Help With Wiring Conversion

[NJA]

Hi there,

I am looking for some help on what wiring colours need to be put together so I can use Seymour Duncans in a PRS I've got. Im wanting to use PRS diagram as I'm happy with the switching system. Can someone help me with what I need to pair together to get what I require out of my guitar. Im putting in a Nazgul Rails and a 59 both with 4 conductor cable.

The diagram I am wanting to use: https://support.prsguitarseurope.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/36415808672667

Thanks for any support and help.

 

[Artie]

Welcome to the forum.

That switch is a bit difficult to interpret because it looks like a Superswitch, except that there are only four terminals on one side.

It looks to me like you can use the Duncan colors just as they're labeled on that diagram, except substitute the Duncan "bare" wire for the orange wire, which simply goes to ground. It doesn't matter if it goes to the exact place they're showing it. Just ground anywhere convenient.

 

[switchman]

​I think they're using different color codes than Duncan in that diagram.

It's a bespoke semi-superswitch which omits two of the four usual lugs for common, 1, and 5 which they didn't need for the factory wiring scheme. So 18 lugs instead of 24.

I've never had one of these in hand because I don't have a new PRS and the switch costs $60

I have an idea what's going on the diagram but I haven't fully worked it out. One wafer is hot the other is ground.

​It looks to me like a few positions are using Red + Black as the series join either to get full humbucker output or ground one coil for split.

If that's correct the color codes won't work for SD HB's. They'd be internally out of phase.

Neck pickup is using Green as hot and White as ground, Bridge is doing the opposite...

EDIT : The diagram does show the pickups have opposite magnetic polarity relative to each other. Neck screw coil South and bridge screw coil is North. At a minimum you would have to flip the magnet in your '59 neck pickup to make this diagram work. I'll have a go at fully decoding the switch and color codes later.

The switch in the wild...

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[switchman]

This should work for Duncans provided the neck pickup magnet is rotated 180 to make the Screw coil North. If it doesn't let me know.

I did find a post on PRS forums to confirm the switch lugs are 0,1,2,3,4,space,2,3,4,5 . So the splits are Inner Coil.

The Nazgul is so much more output than the '59 slug coil I'm curious how P4 sounds.

 

[Artie]

You've bought a nice PRS guitar. You've bought premium Duncan pickups. Let's not cheap-out here by guessing how that switch works. Drop another $20 for a proper Superswitch, and lets do this right.

https://guitarelectronics.com/fender-5-way-4-pole-strat-super-switch

Edit: I didn't mean that to sound quite so harsh. It's just a thought. :beerchug:

 

[switchman]

No worries I would probably do it with the fully capable switch too. I thought the OP wanted to keep the stock wiring and only wants to swap the pickups. Here's the deep dive of the switch from the PRS forum I referred to.

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/prs-5-way-blade-on-an-se-custom-24.55559/post-798647

It also mentions the narrow 5way super switch from ToneShapers might be needed. I've used them. They work the same as the regular Fender/Oak Grigsby version. They're just trickier to wire everything is so close together. Here's two random grabs of PRS control cavities with their 5way. The wafers are very close together and there's a channel cut into the underside of the top for it.
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[Artie]

Interesting switch. I'd love to have one in my hand, to scope it out. (I mean, look at it.)