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Two humbuckers in series with each other?

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  • #16
    Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

    Okay, let me see if I've got this right:



    I searched the forums and from what I can tell, on a normal 3-way the two comon lugs are at the top right and bottom left of the switch, as you look at it from below with 'top' being towards the neck.

    So, using SD wiring colours:
    The black wire from the bridge pickup (bridge hot) goes to pole 1 lug 1. Pole 1 lug 2 is connected to pole 1 lug 1.
    The black wire form the neck pickup (neck hot) goes to pole 1 lug 3. Pole 2 lug 2 is connected to pole 1 lug 3.
    Pole 1 lug C goes to the hot outpot tab of the volume pot.
    Pole 2 lug 1 goes to the back of the volume pot (to ground). Pole 2 lug 3 is connected to pole 2 lug 1.

    Now one bit I'm not sure on. The bridge ground goes to pole 2 lug C - would that be the green wire or the bare wire? As I understand it normally, black is hot, red and white get taped together (series link), both green and the bare wires go to ground. So in this wiring, would both the green and bare wires go to P2.C, or just one?
    Last edited by Ace Flibble; 10-12-2009, 12:53 AM.

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    • #17
      Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

      Just the green wire. The bare wire is always soldered to a ground. I don't know the color codes for the Swineshead so I tried to keep things generic, but since the bridge is a Duncan, only the green wire goes to P2.C. The red and white will be soldered together and taped.
      Duncan Pickups in currently in use: '59 (rewound to PATB-3)/'59, Custom/AP2H, Tapped QP set for Tele, Crazy 8/Cool Rails, Screamin' Demon/Stra-Bro 90, Custom 5/Phat Cat, SP90-1/SP90-2, SMB-5D

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      • #18
        Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

        Well I've done it, and it sounds fantastic. Anyone who was saying it would be a 'muddy mess' - that isn't the case. It's sounding kind of like a really overwound P-90 minus hum. Got a lot of power to it - it's got more output than the Hot Rails on it's own - but still with an oddly high degree of clarity. I'm really liking it with minimal gain, it's got a kind of early Aerosmith vibe to it.

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        • #19
          Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

          Congrats to Ace
          You were successful in the wiring and in the results.

          Heck, I was one of the ones who said it wouldn't be muddy, but I'm not going to parade that fact around this forum. (heh heh heh)

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          • #20
            Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

            First, good on you for trying it and finding something you like.

            Another thing to consider are the Megaswitch P and E, which give you other series and parallel connections.

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            • #21
              Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

              Originally posted by Ace Flibble View Post
              Well I've done it, and it sounds fantastic. Anyone who was saying it would be a 'muddy mess' - that isn't the case. It's sounding kind of like a really overwound P-90 minus hum. Got a lot of power to it - it's got more output than the Hot Rails on it's own - but still with an oddly high degree of clarity. I'm really liking it with minimal gain, it's got a kind of early Aerosmith vibe to it.
              Is it all 4 coils in series or just one coil from each humbucker in series? If the latter, yes, that would work. If all 4 coils and you still think it's muddy, you got different ears from me.
              Generic signature line.

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              • #22
                Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

                Originally posted by Zhangliqun View Post
                Is it all 4 coils in series or just one coil from each humbucker in series? If the latter, yes, that would work. If all 4 coils and you still think it's muddy, you got different ears from me.
                It's all four.

                Anyway, well, it may be a muddy combination to you on guitars/with amps you've tried it with, but with my gear, it's really not. To clarify, this is a korina(limba) Thinline Tele body with a maple and rosewood neck; 3-way switch and a single 500k volume control; I mostly play through Fender amps, typically with the mids at full, treble slightly boosted and the bass slightly cut, no gain on the first channel and the gain at about 40% on the second (currently a Hot Rod Deluxe combo, though I've quickly tried it through a Marshall DSL50 head and the results have been much the same once I've set my EQ as I like it). The pickups are the Hot Rails mounted in the usual Tele bridge and a Swineshead AMP (similar to a SD Stag Mag only lower output and brighter - doesn't sound anything like a humbucker even on it's own) in the neck. String height is medium-high, the distance from the top of the pickups to the strings is about 4mm at the neck and 5mm at the bridge.

                This, all together, is giving me a considerably clear tone in this middle (combined series) position. As I said, it's kind of P-90-ish, clear but not bright per se and with plenty of power behind it. It's getting great use as a clean lead/classic rock and pop-rock levels of distortion rhythm setting.

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                • #23
                  Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

                  yea mine 2
                  the "in between" positions on my five way switch is what I used for the series humbuckers

                  one was series in phase and the other was series out of phase

                  in series the out of phase is kinda cool , odd but cool

                  and the series in phase is much louder and drives a vintage tube amp crazy
                  EHD
                  Just here surfing Guitar Pron
                  RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups / RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b + FVN middle
                  SR500 / Martin 000CE-1/Epiphone Hummingbird
                  Epiphone Florentine with OEM Probuckers
                  Ehdwuld branded Blue semi hollow custom with JB/Jazz
                  Reptile Green Gibson Custom Studio / Aqua Dean Shire semi hollow with piezo
                  Carvin Belair / Laney GC80A Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
                  GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

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                  • #24
                    Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

                    Sometimes when using pickups from different manufacturers you may have to reverse the phase of one pickup by putting the hot to ground and the ground to hot, ever try using a Duncan and DiMarzio in the same guitar? I find I have to reverse the phase on one to get them to play nice together

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                    • #25
                      Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

                      Originally posted by uOpt View Post
                      What you generally want is one element that darkens sound and one element that brightens sound.

                      In-series is pretty useless because it's too dark. Out of phase is pretty useless because it's too thin.

                      Combine the two and you get a great cutting lead sound.
                      Or not. I've played a lot with single coil series/out-of-phase/parallel combos and never really found a practical use for just series+out-of-phase sound. It' pretty unlikely to have it just right without adjusting tone & volume for either accordingly.

                      Not to say it can't sound great and worth trying, just heads up that it may not be that simple to get great tone.
                      "So understand/Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years/Face up, make your stand/And realize you're living in the golden years"
                      Iron Maiden - Wasted Years

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                      • #26
                        Re: Two humbuckers in series with each other?

                        Originally posted by ehdwuld View Post
                        yea mine 2
                        the "in between" positions on my five way switch is what I used for the series humbuckers

                        one was series in phase and the other was series out of phase

                        in series the out of phase is kinda cool , odd but cool

                        and the series in phase is much louder and drives a vintage tube amp crazy
                        Ten years later and I still stand by my post
                        EHD
                        Just here surfing Guitar Pron
                        RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups / RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b + FVN middle
                        SR500 / Martin 000CE-1/Epiphone Hummingbird
                        Epiphone Florentine with OEM Probuckers
                        Ehdwuld branded Blue semi hollow custom with JB/Jazz
                        Reptile Green Gibson Custom Studio / Aqua Dean Shire semi hollow with piezo
                        Carvin Belair / Laney GC80A Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
                        GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

                        Comment

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