@@AudiomoMusic nice! It's my first prs and love it so far. Just got the locking tuners and amber lampshade knobs. Once I add the pickups it'll basically be a higher end model!
I am very much a fan of Fralin pickups-I have them on two of my guitars and one of my basses. Having said that, PRS 57/08 are my all time favorite humbuckers.
I loved the 57/08s in that s2 and a few other guitars I've tried, but the 58/15LTs have taken that spot for me of favorite all time PRS pickups. He's come a long way since the HFS and VB days!
@@AudiomoMusic I agree. The first PRS I ever got (a 92 Custom) still has that pickup combo. I also have a 20th Anniversary Standard 24 that originally had VB & HFS, but I sent that guitar to the PRS factory in Maryland a few years ago to have 57/08s installed.
Appreciate it Mike, I think the differences are very slight but I could definitely tell which is which. I think they matched each of these particular guitars perfectly.
I think the greeny would be a better fit for clean tones where there arent multiple guitars. It has a much more distinct cut to it. Other than that they are pretty damn close throughout imo
Thanks for the video man. I have been wondering what they would sound like and couldn’t find a demo anywhere. I have a vela and put the fralin mini humbucker in the neck so I’m partial to the fralins. I am debating getting a thinline Mccarty and putting the fralin noiseless p90 humbuckers in it. Thanks for making the video!
I adore all of Lindy Fralin's work. I think your idea may be an excellent one, that thinline with p90s would be a VERY unique tone. It's interesting how similar yet how noticably different these two mccartys ended up being after this swap.
The 57/08 is prs best neck pickup and to my ears just has a fuller sound. The Fralin neck sounded a bit bright but I’m really splitting hairs as both sound really good. Hand wound, by nature, sound a bit more open to my ears.
I wish I could have done that at the time, I now have a Mccarty with the 58/15LT pickups in them and I have been tempted at times to test them against the Pure PAFs but I just can't bring myself to do it just for the sake of a youtube video haha
I've just installed 57/08's into my Stratocaster as a replacement for Dragon 2's... weird I know ! The 57/08's are definitely way more vintage and focussed than the Dragon 2's... but honestly I'm a bit bummed because in this comparison the Fralin's sound much clearer. I'm wondering whether the 57/08's are hotter and what impact rolling the volume back would have against the Fralins ?
I did! There are a few other videos I made of these guitars individually where I went over that, but I wanted to stick to the full humbucker mode for this specific video. I found the Fralins to be better split than the 57/08s which surprised me, I thought it would be the other way around. The bridge especially was MUCH more convincing by split coil standards.
Jim I loved them both, they both have the magic you want in a humbucker, the PRS sounds like it has more bite but a tiny bit lower overall volume. I just think you have two perfect sets of humbuckers really. Awesome!
I think it's a bit louder and bit more "in your face". I can't help but prefer the green McCarty for clean tones it seems to bite a little bit more but have a much smoother vintage flavor to them.
I like the USA pickups as well from PRS, that was the most frustrating part about these S2's... the korean made G&B pickups were the weak spot of both.
I truly believe there is nobody in the business as good as Lindy Fralin when you're ready to upgrade the pickups in any guitar if you want vintage correct voiciings. glad you enjoyed it!
Fralin for the win. They just had a little more presence. I could happily live with either. I'm building a tele with a humbucker in the neck I was going to buy a PRS 57/08 neck pup but I'm getting the Fralin. It's got that mojo. Thanks
I LOVE the fralin pickups. I am putting a set into my Seventy Seven Exrubato (Japanese 335) this week, they are simply as good as you're going to get and I agree, they absolutely edge the 57/08s imho
It's tough to say honestly, I've never played PRS pickups in a Gibson guitar, but I have played Gibson pickups in a PRS. It's really gonna vary on the specific guitar they are going into, but I actually found the Fralins to be better than all 3 of them and they are the cheapest on top of that.
I heard that 58/15lt lacks clarity, even when compared to cheaper pickups like Seymour Duncan 59s and can't handle gain,is that true? But there's a lot of people who say they are amazing.
@@AudiomoMusic I don't have much knowledge about pickups but which would you say is the best paf clone out there? If you prefer the fralin to all the other 3 mentioned earlier, then how do they stack up against other botique paf clones like bare knuckle mule, throbak, and any other that you think are top tier paf clones? Thanks again btw, just subbed.
I tried a lot of hand wound Pafs and found that Prs pickups are a lot better in Prs guitars, more power, more open, less honk, more pleasant tone overall. Maybe in a Les Paul these pafs are better (they are designed for it).
They sound extremely similar to me, certainly not worth buying one if you already have the other. If I had to pick one, I probably preferred the green.
