P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

[Scott C]

Hi all. Another new guy with P-Rails and a headache trying to figure out how to wire them.

Background: Bought 2 used P-Rails for my vintage Peavey Patriot (Strat-like with pickups mounted directly to pickguard, so I don't think the tripleshots would look good).

Want to install these without adding another toggle, and I don't think the body is deep enough for push-pull switches. Guitar has pick-up toggle, plus 1 volume, 1 tone control.

I don't need all the versatility from the P-Rails, but P90, humbucker, rail are desired.

Any way I could replace the tone control with a 6 way 2 pole rotary switch (and not necessarily use all 6 ways)?

Any other ideas?

 

[orpheo]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

I'd try to find a replacement pickguard and drill one hole for a 2 pole 3 way on/off/on toggle. that way you can get exactly what you want, and have the 3 way pickupselector, master tone and master volume. maybe you even need that anyway for the pickups, cause you have on this guitar 2 set screws on the bass-side, while prails use just one, like most duncans.

or... use a concentric pot and knob for the master tone and volume, and use the left over hole for the toggle.

or use 2 push pullpots for rail/series/parallel/p90.

 

[Scott C]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

I'd try to find a replacement pickguard and drill one hole for a 2 pole 3 way on/off/on toggle. that way you can get exactly what you want, and have the 3 way pickupselector, master tone and master volume. maybe you even need that anyway for the pickups, cause you have on this guitar 2 set screws on the bass-side, while prails use just one, like most duncans.

or... use a concentric pot and knob for the master tone and volume, and use the left over hole for the toggle.

or use 2 push pullpots for rail/series/parallel/p90.

Thanks for the thoughts. "Exactly what I want" is one toggle and two knobs so the look doesn't change, but I don't know if I can do that. I'll have to take the guitar apart again and measure the depth to see if I have room for push pulls. That may be the best option. If not, and if I can't figure out the rotary switch, I may try to sneak a black tipped toggle switch between the two knobs and hope it doesn't stand out too much.

As for the two screws on the big E side of the pickup, I'm planning on building a small adapter strip to mount to the pickups to accept 2 screws on that side.

Keep those ideas coming. Thanks.

 

[orpheo]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

I understand that you want the 'stock' look, but I don't think that what you want can be done with a 6 way. that might give you just the options for the pickups seperate, no 'in between' tones, which is where the prails actuall excel. I would seriously consider my previous suggestion.

or... if you can find it, a 4 pole 4way rotary switch. that will get you the same options as I have proposed (or a 3 way 4 pole rotary, but those are even harder to find), and keep the stock looks (and use a concentric pot for master tone and volume).

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

Can't find a three position, but here's a 5 and 6:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electro...otary_Switches.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=404

Don't have to use all the positions.

 

[Scott C]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

Thanks. Those are what I saw and thought I could replace the tone control with. The 4 pole would be easier to wire, but I need to measure to see if I have that much room in the body. The 2 pole is less than 1" deep, so I know it will fit. I just need to firgure out if I can wire these pickups with a 2 pole.

I'd happily settle for P-90, humbucker, rails. I don't need anymore choices than that.

Thanks again.

 

[Artie]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

This is a little off track from what you want, but here's how I did mine. I can split to inside/outside coils, (switch between the knobs), or go direct to my Virtual 3rd HB option, (the "other" switch).

I believe a push-pull will fit. Also, you could replace one knob with one of those ganged pots to get vol/tone in one hole, then do the rotary on the other.

 

[Scott C]

Re: P-Rail Wiring Challenge - Help the New Guy!

Thanks. I'm in the middle of another project, but hopefully in a few days, I'll take the Peavey apart, see if there are room for push-pulls. I'll probably go that route if there is room. If not, assuming I can't figure out the rotary switch, I'll probably just add a 3rd switch between the two existing knobs.

By the way, your guitar looked familiar to me cuz you shared that photo on the Peavey forum as well.

Thanks again.