PRS 513 - What’s going on?

[PFDarkside]

The Paul Reed Smith 513 is described as having:
“5 Pickups” (5 single coils arranged HSH)
“13 switching options” (using a 5-way and 3-way)

What’s actually going on here?

The 5-Way is arranged like a a Strat style guitar, Bridge, Bridge & Middle, Middle, Neck & Middle, Neck. The 3-Way switches the Humbuckers from Heavy Humbucker to Clear Humbucker to Single Coil.

I assume these are just standard Humbuckers and aren’t really two Strat style single coils next to each other, right? Also, I assume Heavy Humbucker mode is Series and Single Coil is just Split. Any ideas what Clear Humbucker is? Could it be parallel?

I’m wondering if there’s anything here to apply to an HSH Strat to get closer to traditional Strat tones in the notch and split neck positions....

[GuitarStv]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

I'd bet clear humbucker is either parallel or a partial split.

[SlyFoxx]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

It's 5 individual pups.

[TVFV]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

So you can technically do this with Lace Sensors?

Sent from my SM-A205U using Tapatalk

[PFDarkside]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

It's 5 individual pups.

Any ideas on the specs?

[beaubrummels]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

Is this legit? (The patent number doesn’t check out, at least as a US patent, but the wiring might be what you are looking for.)

[ArtieToo]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

If that diagram is correct, then all coils except the center one, are mini-humbuckers, for a total of 9 coils. (Single-coil sized to be exact.) It's too early in the morning to try to decipher what all the positions do.

Edit: Ok . . . not that difficult. Both "sides" are the same. Looking at the right side, in the current position, all four coils, (L1, L2, L5, L6), are in series.
In the next position, the two inside coils, (L2, L5), are in series. And in the last position, L5 & L6 are shorted out, and L1 & L2 are in series.

The 5-way works like normal. Overall, a bit weird.

[PFDarkside]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

Wow, thanks! If that’s accurate it looks like both “Humbuckers” are tapped. That 3-way is a beast, 6 pole? Unless it is a representation done with two individual 3-position switches like the 408.

[PFDarkside]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

If that diagram is correct, then all coils except the center one, are mini-humbuckers, for a total of 9 coils. (Single-coil sized to be exact.) It's too early in the morning to try to decipher what all the positions do.

Edit: Ok . . . not that difficult. Both "sides" are the same. Looking at the right side, in the current position, all four coils, (L1, L2, L5, L6), are in series.
In the next position, the two inside coils, (L2, L5), are in series. And in the last position, L5 & L6 are shorted out, and L1 & L2 are in series.

The 5-way works like normal. Overall, a bit weird.

Are you sure they are mini humbuckers? (We cant see wind direction, so we have to assume...) I think they are just tapped single coils. You can see the “N” for North by Pickup “A” and “S” by “B”. So Full Humbucker, true double tapped Humbucker and full single coil? Or am I seeing it wrong.

[ArtieToo]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

I'm absolutely NOT sure. The dog got me up at 6am.

I'm sure about the wiring scheme, but I'm not sure how those pups are internally constructed.

[PFDarkside]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

Ok, without tearing apart a $2500+ guitar, based on the schematic above my assumption is that they are four tapped single coils and one full single coil. The coils are arranged and have polarity that matches with Humbuckers, and from the videos, when split the “forward” bridge coil is active and I believe the “forward” neck coil is active. I’m almost thinking they used this completely new pickup form factor to allow enough winds of the appropriate wire gauge to get the tones they are looking for.

I think a 513 for dummies could be done with a couple of “6 wire” Humbuckers. Both coils having a full and tapped output, the full combine for hot humbucking, the taps combine for a brighter Humbucker and then one full coil combines with a single for Strat like cluck.

The 3-way down low looks a bit goofy, but I think it works better than push pull combinations. If I did it on a Strat, I’d probably try to replace that with a big 3-way toggle, although it looks like a 6 pole doesn’t it?

Next is the 408...

[beaubrummels]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

Found it:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20050150364A1/en

[SlyFoxx]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

I've never been much interested in guitars with so many pup combos. My first gigging "band" guitar was and old Hum Hum Carvin. I has the regular three way toggle and two mini two way switches. For live use only three or four different combinations really stood out from each other so as to be useful. But being a PRS fan the 513 has always intrigued me. Just never got my hands on one to try.

[PFDarkside]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?

Found it:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20050150364A1/en

Excellent, thanks!

[allstarrme]

Re: PRS 513 - What’s going on?



The later models came without a pcb but were more prone to be real noisy.

The 509 has clear humbucking mode and coil split with a tap that steals some windings off the second coil so the volume doesn’t drop off much.