An idea I had...

GuitarEC

Junior Member
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Okay, I need someone out there to give me the pros and cons of this kind of arrangement - tell me if it sounds worthwhile, or a waste of time...  (This would be on a VIP body with the PRS control routing)

1 Volume Pot (Push / Pull to tap North (closest to fingerboard) coil on Neck Humbucker)
1 Tone Pot (Push / Pull to tap South (closest to bridge) coil in Bridge Humbucker)
1 6 Way / 4 Pole Rotary Pick-up Selector - configured as follows:
    Position 1 - Neck only
    Position 2 - Neck / Bridge (in Parallel / in Phase)
    Position 3 - Bridge Only
    Position 4 - Neck / Bridge (in Series / in Phase)
    Position 5 - Neck / Bridge (in Parallel / out of Phase)
    Position 6 - Neck / Bridge (in Series / out of Phase)

Now if my math is right, this would give me 20 different pick-up configuration / selection possibilities.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Many thanks,

Eric "GuitarEC"
 
overkill.....i'd be completely lost playing that thing....hell, i'm lost just thinking about it, but if it works for you that would definitely be one crazy tone demon...... :party07:
 
Okay, I got to thinking (dangerous, I know...)

Does anyone here know what the "Standard" Neck / Bridge Pickup combo is in regards to Series or Parallel?  For some reason, I'm wanting to think it's Series, but I'm not too sure now...

Reason I ask is in regards to how I have "Position 3" set on the rotary switch - I'm wanting Positions 1 thru 3 to be the same as you would have with a standard 3-way toggle w/ 2 Humbuckers.

Many thanks,

Eric "GuitarEC"
 
yep....you right on that one...series is the standard.  can a rotary switch really do that?  cuz if you could set it up with the 3 standard wirings first and then the other 3 alternate wirings that wouldn't be confusing at all now that i think about it.....
 
Sure you can...  As far as I can tell, you can mix and match what order the settings are.  I found a real good reference at http://alexplorer.net/guitar/mods/rotary.html.

Also, looking at some standard wiring diagrams for a Les Paul, it appears the Neck / Bridge pick-up setting with the toggle switch routes their outputs in parallel.

Based on this, my revised switch settings would be...

Position 1 - Bridge Only
Position 2 - Neck / Bridge (Parallel)
Position 3 - Neck Only
Position 4 - Neck / Bridge (Series)
Position 5 - Neck / Bridge (Parallel out of Phase)
Position 6 - Neck / Bridge (Series out of Phase)

Combined with the 2 Push / Pull Pots to tap each humbucker, I think I've got it figured out...

Of course, I sure don't want to the poor sap who has to wire it all together...

Eric "GuitarEC"
 
ive always liked the guitar nuts guy and his wesite. he has a bunch of mods and shielding tips.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/triffic/index.php

this is one of his mods which works on a two pickup guitar.

Brian
 
riarojr said:
yep....you right on that one...series is the standard.  can a rotary switch really do that?  cuz if you could set it up with the 3 standard wirings first and then the other 3 alternate wirings that wouldn't be confusing at all now that i think about it.....

Parallel is standard.
 
The attached diagram works as follows;

1. Neck only
2. Neck/Bridge in parallel
3. Bridge only
4. Neck/Bridge in series
5. Neck/Bridge in parallel (out of phase)
6. Neck/Bridge in series (out of phase)
(Note that the first three selections are the options on a standard 3-position switch, so they are grouped here for convenience of use.)

1, Neck +, 2. Neck - , 3. Bridge +. 4. Bridge -.
 

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Actually, what you want is this (in order from phat to thin)

Neck+Bridge in series
Neck
Neck+Bridge in parallel
Neck+Bridge in parallel half phased (easy to do)
Neck
Neck+Bridge in series fully phased

That, is the L6s wiring.  Very tasty tones.  A Royal Phismon playing in gigs.

My take on the same was a 3 way rotary with standard toggle.  You lose the last tone (which is very thin indeed), but gain more traditional gig time switching (with toggle).
 
ibob,

Yea, that's the way they have it diagrammed, but I just swapped the wiring configuration for position 1 and 3 to get the set-up I listed above.

Eric "GuitarEC"
 
ibob74 said:
riarojr said:
yep....you right on that one...series is the standard.  can a rotary switch really do that?  cuz if you could set it up with the 3 standard wirings first and then the other 3 alternate wirings that wouldn't be confusing at all now that i think about it.....

Parallel is standard.

that's what i get for tryin to talk when i'm sober
 
Whats wrong with the standard PRS wiring system? Have you tried it? It gives some incredible options and versatility without making you want to keep a log book of your tones!
 
Nothing really wrong with it - just wanting a switching system that is more in line with what I want...
 
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