PRS 58/15 LT "S" pickups

[Lewguitar]

I'm curious about your soldering skills and knowledge of wiring. Because it's super easy to get things sloppy and messed up if you're a beginner and inexperienced and don't really understand what you're looking at.

When I was beginning I had no one to teach me and my work was awful!

Replacing pickups, switches and pots and wiring them correctly requires tools, experience and doing very neat work.

Most of the Korean humbuckers I've owned were not quite professional level pickups. They were student level/entry level pickups. That would include the humbuckers that originally came in my PRS Bernie Marsdens.

I think you can get away with just replacing the pickups with Seymour Duncans.

Your first idea of some USA made Pearly Gates is a good one.

I like those. They're an alnico 2 PAF style pickup. Good for blues, rock and lots of styles.

Reasonably priced too.

Replacing your tone capacitor with .033 mfd in an attempt to reduce mud isn't likely to help. Adding a treble bleed cap to the volume pot will.

3 Popular Treble Bleed Mods: What You Need to Kno

No guitar mods are as popular – or as misunderstood – as adding a treble bypass filter – most commonly called a treble bleed modification – to your guitar.

www.seymourduncan.com

 

[NugNug]

Anyone know the wire color specs on both the SP-5815-TNC and SP-5815-BNU pickups? Can't find any info anywhere. WTF was PRS thinking putting this nonsense in their guitars? Rhetorical, I know ... all about $. I will never buy another PRS. Company has no honor.

I gutted the guitar. Going to rebuild with quality electronics to include pickups.

 

[alex1fly]

So I swapped out the .033 cap for a .022 cap. It helped some, but these pickups just sound like **** to me. I'm wondering if the pots are adding to the problem. Not sure the POS is worth my time, $ and effort to make it sound good. PRS screwed the pooch on this guitar. I could get a very nice LP or Strat for what this thing cost.

Anyone know the wire color specs on both the SP-5815-TNC and SP-5815-BNU pickups? Can't find any info anywhere. WTF was PRS thinking putting this nonsense in their guitars? Rhetorical, I know ... all about $. I will never buy another PRS. Company has no honor.

I gutted the guitar. Going to rebuild with quality electronics to include pickups.

It's just a guitar, man. Takes all types I suppose.

For anyone not ranting and raving, wiring diagrams can be found on the PRS website, with a Google search, or figured out by looking at how its wired (hot to the pickup selector switch, ground or two to the back of a pot, couple of wires for splitting going to the push/pull switch. Helps to take pictures and/or write things down as you desolder).

BTW I've been swapping pickups for about 20 years too long and what I've learned is that pickups are just one part of your signal chain; it all has to work together. Getting good tone requires manipulating your entire rig and more importantly, playing well. So many people think that there's an objective measurement of "good tone" and that if they spent enough money on the right brand names, the better they'll sound... and then get frustrated when it doesn't instantly work out.

 

[NugNug]

It's just a guitar, man. Takes all types I suppose.

For anyone not ranting and raving, wiring diagrams can be found on the PRS website, with a Google search, or figured out by looking at how its wired (hot to the pickup selector switch, ground or two to the back of a pot, couple of wires for splitting going to the push/pull switch. Helps to take pictures and/or write things down as you desolder).

BTW I've been swapping pickups for about 20 years too long and what I've learned is that pickups are just one part of your signal chain; it all has to work together. Getting good tone requires manipulating your entire rig and more importantly, playing well. So many people think that there's an objective measurement of "good tone" and that if they spent enough money on the right brand names, the better they'll sound... and then get frustrated when it doesn't instantly work out.

There is NOTHING on PRS site about wire color designations for the 58/15 LT "S" pickups. Prove me wrong with a link.

I've been working on guitar electronics for 50 years, so there's that. You ever think it might be wired wrong from the factory? If so, taking pictures is worthless.

Maybe you'd like to work for PRS???

 

[Broseph]

There is NOTHING on PRS site about wire color designations for the 58/15 LT "S" pickups. Prove me wrong with a link.

I've been working on guitar electronics for 50 years, so there's that. You ever think it might be wired wrong from the factory? If so, taking pictures is worthless.

Maybe you'd like to work for PRS???

 

[alex1fly]

There is NOTHING on PRS site about wire color designations for the 58/15 LT "S" pickups. Prove me wrong with a link.

I've been working on guitar electronics for 50 years, so there's that. You ever think it might be wired wrong from the factory? If so, taking pictures is worthless.

Maybe you'd like to work for PRS???

Nah I’m good. Everyone has been trying to help while you’re cursing at people about trivial stuff. Mods might want to take a look at closing the thread or banning a user.

 

[littlebadboy]

Save hundreds on new pickups!

 

[NugNug]

Nah I’m good. Everyone has been trying to help while you’re cursing at people about trivial stuff. Mods might want to take a look at closing the thread or banning a user.

Didn't think you had a link

 

[frankencat]

Thanks frankencat. I was thinking the same thing re electronics. Did you replace the 3 way switch and all the wiring too?

Everything.

 

[frankencat]

Anyone know the wire color specs on both the SP-5815-TNC and SP-5815-BNU pickups? Can't find any info anywhere. WTF was PRS thinking putting this nonsense in their guitars? Rhetorical, I know ... all about $. I will never buy another PRS. Company has no honor.

I gutted the guitar. Going to rebuild with quality electronics to include pickups.

If you already gutted it then it shouldn't matter. Just wire it up according to whatever you are replacing them with. The stock pickups are pretty simple from what I remember just a braided shield/ground, hot and split.

Here is the diagram from the PRS site:

https://d159anurvk4929.cloudfront.net/documents/594_2017.pdf

 

[Rod/]

The BKP Abraxas is really nice too. A bit stronger than a PAF. I have a set in my CE22.

Also the Alnico 2 version of the Wolfetone Marshallheads is excellent. I didn't care for the Alnico 5 version. Too bright and sizzley for me.

But I really like the Alnico 2 version. Like a strong set of PAFs.

Yes, the Bare Knuckle Abraxas are great. The PRS 59/09’s are as well. I think I’m going to try the pair of 59/09’s that I have in my McCarty DC594.. the green one pictured on the left.. I found the stock pickups to sound better with more output by raising them up close to the strings. The coil cutter function sounds awful compared to my core DGT… but for 2/3’s less in price the S2’s are a bargain and very well made…. I also have an early 2014 S2 Custom 24 with their HFS/Vintage pickups that came with it and they sound awesome….imho, for blues, bluesrock and classic rock, the newer PRS pickups are just to underwound. I know it’s a fad right now, but I hope it goes away, or at least to have another option

 

[Rod/]

Thanks Lewguitar. I have been researching the 57/08's. Most say they are their fav PRS p/u's.

They’re great but the 59/09’s are like a 57/08, but with “more of everything” as 1 of our members here said….Alnico 2’s , Square bobbins, no covers. If that’s what you’re lookin for…… I’ve owned countless PAF type pickups over the years and I guess these days I’m looking for a little different sound