24-08 Pickup Swap

[Quilt Man]

I'm looking at getting a 24-08 that has 85/15 TCI humbuckers, but I would like to swap those out for Dimarzio Rainmaker & Dreamcatcher set. The only thing I need to find out is if there would be any issues wiring the Dimarzio's to take advantage of the 24-08 electronics mini toggle switching system. Anybody know if this swap would work with the 24-08 or this a question for Dimarzio/PRS support?

Rainmaker™ Neck | DiMarzio

The Rainmaker™ Neck and Dreamcatcher™ Bridge were developed for John Petrucci of Dream Theater. John says the new Rainmaker™ and Dreamcatcher™ neck and bridge pickups are “the quintessential tone-monsters we’ve been working on together since our very first collaboration, and the end result is...

www.dimarzio.com

Dreamcatcher™ Bridge | DiMarzio

The Rainmaker™ Neck and Dreamcatcher™ Bridge were developed for John Petrucci of Dream Theater. John says the new Rainmaker™ and Dreamcatcher™ neck and bridge pickups are “the quintessential tone-monsters we’ve been working on together since our very first collaboration, and the end result is...

www.dimarzio.com

 

[Simon Says]

I'm looking at getting a 24-08 that has 85/15 TCI humbuckers, but I would like to swap those out for Dimarzio Rainmaker & Dreamcatcher set. The only thing I need to find out is if there would be any issues wiring the Dimarzio's to take advantage of the 24-08 electronics mini toggle switching system. Anybody know if this swap would work with the 24-08 or this a question for Dimarzio/PRS support?

Rainmaker™ Neck | DiMarzio

The Rainmaker™ Neck and Dreamcatcher™ Bridge were developed for John Petrucci of Dream Theater. John says the new Rainmaker™ and Dreamcatcher™ neck and bridge pickups are “the quintessential tone-monsters we’ve been working on together since our very first collaboration, and the end result is...

www.dimarzio.com

Dreamcatcher™ Bridge | DiMarzio

The Rainmaker™ Neck and Dreamcatcher™ Bridge were developed for John Petrucci of Dream Theater. John says the new Rainmaker™ and Dreamcatcher™ neck and bridge pickups are “the quintessential tone-monsters we’ve been working on together since our very first collaboration, and the end result is...

www.dimarzio.com

If they use the same multitap pickups I have - then - no

 

[garrett]

You would have to use standard coil splitting with the DiMarzio pickups. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You can absolutely use a pair of mini toggles for splitting; you'll just need to rewire them.

 

[Quilt Man]

You would have to use standard coil splitting with the DiMarzio pickups. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You can absolutely use a pair of mini toggles for splitting; you'll just need to rewire them.

So using this method, the mini toggles would essentially tap each individual humbucker sort of like having 2 push/pulls on a McCarty 594. I think that's a perfectly good setup since I really want to use the Dimarzio's as I already have other PRS guitars with their stock pickups that I use. Thanks for the info!

 

[Herr Squid]

You would have to use standard coil splitting with the DiMarzio pickups. Not that there's anything wrong with that. You can absolutely use a pair of mini toggles for splitting; you'll just need to rewire them.

Do we know how those 24-08 pickup coils are wired? Are they not like standard 4-wire humbuckers? I'm still deeply puzzled over a pair of 4-wire 53/10s that I acquired secondhand. I think those oddballs were built for mini-toggle switching like the 24-08s and I'm not convinced I have them wired right for conventional humbucker operation.

 

[garrett]

So using this method, the mini toggles would essentially tap each individual humbucker sort of like having 2 push/pulls on a McCarty 594. I think that's a perfectly good setup since I really want to use the Dimarzio's as I already have other PRS guitars with their stock pickups that I use. Thanks for the info!

Yeah, exactly. Individual splits. I love that setup, especially with the resistors like PRS use on their regular coil tapping guitars.

