PRS Wiring Mods Resource Thread

Eddiebaby said:
I had just bought a SE Bernie Marsden from 2012
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Welcome @Eddiebaby! Bernies are killer guitars and some of the best SEs ever made from the reaction guys give them. I'm a huge fan of the SE245, the base model which the Bernie was based on and have the two noted below.

Interestingly, I've swapped out the pickups in both guitars since ultimately I wasn't a fan of the regular SE245 pickups, or the SD Stacked soapbar. New pups took each guitar to the next level.
 
@Alnus Rubra
Glad you like the SE guitars.
I'm in the UK in sunny Surrey, although I'm heading down to Weymouth for a week at the coast this afternoon. Lots of dog walking on the cliffs and maybe a jam session at The Belvedere. Hmmm, BM or DGT? Now that's a question...
 
Eddiebaby said:
@Alnus Rubra
Glad you like the SE guitars.
I'm in the UK in sunny Surrey, although I'm heading down to Weymouth for a week at the coast this afternoon. Lots of dog walking on the cliffs and maybe a jam session at The Belvedere. Hmmm, BM or DGT? Now that's a question...
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Yes, I have a special soft spot for this beauty -



It was a special gift from some of the best people I know.

Have fun in Weymouth and why not both? 😉
 
I wanted to take a minute to give a shout out to @garrett for starting this thread 4 years ago and specifically for post #18. I recently picked up a 1993 CE24 (with a regular neck!) that had a 3-way toggle installed. The original 5-way rotary (wafer) was included with the guitar and I wanted to install it. I could not make heads or tails of the switch until I found this thread. Based on the diagrams I was able to determine which version of the switch I have and install it. It worked on the first try, which is rare for me.

Thank you. I owe you a beer. 🍻
 
garrett said:
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!
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Thanks Garrett, I think this thread will be very helpful when I need to hook up electronics for the guitar I want to build. I'm still in the process of building the templates, so I think I'll talk to you in a few months...
 
Got a three-pickup PRS like a Special Semi-Hollow, or the new USA Swamp Ash Special? Want to get that glorious Narrowfield by itself? Or maybe you have a Studio and want the outside pickups?

Start here: https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/8873/strat-teles

The three below all have the same simple goal: In one push/pull position, you'll have the #3 blade position with Neck/Bridge. In the other p/p position, #3 on the blade will be middle pickup only. It doesn't mess with the splits or any of the other blade positions.

This One is a good start. It requires a four-pole super switch. Ignore what's going on with the tone controls in the diagram and leave the stock PRS master tone wiring in place. Swap the blue and pink wires on the push/pull to have Bridge/Neck as your default.

This Second One gets the job done with a typical five-way blade. Ignore the TBX part.

This Third One uses half a super switch.


And here is my adaptation for the PRS blade below. I have NOT implemented this, but it is a translation of the half super switch scheme linked above. The PRS switch is essentially a half super switch with some extra lugs added to each pole. I fit it as closely as possible to the stock layout, so you don't have to touch the output or ground wires on the blade.

fPYTy5U.jpg
 
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garrettb said:
Got a three-pickup PRS like a Special Semi-Hollow, or the new USA Swamp Ash Special? Want to get that glorious Narrowfield by itself? Or maybe you have a Studio and want the outside pickups?

Start here: https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/8873/strat-teles

The three below all have the same simple goal: In one push/pull position, you'll have the #3 blade position with Neck/Bridge. In the other p/p position, #3 on the blade will be middle pickup only. It doesn't mess with the splits or any of the other blade positions.

This One is a good start. It requires a four-pole super switch. Ignore what's going on with the tone controls in the diagram and leave the stock PRS master tone wiring in place. Swap the blue and pink wires on the push/pull to have Bridge/Neck as your default.

This Second One gets the job done with a typical five-way blade. Ignore the TBX part.

This Third One uses half a super switch.
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Thanks for this. I changed my Studio to have the two outside pickups with the push/pull in the up position and it does an excellent and very convincing Tele type of sound. Of course, it's got more heft to the sound than a normal Tele but, in that regard, it does as good a job of that Tele tone as the regular Studio pos 2 & 4 switch positions do in comparison to a Strat....which is to say, very similar to a Strat but with more heft.

The nice thing is you can do it with the existing switches and just changing a few wires.

One comment about your Second option though. In that diagram, with the push/pull in the up position, switch positions 2, 3, & 4 would all have the Bridge + Neck pickups on.

That said....this is limitation of the type of 5-way switch that is in the Studio and, unfortunately, it appears there isn't enough room to install a super-switch. Not sure if you could fit a 1/2 Super Switch in there. But that's a bigger change and not as easy to accomplish as the Second option.
 
stu42 said:
Thanks for this. I changed my Studio to have the two outside pickups with the push/pull in the up position and it does an excellent and very convincing Tele type of sound. Of course, it's got more heft to the sound than a normal Tele but, in that regard, it does as good a job of that Tele tone as the regular Studio pos 2 & 4 switch positions do in comparison to a Strat....which is to say, very similar to a Strat but with more heft.

The nice thing is you can do it with the existing switches and just changing a few wires.

One comment about your Second option though. In that diagram, with the push/pull in the up position, switch positions 2, 3, & 4 would all have the Bridge + Neck pickups on.

That said....this is limitation of the type of 5-way switch that is in the Studio and, unfortunately, it appears there isn't enough room to install a super-switch. Not sure if you could fit a 1/2 Super Switch in there. But that's a bigger change and not as easy to accomplish as the Second option.
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Yes, I noticed the same for option 2 after posting. A rare error from phostenix.

I like to use the Narrow Superswitch available from Toneshapers. It has the same footprint as the switch PRS uses in the Custom. Half Superswitch should fit fine, as will a Schaller Megaswitch M.
 
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