How are the PRS Coil Splits?

[BradM]

Splitting a 57/08 is an amazing experience!

Absolutely agree! I have an '09 Sunburst 22 PF09 and those 5708's split are nice!!

 

[Black-Viper75]

Personally, I think PRS Pickups have the best Split tones I have heard.

I do wonder if those who believe there is 'Volume Drop' are actually hearing a drop in volume or a perceived volume drop because of the thinner sound. a 'fuller' sound can sound louder - even if the volume is the same. Loudness is subjective perception of sound pressure and if some frequencies are not as strong or missing, that can be perceived by some as 'quieter' - A fuller sound seems louder so splitting a coil can make it seem like there is a volume drop - some are much more susceptible than others too...

This!!! A lot of people think the "thinner" sound of a single coil is a volume drop.

 

[BradM]

This!!! A lot of people think the "thinner" sound of a single coil is a volume drop.

You actually do get a volume drop. On a standard PAF style in LTSpice simulation, it's about 6db drop which is significant. If you want to see the plot, go to TGP and search for it -or- wait until I get my third post in and I'll add it here.

But, electrically, for any given hum bucker you're coil splitting, you are changing the impedance (and it's reduced), thus it will mean a drop in voltage output and a drop (to whatever degree) of volume.

There are some tricks to do it with capacitor filtering and minimizing the coil shunting to ground. But, so long as you change/reduce that impedance...there will be a drop.

 

[BradM]

Sorry...just adding my third post so I can share the link next...


https://www.thegearpage.net/board/i...ng-to-help-boost-split-pickup-volume.1302864/

Scroll down in that post and you'll see the plot of the signal. Granted it is a simulation, but the math is solid. Some manufacturers will now provide an unbalanced split for minimizing the drop, but it is still there. And, this is given that all other things remain the same...tone & volume pot positions, etc.

 

[Mark Galicki]

One thing I'm unsure of, The lead from the coil-split to the p/p only appears to have (1) path to ground(the 1.1 or 2.2 resistors. so how does it get full humbucker mode without the coil-split lead getting to the lug with the other coil lead? See the image attached.

Thanks.
https://www.prsguitars.com/documents/dgt_2017.pdf

 

[BradM]

Look closely at the push-pull switch graphic as it's facing you. Essentially that is two separate switches to ground through those respective resistors. The right side is the bridge pickup coil tap...left side is neck pickup coil tap. That wire goes nowhere in the circuit until the pot is pulled. Then, when pulled, the bottom right two lugs are connected and the bottom left two lugs are connected...pulling their respective coils closer to ground (via the resistors of course)...they remain separate circuits in the switch. The only common is the ground when engaged.

One thing I'm unsure of, The lead from the coil-split to the p/p only appears to have (1) path to ground(the 1.1 or 2.2 resistors. so how does it get full humbucker mode without the coil-split lead getting to the lug with the other coil lead? See the image attached.

Thanks.
https://www.prsguitars.com/documents/dgt_2017.pdf

 

[Mark Galicki]

I see, so doesn't this mean that when "not pulled" this portion of the pickup is not being used?
If I put the PU lead in the middle, resistor to bottom then grnd, & wire from top to the toggle to have full use of the pickup in the down position?

 

[BradM]

Quite the opposite. When the switch is engaged it effectively shorts one coil of the two that make up the hum bucker (since there are resistors, it leaves a remnant...that's their key to success in this area). And, when the switch is pushed down, the switch is open and the coil returns to full insertion in the circuit to complete the balanced hum bucker. At that point, the white wire (the center tap between the coils) isn't connected to any part of the circuit which is why you get the full humbucker.

 

[Mark Galicki]

Quite strange considering the pick up I did not split has two leads going to the toggle & one lead plus braid going to ground. So should I not have two leads going to the toggle on the hum bucker pick up?

 

[BradM]

That sounds like a pickup that isn't split coil...or...you've wired it in permanent split coil mode. Not all pickups are the same. If a guitar was shipped with no split coil option...likely those particular pickups don't have the split coil tap. The best way to determine what you have is with a meter in the ohms settings. With one meter lead to ground, measure to one wire and then the other. If it's split coil capable, one lead may measure anything from 6K to 14K for the full hum bucker resistance. The split tap wire would read roughly half that. If the second lead measure 0...you basically have a full hum bucker with no split coil tap to use.

 

[Mark Galicki]

These are PRS factory split with the rotary selector. & I replaced the rotary with a 3 way toggle & a PP tone. So I'll do the ohms test.
Thanks I'll let you know what I come up with.