What's the Difference Between 58/15 Pickups and 85/15 Pickups?

[zimbo]

What's the Difference Between 58/15 Pickups and 85/15 Pickups? I had the 58/15 pickups in my S2 Standard and didn't really care for them.
I'm thinking about buying a Mira and I'm looking for the best PRS pickups so I don't have to switch them. Any recommendations?

 

[SinSir]

Are you talking S pickups? I don't find the core versions and S all that similar. For sure not the 8515 vs 8515S.

 

[aphantomvaper]

I think its the 58/15 are covered and the 85/15 are not. Someone more knowledgeable will post, I hope.

 

[HANGAR18]

I think its the 58/15 are covered and the 85/15 are not. Someone more knowledgeable will post, I hope.

Nope, I think you nailed it.

 

[Aahzz]

The key to PRS pickups is knowing the numbering system. The first number is the year on which they were based, the second is the year they were first released. So, a 58/15 is based on a 1958 humbucker, so it's going for a vintage PAF tone, and it was first released in 2015. The 85/15 is based on the original PRS pickups Paul was making in 1985, and they were also released in 2015. I don't know the magnets in use or tech specs, but I do know the the 85/15 has a more modern, hotter sound than the 58/15. The "s" versions used in the SE and pre-2024 S2 lines are supposedly built to the same design/specs, just outsourced, but I find they sound noticeably different than the US versions of the same pickups. 2024 S2 guitars have the core pickups.

 

[Jimmy]

To add to Aahzz's comments, I played both of the S versions. The 58/15S, with that vintage PAF tone, to my ear, has a sweet, slightly honky feel to it. Lots of character built into it. The 85/15S is more neutral. You'll hear PRS demos describe it as a pedal platform. There's less inherent color to them. I personally don't like that vintage PAF tone, so the 85/15S were more my style.

 

[FatFingerBlues]

So explain the TCI pickups to me
When I read it, the process was to control the output of PU's more completely
Thus bringing the core and the S pickups more closely together sound wise

 

[Smolder]

…I don't know the magnets in use or tech specs, but I do know the the 85/15 has a more modern, hotter sound than the 58/15. The "s" versions used in the SE and pre-2024 S2 lines are supposedly built to the same design/specs, just outsourced, but I find they sound noticeably different than the US versions of the same pickups. 2024 S2 guitars have the core pickups.

There was a chart out there a few years ago… it listed pickups, resistance and magnet type, but at this point it wouldn’t be accurate. It seems specs have changed over time in some cases.

 

[garrett]

I think its the 58/15 are covered and the 85/15 are not. Someone more knowledgeable will post, I hope.

Nope, I think you nailed it.

Back in the good ol' days when Shawn @ PRS was here, he confirmed there's more to it than that. I'm convinced that at least the magnet types are different, if not other things as well. I wish PRS weren't so coy about pickup specs, so we could all make better-educated decisions.

Anyway, in general the 85/15 is brighter and more "modern" sounding and the 58/15 is mellower and more "vintage" sounding. The S versions try for the same thing, but to my ear they definitely don't capture the qualities of the core versions.

 

[Bogner]

I wish PRS weren't so coy about pickup specs, so we could all make better-educated decisions.

Exactly! If I Am Buying A PRS Pickup It Is Likely An \m/ Or A Tremonti Or Something Else With A Name To It For Simplicity Sake. The Confusion Is One Of The Primary Reasons I Use Bare Knuckle Pickups...(Plus They Sound Great). They Are Straight Forward, Have Great Descriptions, Informative And Detailed Specs, Various Styled Sound Clips And Guitar Type Suggestions For Applicable Use And Are Not Confusing To Me.

I Do Have Several PRS Guitars That I Kept The Stock Pickups In Them Or Went With A Stock Pickup From PRS That I Know Worked In My Other Similar Models But Even Being A Very Long Time PRS User It Gets Confusing. Same Thing With These Neck Profiles.

 

[Smolder]

I wish PRS weren't so coy about pickup specs, so we could all make better-educated decisions.

Yah… I’m sure that there’s is more to it than mag type and number of winds… type of wire, wind pattern, other materials… but the cloak and dagger approach just seems silly. I’ve successfully swapped out magnets on Gibson pickups to get a thing. Years ago I got a Gibson eng on the phone and he was quite open detailing specs. I think Lollar blew the roof off that ‘secret sauce’ thing a long time ago.

 

[SinSir]

For the recent core 8515 and 5815LT limited box set release.

