'59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

jtougas

jtougas

New member
Okay, this gets a little confusing so bear with me...

A while ago, I bought off the 'bay a pickup put forward as a '59B wound by MJ, having a sticker on it that said (faintly, and nearly illegibly) "59BJ", then, written in big marker across the bottom "11.15K".

Which doesn't match the specs of a '59B by a good margin, J or no. I haven't had a chance to put it to use yet, but I'm hoping to fix that this weekend. Also, it is spaced for Gibson at 2".

I just bought, from fellow forumite BungalowBill, a '59/C Hybrid trembucker.

Now, here's where things get interesting.

Comparing the probably counterfeit homewound to the properly packaged and as described pup from BB, there's a striking similarity: one coil measures in the 4k range, the other in the 7k range. My meter is downstairs so I may be ordering these incorrectly, but on BB's 59/C, the green to center tap measured 7kish, while on the counterfeit it was the black to center. On BB's, black to center was 4k, while on the counterfeit, it was green to center.

So... it appears that what I bought was someone's homemade hybrid.

BUT. My question is, assuming the counterfeit did the wire colors correctly, how vital is the coil order? In other words, how much difference will it make if the production stud coil is 4k, and the counterfeit stud coil is 7k, etc.?
 
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Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

It will make a fair bit of difference, think of the same pickup in a strat in B,M and N position and the tonal changes you get between them.
So you have a smaller distance of shift, but you get a shift of 2 coils, adding together.
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

jtougas said:
on BB's 59/C, the green to center coil measured 7kish, while on the counterfeit it was the black to center. On BB's, black to center was 4k, while on the counterfeit, it was green to center.
Click to expand...

What in the world are you talking about!? (What do you think is the "center coil" in a 2 coil pup?).

You should have 4 wires (plus ground)...2 from each coil. Which coil (stud or screw) are the black and white wires coming from? And which coil are the red and green wires coming from? Now what is the resistance between the black and white and between the red and green?

If you give us this info we will be able to help you sort this thing out.
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

AlexR said:
It will make a fair bit of difference, think of the same pickup in a strat in B,M and N position and the tonal changes you get between them.
So you have a smaller distance of shift, but you get a shift of 2 coils, adding together.
Click to expand...

Well, it won't make a noticeable difference in the neck pup, but it will in the bridge.
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

GuitarDoc said:
What in the world are you talking about!? (What do you think is the "center coil" in a 2 coil pup?).

You should have 4 wires (plus ground)...2 from each coil. Which coil (stud or screw) are the black and white wires coming from? And which coil are the red and green wires coming from? Now what is the resistance between the black and white and between the red and green?
Click to expand...

Sorry - red & white are already soldered together on both of them. That = center tap (and = black to white, and green to red - I've edited my original post to correct my terminology).
 
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Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

it will sound different, id say in both neck and bridge, but which is better will depend on your ears and your rig. id think the hotter stud coil in the bridge would suit me better but i havent tried it both ways to know
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

In the production 59/C Hybrid, which coil is slug, and which is screw?


Might be time to build me a test rig/guitar...
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

GuitarDoc said:
No. The Hybrid is actually a very clean sounding pup even in humbucker mode.
Click to expand...


Right. That's what unbalanced coils do. It's some of the single coil sound coming thru, that's not being cancelled out as it is in most HB's. The HB effect is a reduction in treble and an increase in midrange.
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

LtKojak said:
The Screw coil is a '59b (around 4K) and the slug coil is a Custom (around 7K).

HTH,
Click to expand...

So, if the counterfeit's screw coil is 7k, and the slug coil is 4k... that's gonna be a little harsher on the trebles, eh? Unless I put it in reversed, with the screw coil to the inside?
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

jtougas said:
So, if the counterfeit's screw coil is 7k, and the slug coil is 4k... that's gonna be a little harsher on the trebles, eh? Unless I put it in reversed, with the screw coil to the inside?
Click to expand...
It'll have more treble alright, but it'll won't sound harsh. It makes a perfectly usable bridge p'up... just not as good as the '59/Custom Hybrid was "designed" to be.

Reversed it'll be perfect; it'll just look "unusual", unless you put a cover on.

HTH,
 
Re: '59/C Hybrid - coil choice crucial?

GuitarDoc said:
No. The Hybrid is actually a very clean sounding pup even in humbucker mode.
Click to expand...

Yes....im specifically wondering about the neck slot though. I find even proper paf clones that have the clear offset wind can get tubby in the neck at mid to high 7k of 42.
 
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