Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

Drunken Uncle

Drunken Uncle

New member
Hello All

I have a mid 80's MIJ Squier Contemporary Strat which I bought in 1997. The guy who had it before me had done some work to it, it's a bridge humbucker only with a SD JB and nothing but a volume pot,
he also fitted a Schaller Floyd Rose and Schaller Tuner Pegs

It's a fine guitar and it's in the shop I bought it from at the moment for a shampoo and set, fretboard pretty grubby, cleaned the pot etc. I asked if they could fit a push/pull tap on the JB via the volume pot but it's only a single wire so too much hassle to fit a tap. So I'm thinking instead of fitting a P-Rails to give the guitar some versatility, seeing as it's just a bridge pickup on the guitar which options from the P-Rail would be available, how would I access these and which wouldn't be available because it's a single pickup rather than a bridge/neck setup

I was talking to the 75 year old electrics guy today and we were both thinking of a Tele four way switching system, any thoughts/advice on this very much appreciated
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

P-Rails are advertised as having 3 sounds, but they actually have 4. The easiest way to access them is with a triple shot mounting ring (maybe not possible with a pickguard?) or a pair of mini toggle switches. The 4 wiring options are:

1. Series: A rather fat humbucker that compares nicely with a Custom or JB. The coils aren't matched, so there's definitely some single coil personality coming through. I've heard some say it sounds like a humbucker-ized version of the P-90 and I can't say I disagree.

2. Parallel: P-rails' best-kept secret IMO; I don't know why this option isn't used more often. Sounds like a bright PAF (maybe a less-soft Pearly Gates?) with strong single coil personality due to the mismatched coils. When using both P-Rails I used the neck pickup in this mode or P-90 most of the time.

3. P-90: That pretty much says it all; the closest thing I've heard to a real P-90 that fits in a humbucker slot. I have a set of Phat Cats in my SG now, and I'm switching to P-Rails for the extra versatility and because this P-90 is MUCH better than a stock Phat Cat.

4. Rail: A very modern Strat-ish sound. The best description I can think of is maybe to imagine the Vintage Rails as a true single. They excel at a hifi clean sound, but I can't say I've used them for much beyond that. I definitely plan to play this one more once I change pickups in my SG.
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

thanks for the reply, the four options you mentioned are what I'm looking for but was thinking I may not be able to access all four with just a single pickup

I'll order the pickup next week and let you know how it goes
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

Drunken Uncle said:
thanks for the reply, the four options you mentioned are what I'm looking for but was thinking I may not be able to access all four with just a single pickup

I'll order the pickup next week and let you know how it goes
Click to expand...

You can get all four of those sounds out of a single P-Rails. What you may not be able to do is get all of those sounds out of a certain switching configuration. If your Strat has pickup rings, Triple Shots are the easiest way to get all 4 sounds from P-Rails. I used to have guitar with dual P-Rails and Triple Shots and I'm planning on installing similar electronics in another guitar soon.
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

In the eighteen years I've owned the guitar the scratchplate has never been off so I don't even know what the rout is, single humbucker or swimming pool.
What's great about it is that despite it just being a single humbucker at the bridge with no tone control it doesn't sound like a bridge pickup, much more mid,
a bit like a twin P-90 Les Paul in the middle position. I just saw the Triple Shots on ebay and if viable I'll order one with the pickup. Thought about the hot bridge
version but seeing as it's just the one pickup makes more sense to go for a normal wind and add any dirt myself as I see fit, I use a hand tweaked FBJ clone which
overdrives well, particularly with my twin P-90 equipped Epiphone '56 Les Paul Pro and twin HB Ibanez S1220WNF Prestige (which I found smashed in half in a deserted street)

I just saw a really nice Gibson Melody Maker on ebay with a P-Rails fitted and a three way switch so no parallel, re the Epiphone '56 lp, I also have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro
with the tapped Pro Buckers on it but I don't really like them and rather than sell the guitar have been thinking what to replace the pickups with and a pair of P-Rails seem the ideal choice

Thanks again for getting back on this, appreciated
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

I had a set of original P-Rails in the previous guitar I mentioned (the Hot didn't exist back then), and you may want to reconsider depending on what tones you're after. The P-90 tones were very authentic, while the rail and parallel humbucker sounds were BRIGHT. The rail was bright and thin to the point that it was barely usable, so I'm planning on going with a Hot P-Rails in the bridge next time. The P-90 coil in the P-Rails Hot is thicker sounding than a vintage P-90, but that isn't an issue for me. If it is an issue for you, you're probably better off with an original P-Rails.
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

thanks for that as I don't like a too nasally bright tone so will reconsider the hot bridge
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

re the Hot Bridge, I can't find it available in Trembucker, just the Gibson spacing, as my guitar has a Schaller Floyd Rose I'm assuming a Trembucker would be preferable

Have emailed Seymour Duncan about it but in the acknowledgement of inquiry received they say "have you tried the Seymour Duncan boards?" :)

re the Triple Shot Switching, available pre wired with a set of P-Rails but not a single, needs to be purchased separately
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

Regarding the P-Rail Hot...the P-90 sound isn't as good as in the regular P-Rail. And if your guitar is already a warm sounding guitar, I'd stay away from it. Plus, it is downright muddy sounding in the series mode.

It's very easy to beef up the Rail tone in the regular P-Rail just by putting an A8 magnet next to the Rail coil (leave the A5 next to the P-90 coil). I actually even put an A4 next to the P-90 to keep that coil a little cleaner sounding with the A8 next to the Rail. Also, for greater versatility in tone, mount the P-Rail with the Rail coil next to the bridge.
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

Thanks for that

I emailed both the Seymour Duncan site and Custom Shop re hot Trembucker and neither have replied so far so looks like it'll be a regular stock bridge P-Rails Trembucker
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

re emailing Seymour Duncan at both the main site and the Custom Shop, after over a month neither replied so I decided that SD aren't in any drastic need
of my business and took my money instead to a UK based boutique builder. Chose an Alnico 8 humbucker wound to just under 14 and with a four way cable to
enable a push/pull coil tap to be fitted, it's being built as we speak along with a set of P-90's for one of my Teles and will post my thoughts on them once they arrive

Doesn't mean I've completely walked away from SD, waiting to hear about importing a BG 1400 into the UK for my other Tele
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

re last post, still waiting to hear re importing BG 1400

Seymour Duncan really aren't doing themselves any favours not replying to emails and the shop I asked to inquire on my behalf hasn't got back to me for three weeks now so I'm assuming it's not happening
 
Re: Question Re P-Rails SHPR-1 and TBPR-1

dystrust said:
2. Parallel: P-rails' best-kept secret IMO; I don't know why this option isn't used more often.
Click to expand...

Because if you want all four sounds and don't want the Triple Shots, this is the kind of wiring job you need to navigate to get them:

Series-Parallel-Split wiring.png
 
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