Replacements for 85/15 / 58/15 pickups into maple-necked Custom 24?

[Dusty Chalk]

So I can't get the PTC to install these pickups into my new maple-necked axe (even though it's a KID Ltd. rock maple neck wood library 'un)...

...but they're my favourites (love their sweet treble extension and dynamic, articulate responsiveness) so I want to install something as close as possible. Any recommendations? I have access to a couple #7 and McCarty pickups, as well as whatever I can buy at the store. Should I raid one of my P245 guitars for their 58/15 pickups?

Honestly, I'm newbie enough that I don't even know how to characterize these pickups, so help me out, so that I can look potentially outside of PRS for my new maple-necked axe. How "hot" are they -- medium? How would you describe the tone profile (SD Black Winters are "666" -- lollers -- DiMarzio PAF Pro are 5.0(bass)/5.0(mid)/6.0(treble), etc.) -- are they 'scooped' or mid-forward or flat or what? (And if anyone says they're shaped like my mama, :box:.)

Any other recommendations, inside or outside of PRS? I'm mostly familiar with (and fond of) SD and DiMarzio, but also Tom Anderson, Fralin, Lollar, and TV Jones. (Based mostly on hearing, have not played them all.)

 

[django49]

I am a big fan of the pickups from Wolfetone (esp Dr Vintage) and WCR (Esp Godwoods). Maybe give them (or others) a call and tell them what you are trying to replicate?

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Thanks for your input, Django (or should I call you Mr. 49?). Yeah, that's good advice. Fralin is local (-ish), and I actually don't have any guitars with his pickups in it, and want to, so I'll try him first.

I found the slip that came with the guitar that says they'll install 57/08, 59/09, or 53/10 pickups, as well. So those are on the table, and I actually have the 59/09 pickups in one of my guitars, guess I'll pull that out and play it again before I decide.

 

[django49]

FWIW, I like the 57/08 neck with the 59/09 bridge. The 53/10s seem to be a love/hate thing.....They would be a way of getting something a bit different. But I am not sure how to equate them to the sound in your head.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I am not sure how to equate them to the sound in your head.

Yeah, exactly. I don't have the vocabulary to describe what it is I like, so that's on me. I don't even know what "sponginess" is.

The Lollar Regals sound interesting, too.

 

[Whitecat]

I'm feeling that my Fralin Pure PAFs are not that far off those new PRS pickups. There is a little more detail in the high mids to my ears than with other PAF clones. They are not as high output though but I'm sure Lindy would happily custom-wind you a set to get closer to the output of the PRS instruments.

 

[wardog]

Whatever you settle on, I would still use that slip to get the 53/10 pickups. PRS no longer make them for production and I have a set in a modern eagle quattro and love them. It would be worth having the set to have other options that are no longer available. ( hopefully they honer that on the slip).

 

[shinksma]

I assume the PTC won't install the 85/15s or 58/15s because they are currently only available on new-build models?

If so, an alternative might be waiting a while and see if they become available next year, or scouring the interwebz (eBay) looking for someone selling their set because they "upgraded" to something else?

I kinda understand the rationale for limiting these new pups for new models right now, but man that has to be frustrating for someone who bought last year's model (which didn't have them) and would like to try them out without ponying up for a whole new guitar...

 

[Dusty Chalk]

If so, an alternative might be waiting a while and see if they become available next year, or scouring the interwebz (eBay) looking for someone selling their set because they "upgraded" to something else?

I actually did find a pair, but ( a ), the person didn't offer returns, and I have no way of determining their legitimacy beforehand, and didn't feel comfortable taking a chance with that kind of money, and ( b ), would prefer to give my money to PRS for them.

And yes, I'm hoping they eventually make them more available -- I just presumed that since the slip was printed earlier than the pickups, that it would be an option if they had printed it this year. I will probably continue watching for them in the back of my mind.

But are we sure they will come out? What if that machine breaks? And what about the wire -- isn't that a limited supply, too?

I kinda understand the rationale for limiting these new pups for new models right now, but man that has to be frustrating for someone who bought last year's model (which didn't have them) and would like to try them out without ponying up for a whole new guitar...

