Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

[ernzo]

Hello there!

I'm looking for some help, as i dont have much electronic expertise.. :scratchch

The thing is I have a Maverick Chaos guitar, wich has 2 Humbuckers, a 5-way selecter, 1 volume and 2 tone pots..

I want to install a P-Rails SHPR-1 on the neck position, and a Duncan Distortion (SH-6) on the bridge position..

The P-Rails is a Humbucker that can change its function between four modes: Humbucker in Series, Humbucker in Paralel, P-90, Single Coil..

So for this, I want to install a extra 4-way-rotary-switch to control the P-Rails by itself; and at the same time let the original 5-way selecter do the same job it always did..

I think that this way my guitar will win some extra versatility, while retaining its rock guitar nature...

Basically, i need a good tone for lead (bridge hummbucker), similar in a way to what Steve Vai or Satriani has, so i thought the SH-6 would have enough balls for the job, while at the same time sound warm and organic (i've checked the sound samples and i got this impression out of it anyway..)

The P-rails will let the guitar sound more like a Stratocaster if needed, while at the same time giving me a mellow humbucker tone (i hope!), that hopefully will mix good with the bridge position and be useful for jazz-fussion rock-fussion

So far so good.. but this is easier said than done! :naughty:


I have contacted some luthiers in my area (Barcelona-Spain), and most of them tell me that what i want is very hard, or impossible, and that i will have trouble with my actual 5-way selecter, suggesting me to use it only as a 3-way and let the other two positions control the P-Rails..

all wich in my opinion is a bloody mess... :banghead:

I basically want the guitar to be the same it is now, but i want it to have a separate extra 4-way-rotary-switch to control the P-Rails... this seems the more logical way to me..

Now, i made various pictures of the inner circuit on the guitar, and the guitar itself for if you want to help me out, here they are:

Also here is a representation of the circuit for if you need closer inspection..:

I hope it is clear enough, cause i wouldnt know how to do it better hwhehe :naughty:

Now lemme ask you all a couple questions:
-Any of you ever tryed any of these two Seymour Duncan pickups?
-whats your opinion on them?
-Do you think they will match well togheter?

-How should i plug the pickups and the 4-way-rotary-switch in order to get the results i was hoping for?

-Do you think i will have to replace the resistance (2A223J), and adapt the circuit for the impedances/resistances of the new pickups?

-Would the circuit have to be modifyed? In wich way?

-Is the original circuit strange, or is it quite regular? Cause i tryed to figure how to do it, looking at diagramas, and i found nothing even close.. all was based on strat/gibson kinda guitars, but none with 2humbs, 5way switch and 1 volume 1 pot...

Well, THANk YOU a lot in advanced, i will wait for your answers and try to reply asap.. and please excuse my bad english, as i'm spanish and all this is quite abstract..


www.ernz.tk

 

[psycom]

Re: Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

Did you ever figure this out? I see what you're thinking. I know its been awhile but I was really curious as to what you settled on and how you like it.

I'm doing something similar although right now it w a Neck P-Rail and a JB. Found I had to flip over the P-Rail for a better tone as it just wasn't getting it. The 59'r I had in there sounded better and I'm still freaking around with it.

I can say that using the 5 way and split coils works really nice. Especially the split JB and full P-rail. The P-rail on its own will hit the jazz mark easily. It's darkish and muffled but better since flipping it.

It's a fight between height and over bright when you use the rail. Or lower mid muff on just the P which I think I'm getting worked out. Takes time and using the screws in the P90 part.

Did you know they make a special mounting ring for the P-Rail that has hidden switches on it to allow you to do just what you said? Ain't gonna be as quick as grabbing a rotary but then you don't have to drill holes and mount that huge dial either.

It's called the "Triple Shot" and is worth a shot if you never did get it done. If you did manage to figure it out I'd like to hear what you think of it.

rich

 

[Artie]

Re: Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

The OP had one post, six months ago, so this is probably a moot point, but the wiring on that 5-way is completely wrong. I won't go into detail because, its late, and I doubt the OP is still around.

However, if someone really wants to know why, I can post tomorrow.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

The wiring illustrated in the OP's drawing appears to match what is visible in the photograph.

I suspect that the selector switch has a non-standard set of PCB tracks. (At first glance, the wiring looks like a variation of a Telecaster three-way switch circuit that has gone horribly wrong.) The conjoined red/white conductors are clearly the coil link/coil split wires but there is no clear path from them to ground. Using them as an output leaves the second coil (ending at the black conductor) hanging.

As far as I recall, the five selections were, bridge HB, something tapped, both HBs, something tapped, neck HB.

 

[Artie]

Re: Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

Using them as an output leaves the second coil (ending at the black conductor) hanging.

Exactly. Its hanging out there as a noise-antenna. The five positions, as shown, are:

1. neck w/bridge split + noise antenna
2. neck w/bridge split
3. neck and bridge
4. bridge w/neck split
5. bridge w/neck split + noise antenna

I'm hoping, as you suggest, that that switch has non-standard traces.

 

[psycom]

Re: Help needed Installing a P-Rails and a DuncanDistortion

My 5 way is working fine with the P-Rail Neck & JB bridge on my Schecter Blackjack. It was already wired for most options.

Was thinking of adding the P-rail Triple shot but the way I'm wired now with a 5 way I already have most of the options since i'm only using the one neck P-rail. All I'm missing is an out of phase rail/P90 so no big deal.

And I have REAL strats and REAL P90's equipped guitars if I want those sounds so I'm not too interested in have dual P-rails. I still might yank that P-rail and put the 59'r back in unless I can modify the sound of the P90 part. Too dark for my liking.

On the other hand I can get great sounds with the rail and the full JB position which is #2 full bridge & just the rail. Position 4 is what sucks. Full P-rail and top half of the JB. Now that maybe I can change to something else. But I have so many guitars and amps I'm working on I haven't really thought about how to change the wiring on that 5 way to use just the rail part and half the JB. Now THAT might sound cool and different. Or the P-90 outta phase with the rail and the top half of the JB like it is.

My Blackjack wiring isn't the same as what Schecter has posted but it was kick ass with the 59'r in it. Being a tinkerer tweaker I always gotta get in there and see what happens.

Off the subject but for what its worth my SD All metal Blackout (Gold) neck and an EMG 85 in the Bridge is sounding rather awesome on my Hellraiser Deluxe Schecter. Amazing the power of the SD Metal Blackout. I can actually back the tone down to zero and it sounds good. Hard to hear much difference between just the Neck SD Blackout w/ the 85 in the Bridge together. You really have to listen closely for any of the 85.

And the 85 does sound better in the bridge. Took a few minutes to get use to it. Mounting wise it almost touches the strings while the SD AHB 1N just barely rises above the mounting ring to keep the volumes level. I might have to put in a vari pot to tone down the SD but maybe not. I got it working.

Thanks for the updates on this old thread. The P-rail needs talked about anyway so I guess we revived it.