PRS Wiring Mods Resource Thread

[24Fretter]

Correct 58/15 LT Wire Codes:

Bridge: Slug (South Up) (+)Black pushback, (-) Black plastic Screw(North Up): (+) Red, (-) Green. There is no white wire.

Neck: Screw: (South Up) (+) Black pushback, (-) white Slug (North Up) (+) Green, (-) Red

Note I reversed the order listed from Bridge to Neck in order to keep the black pushback wire as the first listed. Usual convention is to list both slug first.

If you reverse the mag like I did to get the screw coil active with the neck slug coil when split, reverse codes accordingly.

 

[MarioMartino]

Hi guys!

I have a set of modern (square bobbins) HFS / VintageBass. What would be the diagram to have the rotary positions (PCB era) but with a multipole 5 way switch like the Dimarzio EP111?

In summary:
1 vol
1 tone
jack
- Treble pickup
- Outside Coils
- Inner Series Single coils
- Inner Parallel coils
- Bass pickup

Thank you.

 

[FourRings]

Correct 58/15 LT Wire Codes:

Bridge: Slug (South Up) (+)Black pushback, (-) Black plastic Screw(North Up): (+) Red, (-) Green. There is no white wire.

Neck: Screw: (South Up) (+) Black pushback, (-) white Slug (North Up) (+) Green, (-) Red

Note I reversed the order listed from Bridge to Neck in order to keep the black pushback wire as the first listed. Usual convention is to list both slug first.

If you reverse the mag like I did to get the screw coil active with the neck slug coil when split, reverse codes accordingly.

This correlates with what PRS Customer Service provided when responding to my question about the 58/15 LT wiring:
Bass (neck)
core wire = hot
white & green = coil split
red = ground

Treble (bridge)
core wire = hot
black & red = coil split
green = ground

 

[Da_Frenchy]

Hi everyone, I am the happy owner of a PRS SE Custom 22 for 3 years now, but the electronics started to have problems so I decided to change and upgrade the pots and the switch. I am not a big fan of the push pull thing so I decided to buy a strat 5 way superswitch : https://postimg.cc/V5n24TCz
And I also bought US prs pots :https://postimg.cc/rDnHK2vN
I now need help because I can’t find any diagram to wire these pots to the prs 85/15s pickups with a 5 way superswitch, I know it has been done : https://postimg.cc/56JTr3BL
but I can’t find the diagrams.
Any help is appreciated

 

[garrett]

Hi everyone, I am the happy owner of a PRS SE Custom 22 for 3 years now, but the electronics started to have problems so I decided to change and upgrade the pots and the switch. I am not a big fan of the push pull thing so I decided to buy a strat 5 way superswitch : https://postimg.cc/V5n24TCz
And I also bought US prs pots :https://postimg.cc/rDnHK2vN
I now need help because I can’t find any diagram to wire these pots to the prs 85/15s pickups with a 5 way superswitch, I know it has been done : https://postimg.cc/56JTr3BL
but I can’t find the diagrams.
Any help is appreciated

Refer back to post #8: https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/prs-wiring-mods-resource-thread.45759/#post-600907

This is if you want the Core PRS five-way selections, but the sky is the limit with a super switch. The pickup wire colors won't match to the SE pickups, but it's easy enough to figure out hot, ground, split by comparing to the stock SE wiring.

 

[Da_Frenchy]

Hi, I followed the prs core diagrams (to wire pickups to pots) and your diagram (to wire the 5 way switch). And everything’s perfectly working, thanks.

 

[Equi]

Here is my 8-way mod. This is a way to give a Custom the same 8 pickup selections available on a Singlecut or 594.

 

[Equi]

Creating this as a central reference for those wanting to modify the wiring on their PRS guitars. I will post the diagrams I've created and/or shared in various threads over the last few years. All other legitimate mods are welcome from anyone!




Disclaimer: I'm just some rando on the interwebz who likes to tinker. I'm assuming you know how to solder or will take your guitar to someone who does. All schemes I post have been vetted and I'll do my best to help vet anyone else's work, but I can't guarantee this stuff will work for you. Mod at your own risk!

Fantastic thread, came here specifically for this! If a wiring diagram exists somewhere for a 5-way super switch, push-pull tone and 4-conductor pickups, I'd love to see one. So far I've only seen ones without the push-pull, or the very good one I found here but it doesn't seem to have 4-conductor pups.

(I'm modding an SE Standard. It's got 4-conductor Seymour Duncans on it right now, and I have the super switch and brand new pots ready.) Previous diagram I tried for this mod (found on YouTube) resulted in nothing but lots of hum and no sound. I believe I messed up the grounding part, maybe used bad wires and probably destroyed my tone pot trying to solder some wires in place. Also the diagram had one or two things I didn't l fully understand which probability contributed to messing it up.

 

[Simon Says]

Fantastic thread, came here specifically for this! If a wiring diagram exists somewhere for a 5-way super switch, push-pull tone and 4-conductor pickups, I'd love to see one. So far I've only seen ones without the push-pull, or the very good one I found here but it doesn't seem to have 4-conductor pups.

