Diagram help: 2H 1V 1 on-on toggle (split) 1T push-pull switch coils, 3 way blade

[Jack_TriPpEr]

The wiring diagram I recently posted with the PRS wiring color code, i would only trust for the wiring color codes. But not trust for how it shows connections btw the wires being made. For example, it has a goofball error on how the bridge pickup is connected. It has the North Finish (black) and south start (red) wires being joined together. That would only make sense if South Finish (green) was being used as the Hot wire for the pup (this is an alternate connection method that I have not explained yet), but its being used as the ground. So the bridge pickup is wired so that the South coil is out of phase with the North coil. Yuck. And it has the Neck pickup wired out of phase as the default. That's weird. Usually you wire a pup to be In Phase by default, and flip it out of phase with a switch. Here, you need to use the switch just to get it from out of phase to in-phase.

Anyways, if we can at least trust the wiring color code in this diagram (fingers crossed), we are being told that for PRS 85/15S pickups, when compared to how a duncan humbucker is normally wired in series, White wire is the Hot wire (North Start), black & green are joined together for the series link pair (the 2 finish wires) and Red (south start) is the cold/ground wire.

On that basis, to get Both Outer Coils for splitcoil mode on your tonepot push-pull, you would route both Bridge and Neck pups' black/green wire pairs to ground, and for Both Inner Coils, route Bridge black/green wire pair to where Bridge hot wire connects to the 3 way blade switch, and Neck black/green wire pair to where Neck hot wire attaches to the 3 way blade switch.

[sparkplug]

The wiring diagram I recently posted with the PRS wiring color code, i would only trust for the wiring color codes. But not trust for how it shows connections btw the wires being made. For example, it has a goofball error on how the bridge pickup is connected. It has the North Finish (black) and south start (red) wires being joined together. That would only make sense if South Finish (green) was being used as the Hot wire for the pup (this is an alternate connection method that I have not explained yet), ...

This is how my pups are wired up off the assembly line:

I just popped open my wiring compartment to check out how it's wired now that I have a little more context. It's a bit tricky to make out from this pic, but the heavy black wire with the red shrink wrap tip is the neck cable, and the one with the green shrink wrap is the bridge cable. the neck cable is sending red+black to split, green to ground, and white to the blade. the bridge cable is sending green+white to split, red to ground, and black to blade.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

After further looking, even the Neck pickup is wired all messed up in that diagram. It has the same issue like the Bridge pickup, where one coil (North) is wired out of phase with the lead coil (south).

[Jack_TriPpEr]

This is how my pups are wired up off the assembly line:

Ahh, i forgot that you had an earlier post that identified some wiring code logic for the prs 85/15s.

Let me refrsh myself on that. Based on what your earlier observation, i am thinking the diagram i found is errant in how it labels which wire is "North start" or "south start" etc.

Will get back to you shortly.

[sparkplug]

Ahh, i forgot that you had an earlier post that identified some wiring code logic for the prs 85/15s.

Let me refrsh myself on that. Based on what your earlier observation, i am thinking the diagram i found is errant in how it labels which wire is "North start" or "south start" etc.

Will get back to you shortly.

I'm thinking that it is not errant... In my current circuit, with coils split and the blade in the middle positon, the 2 inside coils (both slugs) are active, and hum cancelling.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

I'm thinking that it is not errant... In my current circuit, with coils split and the blade in the middle positon, the 2 inside coils (both slugs) are active, and hum cancelling.

Since you made some wiring changes in the last day or so, i'm not not even sure how you have jt wired at the moment.

Also, are your pickups configured so that the screw coils are the Outer coils? Edit: nevermind, i see you said inner coils are slugs in your prior post.

[sparkplug]

Since you made some wiring changes in the last day or so, i'm not not even sure how you have jt wired at the moment.

Also, are your pickups configured so that the screw coils are the Outer coils?

I have not made any wiring changes at all. The only mod I have ever done to wiring is I replaced the treble bleed circuit. The factory wiring for the coil split that is in there right now is very traditional in every way except for which pickup wires are going well. I'm not at all surprised at the thought of PRS doing something unconventional with the electronics... if they can improve a product without increasing cost they tend to do so regardless of whether it's the status quo.

Yes, screws are on the outside and slugs on the inside. the coil split sends the screw coils to ground it seems.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

I'm thinking that it is not errant... In my current circuit, with coils split and the blade in the middle positon, the 2 inside coils (both slugs) are active, and hum cancelling.

