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I'm considering upgrading my HSH configuration guitar with 2 p-rails. The 5-way switch currently blends between half the humbucker and the middle single coil in the 2 and 4 positions. If I were to replace the humbuckers with p-rails and triple shot rings, what would/could the effect of the 2 and 4 switch positions be? Thank you.
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Welcome to the forum!
I would wire the 5 way to act just like a normal 5 way switch. The fancy switching comes in with the Triple Shot rings, so you get whatever is selected by those rings along with the middle pickup in 2 & 4.
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Any SD single coils you can recommend to pair with the P-rails in the middle position?Originally posted by Mincer View PostComment
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Sure, I like the STK-S4, the Classic Stack Plus, because it is a louder, classic single coil sound that is noiseless. But I don't know what you use your middle pickup for, or what sound you want out of them.
What don't you like about the current pickup you have, and what music do you play?Administrator of the SDUGFComment
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I’m still a bit of a beginner but I like the single coil for blues, cleans, jazz. Maybe looking for something like a strat single sound. I’m trying to keep my guitar collection low so want to get a lot of tones in the same guitar.Originally posted by Mincer View Post
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I can't add much to Mincer's recommendation. I love my STK's also. Then again, a Cool Rails would be a nice aesthetic touch between the "rails" of the P-Rails. And, they sound killer.
And welcome to the forum.Comment
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Yes it would look nice, but what is the sound of the Cool Rails? From what I can see, it's essentially a Humbucker so I'd be going to no single coil in the middle. I guess having p-rails gives me a couple of single coils I didn't have before but I'm not sure how glassy they are. The STK sounds like the kind of sound I would like.Originally posted by ArtieToo View PostComment
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The STK sounds more like a single coil, while the Cool Rails sounds like a clean and clear humbucker.Administrator of the SDUGFComment
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Cool Rails often gets compared to a Jazz neck, but it's got a focus more like a firebird pickup, thanks to the narrower magnetic field and rail poles.
Assuming you have neck & bridge P-Rails, I'd go with the STK-S4m, myself (m is reverse wind, reverse polarity so that it has correct phase with the bridge P-90 and the neck rail). You might prefer it to have correct phase with the bridge rail & the neck P-90, in which case I'd use the regular STK-S4.
If you are going with two P-Rails neck models, then I'd go for the STK-S4m to have both in correct phase with the rails.
[Phase information on STK-S4 & STK-S4m combined with P-Rails was from Frank Falbo [P-Rails designer]: "Our standard single coils will cancel with the Neck P90 and the Bridge Rail. Our RW/RP single coils will cancel with the Neck Rail and the Bridge P90."]
Cool Rails middle could be split to different coils when combined with bridge or neck, with a more complicated wiring scheme (or even to split to keep phase with P-90 or Rails on either pickup), so if you prefer that pickup, avoiding hum/phase cancellation is possible, but seek help elsewhere for sorting out the wiring diagram and switching scheme...Comment
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I just ordered a packaged pair of p-rails in the triple shot rings. I’ll see how that goes and replace the single coil if needed later. My electronics cavity is crazy as it has a circuit board as well as wires coming from an acoustic pre-amp, RMC saddles, as well as 3 output jacks. I’ll keep it simple and just replace the 2 wires on the 5 way switch or else I’ll screw something up. No need to blend the p-rails. My setup differs from what I see on the wiring diagram. My pickups solder directly onto the 5 way switch, not a tone pot or phase switch. The wiring is too neatly packed at the moment for me to see where the second pickup wire goes, just left empty I think.Originally posted by Mincer View PostLast edited by mrosebrock; 01-21-2021, 02:56 AM.Comment
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Wow, that sounds like an awesome project. Post some pics when you get the P-Rails installed.Administrator of the SDUGFComment
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I will, all that extra stuff is already stock in the guitar so not much of a project. Do you happen to know if the standard triple shot / p-rail combo packs are Trembuckers for the bridge? I'm afraid I might end up with pole pieces that don't 100% match but not sure.Originally posted by Mincer View PostComment
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If you order the set, I don't believe the bridge is a Trembucker. But they do have a Trembucker one available.Administrator of the SDUGFComment
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SD don’t ship to Australia but I got my family to hopefully send me the trembucker p-rail and a STK-4. The triple shot in the normal pack should fit the trembucker right? I saw some description on the SD page about a “trembucker sized” triple shot but when you order, there is no choice of a “size”.Originally posted by Mincer View PostLast edited by mrosebrock; 01-30-2021, 05:32 AM.Comment
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I remember using the Triple Shot in the normal pack for a Trembucker pickup before. I see a reference online to a 'Trembucker Triple Shot' but honestly, I can't find any reference to a separate pack of Triple Shots with a special bridge one for a Trembucker. If there was, there would be that option, but I don't see it anywhere.
Now I am curious. It would seem strange to leave that tidbit out of the ad copy for the Triple Shot packs.
Anyone else know this?Administrator of the SDUGFComment
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