Toggle-switch modifications

[barthowk]

I have two questions.

I’m buying an older model PRS Swamp Special (HSH guitar) that has a 3-way toggle for pickup selections. I want to change it to a 5-way selector to select these combinations:

Neck only
Neck + Middle
Middle only
Middle + Bridge
Bridge Only

My questions are:

(1) Does anyone make 5-way toggle PUP switches (not blade – I’m looking for toggle), or whether a 5-way rotary switch would fit in a 3-way toggle hole?

(2) Is there any reason why the pickup mods/configuration I mentioned above wouldn’t work with these additional mods?: (a) installing Seymour Duncan P-Rails and Triple-Shot mounting rings (to control all four pickup combinations on each P-Rail independently), and (b) changing the current push-pull knob on the PRS (which turns the middle pickup off and on) to turn the neck pickup on in any pickup combination?

Thanks, I really appreciate it!!!

[barthowk]

Anyone?

[cc9cii]

DISCLAIMER: I work on teles, never gone near a PRS

If you have a push-pull for middle, why do you need a 5 way? A normal 3 way plus a push-pull will achive what you want - or did I misunderstand something?

[RvChevron]

The only ever 5 way "toggle" switch I've ever seen was that Gibson "stick shift" thingy.

[walterw]

The only ever 5 way "toggle" switch I've ever seen was that Gibson "stick shift" thingy.
which came and went rather quickly, didn't it?

a rotary is going to be the only option here, i think.

[RvChevron]

which came and went rather quickly, didn't it?

a rotary is going to be the only option here, i think.

That was on a Jimmy Page sig LP.....wasn't it?

[barthowk]

DISCLAIMER: I work on teles, never gone near a PRS

If you have a push-pull for middle, why do you need a 5 way? A normal 3 way plus a push-pull will achive what you want - or did I misunderstand something?

I wasn't very clear about the middle pickup selection - it's actually more complicated than that. Here is what the guitar does stock:

PUSH-PULL DOWN POSITIONS

Position 1: Treble Humbucker
Position 2: Both Humbuckers
Position 3: Bass Humbucker
PUSH-PULL UP POSITIONS

Position 1: Full treble humbucker and middle pickup
Position 2: Neck single coil, middle pickup and treble humbucker
Position 3: Neck coil and middle pickup

[cc9cii]

OK, let me think about the options available.

[walterw]

a 6-way rotary would give you the 5 settings you asked for (like a strat blade switch) plus the very useful "neck + bridge" setting that a blade 5-way won't give you.

[cc9cii]

Did some reading. Looks like you can use p-rails with triple shot mounting ring (however didn't check mechanical fitting). With triple shot, you gain flexibility (parallel option) and mini switches but may come at a cost of slightly noisier single coil settings than the usual DPDP arrangement of p-rails (YMMV of course).

I'm still not following what you want to achieve out of this. Originally you wanted "changing the current push-pull knob on the PRS (which turns the middle pickup off and on) to turn the neck pickup on in any pickup combination". That means you want your toggle/rotary switch to provide instead 3 positions:

sw posn1: bridge (push-pull off)
sw posn1: bridge+neck (push-pull on)

sw posn2: bridge+middle (push-pull off)
sw posn2: bridge+middle+neck (push-pull on)

sw posn3: middle (push-pull off)
sw posn3: middle+neck (push-pull on)

With regards to what the push-pull does in stock config, I had a look at this diagram (http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/schematics/schem08/swampashspecial.pdf). Are you sure it does what you've described?

In summary, with the combination of p-rails, triple-shot, toggle/rotary sw and push-pull, you can get just about any combination you'd possibly want.

[barthowk]

cc9ci, that isn’t quite what I’m looking for. I’d like my toggle switch (or a rotary switch, if it will fit) to have five different settings, just like a standard stratocaster:

Neck only
Neck + Middle
Middle only
Middle + Bridge
Bridge Only

I’d like to control the P-Rail “modes” (ie, whether P-90, Rail Single, humbucker in series, or humbucker in parallel) solely via the Triple Shot mounting rings. However, I’d like the P-Rail “modes” to not affect the pickup configuration selected by the toggle switch. Separate from both the toggle switch and Triple Shots, I’d like the push-pull knob to turn on the neck pickup in any pickup configuration.

Is that about as clear as mud?

I think that walterw’s suggestion of 6-way rotary knob would get me very close, except that I wouldn’t have the Neck + Middle + Bridge that the push-pull knob option (as I described above) would provide.

So, I’m not sure if we’ve answered my questions yet.

You guys are so awesome. Thanks for your help.

[GtrDr]

A PRS rotary switch with a push pull pot (for series parallel) will give you every combination under the sun.

[cc9cii]

just like a standard stratocaster:

Neck only
Neck + Middle
Middle only
Middle + Bridge
Bridge Only

Separate from both the toggle switch and Triple Shots, I’d like the push-pull knob to turn on the neck pickup in any pickup configuration


With push pull you'll end up with:

neck (pp down)
neck (pp up)
neck + middle (pp down)
neck + middle (pp up)
middle (pp down)
neck + middle (pp up)
middle + bridge (pp down)
middle + bridge + neck (pp up)
bridge (pp down)
bridge + neck (pp up)

This arrangement would confuse me to no end. Is that what you really want? It is easy enough to do, however.

I’d like to control the P-Rail “modes” (ie, whether P-90, Rail Single, humbucker in series, or humbucker in parallel) solely via the Triple Shot mounting rings. However, I’d like the P-Rail “modes” to not affect the pickup configuration selected by the toggle switch.


As I said earlier, this should be possible (but note the possible tradeoffs).


So, I’m not sure if we’ve answered my questions yet.

Are you sure?

:worried

[barthowk]

Yep! That's what I want!

Well, the fact that it will work answers my second question. But I was also wondering whether anyone makes 5-way toggle PUP switches, or whether a 5-way rotary switch would fit in a 3-way toggle hole?

[cc9cii]

Google is your friend...:rolleyes:

Stewmac rotary switch (http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/Rotary_Switches.html) will require a bush to fit in 1/2" hole (normal for a Gibson switch). Allparts sell plastic bushes, but I'd just use a piece of thin wire or sheetmetal.

Doesn't PRS sell their own rotary sw?