getting a guitar body with odd pickup options, 2 P-90 routes and then a humbucker route in the middle, and was thinking of either getting a screamin demon or a p-rail in the middle. I have a 5-way switch so if I got screamin' demon I could wire it with the 5 way and possibly have coil tapping, but I'm not sure how I would implement the P-rail, and if I need to put in another switch just for the p-rail. Can anyone give me some advice?
2 P-90s plus screamin demon or P-rail wiring help
- Thread starter Gabe
- Start date
bob7point7
Senior Member
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- 272
That is definitely an odd combo! :icon_smile: There are countless ways to wire it, but it really depends on what you want to get out of it. What pickup combinations are you looking for? If you use the P-Rail in the middle, one option would be to make the 5-way select the pickups (like normal) then use push-pull pots to change the P-Rail between series, parallel, P-90, or rail. You could also use a 5-way super switch to automatically split the P-Rail, then you could get the P-90 sound out of it when combined with the other P-90's in pos. 2 and 4 while getting the full humbucker sound in pos. 3. These are just a couple of examples though. It all depends on what you want out of it, but I think the advice from a lot of people here will be to pick the sounds you want the most and find a simple way to get those sounds without using a lot of switches. Good luck!
I would DEFINITELY add a 3 way toggle - on-on-on for the p-rail (to select P90-rail-both) and then treat the signal from the switch as the middle pickup from a strat - so you could do
N
NM
M
MB
B
But that would mean you can't get NB or NMB. Don't know how important that is to you.
Check out the wiring options from stewmac with their 5-ways:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/Megaswitches.html
You may be able to get more variety, but I haven't looked closely...
good luck!
N
NM
M
MB
B
But that would mean you can't get NB or NMB. Don't know how important that is to you.
Check out the wiring options from stewmac with their 5-ways:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/Megaswitches.html
You may be able to get more variety, but I haven't looked closely...
good luck!
NB would basically be the same as NM with the P-90 on so that doesn't really matter to me, and NMB seems like it's overdoing it a bit. I was pretty much going to do the extra 3-way with the 5-way if I have enough room in the controls area, or I will drill out an extra hole for the 3 way. So I'd basically have to wire the middle pickup to each node on the 3-way with both P-90 and single as full humbucker, P-90, and then single coil, and then I'd wire it to the 5 way in the traditional setup for a strat as was mentioned. Cool, thanks for tips.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
Epic Member
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I'd advise against using a bridge pickup in the middle position. Most middle position p'ups are usually neck versions, and there's a reason. Bridge pickups are wound hotter because there's less string energy to pickup closer to the bridge. Move a hot, overwound pickup towards the neck, there's more string energy and the volume difference is harder to balance.
Firebird211
Hero Member
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- 734
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom said:
absolutely! I researched that when I tried to find out what pickup I wanted to put in the middle of my strat, and I'm glad I chose the neck pup to go in the middle position. I think the P-rail with coil selection would be the way to go, at least you would have the option of all P-90's or a sweet single coil in the middle. You could do a DPDT on/on/on style switch or use two DPDT push-pull pots for your control knobs. I am probably one of the few people here that are all about switches, but I will only put them on a pickguard. Extra switches on finished wood is one of my bugaboos.
