First thing first, the 57/08 is not the US made 58/15s, 58/15LT is, but PRS offered them only in spacial runs for aftermarket purchase. Apart from that and since i own guitars with 58/15s and 57/08 i can agree with everything you said about them . 58/15s is great pickups for the money and 57/08 has more clarity So in conclusion i will not spend the 500$ for upgrading the SE pickups. I will save the money for a core guitar with the us pickups on it
So the 57/08 non tm aren't us mads the tm series are and made in house and you'll pay allot for the core model with these in them majority of the core models have 85/15s in them in own a ce series it's there bolt on core series fantastic guitar has 85/15s and a metal prs bridge pickup only difference between the custom series and the ce is ONE it's a bolt on neck vs the glued on neck wich i prefer bc over time the glued neck joint will crack , another key point is the tuners are open back phase 3 locking vs phase 2 closed back on the ce the last difference is the maple tops the maple top on the ce is thinner by a quarter inch roughly then the core model also there is cutouts around the knobs that's absolutely the only difference between the two now 1000$ more to have a glued on neck i don't think is worth it at all I don't like glued on neck bc of the cracking over time but the ce is more traditional guitar like fender or ibanez etc but just a beautiful peice of art its really down to what you like more but I find the ce sounds the same as a custom core model I have played with they have same electronics in them it's really just the maple top and the tuners and way the neck is put in is the difference that's literally it after playing the two the prs ce is the better option for the price especially on the mint used condition market payed 1200$ less for a 2017 trampas green prs ce with same specks as the custom series i was looking at and it's justified by the fact a brand new ce is 2800$ vs there 3800$ or more custom model the base custom model has 85/15s vs there more expensive models have the 57/08 or the tramanty series or McCarty pickups solid instruments just only reason I'd buy a custom is the color and if it's a wood libary with different tonal woods vs there regular ce and custom there pretty much the same exact guitar its what you can afford and what you want and like
I've had my Core Custom 22 for nearly 10 years and I just noticed that the 57/08 etching is upside down on the bridge humbucker. Thanks a lot Jeremy. Now I have to burn my PRS in the fires of Mt Doom because I can't unsee it...
I was recently thinking about upgrading my PRS SE pickups because they were muddy. Instead, I put a low cut filter block at 100Hz at the beginning of the signal chain in my Helix presets and the problem was solved. I think a similar approach with any EQ pedal might yield similar results.
I just traded my PRS Core McCarty 594 off. It has the new tuned capacitance pickups I think they are called. It just sounded lacking in some way. Went with a custom shop strat. Couldn't be happier. Glad you like yours!
An EQ pedal is a cheap and significant improvement to your guitar sound. I would always recommend trying that before changing pickups. A small change with an EQ pedal will make big difference.
I had a used US made PRS McCarty 594 s2 double cut stock 2023 and paired it with my Halo double delay, EQ, electro harmonix chorus, metal zone, drop tuner , booster, noise suppressor pedals and it sound very clear, crispy distortion, angelic acoustic sound . Instead of swapping pick up bought Halo double delay, EQ, and chorus and add it in your pedals and it will sound good even in a cheap guitar. I think my prs S2 mcCarty 594 can even goes at par or even sound good compared to PRS core. I sold my Gibson classic 2023 after I bought my PRS
I’ve never heard a PRS pickup that was as nice as. Throbak, Bare Knuckle etc. I bought one of the SE Custom 24 Floyd Rose guitars and put in a Pariah Leone and a Pasadena Black in the neck and bridge positions. The difference is night and day
I LOVE how you took the sting out of the "isn't he sponsored" thing by doing a big "Sponsored content over" declaration in the beginning. It functioned perfectly as an intro hook for the video, and i was as effective as is feasible for getting the audience to set aside the fact that PRS sponsors you. I'm taking notes, man.
I hear a slight improvement in tone to my ears. Even at $500, some players just want it to be a little bit better to meet their standard of tone. In the early 00's we put EMG's in everything and called it a massive tone upgrade lol.
i just did a "similar" thing got prs SE 594 singlecut.....then bought new 50s wiring parts/loom with cts and switchcraft parts and then got some seymour duncan neck 59s and bridge Slash2.0 pickups.....now that sounds really good.....bigger and better...glad i did it.....and didn't cost 500 $ for the pus either.....cheers.
My private stock has 58/15LT pups and it does a very convincing strat and LP tone. That stated, if i want a high gain tone, I actually have to turn the gain up considerably to keep up with my other core models 513 and SC245 from 2001.
