PRS Switching: Blade vs Toggle vs Rotary

[frankencat]

Which switching system do you prefer? I have always preferred the 3-way toggle switch setup on my CU22s and CU24s and I don’t really like the bade switch on them. The old rotary switch, meh, never liked that one really either but it does have some cool settings. How about you guys?

 

[Glide-bpm]

5 way blade and dual coil tap switches or push/push push/pull pots.

I like a versatile axe!

 

[Greywolf]

I prefer the mini toggles over the push pull for taps . Switches are fine either way

 

[gush]

I used to "think" I hated rotary switching until I got one.......now I have 4.

Still like blade though.

 

[Lewguitar]

I really like the #2 sound on the rotary switch (two slug single coils in parallel). Nice for chords and "Rainy Night In Georgia" kind of guitar. It's the setting next to #1, the neck humbucker alone.

I also use the #3 sound on the rotary switch - one screw coil and one slug coil from each pickup in series to create the sound of a middle humbucker.

Don't care for the #4 setting: two screw coils in single coil mode. It's weak compared to the #2 setting.

On a two humbucker guitar I prefer a 3 way toggle with a push pull switch on the tone control for coil splitting.

It would split both pickups at once, because it's two switches. And i do the partial split using resistors.

But I love the middle setting on the rotary switch of my '97 CE22 w/Dragon1's and I can't get that sound on my guitars that don't have the rotary switch.

It's the sound of the screw coil of one pickup and the slug coil of the other combined in series to create the sound of a MIDDLE HUMBUCKING PICKUP that isn't there.

But it's a great sound.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

3-way toggle all the way. Just converted my old rotary to 3-way this past week, to be consistent with my other PRS guitars.

5-way blade would be fine if PRS would relocate it to somewhere that it’s not obscured by the trem - see Exhibit A:

 

[frankencat]

3-way toggle all the way. Just converted my old rotary to 3-way this past week, to be consistent with my other PRS guitars.

5-way blade would be fine if PRS would relocate it to somewhere that it’s not obscured by the trem - see Exhibit A:

That is my issue as well, it's hard to get to and having that toggle at the end was so easy to just "smack" in the heat of battle

 

[TroyBaer]

3-way toggle plus push/pull switch for phase reversal on the neck pickup.

 

[Birdsofprey]

After giving it some thought, I love the original setup with three speed knobs one being the rotary all positioned perfectly. I certainly don’t mind a toggle in place of the rotary with a push/pull as long as it’s quality parts. Lastly didn’t mind the sweet switch too, love the 89 I have with it.

 

[Faded]

The correct answer is toggle switches

Mini and regular

 

[ssmug]

If we're talking only about 2 HB guitars, then toggle.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Toggle. No contest

 

[Rider1260]

If I had to pick a favorite switch it would be my 6 way Freeway switch I have in my SCT.
That said I like all the different sounds of all the different switching systems.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I used to "think" I hated rotary switching until I got one.......now I have 4.

Still like blade though.

I've still got one rotary. Doesn't bother me to use even though I like the 5 way blades!

 

[Malloc]

2 pickups = toggle
3 pickups = blade (personally I can only deal with blade in the typical Strat location)

Overall I really prefer toggle on the horn for the access and visual feedback.

 

[Bogner]

3 Way Toggle

 

[Max Headroom]

Lmao...looks like I'm an outlier by voting for Rotary.
Tbh, I really couldn't care less as long as they work as I'm only playing for my own amusement these days so don't have to worry about on stage speed changing.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Lmao...looks like I'm an outlier by voting for Rotary.
Tbh, I really couldn't care less as long as they work as I'm only playing for my own amusement these days so don't have to worry about on stage speed changing.

Don't you find with the Rotary that you always switch past where you want to go, just to get a frame of reference, and then switch back to the position you actually wanted to land up on?

 

[Max Headroom]

Don't you find with the Rotary that you always switch past where you want to go, just to get a frame of reference, and then switch back to the position you actually wanted to land up on?

That's a great question and the answer is probably yes most of the time.
But then I've never been renowned for being sensible.
I like the feel and action of the rotary.
And as I said I don't truly worry about the rolling past and then back again in my situation.

If I was on stage it would likely change to being a toggle on a single cut so it's in the "right" place.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I hammer the end positions and then switch back to middle, 2, and 4 from the closest end.

Did it with the rotary, too! Basically the quickest endpoint A or E to B, C, D
It was always fastest for me.