P Rails Set--Low Output?

[EWC Customs]

I've been building guitars for several years and decided to try a set of P-Rails on my latest creation. At the moment, I'm a bit disappointed. The P-Rail pickup output seems very low and the tone is unusually thin. I have them wired per the diagram for single volume, single tone with push/pull 500 ohm pots to achieve all four pickup configurations. I've checked and re-checked the wiring to make sure it is exactly as it should be, and I can find no issues there. I did make a change in the cap from a .047 to a .023 because with the .047 the tone control seemed more like a volume control where almost all the sound was rolled off.

The only way I've been able to compensate for this is to make pretty severe adjustments to my gain and volume and tone on my amp, but this does not seem tenable as when I switch to another guitar, everything has to be completely readjusted.

Any wisdom out what might be wrong? Thanks

 

[Blille]

P Rails Set--Low Output?

The P-Rail pickup output seems very low and the tone is unusually thin. I have them wired per the diagram for single volume, single tone with push/pull 500 ohm pots to achieve all four pickup configurations.

Do all positions sound low output and thin to you, including series? That’s nothing but thin.

Putting triple shots would have made your life easier but they don’t look that fancy

Potential phase issue? Putting pics of the wiring should help.

 

[dystrust]

Re: P Rails Set--Low Output?

I'd get out a multimeter and read DCR of the green / red pair as well as the white / black pair. I don't remember exactly what the readings should be, but one coil should be wound significantly hotter than the other. If one or both pairs fail continuity, then the pickup may be defective. I've seen P-Rails that were assembled incorrectly at the factory that exhibited similar, rather strange behavior.

 

[Blille]

Re: P Rails Set--Low Output?

I'd get out a multimeter and read DCR of the green / red pair as well as the white / black pair. I don't remember exactly what the readings should be, but one coil should be wound significantly hotter than the other. If one or both pairs fail continuity, then the pickup may be defective. I've seen P-Rails that were assembled incorrectly at the factory that exhibited similar, rather strange behavior.

Good idea. Here they are:

Neck Pickup
Magnet: two Alnico V bars
Cable: 4-conductor

Mode: humbucking:
DC Resistance: 12.87k ohms
Resonant Peak: 4.6KHz

Mode: P-90
DC Resistance: 7.25k ohms
Resonant Peak: 3.6KHz

Mode: single-coil
DC Resistance: 5.60k ohms
Resonant Peak: 7.0KHz




Bridge Pickup
Mode: humbucking:
DC Resistance: 18.80k ohms
Resonant Peak: 3.0KHz

Mode: P-90
DC Resistance: 10.20k ohms
Resonant Peak: 3.1KHz

Mode: single-coil
DC Resistance: 8.56K ohms
Resonant Peak: 6.0KHz


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mincer]

Re: P Rails Set--Low Output?

Welcome to the forum!

First, I wanna say I love the guitar. But the pickups are anything but low output, so I would suspect something is wrong here. Get out the meter and reference the post above. Let us know what numbers you come up with.

 

[EWC Customs]

Re: P Rails Set--Low Output?

Thanks for the replies and compliments on the guitar. Sorry to delay responding as I got called out of town the day after I posted.

I could not get my multimeter to give me consistent readings, so I went back through the wiring again and again found nothing obvious. I used the single volume, single tone, with P/P pots diagram that came with the set and followed it to a T. Alas, I contacted Sweetwater and they immediately offered to send out a replacement set (can't say enough good things about Sweetwater Sound customer service). Got the exchange done last night, and seems to have done the trick, so I recon that the first set was somehow defective, although I am still puzzled as to how both pickups exhibited low output. Gonna rehearse tonight, so we will see how they hold up with the full band.

 

[Mincer]

Re: P Rails Set--Low Output?

Wow, that's weird, but I am very happy they took care of you. Let us know how they did with the whole band!