I have these pickups in my PRS SC245 & my custom Lucky Dog Guitar in the neck and they’re amazing. 57/08 and Lucky Dog Houndstooth in a Tele style guitar is AMAZING!!! Covers any genre you want!
I have a PRS SE Standard 23-08 and the pups were ok, just nothing special. I looked into trading it in but it doesn't have much retail value. I put in a set of SD Vintage Phat Cat Silencers and wow, this guitar now rocks. Gave up the fancy switching (humbucker sized p90s) and only had to solder 2 wires for each pup. Was surprised how much better they sound (to me) when I was testing out the bridge with the stock neck pup. Always liked the neck feel and fretwork, also put on PRS locking tuners.
I find this over and over with expensive pickups. My Imperials do this. More money >> More note separation. I prefer the tone of my SD Antiquities in my SG, but the $100 more Lollars in the LP are definitely more hifi and sound better at edge of breakup. The difference isn't night and day though. After the price goes over $200 a set, I have to start squinting my ears to hear disparities.
I feel like the bridge pickup in the SE is too dark on the bass strings. I definitely want to change the splits and add treble bleeds. The bridge Dimarzio Paf put in my old Epiphone definitely seemed 'brighter' and 'snarlier' to me at the time.
Thanks for the bud bud! On my way right now to pick up a new PRS I’ve contemplated between the SE and S2! Just not sure if the S2 is worth the extra grand! But I will see shortly! Keep it up 👍
I guess look at the specs side by side then decide on the official pre site. for the sake of convo. the only thing you get from s2 is a solid maple cap compared to the Se wit curly top maple veneer or the maple cap. so I went on the Se then had it set up professionally and installed medium jumbo stainless frets. now im happy and content
@@kaoe145 it pretty much stay in tune, i had it set-up by our luthiere, the only thing i would upgrade is locking tuners. Why i just want it to feel premium. I had locking tuners before on my other guitar. They just feels great. But im not in a hurry coz for me the stock tuners are fine for now. But given the chance and budget i will definitely get locking tuners quick. Other wise the the custom Se is soooo perfect for me budget wise as long as it is properly set-up.
And given the budget i will definitely “Pimp” it more. Because the guitar feels so solid and pretty! I dont have the budget for the S2 for now. But ever since I experienced the feel of a properly set-up guitar i no longer urged for a very expensive guitar. As long as you start with the basics to start with, with the build quality to start with and most guitars now a days are fine so the only thing to do is have it properly set-up and im sure you will enjoy. Cheers bro
I have the same guitar and absolutely agree with you. They are way too good for the price. I put a SD 59 in my neck and a SD JB in the bridge and it's an absolute tone beast. I also upgraded my pots to CTS and orange drops. I didn't coil split them just because I don't use coil split so there's no need for it for me.
Here’s what I’m thinking. You might have done even better by getting the 58/15 LT pickups being that the McCarty comes stock with the 58/15 S pickups. It looks like you went with a 57/08 LT model pickup. What made you settle on the 57/08 LT?There is a marked difference in the tone between the stock and what you bought, but I don’t think the pickups you went with pickups are the best for this guitar. I won a set of 58/15 LT’s as part of a prize package from Phil McKnight and PRS. I would love to install them into this very model guitar, but I don’t own one (yet - trying to see if I can acquired a donated one somehow with my monetary situation and illness). However, I’ve listened to tons of online sound samples with the 58/15 LT’s that I have, and I think they’re more suitable for this model. That’s why I think you feel like it’s missing something. The tone profile for the 57/08 LT is a bit different than the 58/15 LT. I was quite wowed by the samples I heard with these pickups in a McCarty 594 SE. Yours don’t really sound the same as what I have heard. They’re better than the stock, but I heard what you mean - they’re not blowing me away. Others seem to feel similarly about the 58/15 LT being a much better upgrade choice from what I’m reading on the PRS forums: forums.prsguitars.com/threads/57-08-vs-58-15-lt.53315/ I wonder if you’d feel $500 wowed if the pickups you got were put into a different guitar. 🤔 Thanks, as always, for a great video! 😊
I didn't understand why the one pickup you thought seemed higher quality, especially with the solder splattered on the bottom. That looked sloppy to me. DiMarzio's used the brass plates forever and they basically invented replacement pickups.
I have swapped pickups many times. I believe people cant tell a squier pickup from a player. Or a player from a Duncan Antiquity. Without seeing which is which, most people wouldnt be able to guess.
