P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

[Dejavoodoo]

Hi....
Newbie here, not to playing, but to P Rails. I've looked all over before posting this and haven't found the wiring anywhere...yet
I'm building a new guitar with the idea of using two P Rails with a Vintage Rails SVR-1 in the middle position, in fact, the pockets are already routed for all three. I've slotted the body for a five-way switch and I'd like to use a single volume and a single tone pot(s). Think of an RG with P Rails...
Probably the easiest way to wire this beast would be to use the triple shot mounts, but I'd rather make custom mounts as well, plus I'm not sure how to include the SVR-1.
So....any ideas how to wire this combination?
I want to be able to use all the P Rails configurations, plus the SVR-1, switching back and forth with the 5 way, just like a Strat or and RG.
Mini toggles? Not my favorite solution, but might be easier than push-pull wiring in a small cavity tho.
Or maybe build my own custom wood version of a triple shot? I have nothing against using the factory ones except that I want wood mounts.
It's gonna be really nice if I can just get it wired up right...
HELP!!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

Welcome to the forum.

Two initial questions;
1) How many frets? 22 or 24?
2) Pickguard or no pickguard?

 

[Dejavoodoo]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

Welcome to the forum.

Two initial questions;
1) How many frets? 22 or 24?
2) Pickguard or no pickguard?

Ok-
First, thanks for the reply!
22 frets, no pick guard, control cavity routed from the back, generally set up similar to my RG.
Another couple things, the body on this one is solid walnut, neck is Zebra/Ipe.
I've been wanting to try these pups but now I'm wondering if they'd be best for this particular combination. I'm not looking to build the ultimate shredder, just a strong versatile player.
Anyway, I've seen some loaded pickguards (920?) for Strats set up just like what I'm describing, but of course, this one won't have a pickguard.
Thanks again....

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

Well, if you are hoping for convincing Stratocaster tones from any selector switch position, in my opinion, the Rail coils fail to deliver it.

To my ears, a blade polepiece and underslung bar magnet never matches the tone and dynamics of rod magnet polepieces. In some situations, the rail may actually be better. I happen to prefer ol' faithful.

What pickups are currently in your guitar? What do you dislike about them?

Also, to save time asking later on, what amplification and/or pedals do you use?

 

[Dejavoodoo]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

It's a new build, nowhere near complete, got a ways to go. Still need to slot the neck for the truss rod, cut the fret grooves....and so on. The body is almost done.
I use two amps mostly, an 80's Fender Concert tube amp, and a Ceriatone Dumble clone that I built. Not many pedals, mostly just a compressor and a tube screamer. I'll fool around with others from time to time. I play bass most of the time. That'll be my next project.
I'm not really trying to copy a Strat sound, I have a nice Strat that works just fine, just a flexible 'fatter' sound, that's not totally humbucker. Maybe I should stick with P90's I don't know. The wiring would be easier huh?
Overall, I don't really care for coil taps, the tap never really sounds anything but thin to me. Maybe I just haven't heard the right pups tapped, don't know.
I figure the Walnut body will do strange things to the midrange, from what others have said, so this may be an adventure, but I can use whatever pups I use in some other guitar later.
How does the P90 and humbucker sound in the P Rail sound to you?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

Right now, I am trying a P-Rails and P-Rails Hot pair in a pre-owned PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow.

I love the series, parallel and P90 sounds from the neck position pickup. I am (currently) less keen on the sounds from the bridge position pickup. This is almost certainly because the magnet swap experiments that I elected to try have not succeeded. (These will be corrected very shortly.)

My hope had been that the Rail coils would yield a scratchy Rickenbacker-like tone. Instead, they are just bland. I get closer to Rick tones in the parallel mode.

My circuit includes a push-pull phase reversal switch. Most of the out-of-phase, two pickup combinations are weak. Both pickups in series mode, out-of-phase with each other bears an acceptable resemblance to the "Power Out Of Phase" selection of early production PRS Custom guitars.

 

[Dejavoodoo]

Re: P rails/vintage rails SVR-1 arrangement

I think I'm abandoning the P Rails, in favor of a JB and a '59.....
Not at all sure what to put in the middle single size pocket to compliment those two.
I could probably split those, but as I mentioned, I'm not a fan of coil splitting. However, I may not have heard what these pups sound like split. Anyway, I could then combine them with whatever I put in the middle position.
I'm waffling......