Paul forgive me for I have sinned

[UrenragK]

So I've been moving house, and generally fighting work, house jobs, and the pup to have any free time - the slow build is even slower than anticipated.

The Fishman Fluence pickups I bought for the build have been burning a hole in my head, and I decided to hot rod my PRS 245 with them,

All I can say at the moment is that they are smoking hot, and a lot brighter than the stock pickups removed. There was a real muddiness to the neck pickup, and I found a stray screw that was going across the poles on the base of the pickup - could that have been the cause? . . .

Anyway, they look hot, and they are SMOKIN'

Pics or it didn't happen - I hear you!

[RockYoWorld]

Image didn't go through, but I support the Fishman Fluence post. Which did you get? I've got two sets of the Modern and really like them, though I recently took them out of my main guitars. The brighter sound you mentioned seems to do better with heavier guitars with fixed bridges rather than a Floyd Rose guitar, though upgrading the sustain block on them helped a lot (also for the passives I put back in those guitars).

[UrenragK]

Thanks!

That's really odd that the picture didn't work, It's here: http://trackassault.com/images/FishmanSE.jpeg

It is a stop tail PRS SE 245, definitely a lot brighter with the new pups!

I went with the brushed steel Fluence Modern Humbucker set, first active pickups I have played, push pull on the tone pots for the voicing. The neck has a distinct difference, the bridge is a more subtle change to the voice.

I just liked how they looked, I had no idea what I was buying technically

Just need a little more noodling time to dial it in

[mickey]

Perhaps because it is an HTTP instead of an HTTPS ???

[PoodlesAgain]

Paul? Which one, there are hundreds of them!

And what is he gonna do about it?

[UrenragK]

Well he won’t even send me a T shirt, so I guess I don’t care

[andrewsrea]

@UrenragK : "There was a real muddiness to the neck pickup, and I found a stray screw that was going across the poles on the base of the pickup - could that have been the cause?"

Sometime around 2005, I told Paul (to his face) that I found his neck pickups were bland because he tended to like dark neck pickups. That was based on me playing my 1992 PRS CE24 as my main guitar for more than a decade. Plus my 2003 McCarty and a few other PRS models that my friend owned. IMHO, all of them had neck pickups with blankets over them.

I met PRS and his crew at his factory during a PRS forum event in 2000, to which he took a shine to me because of my aerospace factory operations and supply-chain experience, coupled with my repair experience. We talked for 30 minutes or so at that event's after party, on the phone twice and again during a factory tour in 2005. When we conversed I never held back and although is disagreed with me on the neck pickups, he appreciated that I voiced my perspective.

I want to say they made some of their newer series (the 58/15LT?) pickups 'clearer'. They are not bright, but brighter.

[UrenragK]

Thanks! Good to hear it isn’t just me!

[Partscaster]

those pickups look great with that top.

[RockYoWorld]

Thanks!


It is a stop tail PRS SE 245, definitely a lot brighter with the new pups!

I went with the brushed steel Fluence Modern Humbucker set, first active pickups I have played, push pull on the tone pots for the voicing. The neck has a distinct difference, the bridge is a more subtle change to the voice.

That's the model I had on my favorite guitar. Good pups. Just wasn't vibing with it anymore, though I should've replaced the sustain block before swapping pups to be more scientific.

I like Fishman moderns better than any EMG I've used. People focus on the voice option, but the coil tap option is where it's really at IMO. Also, due to the brightness, the high frequency roll off is really handy. Might be useful keeping it engaged as default, actually...

[UrenragK]

Now you’ve got my interest, the documentation with them didn’t mention a coil tap option. Can you share any more information on that please!?

[UrenragK]

those pickups look great with that top.

Thanks! I’m digging it for sure, glad I took the plunge!

[RockYoWorld]

Now you’ve got my interest, the documentation with them didn’t mention a coil tap option. Can you share any more information on that please!?

