Super switch questions

[alex1fly]

I have an appointment to get a Super Switch installed on a PRS SE Custom with JB/Jazz set. The pots are 500k master tone and 500k master volume. The shop is well known and asked what I wanted on the wiring and made it sound like this would be a cakewalk and I could have pretty much any setup. So I have a couple questions to help me decide what to ask them to do.

Is there a collection of super switch diagrams in a single spot? Or do you have to kind of search around for one or two here, one or two there, etc.

PRS SE does a partial split with a resistor on the push/pull. I love this sound in all three positions. Is it possible to have this functionality in addition to a Super Switch?

Those of you that have Super Switches on HH guitars, how did you decide on what to do? Trial and error? Forum research and descriptions? Tried one in person and mimic'ed it?

 

[DonP]

I always use the Schaller Mega Switch E.

If you like the resistors in the splits, it is easy enough to do with this switch.

 

[AdrianSD]

I have an appointment to get a Super Switch installed on a PRS SE Custom with JB/Jazz set. The pots are 500k master tone and 500k master volume. The shop is well known and asked what I wanted on the wiring and made it sound like this would be a cakewalk and I could have pretty much any setup. So I have a couple questions to help me decide what to ask them to do.

Is there a collection of super switch diagrams in a single spot? Or do you have to kind of search around for one or two here, one or two there, etc.

PRS SE does a partial split with a resistor on the push/pull. I love this sound in all three positions. Is it possible to have this functionality in addition to a Super Switch?

Those of you that have Super Switches on HH guitars, how did you decide on what to do? Trial and error? Forum research and descriptions? Tried one in person and mimic'ed it?

Suggestions:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...-explored-introducing-the-super-switch-part-1

https://www.dimarzio.com/support/wiring-diagrams
2 pickup guitar -> 2 humbucker -> 5 way multipole EP1112 -> 1 vol 2 tone

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

With a superswitch it's dead easy to wire it P1 full bridge, P2 split bridge, P3 both full humbuckers P4 split neck, P5 full neck. You just connect up the bridge and neck pickups to individual banks of terminals. The bridge gets connected to P1, P2 and P3 on one bank, the neck gets connected to P3, P4 and P5 on the other. The commons get connected to each other then out to the volume pot. The pickup "middle" wires get connected to P2 and P4 on a third bank, ground the common on that third bank.

P3 can also be both pickups coil split, but you'll need to connect each set of "middle" wires to its own switch bank, P2 and P3 connected on one, P3 and P4 connected on the other. Ground both commons. You can't do it on one bank because you'll create a short between the two sets of "middle" wires.

The choice is yours.

Another idea is to use a Tele 4-way and a push-pull. The Tele 4 way gives you P1 bridge, P2 both in parallel, P3 neck, P4 both in series. You use the push-pull for manual coil splits.

 

[Mincer]

I wanted all positions to be hum-cancelling. And I wanted the HH setup to have a chance at getting some of the 2 & 4 position Strat sounds, but quiet. To do this, I have to do a magnet flip on the neck pickup.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

In standard PRS 5-way-rotary-type wiring, splits are replaced with various coil combinations, but none use just one coil.
So resistors to beef up the split tones are no longer necessary.

However with a Superswitch you could likely opt to include a resistor-split tone in place of one (or more) of the 5.

I've generally found positions 1, 3, 4 and 5 extremely useful with this type of wiring and wouldn't choose to replace any of those.
Position 2, I seldom use, but others find it suits them.

My best advice would be to try out the standard PRS 5-way configuration for a while before deciding to replace any of them.
Once you have a feel for what they can give you through your own rig, you'll be better equipped to choose alternatives.

 

[Juanhanglo]

I wanted all positions to be hum-cancelling. And I wanted the HH setup to have a chance at getting some of the 2 & 4 position Strat sounds, but quiet. To do this, I have to do a magnet flip on the neck pickup.

not true. We covered this in another thread.

You can parallel the neck and get a single coily sound.
​​​
inner coils parallel or outer coils parallel dont need a magnet flip either.
this is because you are using a north coil and a south coil both times.

Prs 5 way switching needs the magnet flip for the inner coils series only, i think.

This has again been verified when i installed a brand new set of breeds in my rg921.


I used dimarzio's wiring diagram for it. its the super switch version of ibanez' 5 way HH setup.

Neck bucker series
Neck bucker parallel
Both bucker parallel
Inner coils parallel
Bridge bucker.

The inner coils parallel is a very stratty sound. I personally like this sound better than either strat 2 or 4 position.

for reference, a breed set splits to a nice fender type sound, while the full shred set is very detailed in comparison

 

[Mincer]

Mine does inner and outer coils, which I always thought sounded much better than a single humbucker in parallel. At least with the pickups I use, they do.

 

[beaubrummels]

not true. We covered this in another thread.

You can parallel the neck and get a single coily sound.

inner coils parallel or outer coils parallel dont need a magnet flip either.
this is because you are using a north coil and a south coil both times.

Prs 5 way switching needs the magnet flip for the inner coils series only, i think.

This has again been verified when i installed a brand new set of breeds in my rg921.


I used dimarzio's wiring diagram for it. its the super switch version of ibanez' 5 way HH setup.

Neck bucker series
Neck bucker parallel
Both bucker parallel
Inner coils parallel
Bridge bucker.

The inner coils parallel is a very stratty sound. I personally like this sound better than either strat 2 or 4 position.

for reference, a breed set splits to a nice fender type sound, while the full shred set is very detailed in comparison

Parallel coils doesn't sound like a Fender Strat single coil. It sounds like a heavy single coil, like a Tele bridge or a scooped P90. If you want Strat tones out of HH, Mincer's solution would be better.

 

[alex1fly]

Suggestions:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...-explored-introducing-the-super-switch-part-1

https://www.dimarzio.com/support/wiring-diagrams
2 pickup guitar -> 2 humbucker -> 5 way multipole EP1112 -> 1 vol 2 tone

Wow, the Dimarzio page is rich with HH super switch diagrams. There have to be at least 50 in that list!

I imagine the amount of "Strattiness" you can get depends somewhat on the pickups you have in there, yes? Or is it more dependent on the wiring?

 

[Securb]

Mine does:

Bridge
Bridge split
Bridge/Neck (push-pull on volume for phase)
Neck with partial split (resistor)
Neck

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Wow, the Dimarzio page is rich with HH super switch diagrams. There have to be at least 50 in that list!

I imagine the amount of "Strattiness" you can get depends somewhat on the pickups you have in there, yes? Or is it more dependent on the wiring?

Pickups mainly, I would imagine, but also the way they're wired (combinations).

And of course which Strat you're trying to sound like. 50+ years of Strats, lots of changes over the years, famous players making their own mods...