If you’ve read the other two articles in the series, hopefully by now you’ve got a good understanding of the different ways we can wire P-Rails pickups. Let’s take a look at some of the more common configurations (throughout the article, you can click each diagram for a larger version).

Here’s a simple one:

In this diagram, we have a single on/off/on mini-toggle switch controlling both pickups. In the middle position, the P-Rails both act as series humbuckers, and then in the two outer positions, the individual coils–the rail and the P-90–are activated individually.

The next diagram is fairly similar. However, this time, we’ve used two separate switches so that the pickups are controlled individually. This allows you to use a P90 sound and a humbucker sound together, for example.

This one’s a little more complicated:

It uses two push/pull pots in conjunction with each other. It’s actually performing a very similar task to using a Triple Shot mounting ring – but in this instance the two switches are acting on both pickups at the same time, allowing all four modes as long as both pickups are always in the same mode. Both pickups are wired in the same way to the different sides of the DPDT switch on a push/pull pot.

Of course, it would be a simple matter to adapt this to a system with four push/pull pots – just take one side of each push/pull and move it to its own new position on another push/pull pot.

Of course, if you want to, you can come up with combinations. Maybe you’d like a mini toggle to quickly switch between some modes, but you’d like to hide some other modes behind a push/pull switch. Maybe you’d like to use a 5-way switch to auto-split the pickups in certain positions. As long as you have the right switches available, your choices are unlimited. The four wires from the P-Rails allow you to wire any combination of coils you can think of.

Of course, if you have any questions then do ask – there’s always someone ready to help.

Part 1
Part 2