This is an "old" concern about PRS, when SE manufacturing was transferred from Korea to Indonesia . There was much panic and concern, as the Korean SE had built a very good reputation for build quality. Folks were afraid the Indo models would fall short.
I bought my first SE CU 24 around that time. And she is of Indonesian extraction. Excellent build quality. Not a thing wrong with her. A bit later, I was looking for a Standard SE 24 and nobody had them. Except my favorite pusher of guitardope ... Sweetwater. They had an "exclusive" ,that they called a " Custom", but . did not have the maple cap.
BUT ,,, it had a really cool rosewood veneer, and it was sold to me , for the price of a Standard. So I copped and lo and behold... she is Korean ! So here are two SE sweeties, with nary a difference in build quality between them . Save for the fact that the maple capped version weighs a ton more ! . I always tease her about being "chubby"
Now when guitar manufacturing moved from Korea to Indonesia, nothing was said about pickup manufacturing... G&B a Korean firm apparently, made the pickups in the Korean models and well ... Aside from the 85/15S being the pickup everyone loves to hate, I think I have noted a more richness and pleasing overall tone from the Korean G&B set in the Korean guitar..
But PRS treats pickup design like they were state secrets . We do not know who makes the pickups in the Indonesian models of CU24 at least. Could be G&B. Could be made in Indonesia . But I have offed the Indo guitars pickups for Vaughn Skows , and am quite happy. Ther G&B Korean set soldiers on, they don't sound a cool as the VS ... but they don't cry out "replace me now !"
But what pickup is in the Tremonti ? . If 85/15S then maybe my experience is relevant. If they are something different, them I don't know.
But I do think, whoever is making the 58/15S is doing a helluva job... and the TCI SE pickup apparently is very good ...But as I said above , those are PRS State Secrets, so we can only conjecture...
My $239 VS pickups came with a "Birth Certificate". Tells you everything about the pickup. Bobbins, magnets, type of wire , number of turns, DC resistance and Inductance measured in Henries (which I hear is more important)
As Mr. Spock would say, we are talking about a rather primitive technology, been around about 70 years, ... Not "Rocket Science" Yet all this "mystery" persists ...