This is going to be a fun exploration of my memory as well as looking at the pups I just took out of my Schecter Hellraiser... It is really cool that such powerful active pickups could also be split, though I'm not sure how it's actually done since I remember reading that the pickups don't have coils or something.

On the "bottom" of the back of the pickups, there are two solder spots under "Coil Taps." Pulling CT to ground (pull low) activates inner coil tap while connecting it to H (must be pulling high) activates outer coil tap. You could also have both options if you used a DPDT Mini Toggle (on-off-on). I did Option 1 in the diagram that you can find at: https://www.fishman.com/wp-content/uplo ... apping.pdf

All in all, I had 3 push-pull DPDT pots: 2 vol and 1 tone. 1st push/pull controlled coil tap, 2nd one activated Voice 2, and the third (tone knob) activated the high frequency roll-off. Put that together with the 3 way switch and I had 18 different tonal possibilities without even turning a knob (3*3!=18).

You've probably already studied this schematic while doing the swap, but just in case:

I have the black chrome set in my red LTD EC-1000 now. I only have 2 push-pulls: coil tap and voice 2. It's hard to find 25k DPDT push-pull pots, but now that I have the pots out of my hellraiser, it's making me think about putting one in the EC-1000. Maybe I'd try the low gain voicing, although I'd have to figure out how to order those connectors to go to the pins. If anyone has a part number or link to them, please let me know.

[UrenragK]

Thank you @RockYoWorld

I'll study and figure out what I can do, and how.

Usually coil tap on PRS is by way of two mini toggles, and if possible I'd like to keep the look consistent

The connectors that go to the pickup pins? Is that what you are looking for? If so it is called a pin header plug. You'll need to decide which shop/size suits best

[nomadh]

Now you’ve got my interest, the documentation with them didn’t mention a coil tap option. Can you share any more information on that please!?

This is going to be a fun exploration of my memory as well as looking at the pups I just took out of my Schecter Hellraiser... It is really cool that such powerful active pickups could also be split, though I'm not sure how it's actually done since I remember reading that the pickups don't have coils or something.

On the "bottom" of the back of the pickups, there are two solder spots under "Coil Taps." Pulling CT to ground (pull low) activates inner coil tap while connecting it to H (must be pulling high) activates outer coil tap. You could also have both options if you used a DPDT Mini Toggle (on-off-on). I did Option 1 in the diagram that you can find at: https://www.fishman.com/wp-content/uplo ... apping.pdf

image.png

image.png

All in all, I had 3 push-pull DPDT pots: 2 vol and 1 tone. 1st push/pull controlled coil tap, 2nd one activated Voice 2, and the third (tone knob) activated the high frequency roll-off. Put that together with the 3 way switch and I had 18 different tonal possibilities without even turning a knob (3*3!=18).

image.png

You've probably already studied this schematic while doing the swap, but just in case:

image.png

I have the black chrome set in my red LTD EC-1000 now. I only have 2 push-pulls: coil tap and voice 2. It's hard to find 25k DPDT push-pull pots, but now that I have the pots out of my hellraiser, it's making me think about putting one in the EC-1000. Maybe I'd try the low gain voicing, although I'd have to figure out how to order those connectors to go to the pins. If anyone has a part number or link to them, please let me know.

image.png

Those connectors are used in pc motherboards all the time. The bigger one was used as the aux connector from a CD to an old 386 motherboard. I bet a surplus store would have 39 different types to where the wires even lined up without moving them.

[RockYoWorld]

Those connectors are used in pc motherboards all the time. The bigger one was used as the aux connector from a CD to an old 386 motherboard. I bet a surplus store would have 39 different types to where the wires even lined up without moving them.

I'm aware they're very common. Just wish I could find a part number to order exact parts.

[mozz]

Look at the connector at the end of this switch, it may work, usually pin spacing is .100". I should have some of these loose, you can cut the 5 pin down to 3 pin if needed.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273818909169

Also have a bunch of these. 4 pin.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273820611864