SD pickup equivalent of PRS 57/08 ?

[Texsunburst59]

I just did an amazing trade for a ‘94 PRS Goldtop Standard 24.

If it was stock, it would have had the VB/neck and HFS/bridge.

Luckily it came loaded with a set of PRS 57/08’s, and they sound AMAZING in this guitar.

I want to purchase another set of pickups that sound very close to these without having to shell out $500 for the PRS brand.

Does anyone have any experience with these PRS pickups , and can tell me what SD pickups are the equivalent?

Thanks in advance

 

[jeremy]

i think those are like 8.5k neck, 9.5k bridge and a2 from what ive seen, duncan doesnt really have anything like that in the normal line up. are they really $500 a set? if so, you could get duncan custom shop pups cheaper than that

 

[ehdwuld]

I googled them and the used ones were more than the new ones at $175 each

 

[Mincer]

Why are these so expensive? Is it just because they are PRS or is there something special about them?

 

[Texsunburst59]

Why are these so expensive? Is it just because they are PRS or is there something special about them?

I think cause they cater to doctors and lawyers ?

 

[jeremy]

yeah, i just assume its cause its prs. they do make good stuff and since sales of their pups arent their primary focus, they can charge what they want and dont worry about sales too much since the pups are primarily for putting in their guitars

 

[Rex_Rocker]

yeah, i just assume its cause its prs. they do make good stuff and since sales of their pups arent their primary focus, they can charge what they want and dont worry about sales too much since the pups are primarily for putting in their guitars

I think they charge so much because of 1. exclusivity, 2. their pickups do have some "custom" appointments like the square bobbins made exclusively for them, and 3. they more than likely don't make as many as Duncan or DiMarzio, so they get more expensive to produce.

Paul Reed Smith is definitely super picky about the materials and methods they use. The whole "plastic tuner tips make guitars sound better" thing is an example. Not saying that's a bad thing. I mean, if you pay the amount of money they want for one of their instrument, you kinda expect them not to leave any stones unturned.

But objectively speaking, I highly doubt they sound *better* than comparable DiMarzios or Duncans.

I'm going to say the Duncan '78 or the DiMarzio Fortitude would maybe kinda sorta be in the ballpark?

 

[Solarflares]

The 57/08 is what made me first buy a Studio. Hated the guitar quite quickly.

A subsequent Custom 22 hardtail had Dragon 2’s, which were very ordinary.
I figured that people would go mad for 58/15’s and other new stuff, and that 57/08’s would appear cheap on the used market as people replaced them. But it never happened. So I sold the Custom 22.
I will never own a PRS again.

The 57/08 is a very nice pickup though.

 

[Chistopher]

All the US PRS pickups are wound in MD factory.

They have two winding machines to wind pickups for both the OEM and aftermarket pickups.

I'd bet they just price them so high so that don't sell out too quickly.

 

[Solarflares]

I bet they still have a shedload of Dragon 2’s that they’d love to get rid of.
I think the 57/08 production would have been under tighter constraints.

Any guy buying a Custom 22 artist or 24 limited for $1800 and finding it has 57/08’s - is a very lucky guy.

Are 57/08’s worth $500 a set? Actually - I think $400 would have been fairer back then, or $450 max today.

 

[Mincer]

I've never tried the Dragon 2s. What would they compare to?

 

[Solarflares]

I've never tried the Dragon 2s. What would they compare to?

Strange question.
I can describe them.
They were obviously a humbucker, but one with no real sonic attributes at all.
Definitely wasn’t a sound that draws you in, or makes you want to play, and it seemed like they were quite veiled.
This was a $4000 guitar, but if you’d told me the pickups had been swapped from an SE or Epiphone - I wouldn’t have been surprised.

 

[Solarflares]

I've never tried the Dragon 2s. What would they compare to?

It’s time to delete my account Mincer.
I’m getting an E-mail every time someone farts on here, and it’s pissing me off.
I don’t even like Seymour Duncan pickups, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, and most of the Metal shit that the dummies go on about on here. I haven’t yet heard one decent guitar tone.
So if you would please see to it forthwith, I’d be much obliged.

 

[Chistopher]

We haven't had a week this odd in a decade

 

[Señor Verde]

My cousin had an uncovered Dragon 2 in a 90's Les Paul Standard and it sounded really good. That same pickup in the PRS CE22 I owned didn't sound good to me.