Starla core pickup help

cejay825

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Been trying to figure this out.....I have a 2010 vintage mahogany Starla core and a 2011 ice blue core. They sound very different in terms of treble. The 2010 is very bright and the 2011 isn't. The wiring in both is correct and the same.....but the 2011 sounds noticeably better than the 2010, as far as highs. I've spent alot of time adjusting the pickups and pole pieces up and down to compensate but it just doesn't matter. Is it normal for them to vary this much ? Also the 2010 is twice as heavy as the 2011, have no idea why, it's like les paul heavy. Somebody help a Starla newbie !!
 
well obviously it's the color!

Seriously, I have no idea. The common traits we talk about are going the opposite way. What does pulling the tone back to about 5 do to the highs?
 
There shouldn’t be any circuit differences between a 2010 and a 2011. Some tweaks were made in 2012 though - I am not 100% sure on what these entailed mind you, but the PRS site has two schematics on it. Could your 2011 be a really late-in-the-year version that might have the 2012 circuit? Sometimes a guitar with a 2011 serial could have been assembled early 2012, or they may have already rolled out 2012 wiring even in Dec 2011.

If it’s not that, I’d simply chalk it up to “the guitar is the sum of its parts and no two will be exactly alike” - whether it’s a variation in the wood, or the inexact science of pickup winding, or slightly varying pots... there are a number of things that can make a guitar sound different.
 
You can never have too much info !! lol After searching the net awhile, it appears that Starla pups are known to be bright. Yeah, i can tweak the tone knob down to make it better...that may be the way its heading.
whaaaaat ?? a tone knob not at 10... that is REALLY going to mess with my head ! :eek:
 
If it’s not that, I’d simply chalk it up to “the guitar is the sum of its parts and no two will be exactly alike” - whether it’s a variation in the wood, or the inexact science of pickup winding, or slightly varying pots... there are a number of things that can make a guitar sound different.

Thats the point I'm at now

This one is a JUNE 2011
 
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You can never have too much info !! lol After searching the net awhile, it appears that Starla pups are known to be bright. Yeah, i can tweak the tone knob down to make it better...that may be the way its heading.
whaaaaat ?? a tone knob not at 10... that is REALLY going to mess with my head ! :eek:

Yes the Starla is modeled after a Filtertron which is a bright pup. But if one starla is bright and the other not, there should be something you can point to for the difference (even if it is normal variation). They are both in mahogany and the bright one is heavier. Something isn't adding up. Maybe the caps are different values. something's different.
 
Yes the Starla is modeled after a Filtertron which is a bright pup. But if one starla is bright and the other not, there should be something you can point to for the difference (even if it is normal variation). They are both in mahogany and the bright one is heavier. Something isn't adding up. Maybe the caps are different values. something's different.

Well, some history.....from what I've seen, the 2010 has been gone into. My guess is someone was running completely different pups......decided to sell it and put it back to stock. The person who did it was not a hack, very professional looking job, wired back exactly how it should be. Maybe there is a cold solder joint somewhere ?....possibly the small ceramic cap on the volume pot ? the tone cap is a white Mallory 150 .022uf ...the volume pot ceramic is a 181 pf ?
 
yes, a cold joint on that 180 puff cap would do it. Both caps actually... Make sure you don't have the resistors on your push/pull. Maybe someone tried to wire it like the 2012's.
 
yes, a cold joint on that 180 puff cap would do it. Both caps actually... Make sure you don't have the resistors on your push/pull. Maybe someone tried to wire it like the 2012's.

Make sure I "don't" have resistors ? I thought all core model Starlas had them.....both of mine have them, an 1100 ohm and a 2200 ohm. Hmmmm.......
 
Reviving this thread!

What’s the story here lads? The 2 schematics are different, they must be different. There’s a resistor on the tap which I’d like to have.

Mine is a 2008 model, magic guitar, magic.

Mine is very bright, I wonder did the updated wiring shave the treble slightly? I wouldn’t want that, this thing is like a Tele meets an SG.
 
Been trying to figure this out.....I have a 2010 vintage mahogany Starla core and a 2011 ice blue core. They sound very different in terms of treble. The 2010 is very bright and the 2011 isn't. The wiring in both is correct and the same.....but the 2011 sounds noticeably better than the 2010, as far as highs. I've spent alot of time adjusting the pickups and pole pieces up and down to compensate but it just doesn't matter. Is it normal for them to vary this much ? Also the 2010 is twice as heavy as the 2011, have no idea why, it's like les paul heavy. Somebody help a Starla newbie !!

There’s the variables from guitar to guitar to remember too. I have a pair of 245s, one dark brown burst, the other an ice tea, the darker one is heavier and brighter, fuller mids, the other is much lighter, very light indeed for an LP type, it’s far more resonant but warmer and not as spanky. Lighter one is better if I’m honest.
 
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