@@AudiomoMusic Nice, good choice I say! I recently happened upon your videos when researching pickups and it's been helpful so thanks! I'm wanting to upgrade the pickups in my old early-90s HSS Jackson to higher quality pickups for use with metal/hard modern rock (an area I need covered) and possibly some good single coil tones (the rest of my guitars are humbucker-only). It was my first real guitar and I picked it up the other day and was surprised at how well it plays. Learned from this video these aren't the kind of humbuckers I should be looking at. I'm thinking Seymour Duncans but there are so many options.
Check out the Saturday Night Specials from Duncan, they are a lot more aggressive than these and have pretty decent cleans to them, I was able to get a lot of 80's metal vibes stuff with those when I had a les paul with them installed.. The ones in this video are designed after the original PAF, which as you have heard aren't designed for anything like that at all, just old tones.
@@AudiomoMusic Wow, Saturday Night Specials sound great! Only thing is I'm not sure if it's quite hot enough for this project. I might end up grabbing those for a different guitar though. Thanks for the recommendation!
I love the PRS s2's, but the G&B import electronics that mirror the SE line are by far the only deficiency in these guitars and you absolutely notice it holding the guitar back. It's a shame because these are around $1900 new and the electronics are mediocre at best... Considering a core model would be double the price I don't think it's unreasonable to switch the electronics in this one to get it tonally in the ballpark of a core.
I agree and would go as far as to say I believe that specific set of fralins alone are better than any of the US made PRS pickups. They are the perfect balance and maintain definition better all while costing a bit less.
@AudiomoMusic I'm so glad you agree b.c. I've been really liking the 85/15 🇺🇸 pickups from watching all of the demos on TH-cam. And also looking for my 1st PRS guitar. SE vs CE or maybe even a custom 24. If I go with SE, I could get these Pure PAF Fralins (new) and save maybe $200 👍🏻 Have u done other pickup comparisons?
I assume these are new 57/08's that PRS sells now not originals which have way different specs. The originals like in my 2009 Sunburst 22 measure about 8k & 7.7k, not 9.4 & 8.5 like the new ones. Now DC resistance isn't everything but the new have more wire wound on them for sure.
When I did the other video comparing them stock this is noticable but very, very subtle and less pronounced than I would have imagined. In an actual mix situation you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other imho.
you have two beaufiful guitars there, man. love those finishes. for the pickups, i really couldnt tell. cant go wrong with one or the other.
Thank you, I ended up selling the blue one because it was in fact so similar to the green one. Definitely could not justify having both.
Thanks for this! I liked the 57/08
They are my favorite PRS pickups that can actually be purchased independently from an instrument, glad you enjoyed it!
Frailn’s! You helped me in making a decision on what to put in my LP Standard.
The Fralins might have better clarity with overdrive pedals
Fralin sounded killer! It responded well to high gain, keeping the clarity.
Nothing beats Lindy's work! I will swear by that man and his creations til the day i'm dead
@@AudiomoMusic I agree high quality stuff no marketing bull crap.
What a great demo. Especially the driven sounds that display the fabric. Great riffs!!!
Thank you Dennis I appreciate the compliment, which set did you like better?
I like them both that's why it's nice having a few guitars they all sound a little different
57/08 sound beautiful! Looking to put them in my SE 24-08
You'd be all set if you did. Those SE 24-08s are no joke, the only thing we don't love about them are the pickups.
@@AudiomoMusic nice! It's my first prs and love it so far. Just got the locking tuners and amber lampshade knobs. Once I add the pickups it'll basically be a higher end model!
@@AudiomoMusic revisiting months later I prefer the fralins 😫😫 lol I think many guitarists have experienced this
Nice compare! Do you remember if the Fralins were stock 7.5 & 8.0 ohms?
The PRS definitely had more punch to me, but I loved the Fralin’s clarity more.
I am very much a fan of Fralin pickups-I have them on two of my guitars and one of my basses. Having said that, PRS 57/08 are my all time favorite humbuckers.
I loved the 57/08s in that s2 and a few other guitars I've tried, but the 58/15LTs have taken that spot for me of favorite all time PRS pickups. He's come a long way since the HFS and VB days!
@@AudiomoMusic I agree. The first PRS I ever got (a 92 Custom) still has that pickup combo. I also have a 20th Anniversary Standard 24 that originally had VB & HFS, but I sent that guitar to the PRS factory in Maryland a few years ago to have 57/08s installed.
How does 85/15 stack up against these?
nice demo and super helpful -- thanks for making this!
Appreciate it Mike, I think the differences are very slight but I could definitely tell which is which. I think they matched each of these particular guitars perfectly.
I personally, could easily find applications for both. Due to the distinct differences.
