Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

[jmcorey]

Hi Everyone,

I have a superstrat guitar that requires a full size humbucker in the bridge. If I want to use a duckbucker in the middle for a nice single-coil tone, would I have to worry about splitting the bridge and duckbucker to get a good quack? If so, it would seem that I would have to split both. This, with its more complicated wiring, seems like a significant hassle.

Would I be able to get a good quack from a full size humbucker and a duckbucker, without the humbucker being split? I wouldn't want to split only one of them, because then I would introduce hum, and I can't stand hum....

Thanks for your input.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

The duckbucker is quack in its full form.....thats its whole reason for being.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Well, that kind of quack is really achieved with 2 single coils. I don't think having one as a Duckbucker will make it quack like 2 singles, but there will be some, due to the nature of the one pickup.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Running both in full humbucker mode sounds fine and still quacks. I have an HSH with a Cool Rails in the middle without any coil splitting and I like it.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Hi Everyone,

I have a superstrat guitar that requires a full size humbucker in the bridge. If I want to use a duckbucker in the middle for a nice single-coil tone, would I have to worry about splitting the bridge and duckbucker to get a good quack? If so, it would seem that I would have to split both. This, with its more complicated wiring, seems like a significant hassle.

Would I be able to get a good quack from a full size humbucker and a duckbucker, without the humbucker being split? I wouldn't want to split only one of them, because then I would introduce hum, and I can't stand hum....

Thanks for your input.

If you have a 5 way switch you can always auto-split the humbucker and you can still have noise cancellation with a true single coil in the middle. For example the Duncan SSL-1 with the slug coil of a SD humbucker will be a hum cancelling combination. That is because the slug coil is RWRP in relation to the SSL-1.

Being that said, I have always asked myself the same question as you, I mean, why advertising the duckbucker like that if a properly selected true single coil can deliver noiseless quack at notch position when splitting the humbucker? I almost buyed the duckbucker myself.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Well, the Duckbucker is a good pickup, and 3 of them in a guitar sound great. It gets weird when you combine any single coil with a full humbucker- it doesn't sound like either, but a watered down version of both. I'd rather split the humbucker and combine it with a true single, or use the humbucker in parallel combined with the Duckbucker.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

First time for everything,
I actually disagree with Mincer, my Seth Lover(A5 magnet) and Jazz humbuckers get a great shimmering type of Hendrix sound (and a slight "quack") when both played with my middle single coil, one middle I use is a '69, wound 5.8K, and on my other middle single coil I use a TwangBanger wound 8K. Also, I have a third Strat with a great, loud and also clean 59/Custom Hybrid wound about 11.5K with a TwanBanger (a single coil, with a copper plate under it like a tele), sounds great.
Humming is not nearly as bad when used TOGETHER. I don't really notice it. Unless I purposely listen for it. To me, it sounds at least 50% less hum than a single coil alone when used with any humbucker I have. I really love the sound of the two together. I am seriously thinking of using a single coil Strat type in the middle of all my Strats, with a TwangBanger in the neck of all of them. The middle single coil I need should be round 6-7K and I just started my search right this minute. It's late here, so I'll start tomorrow, it will be a Duncan or a Fender. Ideas anyone?
I disliked the Duckbucker completely. It was too weak, and I thought the "quack" was inferior. I DO GET something of a quack with all my different humbuckers in the bridge and the true single coil in the middle.
As always, my 2 cents, I wish you good hunting and success!
Steve Buffington ( you are still my favorite forum hero, Mincer!)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Haha, that's cool. I will say that I've found the Duckbucker's best qualities are most present when you use 3 of them together. They always sounded weak when paired with most any other pickups.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Mincer,
That makes perfect sense. I once, long ago tried the "new" Everything Axe set, and the DBucker was so low in comparison, any quack would be lost. If you had 3 of 'em, I supposed they would fare much better if you compensated by turning your rig up by at least 3-4 notches, like amp volume from 4 to 7 to make up the signal loss.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

I'd rather split the humbucker and combine it with a true single, or use the humbucker in parallel combined with the Duckbucker.

Would not either of those wiring approaches require a special 5-way switch?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Amount of quack with duckbucker and full-size humbucker?

Yes, if you want to auto-split or auto-parallel. However, you can always add a push/pull pot, too.