NGD: S2 McCarty Thinline

[ViperDoc]

Awesome guitar. BKP Mules are some of the best pickups made. I put some uncovered Mules into a 594 with resistor taps and it’s a badass setup. I used the same values as on the DGT.

 

[fatherbowie]

Awesome guitar. BKP Mules are some of the best pickups made. I put some uncovered Mules into a 594 with resistor taps and it’s a badass setup. I used the same values as on the DGT.

I'm totally ignorant on humbucker wiring, what are resistor taps? Is that on the coil split? I did notice some resistors on the pull switches on the tone pots when I was inside the control cavity earlier. Where can I get more info on the DGT wiring? I don't know if i want to do the wiring myself. I could probably muddle through it, I've wired a Strat and Tele before, but I just might not want to mess with it.

 

[ViperDoc]

I'm totally ignorant on humbucker wiring, what are resistor taps? Is that on the coil split? I did notice some resistors on the pull switches on the tone pots when I was inside the control cavity earlier. Where can I get more info on the DGT wiring? I don't know if i want to do the wiring myself. I could probably muddle through it, I've wired a Strat and Tele before, but I just might not want to mess with it.

Find most pertinent PRS wiring diagrams under support on the PRS website.

To be specific, when a humbucker is “split”, the entire split coil’s signal is sent to ground through the center conductor of the pickup. A four conductor pickup will have two “center conductors” for where the coils join up. A “three conductor” pickup will wire these two center coil ends to the same wire. You connect this center conductor to a switch that, when turned on, moves the pickup’s overall ground reference from the beginning ground “outside the grounded coil” to “in between” the two coils. So it’s like that first coil doesn’t exist anymore. When split, a humbucker usually sounds much weaker than at full volume, and it also loses its humbucking character.

A cool trick is to ground the switch “on” position through a resistor instead of wiring it straight to ground. This will allow only part of the “split coil” signal to ground out, thus adding more gain to what is now a “tapped” pickup coil. The higher value of resistor will resist more signal from grounding out. This also, therefore, preserves a little more humbucking than if the coil was split. Resistor taps are superior to splits.

I believe the DGT values are 2.2K for the bridge and 1.1K for the neck. If the Thinline 594 already has push-pull resistor taps, all you need is to swap the pickups and you’re golden. The only thing I’ll say about BKP pots is that they make a 550K pot that preserves even more bite than a 500K, but likely would require enlarging the holes for the larger CTS pot shaft. I modded my core 594 with a reamer to accommodate the BKP pots. The sound is outrageously good.

No shame in hiring a competent tech to do the work. You can also learn yourself if you like. Good luck!

 

[fatherbowie]

Find most pertinent PRS wiring diagrams under support on the PRS website.

To be specific, when a humbucker is “split”, the entire split coil’s signal is sent to ground through the center conductor of the pickup. A four conductor pickup will have two “center conductors” for where the coils join up. A “three conductor” pickup will wire these two center coil ends to the same wire. You connect this center conductor to a switch that, when turned on, moves the pickup’s overall ground reference from the beginning ground “outside the grounded coil” to “in between” the two coils. So it’s like that first coil doesn’t exist anymore. When split, a humbucker usually sounds much weaker than at full volume, and it also loses its humbucking character.

A cool trick is to ground the switch “on” position through a resistor instead of wiring it straight to ground. This will allow only part of the “split coil” signal to ground out, thus adding more gain to what is now a “tapped” pickup coil. The higher value of resistor will resist more signal from grounding out. This also, therefore, preserves a little more humbucking than if the coil was split. Resistor taps are superior to splits.

I believe the DGT values are 2.2K for the bridge and 1.1K for the neck. If the Thinline 594 already has push-pull resistor taps, all you need is to swap the pickups and you’re golden. The only thing I’ll say about BKP pots is that they make a 550K pot that preserves even more bite than a 500K, but likely would require enlarging the holes for the larger CTS pot shaft. I modded my core 594 with a reamer to accommodate the BKP pots. The sound is outrageously good.

No shame in hiring a competent tech to do the work. You can also learn yourself if you like. Good luck!

Thanks for the info. I'm looking at the diagrams on the support site now, looks like the DGT values are the same as the S2 McCarty/Singlecut values, 2.2K bridge and 1.1K neck as you say. I actually have a decent reamer so I could upgrade the volume pots as well. Whether I hire someone to do it is more a question of time. I'm slow with projects like this, I know if I open up the guitar and break out the soldering iron it will sit unfinished for at least a few weeks.

I was checking out the Thinline demo video with Bryan Ewald again this morning, and I think my problem with the 58/15 “S” pickups must lie elsewhere (quite possibly my problem is me). But I already have the Bare Knuckle Mules, so I might as well make the swap.

 

[dogrocketp]

Try changing the strings to a higher nickel coating if the pickups are too bright. Try changing to NYXL’s if they’re too dark. Some pickups just love certain strings.

 

[dogrocketp]

Great looking guitar, FB, and the cosmetic upgrades you made really help tie it all together. I, like Crimes Against Music, like the 58/15 pups, but to each his own. My only niggle with my TL is with the tuners. I love the vintage look, but they do not hold tune the way I expected. I am very rhythmic when I play, and I do hit the strings pretty good, but I still expected a better hold on tuning. Spertzle lockers came on my Carvin and they are rock solid. I changed the standard Fender tuners on the Tele to Schaller lockers and they were rock solid. Not sure what I'm going to do with the TL tuners.

Make sure the tuners are tight in the headstock. I just got an NOS S2 custom 22 semi hollow. It wouldn’t stay in tune. I tightened the hex nuts on the face, and the tuner knobs. Also take a toothpick and put a tiny amount of Vaseline in the nut slots. I’m assuming you’re using the same string gauge the guitar came with.

 

[NBW]

I really want to play a thinline, I’m going to stop at CME next week and they have none in stock.

 

[qprs]

Try changing the strings to a higher nickel coating

And which strings are those? The info from the string companies are dumbed down marketing copy. Impossible to tell.

Also finding string choices more limited as I moved to 9.5's for Gibson scale guitars a few years back (love 'em and my aging hands love 'em).

 

[dogrocketp]

Go to juststrings.com and lose a couple of hours looking. It’s all there.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

And which strings are those? The info from the string companies are dumbed down marketing copy. Impossible to tell.

Also finding string choices more limited as I moved to 9.5's for Gibson scale guitars a few years back (love 'em and my aging hands love 'em).

@LSchefman may be able to chip in here.