C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

[symptom]

I'm planning to put a push pull pot in my SG, so I ask you masters of tone: which one of these sounds better when splitted:

C5
RC UOC5
C8

I'm asking this because that's the pickup and the magnets I have. =)

Right now I'm using the RC UOA5, by the way.

ps: I know I must try and see for myself, but an opinion from other experienced players would be really helpful.

Thank you!

[blueman335]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

C5's are bright to begin with and when split are really bright. UOA5's are the warmest of the three you have; A8's have the most output. Depends on what's your top priority in a split, warmth or output.

[Franknfilms]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

I like the C8 best out of the three. I have some sound clips from my Custom 8 vs Custom 9 shoot out, some of them are split:

http://tonefinder.com/?section=id&value=10617

[symptom]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

C5's are bright to begin with and when split are really bright. UOA5's are the warmest of the three you have; A8's have the most output. Depends on what's your top priority in a split, warmth or output.

I want the possibility to turn my sg in a less agressive guitar whenever I want to.

Hey, Blueman, I know you have a lot of experience in wirings, so tell me something: it is possible to use the same push pull pot to split both of my humbuckers, the 59n and the UOC5 bridge? (the 59n is four conductor)

[blueman335]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

I want the possibility to turn my sg in a less agressive guitar whenever I want to.

Hey, Blueman, I know you have a lot of experience in wirings, so tell me something: it is possible to use the same push pull pot to split both of my humbuckers, the 59n and the UOC5 bridge? (the 59n is four conductor)

Yes, just connect the hots to each other and grounds to each other and solder to the lugs as per the diagram. However, you might want to have the slug coil active during coil cut on the bridge PU, as it's twice as far from the bridge and gets more string energy. That means is using the red and white wires for hot and ground instead of the green and black.

[darthphineas]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

it also depends on the sound you are going for by splitting them.

will the amp be on a dirty setting or a clean setting? what kind of amp are you using? what sound is it that you hear in your head when you think about what you are trying to accomplish? do you have some examples of the tone you are looking for, as in certain songs or a certain player's tone?

[Gearjoneser]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

Try your UOA5 C5 first. It's like a more balanced C5 with slightly less perceived output, with it's highs and bass pulled back a little. An absolutely great pickup in anything, especially an SG.

C5 if you want more bass and highs. C8 if you want a C5 that punches the amp harder, but doesn't clean up as easily as the first 2.....similar to a ceramic Custom but more organic like A5.

Basically, you can't lose with either three. In order of perceived output, it's UOC5, C5, C8.

[symptom]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

Let me try to explain what I want.

I'm a classic rock/blues player and I have a tele and this SG. I like the tone of them both, but I really like the way the tele sounds when it has just a little distortion. So, what I want is a SG that is not SO powerful all the time, and basically, I want the split to use in light distorted rythm. Since both humbuckers have 4 conductors and I have a spare push pull pot, I see no reason why not to do it.

I mostly use low gain amplifiers and slightly overdriven tones. Whenever I want more distortion, I will use the full humbucker mode (since it's a high output pickup).

Did I make myself clear? Sometimes it's difficult to explain in english...

[symptom]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

I didn't know that I must let the slug coil on during the split. I always thought it was a kind of a "rule" letting the screw coil on.

[Franknfilms]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

I have triple shots on my guitar with the C8 and I really think that the screw coil out does the slug coil every time. Even though the screws are closer to the bridge, that coil sounds thicker and livelier, I can't get into the slug coil at all. Same story in the neck. This makes it a pain when I'm doing a normal push/pull for duncans because I have to wire very differently to get the screw coil split.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: C5, UOC5, C8 - Which one splits best?

C8