Well, we have discovered something new about your 85/15S pickups, at least I have For 2 of the same coil type to be hum-canceling (2 slugs or 2 screws), either one of the pups is Reverse Wind/Reverse Polarity (RWRP), or prior owner of the pups flipped the magnet in ine of the pups (and wired it in reverse). Since you said the wiring looked untouched, i think its more likely that one of the pups is RWRP.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Ok. We have enough info now. You say that the current coilsplit switch sends the wire pairs to ground, and that gives you inner coils.

So, you will move those wire pairs to the on-on switch like in my earliest diagram. Then send two other wires from the on-on to the tonepot push-pull, like in my earliesy diagram. Then to have Both Inner Coils active, you have the push-pull send each wire pair to ground. For Both Outer Coils, you will send each wire pair to where its respective pup's hot wire attaches to the blade. Because one of your 85/15S pups is RWRP, each of those coilsplit modes will be hum-canceling.

[sparkplug]

Awesome stuff. I think we're on the same page now. Thank you so much for helping me decipher this. I definitely have enough info to do the re-wiring and I'll post an update when I do. Hopefully I can create a diagram too to share for future googlers.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Awesome stuff. I think we're on the same page now. Thank you so much for helping me decipher this. I definitely have enough info to do the re-wiring and I'll post an update when I do. Hopefully I can create a diagram too to share for future googlers.

Cool. Thanks for your patience. I had forgotten that you had previously posted some notes about the original wiring in your guitar.

i also want to go back and compare your notes against the diagram I found w PRS wire code colors and try to make sense out of it.

[sparkplug]

Cool. Thanks for your patience. I had forgotten that you had previously posted some notes about the original wiring in your guitar.

i also want to go back and compare your notes against the diagram I found w PRS wire code colors and try to make sense out of it.

No thank YOU! You've fulfilled the archetype for me of a shadowly benevolent internet forum wizard who thanklessly helps people with super specific issues in niche hobbies. When people like you do what you're doing for me I try to pay it forward by lurking on tech support subreddits helping people with computer issues. Haha.

From what I can tell, that PRS wiring diagram you posted is exactly how m guitar is wired, except that the pair of wires going to the on/on switch (to be split) is opposite between the neck and bridge (i.e. on my guitar, it's red and black going to split, but on your last diagram it's green+white, and vis versa for bridge pickup), and on that diagram the hot and finish (edit: not ground, finish) of the neck are wired into a phase switch instead of going to the selector/ground respectively.

[sparkplug]

I did my re-wire last night. holy hooch, I really suck at soldering! Also I learned a valuable lesson about using solid core wire instead of stranded.... never again. everything went reasonably well though. I accidentally wired my tone pot switch upside down, and I also have a short somewhere that keeps grounding the bridge pickup, so I have to vigorously knock the tone knob to and from the 0 position. I'll fix both of those things tonight or saturday.

It wasn't complicated for me to execute at all. detach series joint, solder extension wire, solder to on/on switch, wire on/on switch to tone switch, wire tone switch to blade selector, and move the pole the ground was on, and rinse/repeat for other pickup. I still want to make a wiring diagram because this is something that high school me would have been apt to do and he needed wiring diagrams (edit: just realized this comment is ironic in the responses of a post where I'm asking for diagrams. I ended up not needing to reference one while doing the wiring, it was in my head LOL). When I do I'll post it here.

It is awesome. Having the coil split activated with a toggle switch feels way better, and being able to use the neck single coil right under the octave harmonic is amazing. There's definitely a tonal difference between the outers/inners. Thanks for your help!

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Great to hear.

I know what you mean about working w solid core wire. I recently switched over to this particular stranded wire and love it. Very flexible and easy to work with.

https://smile.amazon.com/BNTECHGO-Silicone-Flexible-Resistant-Insulation/dp/B01M9800TG

[sparkplug]

I re-wired the tone pot switch right-side-up last night, which also resolved whatever ground-shorting issue I had. It's perfect and does exactly what it's supposed to! I love it.

I made a Diagram in Visio. it's rough because it's just colored lines at right angles, but it's usable because one can just trace each wire from each component. Hope this helps someone in the future. Cheers!

the cluttered joining of all the ground wires is a great metaphor for my soldering work.