SE humbuckers, different over the years?

[John Beef]

The early Santanas had covered pickups. My 03 Santana has uncovered pickups with black bobbins. The neck pickup is stamped F and the bridge pickup is stamped R. Later SEs have the uncovered double black bobbins with the G&B Pickup Co. etching on the bottom. Just curious, how has the basic SE pickup evolved over the years? Were they always from the same supplier?

 

[AP515]

I am not familiar with the first generation SE pups, but the 2007ish pups were made for PRS by G&B in asia and they were fair but not great. The newest gerneration pups are much much better and are modeled after the USA versions. IMO they are about 70% of the real USA pups. Very good for the price.

 

[John Beef]

I have some G&Bs as well from my 2008 SE baritone. They measure out about the same as the F and R stamped ones from my 2003 Santana SE - 10.1K bridge, 9.4K neck.

What are different about the newest generation pickups, and which USA pickups are they modeled after? Do you know more details about them?

Another thing I'm very curious about now. I was thinking about adding covers to one of these sets. Both sets measure out 50mm pole piece spacing on the neck and 52mm on the bridge. I was surprised to see 52mm on the bridge. My USA sets are all 50mm neck and bridge. To the naked eye they look the same.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

According to the PRS book the first chrome pickups were designed by EMG's Rob turner and made in China.
The second Santana pickups were made in Korea, with alnico magnets and not modeled after any US models. They are described as "a good middle-ground pickup, like a McCarty is".

 

[AP515]

What are different about the newest generation pickups, and which USA pickups are they modeled after? Do you know more details about them?

From the PRS website:

SE245 and some others
Treble Pickup PRS Designed SE 245 Treble Humbucker
Bass Pickup PRS Designed SE 245 Bass Humbucker

SECu24 and some others others
Treble Pickup PRS Designed SE HFS Treble
Bass Pickup PRS Designed SE Vintage Bass

A number of other models:
Treble Pickup PRS Designed SE Treble Humbucker
Bass Pickup PRS Designed SE Bass Humbucker