3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Pushpin&Poetry

Pushpin&Poetry

New member
I've never played a guitar w/ more than 2 humbuckers in it. Can you tell me what the tonal differnce is? Is 3 always better than 2 in your opinion? Is 4 always better than 3? Is 15 always better than 14?

Thanks!!
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Don't actually own one, but I've played a few -
#1 there is no inherent tonal difference, IMO, just because there is another bucker
#2 there are differences when you combine neck and mid or neck and bridge vs just the usual neck and bridge. it's like neck or bridge, but with a little something extra and a better blend, and easier to balance than neck + bridge
#3 all on sucks
#4 it seems tough to find the right middle pup to go with both the neck and bridge - often dudes will put a phat cat in there to get something totally different

more is NOT always better - 4?!?!?! ask nigel tufnel....
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

It's not any different from three single coils in a Strat. You get a useless pickup that you can use for combinations. (Exceptions apply, of course)

However, the pull on the strings can be a problem, many people need the space in the middle for playing and if you don't upgrade your switching capacity you lose some of the standard sound combinations.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Aceman said:
Don't actually own one, but I've played a few -
#1 there is no inherent tonal difference, IMO, just because there is another bucker
#2 there are differences when you combine neck and mid or neck and bridge vs just the usual neck and bridge. it's like neck or bridge, but with a little something extra and a better blend, and easier to balance than neck + bridge
#3 all on sucks
#4 it seems tough to find the right middle pup to go with both the neck and bridge - often dudes will put a phat cat in there to get something totally different

more is NOT always better - 4?!?!?! ask nigel tufnel....
Click to expand...

Coo thanks. Yah I was wondering about how they blend and what type of middle bucker you would use. And, yes I was pretty much joking about using more than 3 buckers, although I have seen guitar w/ more than 3.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

uOpt said:
It's not any different from three single coils in a Strat. You get a useless pickup that you can use for combinations (Exceptions apply, of course). However, the pull on the strings can be a problem, many people need the space in the middle for playing and if you don't upgrade your switching capacity you lose some of the standard sound combinations.
Click to expand...

You're right on all points. The bridge SC on a Strat is rarely used because it's ungodly thin and bright, & a middle HB is rarely used because there's too many coils & magnetic fields crammed together, making a weak crappy tone. Could be that the middle HB is positioned in a poor location for string vibration. 3 PU guitars promise more than they deliver.

3 HB's sounds like a good idea... on paper. The biggest proof is the glaring lack of anybody making triple HB guitars except Gibson & Epiphone (who do it for "historic" reasons). EVERYBODY copied Super Strats with HSS & HSH arrangements; it worked and imitators came out of the woodwork. But they avoid HHH's like the plague. Wonder why?

There are some other drawbacks. The very small space to pick is an issue too. No flexibility for hand placement. Plus you have the extra weight of another HB. You can get just as many usable tones from twin HB's with series, coil cut, parallel, and phase, as you can with a triple HB (because the middle HB adds little). The factory wiring on triple HB's is clumsy & slow to use; there are better ways to wire them (see old threads). So is it worth it to get a triple HB?

Yes! The upside is that triple HB guitars are beautiful & elegant; LP & SG Customs are some of the best-looking guitars made. The way to make all three PU's usable is to put a Phat Cat in the middle, or in the middle and neck. Suddenly you have good tones & versatility. Seymour to the rescue.

With HB's, two is more than three, much more.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

It's really time I check out a Phat Cat.

As you say, on paper the biggest benefit of the middle humbucker position is that it offers a comfty home for a P-90 without sacrificing your neck pickup.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Nigel%20-%20full.jpg

For those who've never seen it.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

i had 3 full sized humbuckers in a few different MIM strats..... i loved the look.... but i found the PU's get in the way of the pick a little... but i loved the look and sound i got!
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

The middle position humbucker needs to be a pretty bright neck model.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

idsnowdog said:
The middle position humbucker needs to be a pretty bright neck model.
Click to expand...

my last 3 humbuckers set up was a JB/Yamaha Humbucker/Jazz.... it worked great as the Yamaha was out of a PAC model... had lower outbut and was slightly brighter
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Nearly everything you can dislike about the middle position of a strat gets worse with a humbucker. So you really need that bright, lower output pickup in the middle. With the right pickup the middle humbucker can sound great.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Warmoth 'Black Beauty' Clone , Ash/Maple, 3 Custom Shop phat cats ( tallaegeda ). My Dream!
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

I own this guitar... to be able to play with it I had to remove the middle pickup from the circuit and push it really down just to have the necessary room to my pick to pluck the strings...