Shop the Pickup Pop-Up Shop: 58/15 LT and 85/15 Available Now

Maryland-based Manufacturer of Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, and Accessories.

prsguitars.com

5815LT
Magnet - Alnico 2
DC Res - 7.2k Treble / 7.1k Bass


8515
Magnet: Alnico 2
DC Res: 8.3k Treble / 7.5k Bass

 

[dmatthews]

The difference is 27...

 

[Smolder]

For the recent core 8515 and 5815LT limited box set release.

Shop the Pickup Pop-Up Shop: 58/15 LT and 85/15 Available Now

Maryland-based Manufacturer of Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, and Accessories.

prsguitars.com

5815LT
Magnet - Alnico 2
DC Res - 7.2k Treble / 7.1k Bass


8515
Magnet: Alnico 2
DC Res: 8.3k Treble / 7.5k Bass

Fantastic! Thanks!

In ‘85 high gain amps and pedals weren’t quite as common. Hotter pickups were certainly a thing then.

 

[László]

I have both, but can only comment on the Core versions.

The 58/15 LTs are airy, articulate, and definitely vintage-themed pickups. The 85/15s are hotter, and (at least on the models I have) seem thicker sounding, and drive the front end of an amp a bit more, which may in itself be why they sound thicker - increasing gain adds more fullness to lower mid and bass frequencies as the tube is pushed into compression.

 

[Matte82]

Exactly! If I Am Buying A PRS Pickup It Is Likely An \m/ Or A Tremonti Or Something Else With A Name To It For Simplicity Sake. The Confusion Is One Of The Primary Reasons I Use Bare Knuckle Pickups...(Plus They Sound Great). They Are Straight Forward, Have Great Descriptions, Informative And Detailed Specs, Various Styled Sound Clips And Guitar Type Suggestions For Applicable Use And Are Not Confusing To Me.

I Do Have Several PRS Guitars That I Kept The Stock Pickups In Them Or Went With A Stock Pickup From PRS That I Know Worked In My Other Similar Models But Even Being A Very Long Time PRS User It Gets Confusing. Same Thing With These Neck Profiles.

IMO trying to figure out bare knuckles names is sometimes a bit confusing to me. Sometimes it’s blatantly obvious. But not always. Imo the xx/xx names work really well. Like someone above said, the first numbers are what year of pickups they’re going after. 58=1958 LP(57 and 59 are similar), 85=PRS’s first pickups. Then the last two numbers are just what year they were released. 57/08 in 2008. 59/09 in 2009. 58/15 and 85/15 in 2015.

And neck profiles are fairly simple too. For many years there was mostly wide fat and wide thin. They’re the same width with about 1/16” difference in thickness. Later they tweaked them renamed them to pattern (wide fat) and pattern thin (wide). Imo this makes more sense because wide fat really isn’t that fat in the scheme of things.

Then there is pattern regular. It may have just been called regular before the renaming. It’s just a little narrower than wide fat/thin (pattern/pattern thin). It splits the difference in thickness.

But all 3 shapes are really quite similar.

Then there is pattern vintage. This is their take on a well worn 58 LP. It’s my favorite neck shape. It’s technically thicker than wide fat but it’s asymmetric carve makes it easier for me to play.

The rest are signature carves for a specific artist or model of guitar. And while they’re all cnc carved they are also hand sanded so there are some variations due to that.

 

[SinSir]

Imo the xx/xx names work really well. Like someone above said, the first numbers are what year of pickups they’re going after. 58=1958 LP(57 and 59 are similar), 85=PRS’s first pickups. Then the last two numbers are just what year they were released. 57/08 in 2008. 59/09 in 2009. 58/15 and 85/15 in 2015.

I agree the PRS xx/xx naming convention is super easy once you know how to read it. Wish more were that way. Definitely better than the old names. What does a Dragon sound like? Even if it is fire!

The "s" for the se does get things a bit confusing. What do the 8515s sound like? Is that plural or se?

 

[Smolder]

The "s" for the se does get things a bit confusing. What do the 8515s sound like? Is that plural or se?

I think the S just means same spec, made overseas. But I’d imagine that correlates to SE.

 

[Prina]

For the recent core 8515 and 5815LT limited box set release.
5815LT
Magnet - Alnico 2
DC Res - 7.2k Treble / 7.1k Bass

8515
Magnet: Alnico 2
DC Res: 8.3k Treble / 7.5k Bass

For comparison, my (non-LT) 58/15 sets:
58/15:
DC Res: 8.6k Treble / 7.8 Bass

58/15S:
DC Res: 8.5k Treble / 8.2 Bass

To my ears the Core version sounds significantly better, except when split; the Core bridge is a rock monster.

 

[aamefford]

The difference is 27...

Thank God! Someone had to say this! Though to be completely accurate, it’s 27/15, or 1.8.


Ok, the retired engineer will show himself out now…