Seymour Duncan P-Rail Pickups
PR: two „P-Rails“
The following circuits were designed specifically for Seymour Duncan's "P-Rails" pickups. These have a wide coil, which brings more mid-emphasized sound, and a narrow one, which works more treble-emphasized. One thing to note here is the different magnetic polarity of the coils. This will reduce any hum when two of the same type are connected together (in series or parallel). It will not disappear completely, because the bridge version has slightly more wire turns than the neck version.
PR1. simple circuit, in center position outer coils in parallel
PR2. Simple circuit, in center position inner coils parallel
PR3. Circuit with series and parallel connection of related coils.
PR4. Circuit as in some PRS guitars (similar to HH9).
PR5. Modified version of circuit PR4
PR1. simple circuit, in center position outer coils in parallel
This circuit switches on the coils individually in positions 1, 2, 4 and 5. In position 3 the two wide coils are connected in parallel. A Megaswitch M is used.
Switching function:
Electrical switching principle:
Wiring diagram:
Connections
Connections:
Positions:
1. Bridge wide coil
2. Bridge narrow coil
3. wide coils in parallel
4. Neck narrow coil
5. Neck wide coil
Connection:
M, O neck black
N neck red
R, X exit
U, W bridge black
V bridge red
Ground neck white, neck green, bridge white, bridge green
PR2. Simple circuit, in center position inner coils parallel
This circuit switches on the coils individually in positions 1, 2, 4 and 5. In position 3 the two narrow coils are connected in parallel. A Megaswitch M is used.
Switching function:
Electrical switching principle:
Wiring diagram:
Connections:
Positions:
1. Bridge wide coil
2. Bridge narrow coil
3. narrow coils in parallel
4. Neck narrow coil
5. Neck wide coil
Connection:
M neck black
N, O neck red
R, X exit
U, V bridge red
W bridge black
Ground neck white, neck green, bridge white, bridge green
PR3. Circuit with series and parallel connection of related coils.
Here, the coils of the humbuckers are connected in parallel in switch positions 2 and 4 for strongly treble-emphasized sounds, and serially in positions 1, 3 and 5 for more mid-emphasized sounds. All positions are low hum. A Megaswitch M is suitable for this.
Switching function:
Electrical switching principle:
Wiring diagram:
Connections:
Positions:
1. Bridge coils in series
2. Bridge coils parallel
3. Both pickups in parallel, coils in series
4. Neck coils in parallel
5. Neck coils in series
Connection:
C, E, V bridge black
D mass
F bridge green
G, I, T neck red
H ground
L neck white
M, N, O neck black
P, Q, U Bridge red
R, X exit
Ground bridge white, neck green
PR4. Circuit as in some PRS guitars (similar to HH9).
This circuit offers the coil combinations found on some PRS guitars. In the positions with series circuits of two coils rather mid-emphasized sounds result, in those with parallel circuits treble-emphasized. Here a Megaswitch P is used.
Switching function:
Electrical switching principle:
Wiring diagram:
Connections:
Positions:
1. Bridge coils in series
2. Outer (wide) coils parallel
3. inner (narrow) coils in series
4. inner (narrow) coils parallel
5. Neck coils in series
Connection:
1 neck white and red
2 exit
3 bridge green and black
4 bridge white
5 ground, neck green
6 neck black
7 bridge red
Mass 5, neck green
PR5. Modified version of circuit PR4
This is a modification of circuit PR4. While the highs are relatively strongly attenuated in positions 1 and 5, they are more pronounced here. A Megaswitch M is used.
Switching function:
Electrical switching principle:
Wiring diagram:
Connections:
Positions:
1. Bridge wide coil
2. Outer (wide) coils parallel
3. inner (narrow) coils in series
4. inner (narrow) coils parallel
5. Neck wide coil
Connection:
H, U bridge red
J, M neck black
L, R exit
N, O neck red
P, Q bridge black
T ground
X neck green
Ground neck white, bridge white, bridge green