PRS Wiring Mods Resource Thread

[garrett]

Thanks Garrett for this thread. A great resource for information.

I have a question I hope you can help answer. I've searched for this info but have found nothing. I have an '88 Custom with original wafer rotary and sweet switch. I enjoy all the positions except for #9 Power out-of-phase. Hate that sound. I see that I can get a different sound (looks like Tele-like middle position sound) if I convert to the 91-94 version. What I'd like to have is both humbuckers in parallel, like a Les Paul middle position. Any way to get that?

Also, the diagram for the wafer switch is intimidating. What am I looking at, the side of the switch with the three layers? I will study the actual switch and compare and see if I can get oriented with the wires. Looks really fussy to change, but I am willing to try to get five usable positions instead of just four.

Thanks for any help you can give!

I'm not very familiar with rotary switches. Since you're dealing with an '88, I'd probably remove the original switch and stash it somewhere for just in case.

Modern 5-way rotary switches work like a bladed 4-pole super switch, but with the connections in different places. Guitar Electronics has them, and I think this diagram is what you want. You get each humbucker, the inside/outside combos, and both humbuckers.

https://guitarelectronics.com/2-humbuckers-5-way-rotary-switch-1-volume-05/

I would solder all the jumpers with the switch outside of the guitar to make life easier. That way you just have to connect the pickups and volume pot with the switch in the cavity.

 

[Simon Says]

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Looks like Eddie Merckx got hold of this guitar!

 

[Simon Says]

Looks like Eddie Merckx got hold of this guitar!

Big fan of both

 

[Bahnzo]

Back again. I've moved on to a SE Bernie Marsden, and I'm really liking it's feel so far.

Two questions: does this guitar have the necessary leads to be able to wire the neck p/u out of phase?

And if so, is there a wiring diagram somewhere of the stock Bernie? I've looked at PRS' website with all their wiring diagrams, and it doesn't list the Bernie.

Thanks.

 

[Malloc]

Back again. I've moved on to a SE Bernie Marsden, and I'm really liking it's feel so far.

Two questions: does this guitar have the necessary leads to be able to wire the neck p/u out of phase?

And if so, is there a wiring diagram somewhere of the stock Bernie? I've looked at PRS' website with all their wiring diagrams, and it doesn't list the Bernie.

Thanks.

It’s quite possible since many of the SE pickups have 4 conductor, but usually LP style controls have braided shield single conductor that you can’t electrically reverse phase on. A picture of the control cavity would be helpful.

 

[Bahnzo]

There's a pic on a thread here on this forum, I'll link it below.

https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/i-need-a-bernie-wiring-photo.5172/#post-78742

 

[Malloc]

Ya that’ll do. A push/pull tone addition is probably the easiest way to add a neck phase reversal control.

Perusing through the schematics they offer, the SE Tremonti here is somewhat close and should at least get you the correct wiring colors. I’ll see if I can whip up a quick version with out of phase neck instead of coil split at the tone pot.

https://d159anurvk4929.cloudfront.net/documents/se_tremonti_wiring_schematics.pdf

 

[Bahnzo]

That's my thought also, I just need to be sure they have the right leads...I'm reasonably sure they do, as they are the same pickups as the 245 I think, but I wanna be sure. I'm guessing Seymour Duncan probably has a diagram, I just need to know which wires do what I think.

 

[Kingshade]

Looks like Eddie Merckx got hold of this guitar!

Brazilian Drillium

 

[Luis Ocrospoma]

Hi, I’m new to PRS guitars, I want to buy a PRS custom 24 2018, my question is, it’s possible to wire the 5 blade to get the rotary tones? 7 8 9

 

[garrett]

Hi, I’m new to PRS guitars, I want to buy a PRS custom 24 2018, my question is, it’s possible to wire the 5 blade to get the rotary tones? 7 8 9

Maybe not with the stock switch, but definitely with a 4-pole super switch.

 

[Luis Ocrospoma]

Maybe not with the stock switch, but definitely with a 4-pole super switch.

Thanks!, the stratocaster 4 pole super fit to prs ?

 

[garrett]

Thanks!, the stratocaster 4 pole super fit to prs ?

I've only put one in an SE, which worked great, but I can't comment on fit in a USA model.

But I remembered the Schaller Megaswitch P. It's a special blade switch that does what you want, and it would fit for sure.

https://schaller.info/en/megaswitch-p

 

[Cabeza de Medusa]

Hello, I introduce myself I am new in the forum. They are a fan of PRS, I have had more than ten guitars although I currently only have three. The last one I have bought is a 2011 NF3 with those particular pickups. I have read in this same forum that a PRS worker commented that some of these pickups were prepared with an extra cable in addition to the mesh with an inner cable. Precisely my guitar has this cable and I would like to be able to connect a push/pull or switch to use the pickups in single coil/coil split. Unfortunately, the connection scheme is not on the official website. The guitar has a traditional 5-way stratocaster-style selector and tone and volume pots. Garrett, could you help me please? Please disregard my vocabulary because I am using Google translate. Thanks and greetings from Spain.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hi Cabeza, welcome to the forum.

We would all love to see some photos of your NF3, when you have time.

 

[Cabeza de Medusa]

Hi Cabeza, welcome to the forum.

We would all love to see some photos of your NF3, when you have time.

Here are some pictures. It is all original except for the pickguard which was painted in worn matt white.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Here are some pictures. It is all original except for the pickguard which was painted in worn matt white.

You have to use a third party image hosting site, like Postimage or imgur. Use the share to forum button (Postimage) or BB code (imgur) copy and paste the code in this box and hit post. Best of luck.

 

[garrett]

Hello, I introduce myself I am new in the forum. They are a fan of PRS, I have had more than ten guitars although I currently only have three. The last one I have bought is a 2011 NF3 with those particular pickups. I have read in this same forum that a PRS worker commented that some of these pickups were prepared with an extra cable in addition to the mesh with an inner cable. Precisely my guitar has this cable and I would like to be able to connect a push/pull or switch to use the pickups in single coil/coil split. Unfortunately, the connection scheme is not on the official website. The guitar has a traditional 5-way stratocaster-style selector and tone and volume pots. Garrett, could you help me please? Please disregard my vocabulary because I am using Google translate. Thanks and greetings from Spain.

I don't have any tested schemes for those pickups. My guess is to wire the coil tap the same as another PRS, like the McCarty model. You can only tap two pickups with one push/pull switch, so if you want to tap all three pickups, you will need to add another switch.

 

[TLOPband]

Hello all. New guy here. I know it's probably an elementary question and I apologize if this diagram has already been posted (didn't see one in this thread), but I have an SE Paul Allender model with one volume/one tone both push-pulls. I got a set of P-rails installed by a local music shop a while back but I'm not a fan of how muddy the pickups are. I bought a set on Reverb from an SE 245 and wanted to install them so that I can split them both individually with each pot. I haven't screwed around with any PRS pickups so I don't know the color codes (or how to wire up both pots to split them). Any help would be greatly appreciated. So far this is the most well behaved forum I've read through so I thought I would ask!