No more 3 hums guitars for me. At least you have plenty of room in a Strat to use your pick, and I use a lot the "inbetween" sound of the middle and the bridge p'up.

HTH,

Pepe aka Lt. Kojak
Milano, Italy
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

Personally, I think the better thing to do is to find a pickup that actually sounds good in the middle position and then go from there.

Creating the middle position first and then find a use for it later it doing things backwards.

I find that e.g. the Quarter Pounder for Strat sounds excellent and gives a good Blackmorish tone when mounted not in the middle but right next to a bridge humbucker.

Something like this, very similar to what Steve Morse uses:
telecaster-custom-hssh-yellow2.jpg


I also think all these things are more useful in a recording session. Unless currently in use the exotic positions are "parked" by putting the pickup way down so that it is out of the way of playing and doesn't pull on the strings. If you need it a 15 second screwdriver run gives it back.
 
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Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

My main guitar right now is a 3 pickup les paul custom, and I agree with the previous posts...three humbuckers looks cool but the stock configuration does not sound cool, and all three on at once is pretty useless. I've tried a few configurations, but the one I am very happy with now is a humbucker in the bridge (in my case, a pearly gates) and two PhatCats (essentially giving an "HSS style" configuration on steroids).

I like this configuration better than a standard les paul (for me). I don't find that the middle pickup gets in my way while picking, but I can see how this would be an issue for some people. I think the pearly gates and the phatcats go well in an all mahogany guitar, too (they are all pretty bright, so I feel they blend nicely with the guitar).

If you are interested in how I have it wired, read on.

Now that I am not afraid to solder, I have tried a bunch of wiring options. I have the Neck HB and Bridge PhatCat wired "normally" to the three position toggle. I have the middle PhatCat on a push-pull pot so I can add it at any time (adding this to the bridge or neck gives a slightly "honk" kind of sound...not a strat, mind you, but in that "in between" setting tone family).

Furthermore, I have the 3 position toggle routed through a push-pull switch, so I can remove the neck and bridge pickups whenever I want (putting the two push pulls up gives middle all alone--this also gives me a kill switch for the guitar). It sounds complicated, but it is very straightforward to use. Finally, I have the pearly gates wired to a third push pull for coil cut, but I rarely use it. I have not done anything with phase...so far, I don't feel the need.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

I had an Epi Ace Frehley with 3 buckers. I soon will have a Dean ML with 3.
Take it or leave it. All three on is too much. Basically you have Bridge or neck for standard tones. Or you can add the middle to either of those to add just alittle more thickness. Is it earth shattering? no. It is mostly a visual difference. Gives you a place to put the smoke bomb and still have your usual neck and bridge settings!!
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

I happen to pick at the point between the bridge and middle, so the pick thing is no big deal for me. But I can totally see the potential problem.

I totally diasagree with the "useless" sound points though, and there are plenty of super-strats out there with three pups. And lot's have hb's. I have had hb's in the middle and have most certainly used them and very happily. Had a Hot rails in the middle of a tele used it to rock up a 59 or add some slice to leads, or just for rhythm. great pup. had a chopper in the middle of a kramer - used it all the time for rhythm!


I also don't see all of the "magnetic interference" either. Great theory - but I just don't hear it...
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

the three humbucker balck beauty as played by Fhreely and Frampton, among others is one of the best sounding guitars ever. That said, its no '59 std.Yea, too much string pull among other things. I would take a 2 humbuker over the three humbucker. Its better.Theres no need for a third bucker really. Thats why thay make 3 positoin switches.
 
Re: 3 or more Humbuckers in a Guitar?

You found a solution to the middle HB problem, and improved the stock wiring. Very creative. Good job. Now why don't Gibson & Epiphone try something like this? 50 years later & they're still in denial about a system that didn't work well from day one. Its time they listened to the players.
 
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