I think the greeny would be a better fit for clean tones where there arent multiple guitars. It has a much more distinct cut to it. Other than that they are pretty damn close throughout imo
The 57/08 sound better to my ear. Quite a bit better actually. Great video though!!!
They are my favorite pickup PRS has ever made honestly
Can you say what height you set the p/u to in the PRS?
around 1/8th on the bass 1/16th on the treble side
The blue guitar it actually sounds like it has a little more life
I think you're onto something, it just has a bigger over all sound to it. who the hell knows why but it does
Thanks for the video man. I have been wondering what they would sound like and couldn’t find a demo anywhere. I have a vela and put the fralin mini humbucker in the neck so I’m partial to the fralins. I am debating getting a thinline Mccarty and putting the fralin noiseless p90 humbuckers in it. Thanks for making the video!
I adore all of Lindy Fralin's work. I think your idea may be an excellent one, that thinline with p90s would be a VERY unique tone. It's interesting how similar yet how noticably different these two mccartys ended up being after this swap.
The 57/08 is prs best neck pickup and to my ears just has a fuller sound. The Fralin neck sounded a bit bright but I’m really splitting hairs as both sound really good. Hand wound, by nature, sound a bit more open to my ears.
Nice comparison but I have this for you - Fralin vs 58/15 LT?
I wish I could have done that at the time, I now have a Mccarty with the 58/15LT pickups in them and I have been tempted at times to test them against the Pure PAFs but I just can't bring myself to do it just for the sake of a youtube video haha
I've just installed 57/08's into my Stratocaster as a replacement for Dragon 2's... weird I know ! The 57/08's are definitely way more vintage and focussed than the Dragon 2's... but honestly I'm a bit bummed because in this comparison the Fralin's sound much clearer. I'm wondering whether the 57/08's are hotter and what impact rolling the volume back would have against the Fralins ?
Fralin sounded more articulate and defined when overdriven and more musical clean. IMHO
I completely agree, I prefer the fralins overall. I have not found a better PAF pickup than lindys pure paf. Its just so smooth but clear.
Nice video! Did you happen to put in 4 conductor wiring versions of these and if so how do the split sounds stack up?
I did! There are a few other videos I made of these guitars individually where I went over that, but I wanted to stick to the full humbucker mode for this specific video. I found the Fralins to be better split than the 57/08s which surprised me, I thought it would be the other way around. The bridge especially was MUCH more convincing by split coil standards.
@@AudiomoMusic Awesome! Can you share a link? I'm scouring your huge list of videos but am to busy to persevere trying to find it;-)
Jim I loved them both, they both have the magic you want in a humbucker, the PRS sounds like it has more bite but a tiny bit lower overall volume. I just think you have two perfect sets of humbuckers really. Awesome!
I think the green one is more ideal for clean the more I play them back to back and slightly more suited to kind of vintage stuff and tones.
I listened with Klipsch headphones too, great tones
I like green, is 57/08 ？
Yep!
Which one did you prefer?
The Fralins for sure
The single cut seems louder to me not sure it's the pickups or the guitar projects more because there is more wood
I think it's a bit louder and bit more "in your face". I can't help but prefer the green McCarty for clean tones it seems to bite a little bit more but have a much smoother vintage flavor to them.
The Fralins sound brighter...but a little sterile to me. Its all what you personally like. I love PRS USA pickups.
I like the USA pickups as well from PRS, that was the most frustrating part about these S2's... the korean made G&B pickups were the weak spot of both.
I listened to this comparison with Bose earbuds. The Fralin pickups were more articulate to my ears. Fralin for the W. Thanks for the video.
I truly believe there is nobody in the business as good as Lindy Fralin when you're ready to upgrade the pickups in any guitar if you want vintage correct voiciings. glad you enjoyed it!
Fralin for the win. They just had a little more presence. I could happily live with either. I'm building a tele with a humbucker in the neck I was going to buy a PRS 57/08 neck pup but I'm getting the Fralin. It's got that mojo.
Thanks
I LOVE the fralin pickups. I am putting a set into my Seventy Seven Exrubato (Japanese 335) this week, they are simply as good as you're going to get and I agree, they absolutely edge the 57/08s imho
How would you compare the prs 57/08s and 58/15lt to the Gibson custombucker? Thanks!
It's tough to say honestly, I've never played PRS pickups in a Gibson guitar, but I have played Gibson pickups in a PRS. It's really gonna vary on the specific guitar they are going into, but I actually found the Fralins to be better than all 3 of them and they are the cheapest on top of that.
@@AudiomoMusic thanks, and what about 5708 vs 5815 lt?
I heard that 58/15lt lacks clarity, even when compared to cheaper pickups like Seymour Duncan 59s and can't handle gain,is that true? But there's a lot of people who say they are amazing.
