SC245 pickups vs the original run 57/08's?

[Keith Williams]

I am working on a video called "Beano on a Budget" (long promised in the wake of the "Short History of the Beano Album" I made a while back. I was focused on an amp and pedal rig but, of course, folks have been asking which guitar would I recommend on a budget for those 1960 Les Paul tones. I've been very happy with my S2 Miras or my Mira 245 being "Les Paul enough" for me, but I wouldn't call an S2 a "budget" guitar per se. I found an SE Zach Meyers in the burst finish and ordered it up from Northfield Music in Pittsford NY (thanks Joe.)

I have yet to lay hands on the guitar but I'm looking ahead to a pickup swap for the long term. So the question is, how do the American SC245 pickups compare to the 57/08's I know so well? I have a line on a set and would value your input for these sorts of tones.
Thanks in advance. Keith

 

[tdarian]

I’m curious about SC245 pickups vs 5708s in the same guitar (2008 SC245 in my case). Also curious about original 5708s vs the 5708s PRS is currently selling....are they the same?

 

[Keith Williams]

I’m curious about SC245 pickups vs 5708s in the same guitar (2008 SC245 in my case). Also curious about original 5708s vs the 5708s PRS is currently selling....are they the same?

I may do that at some point, though swapping out pickups feels less recreational than it once did. I have the 57/08's in one of my S2 Miras now and am posting here to see about buying a set of the SC245's for the SC SE project guitar. It would be good for me to have a more budget priced humbucking guitar to use for some of my "most music from the least gear" videos. Though, the "least" was never really meant to always mean "least expensive."

 

[vchizzle]

245 pickups- hotter, more midrange

5708- brighter, more PAF like

People who know me might think I’d like 245’s better but I prefer the 5708’s. Personally I’d go 5708 neck(best neck pickup ever for me) and 5909 bridge.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

245 pickups- hotter, more midrange

5708- brighter, more PAF like

People who know me might think I’d like 245’s better but I prefer the 5708’s. Personally I’d go 5708 neck(best neck pickup ever for me) and 5909 bridge.

This!

Also curious about original 5708s vs the 5708s PRS is currently selling....are they the same?

Dunno for sure but, I feel like they are or there’s at least some variation. I know I’ve had conversations with a bunch of guys here ie: @BrianC and @]-[@n$0Ma☩!© about how important it is to find the “good” 57/08s.

 

[FunkyFreeman]

I have once tested head-to-head a 2009 SC 245 (original 245 pups, the exact one in my avatar) and a McCarty 58 (57/08 pups), both through same effects, same amp, same settings, and same day.

The 57/08s had more highs-mids yet less output which were great for old-style blues rock soloing with low to medium gain applied. Turn the gain knob for too far and the 57/08 became too mid-rangey and simply unuseable to me.

The 245 pups were obviously hotter and clearer to my ears. They went from Slash tone to high gain territory with sweet classic mid rage but more mids-focus than 57/08s. The 245 sounded less spongy tone if you ask me. In my opinion the 245 won hands down for being more controlled mids delivered by more output which is better for modern rock application. There's something in 245 that makes me want to play with it all-day long.

Just a side note, I brough a 594 (58/15 LT pups) for comparison the same occasion too. And to me, the LTs were even more boring than 57/08, period. However that's solely my perception as someone who prefer modern-spec'd pups, YMMV.

 

[Domingo Lantigua]

I am working on a video called "Beano on a Budget" (long promised in the wake of the "Short History of the Beano Album" I made a while back. I was focused on an amp and pedal rig but, of course, folks have been asking which guitar would I recommend on a budget for those 1960 Les Paul tones. I've been very happy with my S2 Miras or my Mira 245 being "Les Paul enough" for me, but I wouldn't call an S2 a "budget" guitar per se. I found an SE Zach Meyers in the burst finish and ordered it up from Northfield Music in Pittsford NY (thanks Joe.)

I have yet to lay hands on the guitar but I'm looking ahead to a pickup swap for the long term. So the question is, how do the American SC245 pickups compare to the 57/08's I know so well? I have a line on a set and would value your input for these sorts of tones.
Thanks in advance. Keith

I really dig your Youtube short history series, especially the Beano one I'm quite sure your DGT will hit the Beano tone. But getting a set of DGT's is like hunting unicorn. Maybe a set of 59/09's
Good Luck , Keith

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Dunno for sure but, I feel like they are or there’s at least some variation. I know I’ve had conversations with a bunch of guys here ie: @BrianC and @]-[@n$0Ma☩!© about how important it is to find the “good” 57/08s.

I still feel like the unetched ones I had in the Mira has a little extra mojo

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I still feel like the unetched ones I had in the Mira has a little extra mojo

Ssssshhh!!

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Terrible....I mean they were terrible