Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

ebagjones

ebagjones

New member
So I’ve been changing up my set up recently and I’ve been pouring through old recordings for the last 6-12 months and I’ve come to a realization - I almost always prefer my high gain lead tones with single coils. For guitars I’ve been playing American strats with SSL-6 of Dimarzio FS-1’s in the bridge, a stock American tele, a stock Les Paul Trad, a Luke III, and a G&L with a JB in the bridge and recently a Shawbucker equipped strat. The gain comes from a PRS Archon, a variety of amps with Tube Drivers and a MI Super Crunch Box and in the last couple of weeks a Splawn Quick Rod. The thing I’m realizing is my ears find the rawness and sweet top end of a hot single coil versus the furry blurred roar of a humbucker. My playing seems to also be better, reacting to the increased clarity I seem to be able to dig in more and exhibit more control over the phrasing.
I bring this topic up because it seems to run counter to 50 years of rock and roll guitar tone theory. I just wondered if I’m the only one????
PS my favorite Jimmy Page tones are the Tele/Supro on their debut, so that should have told me something...
 
Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

I prefer humbuckers that sound like single coils, but with a bit more girth. I hate dark sounding humbuckers like JBs. It’s a lot of upper mids but turns to mud clean. There’s no spank and sparkle. Lower winds sound better to me.

I’m a pickup maker, and the bridge pickup in my Parker P-38 almost sounds like a Tele. I also dig those early Page tones.

The other two pickups are single coil size humbuckers that sound like single coils.

I just hate hum, especially with high gain.


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Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Kind of. I like noiseless singles and brighter sounding humbuckers like low output firebirds. Even for higher output pickups my favorites are dual blade singles like the Dimarzio Corgan signature set.


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Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

If you can control the hum or put it to productive use, hells yeah
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Absolutely! I highly prefer single coils for more saturated amp settings.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Dimebucker is great with thick saturation, especially sludgy pedal distortion.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

For the next album I just recorded guitar tracks, I used Ibby RGD2127 for rhythm tracks (they require 7-string) but used mainly my Warmoth Tele with 14kOhm Q-Pickups custom and Tokai LP Junior with two P90s for the leads. I found that those single coils retain much more clarity and detail under gain, which is useful in a guitar heavy mix (about 24 guitar tracks/song). Sure, I did use the RGD with A4 Pegasus and PGM301 with A4 Perpetual Burn for some spots, but figured out they lack character of the singles and can be a tad muddy at times.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Good to see it’s not just me. I posted a little while back about replacing the SSL-6 with a fatter smoother sounding bridge pickup and got a lot of great recommendations. I think I’m going to try an SSL-3, but I’m also considering some single sized P-90 types like the Harmonic Design S90 or the Mojotone Knockout.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

I go through phases. After a long stint with a s-s-s Strat, I’m ready for some ‘buckery goodness again.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Mainly use them these days. A Tele with a Custom Shop Duncan, and a Mustang with Creamery Sonic 60's
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

I like a good P90 for certain tones.

This sounds pretty good too, and it's a Tele:


Overall, though, I can't say I dig the scratchy/squelchy tone of single coils under high-gain *most of the time*. It can be badass in the right hands on the right occasions, though.
 
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Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

ebagjones said:
Good to see it’s not just me. I posted a little while back about replacing the SSL-6 with a fatter smoother sounding bridge pickup and got a lot of great recommendations. I think I’m going to try an SSL-3, but I’m also considering some single sized P-90 types like the Harmonic Design S90 or the Mojotone Knockout.
Click to expand...

Don't forget Quarter Pounder. It's almost like P90 but sounds more like strat pickup :)
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

Gimme a good Tele bridge pickup with some saturation or a P90 and I'm good. I've yet to find a Strat set that I am 100% content with. I've come to the fact that I'm not a Strat single-coil guy. I love humbuckers, P90's and overwound Tele bridge pickups.
 
Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

I accidentally played a crap ton of gigs using a JB2 split! Sounded awesome....super crunchy, cut right through. (Coil tap was wired backwards!)

The hum was annoying between songs, but once the music started....
 
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Re: Anyone else prefer high gain with single coils???!?

I love saturated single coil tones; nice, quick attack, usually pretty tight. Noise is an issue. But Lace Sensors... :)
 
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