Re: EMG 57, 58, or 85 for my PRS SE - Please help me choose
If you can find a used 57 on Reverb, it might be worth your while to swap it in and out to compare against the 85. FWIW I really preferred the 57 and had them in all of my guitars before going passive. I still have one partscaster that is basically a ‘backup’ guitar with a 57 in it, and it really sounds damned good for the more modern, heavier thang. All the punch of the 85 but with just the right bit if clarity and string separation that my ears miss with the 85. If you don’t like it and you bought it used to begin with, you really won’t take much of a hit if you turn around and sell it. The solderless connection makes pickup swaps a breeze.
If you can find a used 57 on Reverb, it might be worth your while to swap it in and out to compare against the 85. FWIW I really preferred the 57 and had them in all of my guitars before going passive. I still have one partscaster that is basically a ‘backup’ guitar with a 57 in it, and it really sounds damned good for the more modern, heavier thang. All the punch of the 85 but with just the right bit if clarity and string separation that my ears miss with the 85. If you don’t like it and you bought it used to begin with, you really won’t take much of a hit if you turn around and sell it. The solderless connection makes pickup swaps a breeze.
