P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

G

Greg_L

New member
Hello, new member, first post, please guide me. I've done searches, trying to do my own research as to not ask redundant forum questions because I know everyone hates that. Still, I couldn't find an answer to what is my embarrassingly rudimentary question.

I've got a Hallmark 60 Custom (Mosrite clone), and just bought a bridge P-Rails. The guitar has two pickups, a 3-way pickup selector, one volume, one tone knob.

I simply want to put the P-Rails in the bridge position and leave the stock neck pickup as-is. I also have a DPDT on/off/on micro-toggle. I don't want to do anything fancy, I just want the bridge P-Rail to act like it's supposed to - as a rail, P-90, or humbucker depending on the mini-toggle. And I don't want any of that to affect the neck pickup. So.....what's the best way to wire this up? I didn't see a single P-Rails wiring diagram at the SD site that matches my guitar layout. Please advise.

Thanks,
Greg
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Welcome to the forum.

As you can probably imagine, the schematic diagrams offered in the Support area of the main SD website tend to be for the most popular and straightforward guitar circuits. Anything more adventurous, you have to start mixing and matching elements from more than one of those standard diagram to arrive at your personal custom one.

P-Rails to DPDT mode switch to selector switch is the simplest option. (The remainder of your circuit remains unchanged.)

If the stock pots in your guitar are of poor quality, this might justify replacing them with push-pull pots. This option will both preserve the appearance of your guitar and provide a fourth sound from the P-Rail pickup. (i.e. Both coils on, connected in parallel.)
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Hi Funkfingers, thanks for replying. I guess I'll just have to wing it then. The funny thing to me is that I don't want "adventurous" at all! Lol. I just want the P-Rails to act as the three it's supposed to. All the diagrams I'm seeing are for one pickup guitars, or for dual P-Rails installation. I just wanna put one P-Rails in a dual-pickup. single vol, single tone guitar with no frills.

So let's say I base my wiring off of this diagram:
http://cdn.seymourduncan.com/pdfs/support/schematics/1prail_1v.pdf
Where does the stock pickup selector switch fit in this scenario?

Or should I use this one and just ignore the neck pickup wiring?
http://cdn.seymourduncan.com/pdfs/support/schematics/2_prails_1v_1t_3w_mini.pdf
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Anyway, I'll post again....

Thanks Funkfingers. I guess I'll just have to wing it and hope for the best.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Greg_L said:
Where's my last post? Why does it need mod approval?
Click to expand...

Difficult to answer without knowing the content and the context of the missing post.

Exception may have been taken to offensive language or images. Forum internet security could have detected malware arriving via your computer. Could have been uploading issues with an image file.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Funkfingers said:
Difficult to answer without knowing the content and the context of the missing post.

Exception may have been taken to offensive language or images. Forum internet security could have detected malware arriving via your computer. Could have been uploading issues with an image file.
Click to expand...

Well there certainly was no bad language or malware. I did post two wiring diagram links straight from the SD support section. I guess using their own images is taboo.?

Alls I wanna do is wire up this dang ol pickup.

I've swapped pickups before, but never a multi-purpose pickup with switching.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Like right now, both my neck and bridge pickup go straight to the selector switch. Since I'm using only a bridge P-Rails, I'm guessing the P-Rails will have to run to one half of the DPDT toggle first? Then on to the selector? From which terminal of the P-Rails toggle do I run a wire to the pickup selector? This is where I'm lost.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Greg_L said:
I did post two wiring diagram links straight from the SD support section.
Click to expand...

New user posting links = moderation. It's just to slow down the spammers. I wonder if the forum software supports whitelisting certain domains... seymourduncan.com certainly isn't spam.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Greg_L said:
Like right now, both my neck and bridge pickup go straight to the selector switch. Since I'm using only a bridge P-Rails, I'm guessing the P-Rails will have to run to one half of the DPDT toggle first? Then on to the selector? From which terminal of the P-Rails toggle do I run a wire to the pickup selector? This is where I'm lost.
Click to expand...

The P-Rails black lead needs to be connected to both the pickup selector and the top lug(as per this diagram) of the mini-toggle switch. It doesn't have to go anywhere first - you can run a jumper from the lug of the three-way toggle it's already connected to over to your mini-toggle.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

ParameterMan said:
The P-Rails black lead needs to be connected to both the pickup selector and the top lug(as per this diagram) of the mini-toggle switch. It doesn't have to go anywhere first - you can run a jumper from the lug of the three-way toggle it's already connected to over to your mini-toggle.
Click to expand...

Okay thanks for the input.

So just for clarification....In the diagram, there's no pickup selector, and the black lead goes to the mini-toggle. In my scenario, should I do as the diagram suggests - connect the pickup to the mini-toggle and then run a jumper to the bridge/neck pickup selector switch? Would that work?
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Hmmm, looks like I'll need to change the pots too. My vol and tone pots are 250k.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Greg_L said:
Okay thanks for the input.

So just for clarification....In the diagram, there's no pickup selector, and the black lead goes to the mini-toggle. In my scenario, should I do as the diagram suggests - connect the pickup to the mini-toggle and then run a jumper to the bridge/neck pickup selector switch? Would that work?
Click to expand...

Yes. As would connecting to the selector and then running a jumper to the mini-toggle. Order doesn't matter, they just need to be connected in parallel.

The exact arrangement depends on the physical layout... googling "Hallmark 60 Custom"... ok, the pickup selector is some 7-ish inches from the volume/tone knobs. If you put your mini-toggle over by the knobs, I'd probably run the P-Rails to the mini-toggle first.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

ParameterMan said:
Yes. As would connecting to the selector and then running a jumper to the mini-toggle. Order doesn't matter, they just need to be connected in parallel.

The exact arrangement depends on the physical layout... googling "Hallmark 60 Custom"... ok, the pickup selector is some 7-ish inches from the volume/tone knobs. If you put your mini-toggle over by the knobs, I'd probably run the P-Rails to the mini-toggle first.
Click to expand...

I see, thank you very much for your help.

In my case, I think I'm going to put the mini-toggle right next to the main selector switch. Between the two pots and input jack, there's not much room in that area under the pickguard. The cavity is a little larger near the p/u selector switch, and I don't want to have to reach around the trem arm to work the mini-toggle.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

So....new question....can I use any ol generic 500k pots? Like from radio shack? Is volume linear and tone an audio log pot?
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Volume wants to be audio taper, tone seems to work equally well as linear or audio.

The pots have to fit your knobs and have the right barrel size. Stuff from Radio Shack will be "import" sized - smaller metric threaded barrel, smaller "coarse knurl" 18-spline shaft. I don't know if your guitar uses US or import sized components.

In my experience Radio Shack or other super-cheap pots sound muddy and get crackly quickly.

If you're used to 250k pots with the humbuckers that are already in there I don't see you being to unhappy using them with the p-rails. I'd just wire it now and if it seems too dark after playing it then get a nice 500k volume pot. The tone pot should be fine.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Ok thanks.

The guitar was originally equipped with high-output Mosrite-style single coils and 250k pots.

I will try it with the stock pots.
 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

Well it's in and works great!

I still wanna change the pots to 500k. That will brighten it up some, right? Anyway, thanks for the help Funkfingers and Parameterman.

 
Re: P-Rails wiring into a Mosrite

P-Rails is in, 500k audio vol pot, 500k linear tone pot. This guitar has never sounded better. Thanks again!
 
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