Buying the SE will leave more money for new pickups. Or if you like the stock pickups, more money for a new amp, cab, speaker, cables, effects, beer, pizza, etc. Personally, I'd go for some Wolfetones like the Fenris or Marshallhead. That goes for just about any humbucker equipped guitar. Missing Link Audio makes amazing pickups as well. I have the Hot ODRs in an SE and they brought the guitar to life.
PRS pickups are expensive because they’re not a pickup company. You had 0 need to put in PRS pickups if you were gonna complain about the price that much and instead should have spent $200-$300 on Duncans or dimarzios and then rewired the guitar with quality US parts.
I don't see the quality difference that you do. Is it just the brass colour? Most pickups all look and feel the same, it's usually the of them that we are paying for. How did the PRS ones not "feel" like quality to you?
The new ones sound cleaner. The originals seemed to expose a slight distortion at the end of the sound hitting a string (what your refer to as muddy?). It is a lot better wit the new pickups, big improvement. Is that a $500 better? That is in the eye of the beholder. Where the originals soldered in the best way? But I'll take the guitar after the upgrade any day of the week ;-). Great channel Jeremy, always looking forward to see new YT-movies from the real guitar hunter. Greetings form Belgium, Chris
Yeah, I’ve had a lot of expensive les pauls in the past (25/50 anniversary, deluxe gold top, ebony standard, adam jones) but a custom 24 se with this exact pickup swap makes them all seem like a total waste of money.
I heard a difference but that didn't make the difference better. I barely ever play my prs because I bought a Sire Larry Carlton les paul and it sounds so amazing I am just going to town on it.
I concur. I posted another comments? But since you brought it up here, I’ll copy and paste in case you are interested in reading what I said, especially the link to the PRS forum where these pickups are compared. “Here’s what I’m thinking. You might have done even better by getting the 58/15 LT pickups being that the McCarty comes stock with the 58/15 S pickups. It looks like you went with a 57/08 LT model pickup. What made you settle on the 57/08 LT?There is a marked difference in the tone between the stock and what you bought, but I don’t think the pickups you went with pickups are the best for this guitar. I won a set of 58/15 LT’s as part of a prize package from Phil McKnight and PRS. I would love to install them into this very model guitar, but I don’t own one (yet - trying to see if I can acquired a donated one somehow with my monetary situation and illness). However, I’ve listened to tons of online sound samples with the 58/15 LT’s that I have, and I think they’re more suitable for this model. That’s why I think you feel like it’s missing something. The tone profile for the 57/08 LT is a bit different than the 58/15 LT. I was quite wowed by the samples I heard with these pickups in a McCarty 594 SE. Yours don’t really sound the same as what I have heard. They’re better than the stock, but I heard what you mean - they’re not blowing me away. Others seem to feel similarly about the 58/15 LT being a much better upgrade choice from what I’m reading on the PRS forums: forums.prsguitars.com/threads/57-08-vs-58-15-lt.53315/ I wonder if you’d feel $500 wowed if the pickups you got were put into a different guitar. 🤔 Thanks, as always, for a great video! 😊”
Your older PRS pickups have less gain but that can be fixed by turning up the volume knob and maybe a minor EQ adjustment on the amp. Definitely not worth the $500 upgrade.
Of course its not "$500 better". Not sure how anyone would expect it to be. Thats not how the law of diminishing returns works, regardless of the market in question. The playing and tone molding with the amp wasnt good but there was still a significant difference
Honestly, PRS should have made their guitars sound more like the gold standard tone of Les Pauls and SGs, coupled with the superior playability of their awesome necks. But PRS wanted to sound a little different; this deviated from the perfect tone of the Gibson; this is where they lost market place. I have two PRS Custom 24s, but I play my Gibson and Epiphones first for that Gibson tone. Had PRS copied that Gibson tone, they would have easily outsold Gibson.
PRS pickups are just ridiculously expensive. I would have to go another direction on price alone. There are plenty other brands that do a great job for the $
I lived by active pickups man... I play rock heavy light middle all of it... I loved how the active pickups controlled everything more... compared to cheaper pickups they were awesome!!! However!,,, hahaha I have gotten older and had an opportunity to purchase a 2017 PRS Custom 22 Built in Maryland USA... Used but MINT condition. Very expensive guitar but I got a deal a grand less than it was stickered at! It has the steadiest Smoothest hottest heaviest lightest any word you can imagine that would describe the best pickups!!! Been looking at other guitars a few years later here and I just don't want to go backwards so my search will continue. I may get a USA Strat I'm not sure yet. I even been looking at Gretch guitars for that blues tone! Point being, get what you like!!! People say Core PRS Guitars are a waste of money but after this one I am not so sure... I can record anything and it already sounds good!
