1957/2008 Pickups

Paul Reed Smith Guitars unveiled a number of solidbody electric guitars featuring the company’s brand-new 1957/2008 pickups during the Experience PRS open-house event in Stevensville, Maryland, on September 19, 2008. PRS acquired the exclusive rights to the original wire produced on the machine that made the magnet wire for the legendary humbucking pickups in the 1950s. That wire and a very special magnet are at the core of the sound of the most revered 1950s-era pickups, which were first commercially available in 1957. The newly released Modern Eagle II and the Al Di Meola Prism were (as of October 2008) the only models that would come standard with the 1957/2008 pickups. Three additional models were offered as part of the 1957/2008 limited run: the Custom 24, the McCarty, and the SC 245. This special run was limited to a total of just 750 guitars. When guitarists asked during the open house if they could purchase the pickups separately, Paul Reed Smith joked, “We’ll sell you two pickups and give you a free guitar and case to go with them.”