Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Hey Alex, I think I understand now. I'll swap the green and black wires on the neck.

I put the A5 magnets back in the pickups last night. I made sure the north faced the slug on both. I think I need to flip the bridge pickup, though. When I plugged it in this morning to test, nothing sounded correct. When I had just the bridge on, it sounded really trebly...no bass. Same when just the neck was on. I know you say there's no way a pickup can be out of phase by itself...I guess that's not what I meant. What I meant was that the pickup just sounds really trebly and doesn't have hardly any bass. Just very strange sounding...

Someone on another forum said I needed to switch the green and black on the neck, too. He said that since that pickup is not properly grounded, no position on the switch will sound right. I guess that includes the positions where it's just a single pickup.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

I swapped the green and black wires on the neck. Seemed like the sound got louder...somewhat better. But still brittle and treble heavy. There's a decent hump from the bridge when palm muting but if I play any single string type of riffing it gets real thin and just not very good...

I'm willing to try one more thing before I give up on these pickups. I read on another forum that a guy put a Suhr Aldrich in his PRS Custom 24 and he was having some similar problems. He took out the coil tapping wires and it miraculously fixed it...it was then nice and full sounding.

So...do you think I could try that? Could I wire up the JB only to the switch to test this?

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Alright...here's what I've done.

http://prsguitars.com/csc/schematics/schem08/5wayblade.pdf

From left to right:
Black Bridge
Black Neck
(black ground wire to vol)
Green Bridge
N/A - I didn't connect the red & white for split
(red to vol)
N/A - I didn't connect the red & white for split

I left the red and white wires on both pickups soldered together and taped.

Green wire from neck went to tone pot casing for ground.

Bare wires from both pickups got soldered to the braided shield from jack.

Someone else suggested I use a regular IR remote control and point at each coil with the amp turned up. Push a button on the remote and it will make a noise if that coil is on.

Here are the remote control results:

Position 1

Bridge - Screw ON
Bridge - Slug ON but low
Neck - OFF
​

Position 2

Bridge - Screw OFF
Bridge - Slug ON, but VERY faint
Neck - Screw ON, but VERY faint
Neck - Slug ON
​

Position 3

All very faint
​

Position 4

Bridge - Screw ON
Bridge - Slug ON, but VERY faint
Neck - Screw ON
Neck - Slug ON
​

Position 5

Bridge - Screw OFF
Bridge - Slug ON, but VERY faint
Neck - Screw ON, but VERY faint
Slug - ON

​

When any of these are on, the sound seems okay when strumming a chord...slightly weak, not chunky as expected. But when you go to picking single strings, it just goes lifeless and sounds very weak.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

I am not surprised that your latest attempt has not worked. Several of the SD conductors have been connected to the wrong terminals.

Before I make any further attempt to answer this wiring question, I need to know, are you looking at the same side of the Schaller switch as is illustrated in the PRS schematic diagram?

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

...well, I thought I was. But now you have me wondering. The side I'm looking at is the side that is facing me when the cavity is closest to me. The actual switch portion is also facing me.

When I started, I matched up the already soldered wires relative to what I needed to do. So, lug 3 and lug 6 have never changed.


EDIT:

Just to make sure, I checked the polarity with a known magnet. Slug is north, so they're correct polarity wise (unless I flip the bridge magnet, which I think I will).

Also, this is what I have for color code translation:

SD Black = PRS White (hot)
SD Red/White = PRS Red (split)
SD Green = PRS Black (ground)

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

I just did some searching and found this thread:
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?30655-PRS-Bridge-Pickup-install-Help-!!!

This is a thread in the vault about mixing PRS and SD pickups. Specially, an SD bridge and a PRS neck. So, since I'm using both SD, does this apply to me?

According to that thread:

Bridge (after flipping magnet):
SD White = PRS White
SD Red = PRS Black
SD Blk/Grn = PRS Red

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Okay, one final stab. I also ordered some more PRS pickups in case this doesn't work. I figure those are ready to go and there will be nothing to figure out. Just wire up as the diagram shows and I should be rolling. BUT...if what I changed works...well, then I guess I'll either keep 'em for backup or sell them.

Here's what I just finished doing.

First, I flipped the magnet in the bridge.

Then, I wired up as below....


I did this using:
SD Black = PRS White
SD Green = PRS Black
SD R/W = PRS Red

I did plug in and strum around a bit but I didn't have a chance to turn up. So I couldn't really tell if it was fixed or not. That will have to wait until tomorrow. But I figure I can try to get some feedback from you on how I wired it and if I can expect it to be correct.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Ok, when you flip the magnet, there will be no change the the wire colour codes at all. The diagram will still use the same colours. The splitting to the various screw coil/slug coil bits only works due to the flipped magnet in 1 pickup. If you go changing wire colours and positions you'll just bugger things up again. edit - yep, you've buggered it.

I don't know PRS colours, only Duncan, so if you follow this hopefully it will all be OK.



This is my Stewmac switch....which hopefully is oriented the same way your PRS one is. In this pic the mechanical part of the switch is closest to the camera, with the wafer further away. The #1 terminal is furthest right. The white cloth wire soldered to #1 is actually an extension of the neck red/white wires as the pickup lead isn't quite long enough.