I will never fully understand the institutionalized unhappiness of the UA-cam guitarverse. For the UA-camr(s) it's a business model. I get that. For viewers it's just a pointless rabbit hole. But I watched, so ...
I couldn’t agree more…for those of us who play live, at any level, for me at least, it’s about hearing the guitar through the mix…for the player and the audience! Cheers!
/rant/ -- You didn't "upgrade" anything on the guitar... you MODDED the guitar. We need to get away from the notion that every time you swap out parts, that you're "upgrading" the guitar. It doesn't matter if the parts you are swapping in cost more... doesn't matter if YOU think the new parts are 'better' or in any way 'improve' the guitar. Those things are all subjective and personal opinion. What one might consider to be an 'upgrage' may be a waste of time/money/effort to another. Really, at the end of the day it's just a change, a modification... NOT an upgrade. /end_rant/
@@russellsmith6881 yes I am saying exactly that, in a manner of speaking. One might see that as an “upgrade”, another might not. The only constant and factual statement (not opinion) is that the guitar was modified. Whether that change was beneficial (an “upgrade”) or detrimental or lateral depends on the individual’s opinion, which can and will vary from one person to the next.
I'm about to order a bunch of "upgrade" parts for the PRS SE McCarty .594 singlecut standard I'm getting on Tuesday. Everything EXCEPT the pickups are being "upgraded". If you keep the old parts with the guitar, it's up to the buyer. They can do whatever they want with the extra parts. So from that point of view extra parts have value, period. All this talk that modding guitars devalues them is ridiculous. We're not talking about '59 Les Pauls here. They're imported PRS's that cost around $400 dollars apeice to build. When Sweetwater started advertising them as being Plek'd for free as part of the sales promotion. I burst into hysterical laughter! Sure they are! They're gonna do a $300 dollar CNC Plek job on a $400 dollar guitar? Please. They listed them at close to $1000 dollars when they released them during this inflated market. Obviously, they grossly over estimated not only the demand, but the value of these guitars. The guitars are not the problem, they're fine. It's the complete saturation of the market by all these manufacturers that's going to inevitably drive prices down. They fucked themselves basically.
How bout just buying the SE McCarty .594 singlecut standard for peanuts during this 20% percent off sale. Then you get better pickups already, and can upgrade the electronics and tuners with the money saved? With straplocks and hardcase, I'll be into my vintage cherry model like $950 bucks. Including 50's wiring, orange drop tone capacitors, my favorite pots, Swichcraft 3 way toggle and output jack. That's alot of gee tar for the coin jack! Can't be having no half assed hoopty parts on ANY of my babies. It'll be here Tuesday, just in time to order all the upgrade parts from Stew Mac during the 15% percent off sale going on! Great time to be a guitar modding fool like us! Enjoy your affordable guitars that easily rival the grossly overpriced breathern!
First thing first, the 57/08 is not the US made 58/15s, 58/15LT is, but PRS offered them only in spacial runs for aftermarket purchase.
Apart from that and since i own guitars with 58/15s and 57/08 i can agree with everything you said about them .
58/15s is great pickups for the money and 57/08 has more clarity
So in conclusion i will not spend the 500$ for upgrading the SE pickups. I will save the money for a core guitar with the us pickups on it
So the 57/08 non tm aren't us mads the tm series are and made in house and you'll pay allot for the core model with these in them majority of the core models have 85/15s in them in own a ce series it's there bolt on core series fantastic guitar has 85/15s and a metal prs bridge pickup only difference between the custom series and the ce is ONE it's a bolt on neck vs the glued on neck wich i prefer bc over time the glued neck joint will crack , another key point is the tuners are open back phase 3 locking vs phase 2 closed back on the ce the last difference is the maple tops the maple top on the ce is thinner by a quarter inch roughly then the core model also there is cutouts around the knobs that's absolutely the only difference between the two now 1000$ more to have a glued on neck i don't think is worth it at all I don't like glued on neck bc of the cracking over time but the ce is more traditional guitar like fender or ibanez etc but just a beautiful peice of art its really down to what you like more but I find the ce sounds the same as a custom core model I have played with they have same electronics in them it's really just the maple top and the tuners and way the neck is put in is the difference that's literally it after playing the two the prs ce is the better option for the price especially on the mint used condition market payed 1200$ less for a 2017 trampas green prs ce with same specks as the custom series i was looking at and it's justified by the fact a brand new ce is 2800$ vs there 3800$ or more custom model the base custom model has 85/15s vs there more expensive models have the 57/08 or the tramanty series or McCarty pickups solid instruments just only reason I'd buy a custom is the color and if it's a wood libary with different tonal woods vs there regular ce and custom there pretty much the same exact guitar its what you can afford and what you want and like
A pair of Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF runs about $250. They're on eBay for nearly half of that used. - that's the route I would go
I've had my Core Custom 22 for nearly 10 years and I just noticed that the 57/08 etching is upside down on the bridge humbucker. Thanks a lot Jeremy. Now I have to burn my PRS in the fires of Mt Doom because I can't unsee it...
