P-Rails wiring help - quick question

D

doctadre

New member
Ok so I want to install the PRails in my Custom 24, and use its normal 5 way rotary settings.


I know that I can get the most out of these with different methods, but right now I am just sampling the pickups sound and want to see how it does with standard PRS tones ( Bridge HB, outside coils, inside series, inside coils, neck HB).

I know the wiring color codes are different, but will I have to flip a magnet (or 2) in the PRails, or will their orientation take care of any phase issues?


thanks,


Dre
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Are you talking about a set of P-Rails? If so, everything will work out just fine. Match up the color codes to PRS and you'll be in business.

Theres a possibility that what was formerly inside coils is now outside coils, and vice versa. If that happens (and assuming it bothers you) you have to swap some wires around (trade green w/black, trade red w/white)
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

What Frank said.

On the conventional PRS five way rotary selector, position "8" is the inside coils connected together in phase and in series with each other. Two Rail coils connected this way should produce a interesting and usable sound. By contrast, the two P90 coils in phase and in series would be too much. (Mud City and loud with it!)
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Thanks guys!


Yea, I am going to first use the SD to PRS wiring color swaps, and see if all sounds good.


Normally you would have to flip the bridge or neck magnet in an SD pickup to get the right sounds out of positions 9 and 7, but I believe that the winding of the PRails will take care of this. At least I hope.

I'll try it out and let you know!


Thanks!


Dre
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Ok, so I finally tried the PRails in my Custom 24 with the 5 way switch.


I wired the color codes according to the Seymour Duncan faq question. Black/Green are split, Red Ground, and White hot.


I got the outside and inside coils switched, and all of the in-between sounds on the 5 way switch were phased and thin. So I took your advice Frank and swapped both pickups' red and white leads. This helped; I got rid of the phasing, but was not getting both inner rails and both outer p90s. I was getting the neck's inner rail with the bridge's P90 and vice versa.


So I swapped back the red and white leads of the bridge pickup. Now I got the right coil combinations, but the phasing is still there. Usually this is where a magnet swap fixes the issue, but I'd rather not take apart a Prail, as I dont even know how to, and how to safely flip the magnets.


What else can I do? Do I have to swap the wires around differently?


Thanks,


Dre
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Wire the bridge pickup like normal:

BLACK is hot
RED & WHITE are split
GREEN is ground
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Awesome!! Thanks Scott! After looking at some diagrams, this is what my next move was going to be!

Will keep you posted after tonight!


Dre
 
Re: P-Rails wiring help - quick question

Ok, tried it out, and here is what I needed to make it work!


Neck was done with the White=Hot, Red=Ground, Black/Green=split.

Bridge was done with the Green=Hot, Black=Ground, Red/White=split.


With the pickups configured so that the rails are the inner coils and P90s are on the outside, this gives you the standard PRS sounds.



I am digging the tones so far. The bridge and neck humbuckers are both quite dark, but with my high gain channel and EQ it isnt a huge deal. I really dig the P90s sounds. I even did an experiment and set it up so that the outside coils were really just the bridge P90, and its a really nice tone! great option to go along with bridge humbucker in my tonal palette.


I am thinking I will try the bridge Prail with a normal humbucker neck pickup. The only issue I have is that the Prail is a little thicker than a normal humbucker, and it sits a bit high in my PRS neck pocket. There is not much I can do to get it to sit lower. This results in a bit of unbalance, making the neck pickup a little louder and hotter than normal, and I think I do not get as much balance out of the in between sounds because of this.


Anyways, I'll continue to rock the Prails out, and try them at band practice this weekend to see how it really sounds cranked!


Dre
 
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