Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone. I just traded a guitar pedal for a brand new pair of Seymour Duncan P-Rails. I've been interested in them since I heard about them and I'm thrilled to finally have a pair. It'll probably wait until my next build, since I hadn't anticipated it for the current build, and only drilled for 1 vol, 1 tone, and a 3-way switch. Just means I get to design a whole new guitar around it!

I'm laid up in bed for a while from spine surgery I had just over a week ago, which means I'm spending EVEN MORE time dreaming up plans and ideas, so I figured I'd share the joys and ask for advice/suggestions/opinions on wiring up the P-Rails. They're extremely versatile for a 2 pickup setup. If you're unfamiliar with them, here's the info: http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/e ... ils_shpr1/

Thoughts? Stuart, I know you used them on your recent (mesmerizingly awesome) build.

Hi Gabby.
I like this set up,
but i'm sure you could do more.
I don't have p-rails, but like the idea.
Hope ya get out of bed soon.
Back pain sucks.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wi ... 1v_1t_tspp

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wi ... _2t_3w_2mt

This one looks like it has the greatest possible tonal variety for the P-rails. I like it because you have noise cancelling while operating with both coils split and choosing like coils.....both single rails or both single P-90's = noise cancelling...pretty cool.

But, by far, the main reason I like it is because you can turn the all the switches such that they graphically throw to the coil and pickup they are activating. In other words: You have two mini toggles on the body...a left and a right switch. The left switch controls the neck p/u...the right controls the bridge....so far, a graphic depiction. Turning the mini toggles so they throw left and right instead of up and down further gives a graphic depiction of what's happening. Spreading both toggles outward switches to both P-90's. Pulling them both inward switches to both rails.....just like the p/u's are arranged on the guitar. Leaving both mini toggles in the middle operates both p/u's as humbuckers.

Then....turning the three way so it flips left for neck and right for bridge further graphically represents which choice you have made.

In a nutshell....the three way points to the pickup choice and the toggles point to their respective coil choice. Believe me....doing it this way makes ALL the choice selections graphic and completely intuitive....and basically eliminates a learning curve for the player.

This schematic includes the use of tone knobs. If you don't want to use them (I don't), simply leave them out and run all the tone grounds to the volume pots.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wi ... ts_2v_phsp

This is my favorite setup because the triple shot selector rings let you do any coil configuration possible per pickup(series, parallel, either coil active by itself), it allows you to put the pickups in and out of phase with each other, and allows you to run both pickups together in either a series or parallel pickup combination.

A three way toggle switch only allows you to run the pickups in parallel to each other.

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Old growth, shmold growth!