Oh, it's worse than that -- this came with the HFS/Vintage which -- as pickups -- are older than "last year's model". They're perfectly functional, but this is a seriously nice axe (KID Ltd. rock maple neck wood library), and I would like to make this one of my main axes, so kind of want something special in them. Maybe I'll get the humbucker sized Benedetto pickups (the B-6 -- like the Lollar Regals -- aren't completely humbucker sized, so I'd have to get their A-6 or PAF).

Actually, you said it exactly right. "Frustrating".

Thanks for the input, all.

 

[django49]

There seems to be enough interest in the 53/10s that, should you decide they are NOT for you, there would be little problem in selling them here.

 

[dsenoj]

I suspect that your slip was printed when 53/10 pickups were still available and that you can't get them either. Sorry.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

That wouldn't surprise me, but they could make it up to me with a pair of 85/15 / 58/15 pickups. I'm less interested in flipping them than getting what I want in the first place. In fact, if they need me to promise not to flip the 58/15 / 85/15 pickups publicly, I'll do so here: I will not flip them! My sisters might sell my guitars when I pass away, and I can't speak for them. Plus all the other usual legal fine print mumbo-jumbo...

I may flip the HFS/Vintage pickups, though.

So my friend said that 58/15 are in the PAF school of pickups -- is that true? -- and the Lollar Regals are in the WRHB school of pickups. So do I want a PAF or do I want a WRHB? (Yeah, I know, only I can answer that question.) Everyone and their grandmother have a form (or multiple forms) of a PAF pickup, so that should be something easier to get, but I thought PAFs were vintage-y (read: midrange forward), but the few companies that post their EQ seem to be scooped. Maybe I like scooped?

 

[Dusty Chalk]

So I read the description of the Lollar Regals -- a WRHB clone -- and got all turned on. "Want", I thought. Talked to my very knowledgeable friend, and he told me that I'm crazy for trying to shoehorn something like that into a PRS (they're larger, so would require routing), as that's more of a Tele thing (a very specific Tele thing), but one thing I've taken away from this forum is that every guitar is going to be different, so I won't know without trying.

So what say you? It's unorthodox, yes -- I'm alright with that, I'm an unorthodox guy, but is it going to sound totally horrible? Any guesses?

I guess why I got all turned on was that on paper, WRHB sounds like what I'm shooting for (wide frequency range, but still sounding like a guitar, not an acoustic nor a piezo, with "...just the right amount of saturation" -- I really wish there was a number for this), but then...so does everything. That's the point of ad copy, innit?

I'm also looking at Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, Custom Custom, JB and/or Jazz pickups (these are all "of a kind", aren't they?); maybe a Benedetto PAF; maybe a Lollar'tron or Imperial.

 

[The Fight]

Hey I'd totally check out the Lindy Fralin pure Paf. I really like what I read about them and they do seem less expensive then the leading paf replication. It does seem like a good choice and I feel that flipping them would be easier.

 

[shallbe]

Lollar Imperials sound fantastic in PRS. Standard wind, lightly potted. Wonderful, sweet, clear tones that can also really rock.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

So I'm realizing after some discussions offline that I want a low- to middlin'- level pickup, since I play mostly clean. Thinking about Fralin Big Single (I'll get the Sunbucker if he'll wind 'em for me), and the Bareknuckle Riff Raff and still working through the Lollars. They (PTC) won't do the Regals because those are a completely different sized pickup, which is fine.

 

[HANGAR18]

They said no? Wow.

Threaten them. Just tell them if they don't do it that you'll install Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups into this guitar. hahaha

But seriously, the 57/08's are nice and I'm sure the PTC will install those.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

They cited concerns over "compatibility issues", which, like I said, is fine. I hadn't realized what an "out there" request I was making when I made it, but I knew it was crazy by the time they responded. Lollar themselves actually told me they can be put in anything, it's just that traditionally, they only go in Tele Deluxes, Tele Customs, and "offset" style guitars (Starcaster, Jazzmaster, etc.), but there's really no reason they can't go in a Custom 24, it would just require a small amount of routing.

So I got a Starcaster, and I'll try them in there. I might try the Imperials in the Custom 24.

I actually do have a set of Pearly Gates, probably putting them in the early ZM with the DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell in the middle position. :evil:

And yes, they have already agreed to the 57/08s.