(I'm modding an SE Standard. It's got 4-conductor Seymour Duncans on it right now, and I have the super switch and brand new pots ready.) Previous diagram I tried for this mod (found on YouTube) resulted in nothing but lots of hum and no sound. I believe I messed up the grounding part, maybe used bad wires and probably destroyed my tone pot trying to solder some wires in place. Also the diagram had one or two things I didn't l fully understand which probability contributed to messing it up.

What would you like the push-pull to do? 5-way already splitting coils in certain positions

 

[Equi]

To add some splits that are not available with just a 5 way. My understanding is that the 5 way would most commonly be wired to have one split coil and one humbucker in the 2nd and 4th positions. I'd want the push-pull to add the"normal" coil split options on a 3-way switch with push-pull, so only neck split, both split and only bridge split. I understand there's bound to be overlap between the push-pull up and down, but basically any wiring that gives the 8 different positions that everyone is saying core models would have.

 

[Simon Says]

To add some splits that are not available with just a 5 way. My understanding is that the 5 way would most commonly be wired to have one split coil and one humbucker in the 2nd and 4th positions. I'd want the push-pull to add the"normal" coil split options on a 3-way switch with push-pull, so only neck split, both split and only bridge split. I understand there's bound to be overlap between the push-pull up and down, but basically any wiring that gives the 8 different positions that everyone is saying core models would have.

Your best bet is to replace the 5-way with a 3-way and do two push pulls for a total of 8 HB and splittable options. Dual-section push-pull and 5-way won't get you there. I wouldn't even know how to start doing this

 

[garrett]

My 8-way mod works fine with any 3 or 4 conductor humbuckers. You can do it with either the PRS 5-way blade or a 4-pole super switch, combined with a standard push/pull pot.

With the Duncans, I would wire the neck pickup like the second version below. This reorders the coils, so white is ground, red is hot, and black/green is your series connection. Red to blade where the PRS black goes, white to ground, black/green to blade where the PRS red goes.

Wire the bridge the usual SD way, black to blade, green to ground, red/white to push/pull.

This gives you the exact functionality of my PRS diagram, only difference is you will not have hum cancelling in pos 3 split. There are other ways to tweak it, but this is the simplest to follow if you're not a wiring expert. The resistors are optional. You can replace them with wires, but I recommend them because I think it sounds better in the split positions.

 

[garrett]

Your best bet is to replace the 5-way with a 3-way and do two push pulls for a total of 8 HB and splittable options. Dual-section push-pull and 5-way won't get you there. I wouldn't even know how to start doing this

The way I got there is to use the push/pull to split one pickup, and one of the poles of the blade switch to split the other. It gets you the eight pickup combos, albeit in a different layout and with two redundant positions. Logically it worked great for me and how I use the different positions.

Someone else on the forum did a different spin on the theme, but now I can't remember how they differed.

That said, I've also done the three-way with individual push/pull pots and it works great as well. Now that high-quality push/pulls are available from CTS, that would be my preferred approach were I to do it again.

 

[Equi]

Your best bet is to replace the 5-way with a 3-way and do two push pulls for a total of 8 HB and splittable options. Dual-section push-pull and 5-way won't get you there. I wouldn't even know how to start doing this

That could work I guess, but I ended up not doing that since I already had a 3-way switch before and wanted something different. Two push pulls would have been a serious hassle, and that would imply having a 2-tone 2-volume Gibson style setup which I detest. Plus I would have had to drill new holes.

The wiring is now done and I have the full 8 options with a 5-way super switch and one push pull pot.

It wasn't that tricky even. The pickup hot wires are on individual terminals, soldered to the appropriate positions. One terminal has tap wires for neck in positions 2&4, so with the push pull down you get a neck split coil in those positions. Tap wires for bridge are on the push pull, so when it's up you get a split bridge in all the positions that it's on.

There was a diagram for this already. What I was asking is how to do it with a four conductor and a fender super switch, because the diagram was for 3-conductor and PRS 5-way switch. All it took in the end was googling how a 5 way switch works to adjust accordingly. The PRS 5 way switch on the diagram has only two "common" lugs, and the other lugs are set up 1234 and 2345 on two terminals, and same on the other side amounting in the usual four terminals. The fender switch however has dedicated "common" lugs for all 4 terminals, which all in turn have lugs 12345. To top it off they are in reverse order compared to the PRS switch. So the required change to the diagram was to run wires from two common lugs instead of one, to the volume pot input lug. The 4-conductor thing didn't turn out to be a problem, since you just put both tap wires for one pickup together. Everything else was easy peasy, just following the diagram, though it was so much work that I don't want to solder ANYTHING ever again.

