Thanks, good to know.
Humbucker split coil… which coil is preferred?
- Thread starter psychodave
- Start date
Sick Michael
Active member
I find a hotter bridge sounds better split. I have this in my strat, and it sounds good, but I only really use it if Im going for a kind of Yngwie nasty kind of sound, and I'd always boost. For the neck I use a rails which can be split, and these work well.
Devin
Well-known member
This is true; split low output pickups are always assy sounding in my experience
stephen sawall
Well-known member
Hotter humbuckers have enough output when split.
Parallel is less output than either coil alone.
Parallel is less output than either coil alone.
stephen sawall
Well-known member
This came out a few days ago.
https://obsidianwire.com/products/the-ultimate-wiring-for-les-paul
I have a other model by them. Makes switching pickups pretty easy.
https://obsidianwire.com/products/the-ultimate-wiring-for-les-paul
I have a other model by them. Makes switching pickups pretty easy.
GearGasms
Doctor Love
My Charvel Socal and San Dimas split both ways and I love both tones
Speeddemon
Well-known member
While this is true, IME, it's part of the equation. A disbalanced pair of coils with enough output splits better than a 50/50 DC resistance division.
Case in point: DiMarzio Air Norton in humbucking mode: 11.56k. Air Norton split: ~6.5k.
And yes, DC resistance doesn't equate to output. It's a guideline at best.
Dan Gleesak
Well-known member
Depends if the coils are asymmetric or not. The higher of the two typically sound better to me
Speeddemon
Well-known member
rsm
Well-known member
Are the pickups super extra hot? How close to the bridge? What string gauge and tuning? What tone are you chasing?
I've seen a lot of modern Ibanez that come with a switch to select either. Might want to look into that (wiring)
I have an Ibanez Q52, it has the following pickup selections:
XSSIVE
Well-known member
Try all options. Get some test leads with alligator clips on each end and wire the entire guitar other than the pickups then you can clip on the test leads to connect the pickup wires to the switch and ground and see what you like best. It may be a bit noisy with extra wires dangling and non-soldered connections, but you can easily hear the difference that way without need to solder and desolder. I've done that a bunch of times and ended up using splits I never would have thought would work on paper.
psychodave
Well-known member
Thanks for the input everyone!!!
stratjacket
Well-known member
Curious what you went with and how it came out for you.
I think the only pickups I’ve used that sounded good to me split were PRS because the way they tap them. Instead of a 50/50 split between the coils they tap some of the 2nd coil so you get all of 1 coil and some percentage of the other. This gives it a fuller sound but still single coily if that makes sense. The \m/ work great.
I think the only pickups I’ve used that sounded good to me split were PRS because the way they tap them. Instead of a 50/50 split between the coils they tap some of the 2nd coil so you get all of 1 coil and some percentage of the other. This gives it a fuller sound but still single coily if that makes sense. The \m/ work great.
braintheory
Well-known member
This could be interesting since these are hot pickups, but have yet to really be convinced by the split tones of any humbuckers I’ve had vs real single coils. For Yngwie type tones (which I also am a big fan of) I’ve had best results just using any traditional ‘50’s style Strat neck pickup set close enough to the strings with a good overdrive pedal juicing it up (Klon being my preference). I believe he used those pickups when he was at his best (imo at least). When done right a good strat neck pickup is my favorite pickup for leads or shreddy type stuff with its extra clarity and bubbly, milky nuances as heard in Yngwie’s sound
Speeddemon
Well-known member
Agreed, although I'm afraid those HS3's or whatever he was using, would be generally too weak in output for me.
A Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered does that glassy, bubbly, milky thing too, but with more push!
And don't discount a split Air Norton (neck) or Breed neck, or a Duncan Screamin' Demon in the neck position. Those can get me fairly close to an Yngwie tone in a (super)Strat type, provided you crank the plate reverb to 11 and have some sort of DOD 250-ish boost goin' on.
braintheory
Well-known member
Using an overdrive pedal the right way plus getting it close to the strings I find gets it there for me despite the lower output, but it’s with ‘50’s and even some ‘60’s traditional style Strat pickups that I use (by Tone Specific currently). I find these have more nuance. I’m not trying to copy Yngwie or anyone’s tone, just what I think is the best sound I can get without comparing to any artist, but it does happen I think to end up being in a similar ballpark to Yngwie anyway. For my taste Dimarzio’s and Duncan’s don’t have the same level of tone, nuance or feel in what I want, even if Yngwie used them at some points (I wouldn’t know really). I like my various ‘80’s stacked Bill Lawrence’s a lot and their more traditional output older strat pickups, but for me nothing beats a legit good ‘50’s strat neck pickup. One day I’ll get a real one… For me that’s the best neck pickup sound for what I want in leadwork whether it’s high gain shred or lower gain bluesy or fusion-y stuff. I love itAgreed, although I'm afraid those HS3's or whatever he was using, would be generally too weak in output for me.
A Duncan SSL-5 Custom Staggered does that glassy, bubbly, milky thing too, but with more push!
And don't discount a split Air Norton (neck) or Breed neck, or a Duncan Screamin' Demon in the neck position. Those can get me fairly close to an Yngwie tone in a (super)Strat type, provided you crank the plate reverb to 11 and have some sort of DOD 250-ish boost goin' on.