humbucker in series and parallel

[hamerfan]

I use a Super Strat (1 humbucker in bridge, alder body, 500k volume, 250k tone pot with off switch and .002 uF, one piece maple neck) as my all for one weapon. Parallel sound and humbucker, but they are such different sounds in volume and tone, that can't use them with the same settings on the amp.
Currently i use a Screamin Demon with an A8. To compensate the different volumes of parallel and humbucker i use a Klon clone, that means everytime i use the parallel setting on the guitar i have to engage the Klon to get the volume up and tone the highs down with its tone control.
First concern: i did not find a pickup which have a great tone in both parallel and humbucking mode. The old JB (JBJ) is my fave with a fabulous parallel, the SD is quite nice too, but too thin in humb. with the stock A5, all pafs did not cut in parallel mode, the Duncan Custom was too much in humbucking, the C5 - like the PA-TB1B - too scooped. So i never tried the SD Distortion, but i think i have a DMZ Dual Sound anywhere in my drawers.
Second concern: How can i bring down the volume of the humbucker without loosing highs. I thought about cutting the lows of the humbucker with a serial cap betweem the coils, it would make it less loud too. A 250k volume could help to tone it down.
Any other ideas?

[freefrog]

Re: humbucker in series and parallel

My solution is to think "out of the box" : I wire existing pickups with switchable external "tuned" LP filters. Like a Varitone, but without capacitors...

For example, I've a Jackson with a 9k / 5.2H bridge HB which is too thin in parallel and just awful once split. I've paired it with a 6H / 18k LR filter. When pickup and filter are in parallel, it gives an inductance of 2.7H and a resistance of 6k... just like a Fender SC. :-)

Regarding the serial cap: it would be simpler to put it in series with the whole pickup, IMHO. It would allow to avoid any series capacitance before tone control(s) and the issue potentially related to it ("hey, my tone control now behaves like a volume pot!").

FWIW. YMMV. :-)

[hamerfan]

Re: humbucker in series and parallel

My solution is to think "out of the box" : I wire existing pickups with switchable external "tuned" LP filters. Like a Varitone, but without capacitors...

For example, I've a Jackson with a 9k / 5.2H bridge HB which is too thin in parallel and just awful once split. I've paired it with a 6H / 18k LR filter. When pickup and filter are in parallel, it gives an inductance of 2.7H and a resistance of 6k... just like a Fender SC. :-)

Regarding the serial cap: it would be simpler to put it in series with the whole pickup, IMHO. It would allow to avoid any series capacitance before tone control(s) and the issue potentially related to it ("hey, my tone control now behaves like a volume pot!").

FWIW. YMMV. :-)

I should have a Lawrence / OBL EQ-4000 Q-Filter anywhere in the drawer. Should be around 4H afaik.

[freefrog]

Re: humbucker in series and parallel

I should have a Lawrence / OBL EQ-4000 Q-Filter anywhere in the drawer. Should be around 4H afaik.

Theoretically / AFAIK / IMHO, it should cooperate nicely with the pickups that you've mentioned (all being in the 6.5H / 8H range, out of my head). The most tricky part might be to find the proper resistance to associate to the inductor. I tend to go for resistors giving a "realistic" overall DCR (and I don't hesitate to tweak the resistance of the pots if needed) but your preference may differ.

Let us know if it works for you... :-)