I am working on a rebuild of an Epiphone Zepher Regent and plan to try a Duncan P Rail in the neck position (single pickup guitar). I have watched the U-tube video by the Seymour Duncan representative and find that I favor the humbucker parallel sound much more than the series sound. Unfortunately, the Seymour Duncan wiring schematics illustrates the series wiring scheme. The guitar, as purchased, included a third hole for an extra potentiometer (bad idea but I'm stuck with it). I'm planning to use a SPDT center off toggle for wiring the single P Rail but would like an option for both parallel and series wiring for the humbucker mode. I have read about the Triple Shot but am not interested in this option because of the pickup mounting ring I am using (flat thin gold plated metal cover over black plastic ring contoured for guitar top). There is room to install a small slide switch on the upper side of the plastic ring if this would provide the means for the paralle/series wiring i am after. Anyone have a wiring schematic in mind that might work? Thanks.
Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
- Thread starter JLD23
- Start date
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
With a DPDT on/on switch won't I lose the ability to get the single coil and P90 options? The SPDT on/off/on allows for the three options but results in a series humbucker sound. I had hoped there might be a way to utilize a small slider switch to change from series to parallel. I appreciate your comments.
With a DPDT on/on switch won't I lose the ability to get the single coil and P90 options? The SPDT on/off/on allows for the three options but results in a series humbucker sound. I had hoped there might be a way to utilize a small slider switch to change from series to parallel. I appreciate your comments.
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
Hermetico, I've given more thought to your description "The idea is to short together black & red (to hot) and white & green (to ground) for parallel mode, and red & white (joint), black to hot and green to ground for serial mode." and believe I have figured out how to utilize a slider switch together with the SPDT center on mini toggle switch. Tell me what you think.
View attachment 17145
I hope the attachment worked. If not I will try again.
Hermetico, I've given more thought to your description "The idea is to short together black & red (to hot) and white & green (to ground) for parallel mode, and red & white (joint), black to hot and green to ground for serial mode." and believe I have figured out how to utilize a slider switch together with the SPDT center on mini toggle switch. Tell me what you think.
View attachment 17145
I hope the attachment worked. If not I will try again.
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
If I am correct, I believe that with the slider in one position the red and white wires are routed to the center contact point on the mini toggle switch as shown on the Seymour Duncan schematic for the P Rails. This position should give me the three options (single coil, P90 and series humbucker). with the slider in the opposite position, red should be combined with black (to hot) and white should be combined with green (to ground) resulting in parallel humbucker (with mini toggle in center position if I recall correctly).
If I am correct, I believe that with the slider in one position the red and white wires are routed to the center contact point on the mini toggle switch as shown on the Seymour Duncan schematic for the P Rails. This position should give me the three options (single coil, P90 and series humbucker). with the slider in the opposite position, red should be combined with black (to hot) and white should be combined with green (to ground) resulting in parallel humbucker (with mini toggle in center position if I recall correctly).
stevie_bees
Cat In The Hatministrator
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
You could try using a triple-shot pickup ring. You'd have both series and parallel at your fingertips then.
You could try using a triple-shot pickup ring. You'd have both series and parallel at your fingertips then.
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
Stevie Bee, the triple shot would certainly be a solution but won't work for what I am doing. I am rebuilding this guitar utilizing gold plated hardware and have made the decision to stack a flat, gold plated pickup ring (thin metal) on top of a thicker, black plastic mounting ring that I contoured to fit the curves of the body. If you are fimilar with the Epiphone Zepher Regent, the strings on this guitar set approximately 1 inch above the body at the point that the single, neck position pickup is located. The Duncan triple shot is a thin mounting ring designed for flat bodied guitars (per their Web site). It just won't work for the arch top I'm working on. I may find that the P Rail is not a good match for this instrument but it came with the guitar (used off Ebay) so I will give it a shot. I don't play jazz but do like T-Bone Walker, Duke Robillard and other, similar styles of blues. The sound of the P Rail in parallel humbucker mode on the "official" Utube demo I reviewed sounded great (didn't care much for the series humbucker mode). I'm hopeful this pickup will sound good with the Epiphone.
Stevie Bee, the triple shot would certainly be a solution but won't work for what I am doing. I am rebuilding this guitar utilizing gold plated hardware and have made the decision to stack a flat, gold plated pickup ring (thin metal) on top of a thicker, black plastic mounting ring that I contoured to fit the curves of the body. If you are fimilar with the Epiphone Zepher Regent, the strings on this guitar set approximately 1 inch above the body at the point that the single, neck position pickup is located. The Duncan triple shot is a thin mounting ring designed for flat bodied guitars (per their Web site). It just won't work for the arch top I'm working on. I may find that the P Rail is not a good match for this instrument but it came with the guitar (used off Ebay) so I will give it a shot. I don't play jazz but do like T-Bone Walker, Duke Robillard and other, similar styles of blues. The sound of the P Rail in parallel humbucker mode on the "official" Utube demo I reviewed sounded great (didn't care much for the series humbucker mode). I'm hopeful this pickup will sound good with the Epiphone.
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
Gingrel, I'm not sure my scheme will work but just took what heremetico described and tried applying it to the wiring diagram that comes with the P Rail. I was hoping for comments and/or suggestions and appreciate all comments received so far. Thanks.
Steve Bees, I like the looks of your Telecaster. Good job.
Gingrel, I'm not sure my scheme will work but just took what heremetico described and tried applying it to the wiring diagram that comes with the P Rail. I was hoping for comments and/or suggestions and appreciate all comments received so far. Thanks.
Steve Bees, I like the looks of your Telecaster. Good job.
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
I had occassion to visit the Guitar Center in a nearby town today and noticed that they had a new (packaging said "New") Triple Shot model from Seymour Duncan with thicker mounting rings and the bottom contoured for an arch shaped top. They were marked as being for a Les Paul type guitar but should work for any hollow or semi-hollow bodied guitar. They were sold in pairs with one ring being a little higher than the other as is typically required for a dual humbucker equipped guitar. Incredibly, they were not listed in the Guitar Center's computer and they had no idea how much the pair sold for. Just thought I would pass this along.
I had occassion to visit the Guitar Center in a nearby town today and noticed that they had a new (packaging said "New") Triple Shot model from Seymour Duncan with thicker mounting rings and the bottom contoured for an arch shaped top. They were marked as being for a Les Paul type guitar but should work for any hollow or semi-hollow bodied guitar. They were sold in pairs with one ring being a little higher than the other as is typically required for a dual humbucker equipped guitar. Incredibly, they were not listed in the Guitar Center's computer and they had no idea how much the pair sold for. Just thought I would pass this along.
stevie_bees
Cat In The Hatministrator
Re: Single P Rail and Parallel Wiring
Thanks, I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, especially for my first project. I hope you manage to solve your problem...
Thanks, I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out, especially for my first project. I hope you manage to solve your problem...