So:
1. Red/white of neck
2. Vol pot hot
3. Red/white bridge
4. Green bridge
5. Vol pot ground
6. Black Neck
7. Black bridge

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Ok, when you flip the magnet, there will be no change the the wire colour codes at all. The diagram will still use the same colours. The splitting to the various screw coil/slug coil bits only works due to the flipped magnet in 1 pickup. If you go changing wire colours and positions you'll just bugger things up again. edit - yep, you've buggered it.

I don't know PRS colours, only Duncan, so if you follow this hopefully it will all be OK.

View attachment 43000

This is my Stewmac switch....which hopefully is oriented the same way your PRS one is. In this pic the mechanical part of the switch is closest to the camera, with the wafer further away. The #1 terminal is furthest right. The white cloth wire soldered to #1 is actually an extension of the neck red/white wires as the pickup lead isn't quite long enough.

So:
1. Red/white of neck
2. Vol pot hot
3. Red/white bridge
4. Green bridge
5. Vol pot ground
6. Black Neck
7. Black bridge

Okay, I didn't know the positions read from right to left. I've been referring to them from left to right. Yes, my switch is oriented the same way as yours. I'll review yours and mine when I get home. I know, for certain, that mine is not like the one you show (wiring wise).

HOWEVER, a guy on another forum says that mine is wired up correctly. I tested my wiring job this morning at volume and when I'm in position 1 (bridge only), only one coil is on (I used a remote control to test this). In position 5 (neck only), only one coil is on.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Well, the colours and positions I've given are correct for Duncan pickups, according to the selector switch diagram given with the Schaller model sold by stewmac. I also doublechecked what seemed to be a PRS diagram which seems to indicate the same configuration......assuming of course that the numbering of the poles is the same way.

If you've had it wired the opposite way this would certainly explain the complete lack of any good sounding positions on the 5-way. It is a very specific switch with multiple poles and odd connections.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Alex, I wired up exactly as you had yours and in the middle position, the pickups are out of phase (only the slug coils of each pickup work on position 3). I didn't test any other positions.

And still, on position 1 and 5, only the screw coils are working on each pickup. It SHOULD be be full on for both pickups, obviously. But now I know, based on the above, that the coils on the slugs are not damaged.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

By suggestion of someone else, I wired the black from the neck to the red hot to volume lug (lug 3). I tested that in position 5 (neck only) and both coils were active. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone...



EDIT: I wonder if my switch is broken?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Alex, I wired up exactly as you had yours and in the middle position, the pickups are out of phase (only the slug coils of each pickup work on position 3). I didn't test any other positions.

And still, on position 1 and 5, only the screw coils are working on each pickup. It SHOULD be be full on for both pickups, obviously. But now I know, based on the above, that the coils on the slugs are not damaged.

I'm assuming there is something wrong now too. The switch I have is a Schaller, which I would have thought was the same type as what was in the prs as stock.....unless they make their own switches.
Once you rewired this last time, was the magnet situation still that you've got one of them flipped?? I guess another test is to simply flip a magnet without doing any resoldering - if it still sounds strange in the middle then there would seem to be a problem with the switch.......or at least a problem with aftermarket pickups and that switch.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

The guitar has been at a tech for a month. I finally got it back today. I picked it up this morning and wasn't able to play it until just now. It's still wrong. When compared to my other guitars on the gain channel on my Marshall, it just sounds weak and brittle. It sounds alright on the cleans. It's like there's not enough output or something. Something is screwed up electronically and I'm not sure what it is. I'm at a loss here. I'm wondering if I should gut the thing...replace the pickups and the switch and see where that gets me.

 

[Myriad_Rocker]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

I think I got it fixed. I pulled the Seymour Duncan's out. I know that the pickups work...I just couldn't get them to work in this guitar. I put in some PRS pickups and now I have what a guitar like this SHOULD sound like. It was late when I tested so I couldn't crank it up too loud. I did have to adjust pickup height. The output was nice and hot but it was still a bit ice-picky. I rolled back the tone a bit and lowered the pickup and I think I have it where I like it.

 

[neilallso]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Got the same problem....ish. prs pickups I have are 3 wire. And seymour have 4. Also what do the colours stand for on a prs? I know what they are on the s.d.

 

[swissmountain]

Re: Did I wire up my pickups correctly? PRS Custom 24 w/ 5-way Blade Switch

Got the same problem....ish. prs pickups I have are 3 wire. And seymour have 4. Also what do the colours stand for on a prs? I know what they are on the s.d.

3 or 4 wires would not make the difference - solder the Duncan red and white together and view them as one wire and you have 3 wires.

With the PRS one wire goes to hot, one to ground, and one is used for splitting. There is no option to put the coils in parallel with that wiring set up but since the PRS circuitries do not foresee to put the humbuckers in parallel mode, it is enough to route only 3 wires to the outside.

Color codes are published here: http://www.google.de/imgres?imgurl=...r=6199&page=1&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=0CDQQrQMwBg