Now my cheap (ish) PRS SE has sick high quality pickups, better pots, AND a wiring you'd find on more expensive models. So the only remaining difference is maybe contouring, wood quality and craftsmanship, all of which are fine enough on an SE anyways

 

[Equi]

That could work I guess, but I ended up not doing that since I already had a 3-way switch before and wanted something different. Two push pulls would have been a serious hassle, and that would imply having a 2-tone 2-volume Gibson style setup which I detest. Plus I would have had to drill new holes.

The wiring is now done and I have the full 8 options with a 5-way super switch and one push pull pot.

It wasn't that tricky even. The pickup hot wires are on individual terminals, soldered to the appropriate positions. One terminal has tap wires for neck in positions 2&4, so with the push pull down you get a neck split coil in those positions. Tap wires for bridge are on the push pull, so when it's up you get a split bridge in all the positions that it's on.

There was a diagram for this already. What I was asking is how to do it with a four conductor and a fender super switch, because the diagram was for 3-conductor and PRS 5-way switch. All it took in the end was googling how a 5 way switch works to adjust accordingly. The PRS 5 way switch on the diagram has only two "common" lugs, and the other lugs are set up 1234 and 2345 on two terminals, and same on the other side amounting in the usual four terminals. The fender switch however has dedicated "common" lugs for all 4 terminals, which all in turn have lugs 12345. To top it off they are in reverse order compared to the PRS switch. So the required change to the diagram was to run wires from two common lugs instead of one, to the volume pot input lug. The 4-conductor thing didn't turn out to be a problem, since you just put both tap wires for one pickup together. Everything else was easy peasy, just following the diagram, though it was so much work that I don't want to solder ANYTHING ever again.

Now my cheap (ish) PRS SE has sick high quality pickups, better pots, AND a wiring you'd find on more expensive models. So the only remaining difference is maybe contouring, wood quality and craftsmanship, all of which are fine enough on an SE anyways

So if I ever do mods on this guitar again it will be to sand the body for more contouring and a new paint job. It would be especially nice to do a super strat style neck joint contour, and a satin finish on the neck would be ideal. But those are such big overhauls of the whole instrument that maybe I'll rather try to do more gigs and save up money from those for a different guitar like a Surh or a Silver Sky.

 

[Simon Says]

I hope I'm allowed to post it.

Since the limited edition Robben Ford Signature PRS was introduced, I wondered what switching does. I was lucky enough to find half decent cavity shot so that I could trace it. The values for small capacitors were not visible, so this is just my guess—the same goes for potentiometer values. The series resistor to the Volume knob was visible, but I was surprised with the value, way higher than I was guessing it would be. It still makes sense; it bumps the Volume resistance from 500k (assuming correctly) down to a little over 420k.

All in all, it's the same principle as used in the 35th Anniversary model. The main difference is it's done differently but works similarly. It isolates coils in split mode and adds a small value capacitor to tame the iciness.

A single 4PDT switch is used instead of two 3PDT as in the 35th Anniversary for flipping both HB into split mode at the same time.

 

[24Fretter]

I hope I'm allowed to post it.

Since the limited edition Robben Ford Signature PRS was introduced, I wondered what switching does. I was lucky enough to find half decent cavity shot so that I could trace it. The values for small capacitors were not visible, so this is just my guess—the same goes for potentiometer values. The series resistor to the Volume knob was visible, but I was surprised with the value, way higher than I was guessing it would be. It still makes sense; it bumps the Volume resistance from 500k (assuming correctly) down to a little over 420k.

All in all, it's the same principle as used in the 35th Anniversary model. The main difference is it's done differently but works similarly. It isolates coils in split mode and adds a small value capacitor to tame the iciness.

A single 4PDT switch is used instead of two 3PDT as in the 35th Anniversary for flipping both HB into split mode at the same time.

Given the "500k" pots PRS uses are almost always well under 500k in reality, the resulting load on the pickups could be pretty significant.

 

[Simon Says]

Given the "500k" pots PRS uses are almost always well under 500k in reality, the resulting load on the pickups could be pretty significant.

Or targeted on specific resistance, with every Robben Ford Signature having a different parallel resistor. Taking it's a limited edition, It wouldn't surprise me.

Edit: both pots in my Custom are over 500k, BTW

 

[24Fretter]

Or targeted on specific resistance, with every Robben Ford Signature having a different parallel resistor. Taking it's a limited edition, It wouldn't surprise me.

Edit: both pots in my Custom are over 500k, BTW

Given they use the same cheap, bulk pots in a private stock as they do in an S2, I'd be shocked. I've seen exactly 1 PRS where the pots actually measured 500k or more, and I own a few dozen, worked on many more.

 

[Simon Says]

Given they use the same cheap, bulk pots in a private stock as they do in an S2, I'd be shocked. I've seen exactly 1 PRS where the pots actually measured 500k or more, and I own a few dozen, and worked on many more.

PRS uses Electroswitch branded mini toggles costing over £15 a pop on Mouser, where they could use 50p off-brand and comply with your opinion. There's nothing cheap in custom-made potentiometers for the PRS; they are specified by the PRS and made for them. Stop spreading misinformation; it's embarrassing