Best humbucker for 250K pots?

contiContiCONTI

New member
So recently I posted asking for the best single coil for 500K pots, decided to take U-turn and go the other way.

So can anybody recommend a humbucker which would match vintage output single coils (specifically fat 50s) that sounds good through a 250K volume and 250K tone pot? I heard the JB is really good for this, however can't find a dealer doing them with a nickle cover in the UK (Nickle cover and F-spaced is necessary).

Any suggestions highly appreciated, thank you!
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

The JB will overpower vintage singles. Take a look at the Pearly Gates, Alnico II Pro, or the Screamin' Demon
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

i agree, the jb will be too much for the vintage output pups. i love a pgb in the bridge of a strat with singles but many of the vintage output buckers work well. a neck version can work really well matched with vintage output singles if you want a more seemless output and tonal change. a buddy had a 59n in the bridge with ssl1 neck and middle and it was one of the best balanced hss setups ive played
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Pearly Gates Plus also does very well with a 250K pot; I think that's what it was designed for.
I actually found it a little harsh with 500K in a superStrat. 250K sweetened it up nicely.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Try the DiMarzio EJ Custom. Mini humbucker output and tone in a full sized humbucker form. Wish Duncan made something like it. It's an absolutely outstanding pickup for occupying the tonal and output area between humbuckers and singles. And because of how bright it is, the 250K pot won't kill it.
 
Last edited:
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

My 59/custom hybrid did really well with 250k and paired well with vintage output singles in my strat.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

My guess is the Jazz. It will tame some of the brightness, and balance well volume-wise with the other pickups.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Jazz Bridge would sound good with 250k pots.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

The easiest thing to do is to incorporate a resistor between the switch and ground so that the singles see a 250K pot and the humbucker sees a 500k pot depending on the switch position. You would just use a 500k volume pot plus the 500K resistor which equals 250K. That way you don't end up with screechy single coils or dark and flabby humbuckers.

Like this schematic for example.
 

Attachments

  • x3alVDU.jpg
    x3alVDU.jpg
    42.4 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Have you checked if you can fit a covered trembucker in the pickguard without needing to cut it?
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Have you checked if you can fit a covered trembucker in the pickguard without needing to cut it?

Yes, a covered trembucker fits.

Thank you for all the suggestions. Will see what is available in the UK from all of these.

Much appreciated.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Try the DiMarzio EJ Custom. Mini humbucker output and tone in a full sized humbucker form. Wish Duncan made something like it. It's an absolutely outstanding pickup for occupying the tonal and output area between humbuckers and singles. And because of how bright it is, the 250K pot won't kill it.

Can I share a few data and thoughts?

These Dimarzio appear to measure 8k and 7k for an inductance of 2.35H and 1.9H respectively. They are supposed to be full sized HB clones of FilterTron's.

The TV Jones Classic's that I've here measure respectively 4.8k and 4k for an inductance of 2H and 1.6H.

A SH4 in parallel (!) would measure something like... 4.1k and 1.95H.

What I'm trying to say is that a SH4 in parallel is close to a Filtertron specs wise and when it comes to resonant peaks.

What I'm also trying to share is that many shades of fine tuning are accessible just with parallel loads...

I've once emulated the response of a FilterTron thx to a LC circuit in parallel with a P.A.F. clone: it required a 4H inductor and a resistive load of approximatively 10k. And it worked reasonably well.

FWIW (= my two cents; as cheap as components like inductors and resistors). :-)


Post scriptum for the OP: I've refrained to contribute before, having already polluted your other topic (LOL). I'll just add that 2 main opposite roads can be considered when it comes to 250k with humbuckers:

1-the road of "flattened resonant peak": you take a really powerful humbucker with a high inductance (like a JB with its enormous 7.8H) and you flatten its high mid centered resonant peak with a low resistive load (like 250k). It gives a feeling of "wide range" due to the round overall frequency response.

2-the road of "single coilish resonant peaks": it requires a low inductance humbucker, giving a high pitched resonant frequency, like those of single coils. It affects the tone accordingly, albeit the wider magnetic windows and lower Q factor of a HB will always make it fatter sounding than most single coils...

The funny thing is that road 1 can lead to road 2: it just require a series / parallel conversion. :-)

Also & FWIW, something like a PG is in between: it has a higher inductance than a single coil but also a higher Q factor (more "single coilish") than most P.A.F. replicas. Hence its compatibility with 250k post and with SC's.

End of my unbearable tech babbling. Relief... :-))
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

I don't know what's best, but the JB with 250K pots works for me. I lower the bridge pickup a bit and raise the adjustable screws a bit so it gets back a bit of high end. With the JB set like that it's not overpowering or too dark for my tastes and splits well.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

Also, many of the Benedetto pickups can sound great with 250k pots, but that is going for a traditional jazz tone.
 
Re: Best humbucker for 250K pots?

An Invader, wired in parallel, sounds great with 250k pots. It's one of my favorite HSS pups.
 
Back
Top