@@AudiomoMusic I don't have much knowledge about pickups but which would you say is the best paf clone out there? If you prefer the fralin to all the other 3 mentioned earlier, then how do they stack up against other botique paf clones like bare knuckle mule, throbak, and any other that you think are top tier paf clones? Thanks again btw, just subbed.
I tried a lot of hand wound Pafs and found that Prs pickups are a lot better in Prs guitars, more power, more open, less honk, more pleasant tone overall. Maybe in a Les Paul these pafs are better (they are designed for it).
Normally I'd tend to agree with you, but the pickups in the S2 mccarty are by far my least favorite as far as a match to those instruments.
Fralin pickups for sure
Personally....I keep stock pickups because Boutique (ie:expensive) pickups dont sound any better or different to my ears.
Fralins sound great nice articulate sound.lindy is the man!
There isn't a single pickup maker in the world as good as Lindy, and I'll stand by that til I leave this world
They sound extremely similar to me, certainly not worth buying one if you already have the other. If I had to pick one, I probably preferred the green.
It's funny you say that, I did end up selling one... and I kept the green one!
@@AudiomoMusic Nice, good choice I say! I recently happened upon your videos when researching pickups and it's been helpful so thanks! I'm wanting to upgrade the pickups in my old early-90s HSS Jackson to higher quality pickups for use with metal/hard modern rock (an area I need covered) and possibly some good single coil tones (the rest of my guitars are humbucker-only). It was my first real guitar and I picked it up the other day and was surprised at how well it plays. Learned from this video these aren't the kind of humbuckers I should be looking at. I'm thinking Seymour Duncans but there are so many options.
Check out the Saturday Night Specials from Duncan, they are a lot more aggressive than these and have pretty decent cleans to them, I was able to get a lot of 80's metal vibes stuff with those when I had a les paul with them installed.. The ones in this video are designed after the original PAF, which as you have heard aren't designed for anything like that at all, just old tones.
@@AudiomoMusic Wow, Saturday Night Specials sound great! Only thing is I'm not sure if it's quite hot enough for this project. I might end up grabbing those for a different guitar though. Thanks for the recommendation!
no contest between them.... ill pick them both....
Smart man.
Lindy nice
Lindy is the best in the world, I will sing his praises until the day I'm gone.
I'm normally able to form an opinion on these things, but it's really too close to call for me on this occasion.
This video has resulted in my decision to not need both.
@@AudiomoMusic Does that mean you're going to part with one of them?!
@@just_say_when3445 indeed, one of them is gonna go since I feel it's a waste for me to have two guitars that are this similar.
@@AudiomoMusic Understandable. Both great instruments, but yeah they are too similar really.
SERIOUSLY - either is fine. If I had stock i would save my money and keep it stock. Spend on something else
I love the PRS s2's, but the G&B import electronics that mirror the SE line are by far the only deficiency in these guitars and you absolutely notice it holding the guitar back. It's a shame because these are around $1900 new and the electronics are mediocre at best... Considering a core model would be double the price I don't think it's unreasonable to switch the electronics in this one to get it tonally in the ballpark of a core.
Fralin sound better than 5708...clear n more detail
Fralin wins here. Sliglhtly More clarity, better sound overall
I agree and would go as far as to say I believe that specific set of fralins alone are better than any of the US made PRS pickups. They are the perfect balance and maintain definition better all while costing a bit less.
@AudiomoMusic I'm so glad you agree b.c. I've been really liking the 85/15 🇺🇸 pickups from watching all of the demos on TH-cam. And also looking for my 1st PRS guitar. SE vs CE or maybe even a custom 24. If I go with SE, I could get these Pure PAF Fralins (new) and save maybe $200 👍🏻 Have u done other pickup comparisons?
I assume these are new 57/08's that PRS sells now not originals which have way different specs. The originals like in my 2009 Sunburst 22 measure about 8k & 7.7k, not 9.4 & 8.5 like the new ones. Now DC resistance isn't everything but the new have more wire wound on them for sure.
Yeah these were newer versions of them. It'd be interesting to hear the old set vs the new set in the same exact guitar.
The difference in body types make a difference too. The single cut if more dark/warm, which I prefer.
When I did the other video comparing them stock this is noticable but very, very subtle and less pronounced than I would have imagined. In an actual mix situation you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other imho.
Fralin pickups sounded better
I tend to agree, I bought this same set of pickups again for a Japanese 335 style instrument and they are stellar.
@@AudiomoMusic I have a pair in my 1998 R9 and they sound freaking amazing.
oooo you got one of the good ones!! Which top do you have on yours?
@@AudiomoMusic I got lucky finding this jem 4 years ago. This beauty has a beautiful monster flame top thats all over the top super gorgeous 😎👍
you play that guitar like a lumberjack
Thanks