Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

[gauchosilvertone]

Looking at threads discussing which coil to activate when splitting a bridge humbucker in particular, most people will say they prefer the slug coil over the screw coil. Reason generally being that the screw coil being closest to the bridge will have lower volume and a center sound due to the weak string vibration at that point.

But that's really not answering the question, is it? The only way to get an A to A comparison is to compare a screw coil and a slug coil in the SAME position. Otherwise there is no way to tell how much of the difference in sound is being made by the position of the coil and how much is being made by the fact that one is a slug and one is a screw.

Currently I have a JB jazz set in my main guitar. typically I activate the coil furthest from the bridge on the bridge pickup , more for volume than brightness reasons although the thinness of that sound is sometimes an issue as well.

I'm wondering if anyone has experience comparing screw and slug coils when in the same position, I'm interested in feedback on any pickups but particularly on the JB or, if users have experience with this also, the DiMarzio Tone Zone.

I have wound up with the screw coil on my JB activated, but closest to the neck - the pickup is upside down. this came about because it was wired to have the screw coil active and I didn't want to bother fixing the wiring so I just flipped the pick up and found the sound pretty darn satisfying. wondering if anyone has experience with the slug coil active in the furthest from the bridge position.

TL;DR: has anybody compared screw and slug coils of the same pick up in the same position, and if so what were their results?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

Flip your pickup around... take 10 minutes with your screw driver and you will find out the answer.

Ive used many pickups that have dual slugs or hex screws in them and I still always prefer the split away from the bridge. Slugs do sound different than screws the slugs have a tighter attack.

 

[gauchosilvertone]

Re: Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

I appreciate the reply, but that does not answer the question. That's exactly my point. When you flip the pickup around, you're changing the position of the screw coil or the slug coil respectively. I can't just say 1 coil or the other sounds better until I've tried them both in exactly the same position. That's my point and basis of my question.

 

[gauchosilvertone]

Re: Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

I should say, just flipping the pickup doesn't answer the question. However the second part of your spots is and lightning. Thank you. Is anderson you describe this lubbock well as tighter when a lot of people describe that as having a fuller sound.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

When I was wiring a tone zone for a split I tried both screw and slug and put the pickup upside down to hear the difference. To my ears, the position has a bigger effect on the sound than the coil (even though the tone zone has different outputs depending on the coil selected . . . something like 7K and 10K if I remember right). I liked the slug coil, standard pickup orientation best in with this pickup.

 

[gauchosilvertone]

Re: Active coil on Split 'Buckers- Let's compare apples to apples

Thanks for the feedback. What's got me interested in this at the moment is I had my JB with the screw coil active in reverse orientation, and it gave me this killer strong, punchy but extremely biting tone I can only compare to a Telecaster bridge pickup. It was awesome. Having the logo upside down bugged me so I turned around and activated the slug coil, and it may just be my ears and brain or the way my amp has been acting but it just wasn't the same. Not as much punch or bite. I didn't think it would make much difference on a pick-up which to the best of my knowledge does not have mismatched coils.
And I have read the same thing about the tone zone regarding the 10k & 7k bit. I had a different experience though, as I found the slug coil very weak and the screw coil a little stronger with less volume drop when both in the same position, further from the bridge.

All the stuff makes me want to yank out my push pull pot and forget about coil splitting altogether, I don't even use the sounds that much. But now I'm obsessed with the process.