I was recently thinking about upgrading my PRS SE pickups because they were muddy. Instead, I put a low cut filter block at 100Hz at the beginning of the signal chain in my Helix presets and the problem was solved.
I think a similar approach with any EQ pedal might yield similar results.
Good to know. Thanks!
I just traded my PRS Core McCarty 594 off. It has the new tuned capacitance pickups I think they are called. It just sounded lacking in some way. Went with a custom shop strat. Couldn't be happier. Glad you like yours!
An EQ pedal is a cheap and significant improvement to your guitar sound. I would always recommend trying that before changing pickups. A small change with an EQ pedal will make big difference.
I had a used US made PRS McCarty 594 s2 double cut stock 2023 and paired it with my Halo double delay, EQ, electro harmonix chorus, metal zone, drop tuner , booster, noise suppressor pedals and it sound very clear, crispy distortion, angelic acoustic sound . Instead of swapping pick up bought Halo double delay, EQ, and chorus and add it in your pedals and it will sound good even in a cheap guitar. I think my prs S2 mcCarty 594 can even goes at par or even sound good compared to PRS core. I sold my Gibson classic 2023 after I bought my PRS
Dimarzio super distortion in the bridge and a paf pro in the neck is the route I went.
I’ve never heard a PRS pickup that was as nice as. Throbak, Bare Knuckle etc.
I bought one of the SE Custom 24 Floyd Rose guitars and put in a Pariah Leone and a Pasadena Black in the neck and bridge positions. The difference is night and day
I LOVE how you took the sting out of the "isn't he sponsored" thing by doing a big "Sponsored content over" declaration in the beginning. It functioned perfectly as an intro hook for the video, and i was as effective as is feasible for getting the audience to set aside the fact that PRS sponsors you. I'm taking notes, man.
I found lowering the pu height a lot clears up the SE pickups. I had to do it to me SE Custom 24. I hated how muddy they were before.
I'll try that
I hear a slight improvement in tone to my ears. Even at $500, some players just want it to be a little bit better to meet their standard of tone. In the early 00's we put EMG's in everything and called it a massive tone upgrade lol.
i just did a "similar" thing got prs SE 594 singlecut.....then bought new 50s wiring parts/loom with cts and switchcraft parts and then got some seymour duncan neck 59s and bridge Slash2.0 pickups.....now that sounds really good.....bigger and better...glad i did it.....and didn't cost 500 $ for the pus either.....cheers.
My private stock has 58/15LT pups and it does a very convincing strat and LP tone. That stated, if i want a high gain tone, I actually have to turn the gain up considerably to keep up with my other core models 513 and SC245 from 2001.
LT stands for low turn, so yeah, not made for high gain. The 85/15 PU does high gain very well however.
S2 now are totally worth it with 2024 models
I ordered one of those 594 SE when Sweetwater had a sale. Sale price was $759.00 can't wait until it comes in.
How did it sound? Are you going to upgrade the pickups?
cool video. maybe try some lollar pickups? fralins?
That's a fire thumbnail and title.
I have these pickups in my PRS SC245 & my custom Lucky Dog Guitar in the neck and they’re amazing. 57/08 and Lucky Dog Houndstooth in a Tele style guitar is AMAZING!!! Covers any genre you want!
I have a PRS SE Standard 23-08 and the pups were ok, just nothing special. I looked into trading it in but it doesn't have much retail value. I put in a set of SD Vintage Phat Cat Silencers and wow, this guitar now rocks. Gave up the fancy switching (humbucker sized p90s) and only had to solder 2 wires for each pup. Was surprised how much better they sound (to me) when I was testing out the bridge with the stock neck pup. Always liked the neck feel and fretwork, also put on PRS locking tuners.
new set seems to have more clarity. but i could be wrong
I agree.
I find this over and over with expensive pickups. My Imperials do this. More money >> More note separation. I prefer the tone of my SD Antiquities in my SG, but the $100 more Lollars in the LP are definitely more hifi and sound better at edge of breakup. The difference isn't night and day though. After the price goes over $200 a set, I have to start squinting my ears to hear disparities.