Do we know how those 24-08 pickup coils are wired? Are they not like standard 4-wire humbuckers? I'm still deeply puzzled over a pair of 4-wire 53/10s that I acquired secondhand. I think those oddballs were built for mini-toggle switching like the 24-08s and I'm not convinced I have them wired right for conventional humbucker operation.

Yes, I had a set and measured them. They work exactly like the 408 pickups. They're known as MT or multi-tap because there are two tap points. Slug bobbin has more winds than screw. In humbucker mode, slug bobbin is tapped to make the coils even. In single coil mode, the screw bobbin gets bypassed and the extra winds on slug get activated.

I got no clue on the 53/10 set you have, but best thing to do is get yourself a multimeter and take resistance measurements.

 

[cjlloyd]

I’m a bit confused reading some of these responses. How does 408 switching differ from “standard” coil splitting? I though the mini toggles just split each pickup…

 

[cjlloyd]

Yeah, exactly. Individual splits. I love that setup, especially with the resistors like PRS use on their regular coil tapping guitars.



Yes, I had a set and measured them. They work exactly like the 408 pickups. They're known as MT or multi-tap because there are two tap points. Slug bobbin has more winds than screw. In humbucker mode, slug bobbin is tapped to make the coils even. In single coil mode, the screw bobbin gets bypassed and the extra winds on slug get activated.

I got no clue on the 53/10 set you have, but best thing to do is get yourself a multimeter and take resistance measurements.

Ahh you answered my question before I’d finished typing it

 

[HANGAR18]

Sacrilege! Defile NOT the Custom 24-08!

 

[dogrocketp]

Why don’t you try living with the pickups for a month? Remember, change means change, not necessarily better. I have a pair of 24/08 pickups looking for an SE Roasted Maple in blue. My luthier told me that you need the six wires that come on on the pickups to use the mini toggles. Don’t ask me why, I just plays em.

 

[Simon Says]

Why don’t you try living with the pickups for a month? Remember, change means change, not necessarily better. I have a pair of 24/08 pickups looking for an SE Roasted Maple in blue. My luthier told me that you need the six wires that come on on the pickups to use the mini toggles. Don’t ask me why, I just plays em.

Can't agree with this more. First thing I did when I got my 35th anniversary (24/08 / 408 switching) was to flip pickups to some bare knuckles. Kept this 3 days or so and went back to 85/15. Twist some amp knobs and you will be loving them as much as I do. My 35th anniversary is the first guitar in like 15 years I kept stock (eventually)

 

[Gnarmageddon]

Can't agree with this more. First thing I did when I got my 35th anniversary (24/08 / 408 switching) was to flip pickups to some bare knuckles. Kept this 3 days or so and went back to 85/15. Twist some amp knobs and you will be loving them as much as I do. My 35th anniversary is the first guitar in like 15 years I kept stock (eventually)

Ugh, now that you've said it - I really think I like the 85/15 set better than the BareKnuckles I put in a couple weeks ago. I'm not even using the super high-gain ones, but I've got them set pretty low and I'm padding back on the gain on my actual preamp DI AND in ToneHub. It's just too much, like even with just two rhythm tracks at 10 and 2, it's an impenetrable wall - and not in a good way. I think the 85/15's just really complement the guitar.

The other pickup I was thinking of trying for the bridge is a Gibson DirtyFingers. I had those in both a 70s Tribute and a 1st Ed. Government Edition and the sound was really snarly, lots of T&A with a nice scoop out of the middle.

On an unrelated note, I know a guy with a set of BareKnuckle TrueGrits, 50mm spacing with the chrome pup covers... (I will admit, I like the chrome look).

 

[Simon Says]

Ugh, now that you've said it - I really think I like the 85/15 set better than the BareKnuckles I put in a couple weeks ago. I'm not even using the super high-gain ones, but I've got them set pretty low and I'm padding back on the gain on my actual preamp DI AND in ToneHub. It's just too much, like even with just two rhythm tracks at 10 and 2, it's an impenetrable wall - and not in a good way. I think the 85/15's just really complement the guitar.

