Just wondering if anyone has already put together an actual diagram of the various switch positions for the 5-way blade switch? Not the one on the tech site that shows which wires to solder where, but more like which connections are made and broken between the various positions? My 2 and 4 positions sound pretty darn similar, so I'm thinking of putting a super switch in instead. I think it might allow more or different combinations.
Switch diagram for 30th Ann. Custom 24?
- Thread starter greiswig
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guitarman001
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Super switch? Please explain.
Mine also sound fairly similar (not 30th models) - I think the differences are subtle between all positions TBH.
Mine also sound fairly similar (not 30th models) - I think the differences are subtle between all positions TBH.
StewMac sells a supers switch. The one in the PRS is a little odd; each side of the wafer has 5 poles on one end, 4 on the other, and each side connects the set of 5 to one pole of the set of 4 in every position except the #1. Hard to explain, sorry.
With the stock pickups, it works pretty well in terms of not losing a lot of volume, although like I said, 2 and 4 are pretty similar. With the Zhangbuckers I put in, those two are still really similar, but I've also dropped a lot of volume, too.
I opened up my Schroeder to see how he did it, and naturally it is a completely different kind of 5-way blade, with pretty invisible workings. But that one works really well. You do lose some volume at 2 and 4, but not as much, and the sounds are pretty different. Those are WCR pickups, though, so they may have a different balance between coils on the pickups.
Anyway, the super switch gives you basically four independent wafers with 5 positions each, so you can do some creative jumpering and get diverse tones.
So...nobody? Anybody even know what coils are used in which positions, and what's in series versus parallel?
guitarman001
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I'd love to hear clips or see a YouTube demo of the same guitar with and without this super switch. Tall ask....
Dusty Chalk
alberngruppenführer
Not sure it's any different from a non-30th anniversary, but can't you do it manually, I.E. iterate through the positions, lightly touch each side of each pickup with a screwdriver?
Unfortunately, no. That doesn't tell you anything about what coils are in series, what are in parallel, etc. I can put it together manually by tracing the switch and so forth, but it isn't trivial. I was just hoping someone else had done it already.
BTW, I think you will hear conflicting opinions about tapping the slugs with a screwdriver. Some will say that since most screwdrivers are already magnetic to some degree, you may demagnetize the pickup to some extent with too much contact with a screwdriver. I doubt that, but I made a brass screwdriver for adjustments anyway. For a test like described here, a tail from an old guitar string will give the requisite pulse, and should have zero effect on the magnet.
Dusty Chalk
alberngruppenführer
I wondered that. My intuition was to keep it to a minimum anyway. Thanks for the input.
And sorry for the not helpfulness -- I'm a newb. But I learned something, so thanks for patiently answering anyway.
And sorry for the not helpfulness -- I'm a newb. But I learned something, so thanks for patiently answering anyway.
No no need to apologize. I don't think any of us here aren't here to learn from one another!
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