I feel like the bridge pickup in the SE is too dark on the bass strings.
I definitely want to change the splits and add treble bleeds.
The bridge Dimarzio Paf put in my old Epiphone definitely seemed 'brighter' and 'snarlier' to me at the time.
I found lowering the pickups more than you'd normally think helps a lot. They are very height sensitive.
@@paulmea3166 Did that pretty much the day I got it. Still feels a bit too thick and soupy for my taste. Good tip though, one I find essential.
@@paulmea3166that’s what I did, and it made a huge improvement.
Umm telecasters do everything!!! 😊. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the bud bud! On my way right now to pick up a new PRS I’ve contemplated between the SE and S2! Just not sure if the S2 is worth the extra grand! But I will see shortly! Keep it up 👍
I guess look at the specs side by side then decide on the official pre site. for the sake of convo. the only thing you get from s2 is a solid maple cap compared to the Se wit curly top maple veneer or the maple cap. so I went on the Se then had it set up professionally and installed medium jumbo stainless frets. now im happy and content
@@mjwontstopdid you have bad tuning stability, caused by the nut.
@@kaoe145 it pretty much stay in tune, i had it set-up by our luthiere, the only thing i would upgrade is locking tuners. Why i just want it to feel premium. I had locking tuners before on my other guitar. They just feels great. But im not in a hurry coz for me the stock tuners are fine for now.
But given the chance and budget i will definitely get locking tuners quick. Other wise the the custom Se is soooo perfect for me budget wise as long as it is properly set-up.
And given the budget i will definitely “Pimp” it more. Because the guitar feels so solid and pretty! I dont have the budget for the S2 for now.
But ever since I experienced the feel of a properly set-up guitar i no longer urged for a very expensive guitar. As long as you start with the basics to start with, with the build quality to start with and most guitars now a days are fine so the only thing to do is have it properly set-up and im sure you will enjoy. Cheers bro
I have the same guitar and absolutely agree with you. They are way too good for the price. I put a SD 59 in my neck and a SD JB in the bridge and it's an absolute tone beast. I also upgraded my pots to CTS and orange drops. I didn't coil split them just because I don't use coil split so there's no need for it for me.
Here’s what I’m thinking. You might have done even better by getting the 58/15 LT pickups being that the McCarty comes stock with the 58/15 S pickups. It looks like you went with a 57/08 LT model pickup.
What made you settle on the 57/08 LT?There is a marked difference in the tone between the stock and what you bought, but I don’t think the pickups you went with pickups are the best for this guitar. I won a set of 58/15 LT’s as part of a prize package from Phil McKnight and PRS. I would love to install them into this very model guitar, but I don’t own one (yet - trying to see if I can acquired a donated one somehow with my monetary situation and illness). However, I’ve listened to tons of online sound samples with the 58/15 LT’s that I have, and I think they’re more suitable for this model. That’s why I think you feel like it’s missing something. The tone profile for the 57/08 LT is a bit different than the 58/15 LT. I was quite wowed by the samples I heard with these pickups in a McCarty 594 SE. Yours don’t really sound the same as what I have heard. They’re better than the stock, but I heard what you mean - they’re not blowing me away.
Others seem to feel similarly about the 58/15 LT being a much better upgrade choice from what I’m reading on the PRS forums: forums.prsguitars.com/threads/57-08-vs-58-15-lt.53315/
I wonder if you’d feel $500 wowed if the pickups you got were put into a different guitar. 🤔
Thanks, as always, for a great video! 😊
Is 58/15 LT the best pickups? S2 10th anniversary comes with it and I wonder if I should buy one.
I didn't understand why the one pickup you thought seemed higher quality, especially with the solder splattered on the bottom. That looked sloppy to me. DiMarzio's used the brass plates forever and they basically invented replacement pickups.
I have swapped pickups many times. I believe people cant tell a squier pickup from a player. Or a player from a Duncan Antiquity.
Without seeing which is which, most people wouldnt be able to guess.
Buying the SE will leave more money for new pickups. Or if you like the stock pickups, more money for a new amp, cab, speaker, cables, effects, beer, pizza, etc.
Personally, I'd go for some Wolfetones like the Fenris or Marshallhead. That goes for just about any humbucker equipped guitar. Missing Link Audio makes amazing pickups as well. I have the Hot ODRs in an SE and they brought the guitar to life.
PRS pickups are expensive because they’re not a pickup company. You had 0 need to put in PRS pickups if you were gonna complain about the price that much and instead should have spent $200-$300 on Duncans or dimarzios and then rewired the guitar with quality US parts.
