Snagged another Bernie Marsden!

Lewguitar

Lewguitar

Old Know It All
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
3,539
Location
Paonia Colorado
Boy I've been lucky finding these at bargain basement prices!

Unbelievable bargain on this one: $600.

https://imgur.com/uhySMpl

I'm going to put those Wolfetone Marshallheads in it rather than sell them.

They're pretty cool pickups. Never said I didn't like them - just that I like the 57/08's more.

I love these guitars! Owe it all to you guys for turning me onto them.

For me, they're more comfortable to play than any of my USA PRS guitars, including my 90's CE22's and my SC58.

There's just something about these Bernies that's a perfect fit for me.

The stock SE 245 pickups are kinda "semi-sucky," but so what? I change out the pickups in most of my guitars anyway.

Already have a new PRS bridge/tailpiece with brass inserts and metric brass studs to put on it. Bought it to put on my Soapbar Singlecut but I'll put it on the Bernie instead.
https://imgur.com/jLVKEB8

I'll order some locking tuners from John Mann.

He has a "Buy Back" thing going right now where if you buy a set of locking tuners he'll give you $25 cash for your old ones or $35 in store credit.

I have three sets to give him so that might get me a free set...right?
 
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I've gotta find me one of them European Bernie's with the 53/10's still in it...

giphy.gif
 
Lewguitar said:
Never heard of 53/10's. Are they a Korean made pickup?
Click to expand...
Nope, they're rare-as-hen's-teeth American ones that were around back in 2010~2011 and then faded away due to availability of the wire. They were in the Modern Eagle Quatro, the 53/10 Ltd., and a couple others back at the time. Apparently PRS sent a handful of them overseas to be installed into some SE Bernie guitars and sold that way.
 
I haven't heard of 53/10's either. Given that in 1953 humbucking pickups were still two years away from having patents applied for by Gretch and Gibson, I'm curious about what type of pickup the 53/10's are. (Edit: just checked and they're humbuckers: @László described in 2017 as "Great pickups, the pick attack is a little rounder, and less biting than 57/08s.")

And IIRC that European Bernie run only was for 300 guitars.
 
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Have you tried some Zach myers? They are pretty awesome too since you love to mod. They are pretty much a semihollow version with the PRS 4 knob layout. The MIK versions are better than the modern.
 
You need help man! What I'd really like to see is you try those older set of 5708 in the SC58 in a Bernie to compare to the newer 5708..
Broseph said:
The MIK versions are better than the modern.
Click to expand...

Although, I moved on from my ZM..I too prefer the MIK, not just in the ZM, but surprisingly in general. Some killer guitars in the MIK Era.
 
SinSir said:
You need help man! What I'd really like to see is you try those older set of 5708 in the SC58 in a Bernie to compare to the newer 5708..


Although, I moved on from my ZM..I too prefer the MIK, not just in the ZM, but surprisingly in general. Some killer guitars in the MIK Era.
Click to expand...
Once again agree 100% There just seemed to be less or even very few issues with those MIK guitars and that’s across the board brand wise. Not the case with Indonesian made again across the board brand wise.
 
SinSir said:
You need help man! What I'd really like to see is you try those older set of 5708 in the SC58 in a Bernie to compare to the newer 5708..


Although, I moved on from my ZM..I too prefer the MIK, not just in the ZM, but surprisingly in general. Some killer guitars in the MIK Era.
Click to expand...
I have three sets of 57/08's.

One set in a 2012 SC58. That set is original to the guitar and has the lowest output and it's obvious.

I have a brand new set in a Bernie Marsden and that set is quite a bit fuller and hotter sounding. I was so POed about the hassle of putting those in with no directions from PRS that I insulted and almost returned them. But once i got it figured out I realized they sound too good not to keep.

The third set of 57/08's were already installed in my 2012 Bernie when I bought it. Don't know the year of the pickups but they're hotter than those in my SC58 and slightly weaker than that brand new set. They're right in the middle.

So all three sets are a little different...just as old PAFs would have been.

Maybe it's intentional.
 
Whole other subject but with Bernies the flame is almost always stronger on one side of the top than the other. Usually the lower side with the volume controls has less flame, even though they're bookmatched.

Only one I have that's spectacular on both sides is this one, and the flame is kind of non-traditional.

It's my favorite tho.

I know it's a veneer but it sure is purty!

https://imgur.com/rhjJgJm
 
I tend to think veneers do that. One side looks great but the other side can look blah. Move around and it’s the opposite. From underneath they look amazing. I don’t tend to notice it so much on regular flame maple caps. And 10 tops stay flamed no matter the angle
 
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