Fralin Unbuckers?

[Torstein]

Trying to figure out if the Fralin Unbuckers would work with my Custom 24 with the 5-way rotary. Wouldn't this be a good choice for the split positions? Anyone tried it?

Unbucker

The Fralin Unbucker gives you the best of both worlds: fabulous Humbucker Tones, and incredible Single Coil tones when split.

www.fralinpickups.com

 

[JasonE]

I have a set on my shelf. I had them made to put in my SAS. Then I fell in love with 57/08 pickups and felt that I needed a set of those in the SAS so the Unbuckers came out. They actually worked well in that guitar. It gave it more quack in the 2 and 4 positions of the 5 way switch. They should work with the 5 way. They are made to be split.

 

[Torstein]

The 5-way rotary supposedly works like this:

5 Way Switch Positions-
1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Outside coils of both pickups in parallel
3. Inside coils of both pickups in series
4. Inside coils of both pickups in parallel
5. Neck Humbucker

Would I need to ask Fralin to flip one of the magnets if I order a set?

 

[JasonE]

The 5-way rotary supposedly works like this:

5 Way Switch Positions-
1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Outside coils of both pickups in parallel
3. Inside coils of both pickups in series
4. Inside coils of both pickups in parallel
5. Neck Humbucker

Would I need to ask Fralin to flip one of the magnets if I order a set?

Yes, probably. Just tell him what you are putting them in and what you want them to do. He has done a lot of work for PRS and is familiar with their pickup configurations.

Just a note, these pickups are wound unequally. If you are going to be turning on just one of the coils they are designed for it to be the heavier wound coil. If you turn on the coil with less windings it is going to be the weaker output coil. I would probably want an equal wound pickup for that 5 way purpose.

 

[Going Modal]

The 5-way rotary supposedly works like this:

5 Way Switch Positions-
1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Outside coils of both pickups in parallel
3. Inside coils of both pickups in series
4. Inside coils of both pickups in parallel
5. Neck Humbucker

Would I need to ask Fralin to flip one of the magnets if I order a set?

I don't think you'd need to customize anything, since anytime that you typically combine "like" humbucker coils (such as both outside ones, or both inside ones) they'll be humbucking [assuming being made by the same manufacturer, as a set, etc.].

What I would look into, though, is ensuring that you've got the right color wires figured out for the right things. I've noticed that PRS tends to flip-flop the color of wires depending upon whether they're in the bridge position vs. neck position, etc.; I don't think other manufacturers do that, and it can be very confusing.

 

[Torstein]

Thanks guys. I just heard back from Fralin support, they said that the unbalanced coils wouldn't really do any good for the 5 way rotary. So I'll be trying a normal wound set instead.

 

[Going Modal]

the unbalanced coils wouldn't really do any good for the 5 way rotary.

Ah, yes... right. Because the "outside coils" setting would be nice and strong, but the "inside coils" settings would be much weaker. Yup. Duly noted.

I'm currently considering some Unbuckers for my CU22 with the 5-way switch... and for THAT guitar, they'd seemingly be great.