I don't see the quality difference that you do.
Is it just the brass colour?
Most pickups all look and feel the same, it's usually the of them that we are paying for.
How did the PRS ones not "feel" like quality to you?
57/08 are not fancy version of the 58/15LT-s.. 2 totally different pickups
I believe the volume and tone knobs replacement was a better upgrade. The SE knobs are fugly.
I have found Fralin pickups to be outstanding.
We just got an Eastman 57 in with Lollars and I'm amazed.
The new ones sound cleaner. The originals seemed to expose a slight distortion at the end of the sound hitting a string (what your refer to as muddy?). It is a lot better wit the new pickups, big improvement. Is that a $500 better? That is in the eye of the beholder. Where the originals soldered in the best way? But I'll take the guitar after the upgrade any day of the week ;-). Great channel Jeremy, always looking forward to see new YT-movies from the real guitar hunter. Greetings form Belgium, Chris
500 dollar improvement he'll no
Yeah, I’ve had a lot of expensive les pauls in the past (25/50 anniversary, deluxe gold top, ebony standard, adam jones) but a custom 24 se with this exact pickup swap makes them all seem like a total waste of money.
The S2s make sense when you look at the Vela, Standard 22 and 24. The rest really shouldnt be made so there is a better gulf between SE and Core.
I heard a difference but that didn't make the difference better. I barely ever play my prs because I bought a Sire Larry Carlton les paul and it sounds so amazing I am just going to town on it.
Was that This Will Destroy You at the end?
Yep
It’s impossible to compare 2 sounds without them being immediately back to back.
Nice re-wire. No, I didn't like it loud. Probably why I still have my hearing.
Those are not the same pickups. The American full version are the 58/15 LT. Totally different sound.
I own a PRS Hollowbody 594 core
I would have to agree. My CE has the US made 85/15's and my SE and S2 had the 85/15S and they are noticeably different.
I concur. I posted another comments? But since you brought it up here, I’ll copy and paste in case you are interested in reading what I said, especially the link to the PRS forum where these pickups are compared.
“Here’s what I’m thinking. You might have done even better by getting the 58/15 LT pickups being that the McCarty comes stock with the 58/15 S pickups. It looks like you went with a 57/08 LT model pickup.
What made you settle on the 57/08 LT?There is a marked difference in the tone between the stock and what you bought, but I don’t think the pickups you went with pickups are the best for this guitar. I won a set of 58/15 LT’s as part of a prize package from Phil McKnight and PRS. I would love to install them into this very model guitar, but I don’t own one (yet - trying to see if I can acquired a donated one somehow with my monetary situation and illness). However, I’ve listened to tons of online sound samples with the 58/15 LT’s that I have, and I think they’re more suitable for this model. That’s why I think you feel like it’s missing something. The tone profile for the 57/08 LT is a bit different than the 58/15 LT. I was quite wowed by the samples I heard with these pickups in a McCarty 594 SE. Yours don’t really sound the same as what I have heard. They’re better than the stock, but I heard what you mean - they’re not blowing me away.
Others seem to feel similarly about the 58/15 LT being a much better upgrade choice from what I’m reading on the PRS forums: forums.prsguitars.com/threads/57-08-vs-58-15-lt.53315/
I wonder if you’d feel $500 wowed if the pickups you got were put into a different guitar. 🤔
Thanks, as always, for a great video! 😊”
Which one is better between 85/15 and 58/15LT??
Whatcha gonna do with the old pickups?
Want em? They're excellent.
@@JeremySheppard yess!!
Email me, jeremy@jeremysheppard.com
Why not use some actually GOOD pickups if you're going to swap out the factory ones?
Your older PRS pickups have less gain but that can be fixed by turning up the volume knob and maybe a minor EQ adjustment on the amp. Definitely not worth the $500 upgrade.
I totally agree. I'm beginning to rely less on pickups to change my guitar's tone.
Of course its not "$500 better". Not sure how anyone would expect it to be. Thats not how the law of diminishing returns works, regardless of the market in question. The playing and tone molding with the amp wasnt good but there was still a significant difference
For the price, you'd have done better with a set of BKP Stormy Mondays, which kick just about every other AL2 PAF-style pickup set's ass
4:57 there goes monetization on this video 🤣
😂
Honestly, PRS should have made their guitars sound more like the gold standard tone of Les Pauls and SGs, coupled with the superior playability of their awesome necks. But PRS wanted to sound a little different; this deviated from the perfect tone of the Gibson; this is where they lost market place. I have two PRS Custom 24s, but I play my Gibson and Epiphones first for that Gibson tone. Had PRS copied that Gibson tone, they would have easily outsold Gibson.
