2025 core swamp ash special

[Bill Wittman]

I recently purchased a 2025 core model swamp ash special; I love this guitar how it looks and plays is awesome. I have a question about the neck pickup being mounted in the reversed position, this usually indicates an out of phase wiring, is this the case? It sounds normal and doesn't seem to have that Peter Green LP out of phase sound when the switch is in the middle position. Can anyone explain the reason that the neck pickup is mounted this way? Thank you

 

[Fill]

I recently purchased a 2025 core model swamp ash special; I love this guitar how it looks and plays is awesome. I have a question about the neck pickup being mounted in the reversed position, this usually indicates an out of phase wiring, is this the case? It sounds normal and doesn't seem to have that Peter Green LP out of phase sound when the switch is in the middle position. Can anyone explain the reason that the neck pickup is mounted this way? Thank you

I believe that's done due to the way the coil splits are wired. My 408 Core is the same way with a reversed neck p/u, and your guitar and the 408 seem to have the same control layout.
That Swamp Ash Special is a real nice guitar!! Congrats!!

 

[bodia]

I believe that's done due to the way the coil splits are wired. My 408 Core is the same way with a reversed neck p/u, and your guitar and the 408 seem to have the same control layout.
That Swamp Ash Special is a real nice guitar!! Congrats!!

Yes, you are correct. There is a video where Paul explains this. IIRC it has something to do with the location being more in line with single coils when split/tap therefore giving a better approximation of that tone in the 2 and 4

 

[Herr Squid]

Yes, you are correct. There is a video where Paul explains this. IIRC it has something to do with the location being more in line with single coils when split/tap therefore giving a better approximation of that tone in the 2 and 4

Right, the slug coil stays active when splitting, so flipping it closer to the neck on that guitar emulates the sound of those "F" guitars a little better. They do the same thing on the MEV and I find it more convincing than, say the 594 which keeps the traditional "G" guitar screw/slug orientation. Can't recall which way around it is on my "old" '12 Paul's Guitar.

 

[Fill]

Yes, you are correct. There is a video where Paul explains this. IIRC it has something to do with the location being more in line with single coils when split/tap therefore giving a better approximation of that tone in the 2 and 4

Yep, and its also got to do with the way each of the p/u's are wound, in that when splitting the coils, there isn't much of a volume drop at all, and its not particularly noisy. My understanding of that circuit is, that when using the coil split function (say, on the neck p/u) all the winding of the outer coil (near the neck) is being used, and a portion of the inner coil winding is also being used. Same idea for the bridge p/u. In other words, aside from being a coil split, its not fully grounding the opposing coil of the pickup, its tapping some of the windings of the opposing coil of that pickup. At least that's how I understood the explanation of how that circuit functions.

 

[Bill Wittman]

Guys, thank you for explaining the reason behind the neck pickup in the reversed position. It makes total sense why it's positioned like that.