Modding a Starla

[dsiew]

Hello all!


I've been lurking on here and VR forums for my PRS news and research for quite a while now. However, I thought it might be time to both say hello (in this post) and also ask some questions about a mod I'm wanting to cook up for my Starla:


INGREDIENTS
1x 2009 Starla in Catalina Dream (w/stock Starla pickups and push/pull)
1x 5-way blade from a CU24
1x CU22/24 Schematic
1x Starla Schematic


METHOD
I'd like to swap in the 5-way blade for some additional tones in my Starla like some faux-quackiness. I'm not sure how it will sound with Starla pickups nor am I certain of the positions. How about these:

1: Bridge HB
2: Bridge HB + Neck SC
3: Both HB
4: Bridge SC + Neck HB
5: Neck HB


Once I engage the push/pull to split the humbuckers, it will only make a change in positions 1 and 5 for 7 total sounds. Hmmm ...


Question 1: Are there any other pickup combinations or wiring options to consider?

Question 2: Is this possible with the ingredients I've got?


Many thanks all!


Danny


PS: I've also considered installing the 5-way blade alongside the original 3-way. That'd make for some 513-esque action but perhaps that might be something to consider later.

 

[justmund]

Hi and welcome!

You already have a coil tap right? I don't think the 5-way mod will gain you any more quackiness than you already get with the both pickups + tapped position.

If it was me, number 1 mod would be to put an additional Starla pickup in the middle (I actually had plans to do this one day to a Starla). From there I'd either mod with mini-toggles for coil taps, a proper 3-way toggle for the pickup selector and another push-pull to activate the middle pickup (kinda like I did with my Mira):

or go the 5-way blade option with master push-pull for coil tapping (or mini-toggles).

Yes it requires a new pickguard and some body routing but for quack, you can't beat having that middle pickup in there.

Option 2, and far simpler, is put in a couple of mini-toggles for individual coil splits, then use the existing push-pull for series/parallel switch. I haven't done this myself but I believe a lot of the CU24 faux quack sounds are achieved this way?

Oh and don't forget the resistor mod to ground too for the coil taps...

Hope this helps and can't wait to see what you end up doing!

 

[dsiew]

Thanks for the reply, Justin.

My OCD will be fighting me to put a black pickup between the nickels. A bigger problem is how would one procure a single 408? And would it better to find a bass or treble 408?

Maybe Jon Foreman was on to something:

Moving on though, the 408 switching idea is growing on me but not quite 3 switches.

Perhaps best would be a multi-stage mod plan so I think I'll leave it for now until I can find a 408. Noooo!

PS: Hmmm ... anyone removed the cover from a Starla pickup?

 

[justmund]

Just go another Starla pickup, then they'll all match

 

[dsiew]

Damn it Justin, that's just too logical! :biggrin:

And because I'm a pain in the ass, I never been a fan of 3-humbucker guitars. :flute:

Okay. I have to turn down the mods to two steps for now: (A) clean up the bugger (B) change the pickguard (it's currently off-cream/faded yellow).

A clearer picture of (A) and (B) and also the grooves worn into the bridge saddles. You can also see the bottom of the pickup where I tested some NevrDull.

Looks like I'll have to remove the covers and tape up the pickups to clean the rusted pole pieces. Okay, so maybe I need to take a few steps backward first.

 

[Boogie]

Looks like patina to me. :rock:

 

[dsiew]

Looks like patina to me. :rock:

That bridge scares me. I'll aim to clean it short of polishing, though knowing me I'll end up getting it as close to new.

Also, the finish on both sides of the fingerboard has started lifting. Any suggestions on what to do?

 

[Tosca]

That bridge scares me. I'll aim to clean it short of polishing, though knowing me I'll end up getting it as close to new.

Why not just replace the bridge? There are plenty of drop in replacements, with roller saddles, then it'll stay in tune better too.

 

[Whitecat]

IME Starlas have pretty good tuning stability overall but a roller wouldn't hurt... I too would go down that route with this particular one.

 

[dsiew]

Why not just replace the bridge? There are plenty of drop in replacements, with roller saddles, then it'll stay in tune better too.

IME Starlas have pretty good tuning stability overall but a roller wouldn't hurt... I too would go down that route with this particular one.

Hmmm. Replacing the bridge did cross my mind. For the sake of getting thing's done quicker, yes.

The only thing is I want to try and reuse parts as much as I can and I'm trying to minimise the number of guitars I own (i.e. no other candidates for parts to be reused).

Had some discussions with someone else who had more experience with TOMs they said that Starla's have imperial-sized Nashville's. Is this correct?

 

[Tosca]

Not sure what an "imperial-sized" Nashville is...but got this bridge through Amazon and it works perfectly.

1set BM-06 Locking Tune-o-matic Guitar Bridge Roller Saddle for Gibson LP Replacement

 

[Spikedog007]

I love that color! Especially on a Starla.

 

[dsiew]

Hi all,

Sorry to bump this old thread of mine but thought it better than starting a new one. I was wondering if I could pick the brains trust here on a few questions I've been thinking over for a while now. I've cleaned up the Starla since this thread started and stripped it down, removing everything and putting it back together.

Firstly, observations:

* the bridge pickup sounds noticeably softer than the neck, even if heights are adjusted
* the volume pot doesn't seem to be burned, it still reduces volume
* I'm not sure how the pickups are wired up (perhaps accounting for volume differences)

Hopefully that and the attached pic help with these questions.

1) Is it worth getting pickup readings while installed in guitar (even indicative ones)?
2) The 'ground wire' in my guitar looked/felt like a high-E guitar string, is this normal?
3) Can I use the PRS push/pull tone pot as a push/pull volume pot (for series/parallel)?

Thanks guys!

Danny

 

[Mixstar]

Oh and don't forget the resistor mod to ground too for the coil taps

That's a matter of conjecture for me, I'm not convinced. I've tried with and without resistors on more than one guitar and I personally couldn't hear or notice any difference.

 

[justmund]

Sorry Danny can't quite tell what's going on with the wiring, can you take a couple of more snaps from different angles?

That's a matter of conjecture for me, I'm not convinced. I've tried with and without resistors on more than one guitar and I personally couldn't hear or notice any difference.

I'm a convert, I put in mini-pots in one guitar (with 57/08s) and adjusted them until I thought they sounded best, co-incidentally they ended up at very similar values to what PRS use for neck/bridge (1.1K and 2.2K). I also recently modded my Mira above with uncovered 53/10s, and switching so you can select either coil on each pickup. Interesting exercise to hear the differences but I still prefer the resistor mod for less volume drop and "better" split tones. I say "better" because tone, as always, is subjective.

 

[dsiew]

Yeah sorry about the photos. I need to take it apart again to take better pictures. That came from a bunch from when I did it the first time and I don't have any better photos.

I take it you're curious which pickup leads are connected to?

 

[dsiew]

Alright, took more pictures today and there are some duplicates in multiple attempts to make sure I get the best photos I can. http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/dsiew/slideshow/Starla.

 

[dsiew]

Here's the wiring diagram according to what I see:

Does it look correct?

 

[justmund]

Looks good to me. It may be worth checking the resistance and making sure you've got the bridge in the bridge position and the neck in the neck position (bridge should have a higher resistance)

 

[dsiew]

... making sure you've got the bridge in the bridge position and the neck in the neck position ...

Physically? According to the stickers on the back of the pickups (check the Photobucket pic above), they're look to be in the right positions. Looks like I'll have to unsolder the pickups. That ground looks like an absolute mess on the back of the volume pot.

I've asked before (post #13), but is that bridge ground wire normal?