Slider versus toggle

[RedGuitars]

Personally, I much prefer the look & feel of the toggle to the slider.

Does anyone know the reasoning behind the switch to the slider?

 

[CoreyT]

Not sure why, but I like them both.

 

[andy474x]

I would assume it's because you can see which pickup selection you're on, which was probably more difficult on the rotary selector. I think the rotary was the big thing compared to the toggle, so switching to the blade was done and losing the toggle was just an afterthought at that point, since the blade setup would require a whole different CNC process.

BUT

I know what happens when I assume...

 

[aduayer]

I hated the rotary selector because it was not fast enough to change pick ups and I never know what is selected.
Like the toggle but prefer the slider. I just can't understand why in SC body shapes PRS uses the toggle switch where they use. The logical position to me is like in a Les Paul, Tremonti and SC245, not where they uses in JA15, SCHB and SCT. But that's just my opinion

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I find the blade intuitive and very helpful..... In making me not want to buy any new PRS. :bawling:

I don't mind the looks but the positioning is just awkward for me, like the trem arm is in the way. I do like where they put it on the 305's though.. feels easy to get there.

I do own one with a blade though.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Red - I must agree that I prefer the feel of the toggle on my Siggy & PG to the blade on the 408. With a 3-way blade it almost feels like you have to move it too much, too long a throw distance or something.

I don't have an issue with the blade in general...in fact I am digging the 5-way blade on the CU24SA. I will die touting the virtues of the rotary switch, but wow...I can actually tell what position I am in now. Is that what progress feels like?

Are blade switches maybe inherently more robust or reliable than toggles? I have never had a USA toggle go bad, but had some issues with several SE toggles.

 

[JMintzer]

I hated the rotary selector because it was not fast enough to change pick ups and I never know what is selected.
Like the toggle but prefer the slider. I just can't understand why in SC body shapes PRS uses the toggle switch where they use. The logical position to me is like in a Les Paul, Tremonti and SC245, not where they uses in JA15, SCHB and SCT. But that's just my opinion

Paul explained an easy way to use the 5-way rotary, so you'd always know where you were...

Twist it hard, all the way in one direction and back off 1 or 2 clicks (you're now in the middle position), or, do the same in the opposite direction and simply back up to the position you want... It only takes a fraction of a second...

Too many people try to start at position 1 and count the clicks to 3, 4 or 5.

 

[NomadMike]

Should have gone with a chicken head instead of a straight rotary.

 

[RedGuitars]

I don't like the look of the cut and the blade with the slider... the knob-like rout for for the toggle looks much cleaner to me. I don't mind the Siggy Ltd switching either with the two mini toggles, but the big slider and it's cut in the body... just doesn't look right to me.

 

[aduayer]

Paul explained an easy way to use the 5-way rotary, so you'd always know where you were...

Twist it hard, all the way in one direction and back off 1 or 2 clicks (you're now in the middle position), or, do the same in the opposite direction and simply back up to the position you want... It only takes a fraction of a second...

Too many people try to start at position 1 and count the clicks to 3, 4 or 5.

Don't get me wrong, but if somebody have to explain "an easy way" to use a pick up selector it's because isn't what I need. if you want to change pick ups in the middle of a solo that rotary switch is not the right tool, at least to me. looks like, after PRS started to use the toggle and blade switches the guitars became more popular / user friendly .

 

[László]

I love the 5 way blade.

The 3 way blade I could go either way on; as Carl said, it feels like the travel from one position to the other is a bit too long. So for a 3-way, I think the toggle is darned effective, though being on the bottom bout, it's not as nicely placed to switch while you're playing as the blade is.

So for ergonomics, I'm a blade man. Of course, I'd love to see PRS use a proprietary part with less flex on the metal of the blade itself and a more positive engagement at each position, but..I'm good with where they are.

In any case, the rotary always drove me nuts. I used to use Paul's method to figure out where I was, but I found I could be off the switch a lot faster with a blade or toggle, and back to pickin' once the rotary was out of the picture.

I do appreciate that the rotary looks the cleanest. But ultimately it's an instrument, and playing ergonomics have to come first for me.

 

[helmi]

I prefer the 3-way toggle switch, but dont mind the blade. sometimes on my 305, the blade at a glance is hard to tell it's position in the 2,3,4 positions at an angle.

 

[hoofarted]

I find the blade intuitive and very helpful..... In making me not want to buy any new PRS. :bawling:

THIS. It works great for some people. I think it looks great on the 305 and 513, and in these models, it works. I HATE it on everything else though. There are some great options for the customs right now, core and artist. But not being able to get a 3-way or Rotary is killing it for me.

IT'S ABOUT CHOICE. I don't care that it's out there, I just want the choice for the traditional switching offerings. If I buy a used PRS with a 3-way, I can switch to a Rotary, or vice-versa. With the Blade, I'M STUCK. :-(

 

[gush]

Does the rotary switch offer combinations that can't be had with a 5 way blade?

I like the combinations the rotary offers but hate trying to switch it on the fly. The toggle looks better but loses some pickup options. The blade offers nice pickup combinations but can't split humbuckers by themselves. I have one with push/pulls on vol and tone pots with toggle, that works pretty well.

 

[JMintzer]

Don't get me wrong, but if somebody have to explain "an easy way" to use a pick up selector it's because isn't what I need. if you want to change pick ups in the middle of a solo that rotary switch is not the right tool, at least to me. looks like, after PRS started to use the toggle and blade switches the guitars became more popular / user friendly .

You have the same issues with a 5-way slider that you'd have with the rotary. "What position am I in?"

The easy way to find out is slide the switch all the way one way, or the other, and then click back to where you want to be. Just like with the rotary...

 

[SharkGuitar]

I find the blade intuitive and very helpful..... In making me not want to buy any new PRS. :bawling:

I don't mind the looks but the positioning is just awkward for me, like the trem arm is in the way. I do like where they put it on the 305's though.. feels easy to get there.

I do own one with a blade though.

The ONE THING I hate about my NF3 is the positioning of the five way blade switch.
VERY hard to get at during fast changes.

 

[NomadMike]

I gave up switching pickups mid song, most people didn't notice or care.

 

[HighGain510]

Also a fan of the 5-way blade switch! Think it looks just fine and it's very ergonomic, I have it on most of my PRS now actually!

 

[LJD]

Paul explained an easy way to use the 5-way rotary, so you'd always know where you were...

Twist it hard, all the way in one direction and back off 1 or 2 clicks (you're now in the middle position), or, do the same in the opposite direction and simply back up to the position you want... It only takes a fraction of a second...

Too many people try to start at position 1 and count the clicks to 3, 4 or 5.

Hah, I did this naturally with my CU24 and the 5 way rotary eventually broke. It became a 7 way, with an extra dead (no sound) notch on either end.

 

[László]

You have the same issues with a 5-way slider that you'd have with the rotary. "What position am I in?"

The easy way to find out is slide the switch all the way one way, or the other, and then click back to where you want to be. Just like with the rotary...

Not at all! Just a glance at it and you know exactly where you are, unlike with the rotary. It's also easier to get to the switch when picking.

We all have our preferences, PRS isn't gonna please everyone out there.