Yes, I put back the rotary switch/circuit mainly because it just looked so cool! It looks better than any other switch I've seen. Sort of like the insides of a fine pocket watch? Nicely done! And silent when switching, too! I'm not sure how they managed that one?
But I am very pleased with the tones it delivers with the Dragon IIs ... each sounding quite distinctive. In fact, I like each for a different application with none being my favorite?
I don't think I'll be going back to the push-pull tone and three way switch or the Seymour Duncan p'ups that came on the guitar. In fact, I know that I won't. I plan to put the SD p'ups on my cheap Peavey AT200 which should greatly improve it's tone when I'm not running the modeling software in it. Then it just uses the individual piezo saddle pickups and bypasses the humbuckers, anyway.
The closer that I get it back to the original setup, the better it sounds and the easier that it plays. I've been 'fixing' one thing every day for more than a week and it just keeps getting better, every day. I'd like to take credit for it but all I'm doing is restoring it back to the way they engineered it to begin with. Even my wife (and she isn't into the subtleties of sound as much as I am) can hear the improvements so, it isn't just me saying this.
The rotary switch uses the identical 0-10 knob as the tone and volume but only using 6-10 settings ...
Position 10: Treble pickup
Position 9: Outside coils- deep and clear - parallel
Position 8: Series single coils – Warm version of the "in between the treble and middle pickups"
Position 7: Parallel single coils – Crisp version of the "in between the treble and middle pickups"
Position 6: Bass pickup
The wet/warmer sounds are quite mellow which blends nicely with other instruments while the crisp/dry sounds really cut through the mix in my recordings.
I'm still gradually setting the pole piece heights to balance each of the strings output. Numbers get you a good starting point but each one needs to be played and then fine tuned so that none overpowers the other strings.
The sustain on this guitar is crazy long so it rings seemingly forever.
Part of the remaining problems is that I need to replace the nut. The previous owner(s?) used heavier strings and didn't cut the nut properly ... it looks like it is still the original because of the way it sits into the finish. Five of the nut slots are perfect so, I've tried to 'fix' the one that is wrong and back cut/file it to eliminate the mid-nut hump that is reading the G-string. So far, so good but I can already tell I will want to make a new one in the future. It's a lot of work and I lack the proper tools to do it right. I will check with PRS Tech but I'm afraid it would be too costly to have them do it? We'll see.
Besides, nothing is ever totally perfect. That's just life!
Watch here and I will be posting links to some simple sound files from before and after the changes and you can hear the Dragon IIs with the rotary, yourself. Some time today or tomorrow, I think? Depending on how my day goes.
Cheers!