PRS pickups are just ridiculously expensive. I would have to go another direction on price alone. There are plenty other brands that do a great job for the $
Damn that amp sounds terrible. Couldn’t really get past that
I lived by active pickups man... I play rock heavy light middle all of it... I loved how the active pickups controlled everything more... compared to cheaper pickups they were awesome!!! However!,,, hahaha I have gotten older and had an opportunity to purchase a 2017 PRS Custom 22 Built in Maryland USA... Used but MINT condition. Very expensive guitar but I got a deal a grand less than it was stickered at! It has the steadiest Smoothest hottest heaviest lightest any word you can imagine that would describe the best pickups!!! Been looking at other guitars a few years later here and I just don't want to go backwards so my search will continue. I may get a USA Strat I'm not sure yet. I even been looking at Gretch guitars for that blues tone! Point being, get what you like!!! People say Core PRS Guitars are a waste of money but after this one I am not so sure... I can record anything and it already sounds good!
I think the tone with the original pickups is better
57/08'are not the better version of 58/15s. 58/15 or 58/15LT's are.
I will never fully understand the institutionalized unhappiness of the UA-cam guitarverse. For the UA-camr(s) it's a business model. I get that. For viewers it's just a pointless rabbit hole. But I watched, so ...
Thanks for watching. This was documenting my own curiosity more than anything.
I couldn’t agree more…for those of us who play live, at any level, for me at least, it’s about hearing the guitar through the mix…for the player and the audience! Cheers!
/rant/ -- You didn't "upgrade" anything on the guitar... you MODDED the guitar. We need to get away from the notion that every time you swap out parts, that you're "upgrading" the guitar. It doesn't matter if the parts you are swapping in cost more... doesn't matter if YOU think the new parts are 'better' or in any way 'improve' the guitar. Those things are all subjective and personal opinion. What one might consider to be an 'upgrage' may be a waste of time/money/effort to another. Really, at the end of the day it's just a change, a modification... NOT an upgrade. /end_rant/
So you're saying going from SE made in Indonesia to hihh spec US made Core pickups is not an upgrade?
@@batmitestar1560 Well, I have an opinion on your opinion about his opinion.
@@russellsmith6881 yes I am saying exactly that, in a manner of speaking. One might see that as an “upgrade”, another might not. The only constant and factual statement (not opinion) is that the guitar was modified. Whether that change was beneficial (an “upgrade”) or detrimental or lateral depends on the individual’s opinion, which can and will vary from one person to the next.
I'm about to order a bunch of "upgrade" parts for the PRS SE McCarty .594 singlecut standard I'm getting on Tuesday. Everything EXCEPT the pickups are being "upgraded". If you keep the old parts with the guitar, it's up to the buyer. They can do whatever they want with the extra parts. So from that point of view extra parts have value, period. All this talk that modding guitars devalues them is ridiculous. We're not talking about '59 Les Pauls here. They're imported PRS's that cost around $400 dollars apeice to build. When Sweetwater started advertising them as being Plek'd for free as part of the sales promotion. I burst into hysterical laughter! Sure they are! They're gonna do a $300 dollar CNC Plek job on a $400 dollar guitar? Please. They listed them at close to $1000 dollars when they released them during this inflated market. Obviously, they grossly over estimated not only the demand, but the value of these guitars. The guitars are not the problem, they're fine. It's the complete saturation of the market by all these manufacturers that's going to inevitably drive prices down. They fucked themselves basically.
What a stupid and pointless rant. Thanks for contributing absolutely nothing.
It IS an upgrade of the person deems their mod is an upgrade.
Putting $500 into a $1000 gutiar rarely equates to better tone.
😂 this is a quote I need to memorize
Unless, of course, it was a free guitar.
Not free but I've hedged my bets.
How bout just buying the SE McCarty .594 singlecut standard for peanuts during this 20% percent off sale. Then you get better pickups already, and can upgrade the electronics and tuners with the money saved? With straplocks and hardcase, I'll be into my vintage cherry model like $950 bucks. Including 50's wiring, orange drop tone capacitors, my favorite pots, Swichcraft 3 way toggle and output jack. That's alot of gee tar for the coin jack! Can't be having no half assed hoopty parts on ANY of my babies. It'll be here Tuesday, just in time to order all the upgrade parts from Stew Mac during the 15% percent off sale going on! Great time to be a guitar modding fool like us! Enjoy your affordable guitars that easily rival the grossly overpriced breathern!