometimes I find the bridge a little on the weak side for my tastes, but kick in a little dirt and those thoughts quickly fade away. Note there have been slight variances with the 5708 over the years. Mine have varied in readings and sound. The latest new bridge I picked up is the hottest of them all and rocks harder. It reminds me more of the 5909, but still very much 5708.
 
Last edited:
I should add the 5708 neck pickup in my SC58 is the very full, deep, and, rich. It'll shake this item I have on a shelf so much I ended up moving it. Lol

It really does sound glorious. I run my pickups low, especially the neck. Very sensitive to height adjustment.
 
I Am Not The Biggest Fan. They Do Everything OK But Nothing That I Do Great. Most Of My Tone Time Is On The Heavy Side To Be Fair.
 
No two of us interprets sound in exactly the same way - desirable for one isn't necessarily desirable for the other. None of us have precisely the same hands, and that's part of tone, too. Then there's taste in music, tones the player likes, nature of the amp, etc., to throw into the stew.

Those are all unquantifiable variables. Not to mention that every individual guitar has its own sonic signature.

So there you have my disclaimer. I never tell anyone to go out and get what I like. Do your own thing, I speak only for myself.

The 57/08s are my favorite PAF humbucker, all time. bar none, regardless of brand. They've sounded great in every guitar I've owned that's had them. I most often play on the neck pickup with my McCarty Singlecut from the PS run, and love the neck position with 57/08s, but I've had three SCs with them, and they've all sounded wonderful.

The 57/08 neck pickup sounds creamy and rich, with just enough bite -- at least with my amps. The bridge pickup is phenomenal for what I do as well. The pickups are full range, and have lots of character. They respond well to the volume and tone controls, which I make use of as I play. They also blend nicely in the middle position.

For comparison purposes, my favorite traditional humbucker PRS pickups since 1991 have been:

1. 57/08 (all-around great)
2. 85/15 (for a more rock vibe)
3. (tie) 53/10, Artist V. These are different from each other, and different from the other two, but I like them equally.

Note: I've had several PRS models with the 58/15s and the 58/15 LTs. I do like them quite a lot, they do work with the models they come in, and have been perfect for certain projects. So I'm not slagging them at all.

I haven't yet picked up the DGT - health issues have posed a bit of a challenge in the last couple of weeks. I've only played them at CME during a trip to Chicago, and dug the tones, but the amps weren't like mine. I don't yet know how they'll sound with my current amps. I tend to live with a guitar for months before I can come to any meaningful conclusions about it. Gotta learn the instrument and its possibilities in lots of situations before I get to that point.

I also love the Paul's Guitar 408s. They're wonderful non-traditional humbuckers, very versatile. I think they're the most beautiful sounding of all PRS' pickups, but the tone is unique to their design. Still, they have plenty of oomph.

Anyway, if someone asked me for advice about replacing 57/08s, I'd suggest living with the guitar for a while before deciding.
 
Last edited:
My late 2012 P22 pups are labelled P22, cuz...?
PRS says they were installing 5310s but ran out of that wire, so they started putting in 5708s and that's what mine are.
They sound awesome.
I have 5815s in a couple of guitars and they are equally impressive.
I'm a rhythm player and spend most of my time on the bridge humbucker and some split as well. Absolutely love the clean tones on both and they feed boost and distortion like a boss.
 
Well sounds like I'm gonna like them.

Duncan Antiquitys in #1
Bare Knuckle Abraxas in #2
PRS 57/08's in #3

Dragon I's in my 90's CE22's

John Suhr's in my '00 CE22

Duncan 59 and JB set in my SE Singlecut

Tom Holmes A4 pafs in my ES335

That's all of my humbucker guitars.

Should have all my bases covered! :)
 
Last edited:
What a steal on Bernie #3.

Add my vote to the 57/08 being the best PRS pickup. It kills in the Stripped 58.

The sound is warmer than the DGT in my limited experience comparing a sound that Leon Todd (Fractal fanboy) got out of his DGT
to what came out of the '58 on the same settings. Just needed to increase the treble gain on a Plexi style model (6CA7 Jumped) and got really close in sound though not in playing ability.
 
Prina said:
What a steal on Bernie #3.

Add my vote to the 57/08 being the best PRS pickup. It kills in the Stripped 58.

The sound is warmer than the DGT in my limited experience comparing a sound that Leon Todd (Fractal fanboy) got out of his DGT
to what came out of the '58 on the same settings. Just needed to increase the treble gain on a Plexi style model (6CA7 Jumped) and got really close in sound though not in playing ability.
Click to expand...
I feel pretty fortunate.

But I did have to sell a few nice guitars I wasn't playing and cool amps I wasn't using to swing my recent gear acquisitions.

I sold the stuff first and then was ready with the cash.

I find the Bernie Marsden to be one of the most comfortable guitars to hold and play that I've ever owned.

Love the feel of the neck, frets, fingerboard radius and the 24.5" scale.

It's lighter than any LP I've ever owned, the stock pickups are good.

But after a swap to some really good pickups, I prefer it to any LP I've owned in a long, long time.
 
Last edited:
The best ones are the ones that read “1957/2008” on the back

I have a 57/08 in the neck and 59/09 in the bridge on this one.

JOHE8pG.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Y
2013 PRS Custom with 57/08 pickups - Anyway to put covers on them??
Replies
18
Views
164
SinSir
SinSir
mookyshoots
Need advice on a pickup pairing (58/15TM or 57/08)
Replies
8
Views
330
Bogner
Bogner
Abe
Upgrading from 58/15 LT “S” pickups to the 57/08 PRS pickups
Replies
5
Views
475
Abe
Abe
thewesdavis
57/08 vs 59/09 bridge pup
Replies
12
Views
198
Rider1260
Rider1260
Glide-bpm
Question about PRS pickups...
Replies
6
Views
397
garrett
garrett
Back
Top