The other pickup I was thinking of trying for the bridge is a Gibson DirtyFingers. I had those in both a 70s Tribute and a 1st Ed. Government Edition and the sound was really snarly, lots of T&A with a nice scoop out of the middle.

On an unrelated note, I know a guy with a set of BareKnuckle TrueGrits, 50mm spacing with the chrome pup covers... (I will admit, I like the chrome look).

I always liked the bridge 85/15. The neck was where I had issues. Thing was - my amp was set to single coil guitars and a bit of EQ did the trick. Now I equally enjoy the neck and bridge. I still wish neck pickup to be a notch brighter but I have unusual expectations when it comes to this. IMO 85/15 is the perfect blend of clean trough classic rock to heavy stuff type of a pickup. It's both quick and snappy as well as traditional. Amazing set

 

[Quilt Man]

Why don’t you try living with the pickups for a month? Remember, change means change, not necessarily better. I have a pair of 24/08 pickups looking for an SE Roasted Maple in blue. My luthier told me that you need the six wires that come on on the pickups to use the mini toggles. Don’t ask me why, I just plays em.

I already have 2 PRS guitars with stock pickups that I love and use for certain styles of music (my favorites being the 57/08s). This isn't about wanting a "better" sound or anything, just a different sound than what I already have all while keeping PRS apart of that sound with the guitar itself. I've found one that is absolutely stunning and perfect for the Dimarzio's and it just happens to have 24-08 electronics which is why I started this thread since I was unsure how swapping pickups might work with that wiring system. And I love the way the Dimarzio's sound which is definitely different than the 85/15s and what I'm specifically looking to acquire in my tone arsenal. No sacrilege or blasphemy here (as some forumers like to say). Just more tools in the toolbox. I could go buy a Music Man Majesty with Dimarzio's already installed, but why would I do that if I can get a beautifully crafted instrument from PRS?

 

[dogrocketp]

I get what you’re saying, but the 24-08’s won’t sound like your other guitars. Live with them for a month, and then tell us how similar they aren’t. I have more guitars PRS guitars than Scott, and less than Sergio. Each one sounds different. Really different.

 

[Em7]

Why don’t you try living with the pickups for a month? Remember, change means change, not necessarily better. I have a pair of 24/08 pickups looking for an SE Roasted Maple in blue. My luthier told me that you need the six wires that come on on the pickups to use the mini toggles. Don’t ask me why, I just plays em.

If the pickups have six wires, than one or more coils are tapped to reduce the amount of inductance and self-capacitance of the coil. Reducing inductance and self-capacitance reduces output and shifts the resonant peak of pickup up in frequency. More turns of wire equals higher inductance and self-capacitance, resulting in higher output at the cost of reducing a pickup's resonant peak. The resonant peak is the frequency at which inductive reactance (Xl) equals capacitive reactance (Xc). It is point in the frequency spectrum where a pickup is purely resistive and no energy is lost to the reactive component of impedance (i.e., impedance is not a synonym for resistance). It is also the frequency where a pickup is loudest.

 

[cjlloyd]

So this must mean the 85/15s that come in the 24-08 are different to the 85/15s that come in the regular C24, in that they have the extra turns on the slug coil, as well as the additional wires to enable the 408-style switching. I wonder why they aren't listed as "85/15 MT" in the specs on the website...

 

[Em7]

It could also mean that one of both of the pickups have the standard number of 85/15 turns with coil taps. The teble pickup on the 408 has bigger bobbins than the bass pickup. We can think of this approach as the pickup equivalent of a multiple impedance output transformer. That is done the same way; namely, by inserting taps at different points on the secondary winding. It is difficult to tell without seeing one in the flesh and taking resistance, inductance, and capacitance readings.