Short answer: coil split.
The switch was a 3 way toggle, just like you’d find on a Les Paul. On this guitar, the rhythm pickup position would be a kill switch - no sound/off, the middle (both pickups position) would be humbucking, the treble position would be a single coil sound.
The original passive Washburn “Eliminator“ pickup was disappointing and I replaced it with an EMG ‘81. - that was dumb because it was a collectible guitar but hey....I was 22 then. I replicated a single coil sound on the active EMG with a capacitor and the whole guitar was improved. I played it for years, dinged it up a bit and sold it about 17 years ago. I really regret it.
I actually saw my old guitar on a Chinese website for sale about 10 years ago. I knew it was mine because the photo had the EMG ‘81 and every ding I made was mentioned, I even saw a fingerboard chip I made with my pick in the photo.
I wonder if my old guitar was the basis for this replica! I know it ended up in China. Why would they put an “EMG” logo on the pickup? Originally, the guitar had “Washburn” in white on the pickup, not “EMG”. To my knowledge, I’m the only one who did an EMG upgrade to one of these!
I could be wrong...FWIW if you like “pointy” metal guitars, this was the only one with complete unhindered access to 24 frets. The BC Rich Ironbird was similar but you couldn’t reach the frets. The Explorer type guitars that do have 24 frets have that lower Horn in the way....that’s why I wanted to find this thing again...
Thanks for listening to me blab on and on...lol!