PRS coil split wiring resistor
- Thread starter James8855
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Erick_S
New Member
No. Only a single-coil will truly sound like a single-coil. Humbuckers and single-coils are built, wound, and wired differently. Even if they use the same materials (slug, magnet, wire), the sound will differ. Single-coil are a single coil pickup. Humbuckers consist of two coils that are wired in-series - the output of one coil passes through the other coil. That wiring is what give a humbucker more power, darkness, grit. You can split the two coils by running a wire lead from one coil to ground to effectively silence that coil. While that leaves a single active coil, that split humbucker is not a true single-coil pickup.
You can alter humbucker bobbins' winding, such as for 'unbalanced' coils - one bobbin has more wire wraps than the other to make a 'stronger' coil. Gibson Burstbuckers, Fralin Unbuckers, and other pickups are wound this way. Old-era pickups often had unbalance coils by happenstance, due to hand-winding inconsistencies. With this kind of winding, you would naturally tap the stronger coil for a better single-coil tone.
Some humbuckers, especially low-output PAF-styles, do not provide usable coil-split tones. In this situation, you can create a better, more useful tone by placing a resistor in the circuit, in-line with the pickup coils lead wire. This is usually done at the push-pull tone pot. The resistor is 'off' when the pot is down, and 'on' when pulled up and the coil split engaged. The resistor(s) effectively boosts the signal from the tapped coil, increasing it to something usable and better resembling a single-coil tone.
PRS uses 1.1k (neck) and 2.2k (bridge) carbon composite resistors. Fralin uses a single 7k resistor. I can't speak for other pickup builders. Based on the resistor values, I don't think the PRS pickups are truly splitting 50/50, the math doesn't seem to up to create a usable single-coil tone. I expect there is a proprietary bobbin winding method and wire connection that, with the resistor configuration, yields someting like a 60/40 or 70/30 split. PRS is very, very close-hold about their pickup materials and construction. They keep it mysterious.
You can alter humbucker bobbins' winding, such as for 'unbalanced' coils - one bobbin has more wire wraps than the other to make a 'stronger' coil. Gibson Burstbuckers, Fralin Unbuckers, and other pickups are wound this way. Old-era pickups often had unbalance coils by happenstance, due to hand-winding inconsistencies. With this kind of winding, you would naturally tap the stronger coil for a better single-coil tone.
Some humbuckers, especially low-output PAF-styles, do not provide usable coil-split tones. In this situation, you can create a better, more useful tone by placing a resistor in the circuit, in-line with the pickup coils lead wire. This is usually done at the push-pull tone pot. The resistor is 'off' when the pot is down, and 'on' when pulled up and the coil split engaged. The resistor(s) effectively boosts the signal from the tapped coil, increasing it to something usable and better resembling a single-coil tone.
PRS uses 1.1k (neck) and 2.2k (bridge) carbon composite resistors. Fralin uses a single 7k resistor. I can't speak for other pickup builders. Based on the resistor values, I don't think the PRS pickups are truly splitting 50/50, the math doesn't seem to up to create a usable single-coil tone. I expect there is a proprietary bobbin winding method and wire connection that, with the resistor configuration, yields someting like a 60/40 or 70/30 split. PRS is very, very close-hold about their pickup materials and construction. They keep it mysterious.
boardn10
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Erick is spot on.
This is a big reason why I do not like split coil tones.
Even with my CE22 and five way rotary, the inbetween tones were OK, but I preferred full humbucker tones.
All of of my pickup sets sound great in the middle position, so I focus on bridge, neck and middle, and skip the split tones.
This is a big reason why I do not like split coil tones.
Even with my CE22 and five way rotary, the inbetween tones were OK, but I preferred full humbucker tones.
All of of my pickup sets sound great in the middle position, so I focus on bridge, neck and middle, and skip the split tones.
spawnofthesith
New Member
I love PRS split coil tones, and they are better at it than any other manufactures splits imo
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
Great post!
I would add that PRS has not always used the 1.1k and 2.2k resistors. I have two guitars that have an 8.8k resistor on the bridge pickup and a 2.2k on the neck pickup. These guitars came from the factory that way. One is my 2011 DGT and the other is my 2016 McCarty 594. I would have to open them up to look again but one of them may have the 1.1k on the neck pickup. I know both have the 8.8k on the bridge. The 8.8k resistors are carbon comp and the other resistors are carbon film.
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
A good boy
I like split tones too, more in my Standard with Ms (they are more towards the single coil tones I know and love) than in my 35th anniversary Custom 24 on 85/15: I see the splits in this guitar more as an EQ shift. None of my guitars uses the resistor method, though. Both use small value capacitors, which is the newer version of splits PRS do now.
thewesdavis
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I agree - "position 9" (outside coils in parallel) on my late 90s CE22 (Dragon 1 pups) sounds amazing. For me, this single tone was enough to get rid of my SSS axe (an Ernie Ball Cutlass) altogether.
spawnofthesith
New Member
I'm guessing I may have both styles in my arsenal? I have an '00 custom 22 and 3 prs from '19-22
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
That is an interesting thing to me. Do they use the caps in the same place that PRS uses the resistors? What values are used?
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
A good boy
No, the caps are switched in only when the pickup is in a split mode. Cap, then it's wired from hot to ground, so it's just taming the highs a little. Kind of like turning the tone knob down a fraction
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
Is that done along with a resistor? If not, does it keep the volume of the split tone up like having a resistor in the circuit does?
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
A good boy
You can do it with resistors. I did that before, and I was pleased with the results, although PRS doesn't mix both ways.
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
I am not sure I am completely following you. This post I quoted makes it sound like it is wired the same way as the way PRS uses the resistors to keep the volume up. They are only in circuit when you pull the tone knob up. They then go from the tap wire to ground. When the knob is down they are bypassed.
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
I did a little digging and I think I get it. Your guitar must be a core Paul's Guitar or a Core 24-08? I looked at the wiring diagram for the Paul's Guitar and I see how they are doing it.
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
A good boy
Yep, sort of 24/08. Do you want an actual schematic? It is easier to understand
KentuckyBoiledChiccan
A good boy
Not exactly. The resistor is between a split wiring of the pickup and the ground reference; the cap is from the HOT wire to the ground. I will make a schematic for you so you can easily see it. I am unsure if today is my son's birthday, and I am busy eating doughnuts.
You can mix both methods; I did that before. It sounds just fine and works fine, too. The only reason I didn't last time is I'm using a limiter in the fx loop, so volume differences are no longer an issue for me.
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
I looked at that one too. It is an interesting approach. From what I know of pickups and guitar circuits, I am not exactly sure how it completely removes one coil and still keeps the volume up. They are adding capacitance, which is one leg of the equation. It is something I may play with at some point to test it out.
JasonE
PRS Fan Boy
1/4 watt 5% Carbon Film
