PRS 58/15 and 85/15 Pickups -- I Like 'Em!

[László]

I've now spent 10 months with the 85/15s, and a couple with the 58/15s, and they're just great pickups in the guitars I've got that came with them, a CU24 30th and a McCarty WL.

I love the clarity and openness, and they're bright enough when you want 'em to be, to do some really stellar work in the "clear single coil" direction. They split great, the humbuckers are so smooth and open, I want for nothing more.

I've been a big fan of the 57/08 for PAF tones, and love the 53/10s, The 57/08s in my McCarty SC seem like the perfect choice for that guitar. However, these new pickups are fantastic in a guitar you want to have perhaps more adaptability with.

They're great all-around, multipurpose pickups IMHO. But I'm interested in getting a good discussion going on them, too.

 

[guitarman001]

Argh I SOOO want to hear these!! Are you able to do a demo? I did the one below a while back to show 57/08 vs 59/09:

Also I want to try a McCarty! Are the split sounds better than in a Cu24?

 

[CatStrangler]

Les, I have two guitars with the 58/15s and agree with your assessment especially about leaning in a single coil direction. I have some 85/15 pickups on order that come with a guitar, and I am pretty stoked!

 

[László]

Argh I SOOO want to hear these!! Are you able to do a demo? I did the one below a while back to show 57/08 vs 59/09:

Also I want to try a McCarty! Are the split sounds better than in a Cu24?

I can't address how the 85/15 coil splits sound, because my 30th CU24 is the PS version, and instead of a coil split, it has a sweet switch when you pull up the tone knob.

I've already got tracks done with the pickups on Soundcloud. Take a listen.

Everything on this track was done with the 85/15s, most bridge pickup and one in the middle position, on the CU24 through the DG30 amp. The solo that I wish I'd played more legato has a pedal, the Fulltone Plimsoul, on it as well:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/fc-instrumental

This track was done with the McCarty's 58/15s, neck pickup only, through DG30 -- note however that I used a ribbon mic placed a couple of feet back from the cab, so it's a little darker than the pickups actually sounded in the room. The pickups are brighter. I was going for a kind of vintage vibe here.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/mic-test-medium-distant-placement-on-guitar

You will also observe that I lack your chops because I'm really a keyboard player who just screws around on guitar.

Les, I have two guitars with the 58/15s and agree with your assessment especially about leaning in a single coil direction. I have some 85/15 pickups on order that come with a guitar, and I am pretty stoked!

You will love them!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I should go play mine right now. Go ahead, carry on, I'm listening, I can do two things at once. (munches popcorn)

 

[CatStrangler]

Argh I SOOO want to hear these!! Are you able to do a demo? I did the one below a while back to show 57/08 vs 59/09:

Also I want to try a McCarty! Are the split sounds better than in a Cu24?

I have mine set up with a push pull switch. The splits sound pretty good. I will compare this week with 53/10s and narrow 408s and post what I think.

 

[László]

I have mine set up with a push pull switch. The splits sound pretty good. I will compare this week with 53/10s and narrow 408s and post what I think.

Record a clip! :top:

 

[gush]

This is NOT good. My poor wallet!

 

[guitarman001]

I can't address how the 85/15 coil splits sound, because my 30th CU24 is the PS version, and instead of a coil split, it has a sweet switch when you pull up the tone knob.

I've already got tracks done with the pickups on Soundcloud. Take a listen.

Everything on this track was done with the 85/15s, most bridge pickup and one in the middle position, on the CU24 through the DG30 amp. The solo that I wish I'd played more legato has a pedal, the Fulltone Plimsoul, on it as well:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/fc-instrumental

This track was done with the McCarty's 58/15s, neck pickup only, through DG30 -- note however that I used a ribbon mic placed a couple of feet back from the cab, so it's a little darker than the pickups actually sounded in the room. The pickups are brighter. I was going for a kind of vintage vibe here.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/mic-test-medium-distant-placement-on-guitar

You will also observe that I lack your chops because I'm really a keyboard player who just screws around on guitar.



You will love them!

Wow!! First link.... guitar sounds amazing!!! Whole production is great - how long did it take you to write that and to do all the other parts (and what software do you use as DAW and for all the other parts)? Really impressed with that! Around 1:15 is cool - it's like the guitar is a plane coming up above the clouds, if you know what I mean.

Second link is also great but I REALLY love the sound of the first one. That's the Cu24, right?

To hell with chops, you play great - great productions! Very musical!

 

[Tosca]

Great clips Les...and couldn't agree more about the clarity and versatility of these pickups. If you want to hear what they can do in a more amateur effort (me and my mediocre cover band), here's another clip. The rhythm parts are my modified 85/15 equipped P24 with both pickups split, the leads during breaks (at 2:10 and 3:30, if you want to spare yourself my singing) are the neck pickup on my 58/15 equipped PS McCarty.

https://soundcloud.com/bluestonerevolution/ten-cent-pistol-bsr

 

[guitarman001]

Great clips Les...and couldn't agree more about the clarity and versatility of these pickups. If you want to hear what they can do in a more amateur effort (me and my mediocre cover band), here's another clip. The rhythm parts are my modified 85/15 equipped P24 with both pickups split, the leads during breaks (at 2:10 and 3:30, if you want to spare yourself my singing) are the neck pickup on my 58/15 equipped PS McCarty.

https://soundcloud.com/bluestonerevolution/ten-cent-pistol-bsr

Woah... very quacky - the sort of sound I love... that sounds amazing... lead sounds great but I really love the clean sound on that! Great stuff!

 

[László]

Wow!! First link.... guitar sounds amazing!!! Whole production is great - how long did it take you to write that and to do all the other parts (and what software do you use as DAW and for all the other parts)? Really impressed with that! Around 1:15 is cool - it's like the guitar is a plane coming up above the clouds, if you know what I mean.

Second link is also great but I REALLY love the sound of the first one. That's the Cu24, right?

To hell with chops, you play great - great productions! Very musical!

Yup, the first one is the CU24. Thanks for the kind words!

This track was done for a client video project. The basic writing took an evening, but the production took a couple of days for all the overdubs, and then I easily spent a week chasing picture changes. I use Logic, though sometimes I use DP if the picture I'm scoring is longer format (DP's chunks feature makes longer format projects' cue handling a bit easier to organize). I tend to blend samples into custom presets in Logic for most instrumental parts.

Great clips Les...and couldn't agree more about the clarity and versatility of these pickups. If you want to hear what they can do in a more amateur effort (me and my mediocre cover band), here's another clip. The rhythm parts are my modified 85/15 equipped P24 with both pickups split, the leads during breaks (at 2:10 and 3:30, if you want to spare yourself my singing) are the neck pickup on my 58/15 equipped PS McCarty.

https://soundcloud.com/bluestonerevolution/ten-cent-pistol-bsr

Guitar sounds great, nothing wrong with the singing, it has a cool vibe. Nice work! And you played really well! :top:

 

[kingsleyd]

I like 'em too. I agree with Les that they are especially well-suited for a "do it all" kind of guitar.

Here's a demo video I did with my latest & greatest version of the KingsleyDGT or McTrem or whatever you want to call it. (the names blur a bit when you get into PS land) The pickups are 58/15s. I edited out the main segment where I used the single-coil settings, but there's a bit near the end (where I play a tune) where I go to the single-coil setting.

FWIW, I had snipped out the bright caps when I did this video. I decided to put them back in because I missed that extra bit of snap.

 

[László]

Sounds fantastic, Mr. K!

The guitar is absolutely wonderful, the playing is really sweet. You can do an awful lot with that thing!