TCI, pick up

[Richard Medeiros]

Can you buy these pick ups without the guitar attached?

 

[Mozzi]

Can you buy these pick ups without the guitar attached?

No

 

[bodia]

No

Squared

 

[Richard Medeiros]

So if your pick ups go out...then what happens?

 

[CandidPicker]

So if your pick ups go out...then what happens?

Bring the guitar to a tech to check for shorted wiring...pickups themselves are relatively safe from damage, I'd say it was some wiring issue that caused your problem. (Speaking from experience here. Could even be a switch problem. A tech can diagnose your problem and repair it, especially if you've little repair skills like yours truly...)

Think: Replacement pickups and install will cost more than a diagnostic/repair for a shorted wire or bad switch.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Am I right in thinking that the TCI is part of the circuit and not just the pickups?

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I’d love to have my 2013 PG upgraded with the new pups. Buying a whole new guitar for them isn’t gunna happen.

 

[László]

So if your pick ups go out...then what happens?

They’re part of the lifetime warranty and PRS will replace them.

 

[CandidPicker]

Am I right in thinking that the TCI is part of the circuit and not just the pickups?

Have forgotten what TCI is an abbreviation for...something tuned capacitance inductor...? Refers to what's within the pickup, not external, IIRC...

 

[CandidPicker]

They’re part of the lifetime warranty and PRS will replace them.

Awesome, Les, but shouldn't the OP rule out possible wiring disconnect or a bad switch first? Reason for my saying is that how does one know it's the pickup and not something else without a diagnostic? The OP has not yet said he's inquired with a tech or not.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Have forgotten what TCI is an abbreviation for...something tuned capacitance inductor...? Refers to what's within the pickup, not external, IIRC...

I believe it’s Tuned Capacitance Inductance.

I’m not into electronics, I just took from a Bryan Ewalds description that the circuitry played a part in the tones gained, not just the pickups, but maybe I misunderstood.

 

[bodia]

I believe it’s Tuned Capacitance Inductance.

I’m not into electronics, I just took from a Bryan Ewalds description that the circuitry played a part in the tones gained, not just the pickups, but maybe I misunderstood.

I believe you are correct, sir.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I believe you are correct, sir.

Thanks JB

 

[László]

Awesome, Les, but shouldn't the OP rule out possible wiring disconnect or a bad switch first? Reason for my saying is that how does one know it's the pickup and not something else without a diagnostic? The OP has not yet said he's inquired with a tech or not.

Well, since PRS will fix it no questions asked, I’d just let them do it, or have my dealer, Jack Gretz handle it. He’s a luthier who’s made hundreds of guitars, so no worries there.

 

[alantig]

So if your pick ups go out...then what happens?

You sit up wonder if they’ll call me home on time, because they definitely have an attitude and a disregard for curfews.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

You sit up wonder if they’ll call me home on time, because they definitely have an attitude and a disregard for curfews.

At least you know how to treat a “female impersonator”

 

[alantig]

At least you know how to treat a “female impersonator”

And I use...sarcasm.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

And I use...sarcasm.

Are you a “happy loony”?

 

[Big Mike]

Well, since PRS will fix it no questions asked, I’d just let them do it, or have my dealer, Jack Gretz handle it. He’s a luthier who’s made hundreds of guitars, so no worries there.

One of the greatest guys in the industry...ever.

 

[jak3af3r]

Am I right in thinking that the TCI is part of the circuit and not just the pickups?

I've been digging and found this to be partially correct.

The TCI is more like a system because I can put a filtered circuit in something like my Custom 24 and it will be TCI but not necessarily have the same magic it does in the Paul's Guitar.

What I have deduced is they make a pickup to a certain spec (resistance, resonance, and Q factor) and from there they can modify the resonance peak of both the humbucker and single coil with the filtering (TCI) circuit to another point they find more pleasing to hear.

The other possibility is to have the second coil in a humbucker still active but filter all tones above ~60Hz so the interference noise is cancelled through normal humbucker operation and the fundamental guitar frequencies only are heard through the single coil. But this seems unlikely with how many times they say "isolated single coil" and "true single coil" in their videos. Or they're bluffing to keep people from copying.

Electronics gurus are welcome to critique this. I'm just a hobbyist when it comes to circuitry.