CE 24-08 LE Coil Tapping

[CameraEye]

Hi everyone. I recently purchased my first PRS, a lovely Metallic Midnight CE 24-08 Limited Edition Swamp Ash guitar. So far, I am thrilled with it. I am not a professional, in fact I have spent most of my earlier life being a bassist, but about 20 years ago I started noodling around more on six-strings and have mostly stuck with slowly learning more about playing guitar since, so I am not familiar with many of the more nuanced aspects of guitar tones, etc. Anyway, I have been experimenting with the switching and coil-tapping features on the guitar and wondered if anyone can help answer a question. I use the chart provided on the website to try the 8 shown variations. There are obviously some configurations that are not on the chart. For example, in Position 1 (switch down), when both the switch and the left coil tap switch (when looking down from the player's view) are in the down position, it is the treble/humbucker position. In the same Position 1, with the left coil tap switch up, it is the treble/coil tap position. Ok, I can hear a subtle difference, which I think is expected (the subtlety of that tone change). My question is, what am I hearing when I try some of the other combos in Position 1? For example, making changes of position on coil tap switch 2? Is that pickup not engaged, so nothing is happening? I feel like I am definitely hearing some kind of change when I am making changes on that 2nd coil switch, but am I?

Thanks for your patience if this is a silly question! I am really excited about this guitar. I have been thinking about buying a PRS for some years now, but had yet to find the guitar that was in my price range and also had some features that would motivate me to jump in and make the buy.

 

[theDeepender]

Hi everyone. I recently purchased my first PRS, a lovely Metallic Midnight CE 24-08 Limited Edition Swamp Ash guitar. So far, I am thrilled with it. I am not a professional, in fact I have spent most of my earlier life being a bassist, but about 20 years ago I started noodling around more on six-strings and have mostly stuck with slowly learning more about playing guitar since, so I am not familiar with many of the more nuanced aspects of guitar tones, etc. Anyway, I have been experimenting with the switching and coil-tapping features on the guitar and wondered if anyone can help answer a question. I use the chart provided on the website to try the 8 shown variations. There are obviously some configurations that are not on the chart. For example, in Position 1 (switch down), when both the switch and the left coil tap switch (when looking down from the player's view) are in the down position, it is the treble/humbucker position. In the same Position 1, with the left coil tap switch up, it is the treble/coil tap position. Ok, I can hear a subtle difference, which I think is expected (the subtlety of that tone change). My question is, what am I hearing when I try some of the other combos in Position 1? For example, making changes of position on coil tap switch 2? Is that pickup not engaged, so nothing is happening? I feel like I am definitely hearing some kind of change when I am making changes on that 2nd coil switch, but am I?

Thanks for your patience if this is a silly question! I am really excited about this guitar. I have been thinking about buying a PRS for some years now, but had yet to find the guitar that was in my price range and also had some features that would motivate me to jump in and make the buy.

Someone with much more experience than me will surely comment. In my experience, the bottom position of the slider isolates the bridge pup causing any other pup to be silent and also causing any coil tap for said pups to be of no effect. That said, there can be anomalies in any electrical circuit that can create unexpected stuff. If you are hearing it, it’s real to you, and that’s what matters most.

 

[DISTORT6]

Welcome @CameraEye!
Congrats on your new CE and thanks for using an avatar for your first post.

 

[vhalen50]

On a three way toggle switch, when the bridge position is engaged, the neck hot wire is disconnected from the switch...there is no current flowing through. So any toggling of the neck pickup would be null. However I believe maybe you have the coil taps confused as they represent somewhat which pickup they control. Looking down at it, the left controls the neck and the right controls the bridge.

 

[CameraEye]

On a three way toggle switch, when the bridge position is engaged, the neck hot wire is disconnected from the switch...there is no current flowing through. So any toggling of the neck pickup would be null. However I believe maybe you have the coil taps confused as they represent somewhat which pickup they control. Looking down at it, the left controls the neck and the right controls the bridge.

Thanks, that makes sense to me. I appreciate getting feedback. Happy holidays!