PRS Pickups that are similar to WRHB's?

[squirrel211]

I have only had the opportunity to play through 57/08's and very briefly, Archtops.

Are there PRS pickups (preferably uncovered squabbins) that are similar to the rounded tone of Fender WRHB that come on the new reissues? I have a Tele Deluxe reissue that sounds GREAT in clean passages, and I want that sound from my neck pickup in my Custom 24.

 

[Whitecat]

I'd say the 53/10s are closest to that sound. Very difficult to find now though...

 

[John Beef]

Are you talking about Mexican made Fender reissue Wide Range Humbuckers? Or are you talking about the original wide range humbuckers from the 70s?

Keep in mind you're comparing an alder body, maple neck and fretboard, 25.5" scale bolt on neck guitar with a hard tail to a mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard, mahogany body with maple top, set neck, 25" scale, with trem bridge. They're just not gonna sound the same.

 

[squirrel211]

While I own both a real 77 and a 72 reissue; in this case I'm talking about the reissue. The 77 is unfortunately in "storage" at my dad's....

I realize the guitars are different, but I want to hear the results myself!

 

[John Beef]

The reissue pickups are just normal humbuckers (with the exception of the offset adjustable pole pieces) inside of a large cover with a wax ring around them to fill up the remaining space. I don't know the specs on those humbuckers, though. When I try to google it all I get is info about pulling those things out and replacing them with something that's more true to the original pickup from the 70s, with larger bobbins and magnetic pole pieces.

I guess the right question is to ask how your Custom 24 pickups differ from the tone you're hearing from your tele, and if you're running 57/08s now?, what kind of pickup to consider to try in the PRS.

 

[squirrel211]

I think the 57/08 neck sounds "harder" than the WRHB repro to which I'm comparing it. The best way to describe it is that the 57/08 sounds like the WRHB if I set my amp's EQ with the bass at 3/4, the middle almost full up, the treble OFF, and the presence FULL ON; but it still doesn't "bounce" as much as the WRHB. The WRHB sounds more single coil-like on the top end, combined with the low mid meat of a P90.

The 53/10's DO sound as though they're what I'm after....