HSH and P-Rails

[mmarsh]

Hi All -

First post here!

I've installed a P-Rails set into an HSH axe and now I'd like to replace the middle S pup with a single-size humbucker. The Duckbucker looks cool but has a pretty low resistance, plus I'd like the ability to split the coils for single sounds (from what I've read, I can get paralell-series wiring but can't split the Duckbucker). How would the Lil'59 work in this application? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Sanford]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

How will the switching work? I've considered a middle pickup for a P-Rails set, but I was leaning toward a single (lipstick, 5-2, quarterpound...not sure). In my head I had it wired to a 5 way in this manner:

1. Bridge
2. Bridge/middle
3. Bridge/neck (P-rails together)
4. Neck/middle
5. Neck

With the addition of mini switches to control P-rail functions. Only drawback is no middle alone in this arrangement.


Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

You could look in the SDUG new pickup forum. SD are looking into a single coil with a p-90 tone that has a coil cut for a classic single coil tone. Could make for a versatile combo with P-rails and the right wiring set up.

 

[jimijames]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

Maybe the cool rails? It's 9.4k which should split to 4.7k. With the P-Rails (neck at least), the rail coil is 5.6k, the p-90 is 7.25k, so they should both mix well. The bridge is 8.56 for the rail, and 10.20k for the p-90. If you want something that is a bit closer, you could go for the hot rails neck, which is 10.8k, which should split to 5.4k, closer to the p-rails neck.

What I would personally do would be to order a custom shop hot rails neck with A5, which would simulate a vintage strat w/ hot bridge if you're looking at just the rails. In addition, it's about the same output as the bridge p-90. I just get the feeling that the hot rails would work better with the p-rails, but I can't be sure.

edit: Oh yeah, and both the hot rails and cool rails are 4 conductor, so you can split/series/parallel to your hearts content.

 

[mmarsh]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

You could look in the SDUG new pickup forum. SD are looking into a single coil with a p-90 tone that has a coil cut for a classic single coil tone. Could make for a versatile combo with P-rails and the right wiring set up.

Thanks all, for the answers so far. This sounds like the right thing, maybe I'll check out the new pup forum. Also, the suggestion to go custom shop with Alnico 5 rails (splittable) is interesting...

Mike

 

[Sanford]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

Another option would be to leave out the middle, use a HxH pickguard and wire a 5 way switch:

1. Bridge humbucker
2. Bridge P-90
3. Rails together
4. Neck P-90
5. Neck humbucker

Just thinking out loud.

 

[NoOnesFang13]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

You could look in the SDUG new pickup forum. SD are looking into a single coil with a p-90 tone that has a coil cut for a classic single coil tone. Could make for a versatile combo with P-rails and the right wiring set up.

+1 this is what i plan to do

i would set it up like this in normal mode

1 neck bucker
2 neck rail/ middle tapped
3 P-90
4 Middle Tapped/ bridge rail
5 bridge bucker

then this thing comes into play hehehe
http://www.precisionmusictech.com/gmax.htm

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

I am looking at a P-Rail bridge and two of the SDUG pups is a HSS strat style. I am coming at this problem from the other direction and want this gat to be primarily for SSS, but I cant justify a gat just for that because I would only use it infrequently. So what I am thinking about is having the five way just do the normal strat pickup selection then have two push pulls in the volume and tone to do the following

Tone down Vol down: all single coils.
Tone up Vol down: all p90s.
Tone down Vol up: neck and middle single coil bridge humbucker.
Tone up Vol up: neck and middle p90 bridge humbucker.

Don't intend to use the parallel wire humbucker, I would one of my other guitars for the PAF type sounds.

Just have to figure out how to wire it and wait for custom shop pups.

Any other ideas welcome.

 

[mmarsh]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

My set up would be:

1. Bridge P-Rail
2. Bridge P-Rail + Mid
3. Mid
4. Neck P-Rail + Mid
5. Neck P-Rail

Pretty standard, BUT:

Switch 1 (on-off-on) for both P-Rails:

1. Single blade
2. Humbuck
3. P90

Switch 2 (on-on) for middle pickup:

1. Humbuck
2. Split

OR (with the new custom shop being discussed):

1. Single rail
2. P90

Switch 3 (on-on)

1. Bridge pickup on
2. Bridge pickup off

That gives me a ton of options and that is how the guitar is wired now (I have a Carvin Twin Rail in the mid position).

Mike

 

[jpmct]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

I built an HSH strat with an EJ Custom shop middle pickup and Wolfetone Vintage HB's. It sounded pretty good, but not really unique. I'm replaceing the HB's with P-Rails and putting in two dpdt switches to control the rails.

The HSH wiring diagram on the SD webste has a note that the electric polarity on SD humbuckers needs to be reversed (switch the green and black wires) when using a Fender middle pickup. I'm not sure if that applies to P-Rails...anybody know??

 

[Artie]

Re: HSH and P-Rails

The Duckbucker looks cool but has a pretty low resistance . . .

I wish they wouldn't publish the parallel DCR of the Duck/VR. Its misleading. Since its the two coils in parallel, it has no real bearing on the output. Double that reading for comparison purposes.

That still doesn't affect your "split" concerns, however.