Adding a third pickup

[TheMadGypsyBaron]

Re: Adding a third pickup

A question about the wiring Orpheo suggested.
If you had all three pickups being used at once, would it essentially be like having the Bridge and Neck doing their thing with the middle pickup in Parallel (both coil wise, and overall)?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Adding a third pickup

A question about the wiring Orpheo suggested.
If you had all three pickups being used at once, would it essentially be like having the Bridge and Neck doing their thing with the middle pickup in Parallel (both coil wise, and overall)?

I don't see having all three PU's on at once as being that appealing or sounding all that good. The genius of Orpheo's wiring is pairing up slug and screw coils from different PU's, creating 'virtual' humbuckers, like Strats in the 2 and 4 position. Those are very viable tones. You could pair up the slug coil of the middle HB with the screw coil of the bridge HB. Also, the screw coil of the neck HB with the slug coil of the middle HB. You're combining coils of different resistances, possibly even different magnets, and blending their tones into 'one' PU. That's brilliant! That gives new life to HHH guitars that have stumbled along since the 1950's with nothing really to recommend them. In all that time, Gibson never put any effort into getting the benefits from 6 coils, their lackluster wiring never gave the public a reason to buy those guitars, hence the anemic sales.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Adding a third pickup

I once had a Charvel Model 6 (HSS) that could have all 3 pickups on at the same time, each one individually had a kill switch. I remember using the tone of all 3 and loved it. Granted they were active single coils with a humbucker but htat was many years ago. I could see all 3 Humbuckers producing a unique tone and I would say don't knock it until you try it

View attachment 67875

 

[TheMadGypsyBaron]

Re: Adding a third pickup

The genius of Orpheo's wiring is pairing up slug and screw coils from different PU's, creating 'virtual' humbuckers, like Strats in the 2 and 4 position. Those are very viable tones. You could pair up the slug coil of the middle HB with the screw coil of the bridge HB. Also, the screw coil of the neck HB with the slug coil of the middle HB. You're combining coils of different resistances, possibly even different magnets, and blending their tones into 'one' PU. That's brilliant!

Would you get a similar effect to this if I did three triple shot mounting rings and selected those coils individually? I imagine they're all in parallel

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Adding a third pickup

I once had a Charvel Model 6 (HSS) that could have all 3 pickups on at the same time, each one individually had a kill switch.

Like my orange sabre. But i consider them on off switches not kill switches haha. Oh wait i guess they do kill.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Adding a third pickup

Like my orange sabre. But i consider them on off switches not kill switches haha. Oh wait i guess they do kill.

Ha! Ofcourse they are called kill switches you bloke, you have them on a bloomin Sabre!

 

[blueman335]

Re: Adding a third pickup

Would you get a similar effect to this if I did three triple shot mounting rings and selected those coils individually?

With an HHH, having three full HB's on simultaneously isn't something I'd want to do; 6 coils and 3 magnets all on at once? No thanks, too chaotic for me. But, selecting and matching individual coils, especially pairing up screw and slug coils, that's where things get interesting. I'm after good, useable tones, not a freak show.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Adding a third pickup

With an HHH, having three full HB's on simultaneously isn't something I'd want to do; 6 coils and 3 magnets all on at once? No thanks, too chaotic for me. But, selecting and matching individual coils, especially pairing up screw and slug coils, that's where things get interesting. I'm after good, useable tones, not a freak show.

Yeah you can't really use them all at once. haha.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Adding a third pickup

Yeah, you might set up a system so you could try out many different combos, but I bet there is no more than 5 or so that you will use all the time (and can get to quickly). I'd experiment, come up with the ones that work, then work on some sort of wiring scheme to get them.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Adding a third pickup

Again - for those of you wanting mega tonal options, go for it.

No doubt a P-90 sound in the middle of an LP is a cool thing. we can cork sniff P90's elsewhere…

But it is definitely a tough option to get right with HB's depending how you use them.
- Are you using each individually?
- Are you combining neck/bridge each with middle? With each other?
- Are you using all three?

Tough to find the RIGHT combo of tones and power for all that….


I think, for example, considering volume vs position issues, you need like a 7/10/17k set of humbuckers…