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HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

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  • HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

    Hi Guys.

    So, I have two HB's in a 2-HB guitar I'm building.
    I'm using a Schaller PRS style 5-way Megaswitch that chooses different coil connections.
    Inner coils, outer coils, etc.

    I've swapped the magnet in the bridge pkp 2-3 times (SH11).
    The neck pickup is stock (APH-1N).

    Normally, if I run into a phase problem, I just flip the wires.
    But here, it counts that they be magnetically correct, I believe, for the various coil connections to work out right.
    Or it will be a PITA to correct downstream.

    When facing each other slug to slug and pole to pole, they attract.
    Before I button this thing up and wire it, should I flip one of the magnets until they repel or are they OK as-is?

    Thanks.

  • #2
    Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

    I think the PRS switch requires a mag flip for 1 pickup actually.......which is the other (non pita) way to correct the issue if it turns out you have OOP combinations.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

      You want the inner coils to be opposite so they are humcancelling and thus the outer screw coils as well. So yeah the slugs should attract and the screws should attract. You should note the exact polarity of each pickup for the future though. If you’ve never flipped the neck magnet, and the slugs attract, then the bridge is probably already reversed. So SN-SN if the screws are the outer coils. At least for most pickups.

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      • #4
        Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

        I discovered this article recently that describes an easy method for determining the current magnetic orientation.

        https://www.planetz.com/pickup-magne...ity-and-phase/

        Click image for larger version

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        Sanford: "The hardest part about tone chasing is losing the expectations associated with the hardware."

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        • #5
          Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

          Originally posted by Drak View Post
          When facing each other slug to slug and pole to pole, they attract.
          Bowtomecha is correct - one mag is already reversed and you're good to go.
          .
          "You should know better by now than to introduce science into a discussion of voodoo."
          .

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

            Hmmm, I would have never thought of that.

            So when using a PRS type megaswitch with 2 HB's, the two HB's should attract.
            Never would have considered that...need to note that for future reference.
            Because...most HB's made by the same manufacturer will repel, i.e. be the same polarity...yes?

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            • #7
              Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

              Originally posted by Drak View Post
              Hmmm, I would have never thought of that.So when using a PRS type megaswitch with 2 HB's, the two HB's should attract.
              Never would have considered that...need to note that for future reference.
              Because...most HB's made by the same manufacturer will repel, i.e. be the same polarity...yes?
              Yep. AFAIK PRS is the only builder whose sets often are reversed right from the start. (Except for singlecoil sets from many manufacturers, where the middle pickup often is reverse wind and reverse polarity.) Another exception is the humbuckers made by Duncan for Fender OEM use, where one sometimes is RW/RP.
              Last edited by eclecticsynergy; 07-01-2019, 09:05 PM.
              .
              "You should know better by now than to introduce science into a discussion of voodoo."
              .

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

                The reversal is the only way to get the sets of outer coils/inner coils to be humcancelling. They aren’t fully of course because of the difference in the number of winds but they reject enough.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

                  You guys are amazing and absolutely spot-on-the-money right.

                  I had wired up another guitar with this same switch a few months ago.
                  But that guitar isn't quite finished and the pickguard has been sitting there wired and ready to go.
                  Reason I mention this is that I read the Schaller website to wire it up.
                  And Completely Missed This, which was right up front.
                  And now I know to flip the magnet in the other one before I finish it.
                  Amazing...and thanks!

                  The Megaswitch P was specially developed for this purpose.
                  Whereby all positions are meant to be buzz-free, the magnetic polarity of the coils must be NS-NS or SN-SN.
                  This is the case on PRS guitars; here the neck and bridge pickups are poled differently from a magnetic perspective.
                  In the event that in standard types the screw side should be the outer one and that buzz-free sound is required in all positions,
                  the magnet in one of the two pickups must be turned.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

                    Yeah! This is the beauty of the PRS system. I have to flip a magnet when I use 2 humbuckers, and a super 5 way if I want all positions to be hum-cancelling and in phase with inner and outer coils.
                    Administrator of the SDUGF

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                    • #11
                      Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

                      So, now I'm up to speed, I have another question regarding the 'other' guard wired with the same P switch:
                      The 'other' pickguard is running a Gravity Storm bridge and PAF Pro neck.
                      Both have double hex screw coils.
                      I have both pickups oriented with the exit wire coming out the same side and the DiMarzio print on the back facing the same directions.
                      If these were screw coil/slug coil setups, the screw coils (on the PAF Pro) would need to be flipped to look and orient right.
                      But they're not screw/slug.

                      Do I need to flip the PAF Pro around AND flip the magnet?
                      Or just flip the magnet?
                      Thanks.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: HB Magnetic Polarity Question (PRS Megaswitch)

                        Originally posted by kingswebe View Post
                        I discovered this article recently that describes an easy method for determining the current magnetic orientation.

                        https://www.planetz.com/pickup-magne...ity-and-phase/

                        [ATTACH=CONFIG]99530[/ATTACH]
                        Originally posted by Drak View Post
                        So, now I'm up to speed, I have another question regarding the 'other' guard wired with the same P switch:
                        The 'other' pickguard is running a Gravity Storm bridge and PAF Pro neck.
                        Both have double hex screw coils.
                        I have both pickups oriented with the exit wire coming out the same side and the DiMarzio print on the back facing the same directions.
                        If these were screw coil/slug coil setups, the screw coils (on the PAF Pro) would need to be flipped to look and orient right.
                        But they're not screw/slug.

                        Do I need to flip the PAF Pro around AND flip the magnet?
                        Or just flip the magnet?
                        Thanks.
                        Either the method you described earlier where you see which coils repel or attract each other - or the method i posted earlier (and quoted again above) of observing the direction of a compasses' needle - will work to tell you the magnetic orientation of each pickup.

                        BTW, i would be suprised if Dimarzio decided to deviate from their traditional magnetic orientation in those pickups just because the coil design is double hex coil vs slug and screw. And their traditional orientation per the SD pickup wiring color code chart (attached) implies that just like SD and other major manufacturers, their slug coil is North and their screw coil is South. So the coil that sits in front of the sticker should be the slug equivalent (when you have the pickups oriented in the way you described in regards to the sticker wording and exit wires).

                        Let us know what you find out after testing!

                        Click image for larger version

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                        Last edited by Jack_TriPpEr; 07-07-2019, 01:04 AM.
                        Sanford: "The hardest part about tone chasing is losing the expectations associated with the hardware."

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