P Rails wiring

[GMSD]

Hello everyone! Its my first time joining this forum, and im hoping to get some wisdom in how to wire my guitar with my new set of Seymour Duncan pickups.

Hope anyone can help me on this one, cause i really dont want to screw up anything.

I have a guitar with two Pickups, a Seymourd Duncan Humbucker SH on the bridge, and i just bought a new P Rails for my neck pickup.

The guitar has a 3 toggle switch, one volume pot, and one tone pot with push pull.

I'd like to wire it so I could use the push pull tone pot as a selector for my P-rails pickup, so i can use the P90 and the Rails independently. i dont wish to split coil the bridge humbucker, so i wired it the normal way, so i can just use the tone sweeper. But i cant seem to find the best way to use the push pull as a switch for both pickups on the P-Rails.

Is that possible, and if yes, how can i wire it that way?

Thank you so much for any help!

Cheers!!

 

[Mincer]

Re: P Rails wiring

Welcome to the forum!

For the P-Rails coil selection, are you trying to have the P-90, both, and the rail coil selected? Or do you want just one or the other? You are missing out on a pretty good sound if you can't get both coils selected. push/pull only has 2 positions, so you can't get all 3 sounds. Honestly, a Triple Shot ring is the most elegant way to accomplish this (and more).

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Thanks for your reply!

I was just trying to get the P90 or the Rail selected using the push pull tone pot. (both independent, not combined)

I know i can have both, and that it sound very good with both on, but just for now, im just trying to get one or the other independently. I may try thy Triple Shot in the future, but for now i would just like to get them this way.

Can it be done?

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

Then it's fairly easy. You'll only need one "side" of the push-pull. Solder the red/white wires to a center lug. Solder the lug above to ground, and the one below to "hot". By "hot", I mean the same place the black wire connects.

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Then it's fairly easy. You'll only need one "side" of the push-pull. Solder the red/white wires to a center lug. Solder the lug above to ground, and the one below to "hot". By "hot", I mean the same place the black wire connects.

What about the Green wire? is it solded also to ground??

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

Yes. Give me a sec and I'll draw a diagram which will make it more clear.

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Yes. Give me a sec and I'll draw a diagram which will make it more clear.

Ohh, that would be really awesome!!

There's still a question though, im not sure if i should let it be like this.. There's a connection from the center lung of one of the sides of the switch that is connected to ground and a capacitor that also connects to the first lug of the POT... should i let it stay??

Ill send you a picture so you can be sure what im saying.

Thank you so much

 

[gregory]

Re: P Rails wiring

No. The grounds (assuming you want to split both pickups) go to either the lugs closest to the pot or the lugs furthest away.

You'll see when ArtieToo provides his diagram.

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

Here's the "split" part. Let me think for a sec on that 2nd part.

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

On the 2nd part, it looks as though the cap is independent of the push-pull wiring. There's a hint of an old red wire on the top lug that implies that this p-p was originally used to split a pup. Just remove both that white wire and red "nub", and clean up those terminals. Then do what my diagram shows. Depending on what you want the "default" position to be. Make sense?

Edit: Unless you're on a real tight budget, I'd just buy a new P-P pot, and start fresh. Kinda depends on how good your de-soldering skills are.

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

And what about the top 3 terminals of the Pot? Shouldn't i wire something there too??

And your guess is right.. it was originally used to split a pup!!

 

[gregory]

Re: P Rails wiring

By all accounts two of the three lugs on the pot itself were used as a tone control. I'd continue using it that way.

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

As gregory said, the lugs on the pot, and the lugs on the switch, are totally independent. You simply wire the pot as you would with any wiring scheme. As per my diagram, just use the ground and "output" wires as the two wires of the pup. Then continue wiring as normal.

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Thank you so much mr. ArtieToo!!

Your help is much appreciated! I actually im kinda good on soldering, but not that good knowing all about electronics.. trying to improve everyday. Help like yours is golden!! Thank you so much, for the help and for the diagrams.

I'll do it later tonight and i'll let you know how it worked out!

Best regards and... a wonderful 2018 for you sir!!

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

Your welcome.

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Im sorry to bother, but im still having trouble with this...

maybe it's better to start from beggining.. because i have two pickups, one on the bride, that i still want to be affected by the tone pot, but not by the push pull switch, and i connected the wires the way your diagram shoes, but it seems to me that the result i get is or both, or just one of the P-rails. I used the first diagram because i wanted to use the rails in UP position.

just to be more precise... i have only one volume pot, one tone push pull pot and a 3 way toggle switch..

and when i connect the p rail the wai you told me, i get super microphonics out of the pickup enough to eat the pointer of my wrist watch... :/ damn... i thought this woud be easier..

sorry to bother you again sir.. but is it possible to get the full diagram with all the parts i have.. ???

thank you and sorry again...

 

[GMSD]

Re: P Rails wiring

Nevermind....

I got it!!!

i was having trouble with grounding.. all set now!! Thank you so much!!

 

[Artie]

Re: P Rails wiring

Whew! That was close.

Good job.