Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

[Bananagab]

Hello everyone,
I was out to buy a Strat only to fill my need to get a guitar with a twang sound to play music in the style of Nile Rodgers and John Frusciante. I figure I would ask before doing that if there is a humbucker set that exists which could turn one of my humbuckers equipped guitar into something that sound a little more like a Strat.

I know the DMZ Humbucker from Hell sound like a Strat single coil in the neck. I could coil tap the guitar but, from my experience, it doesn't sound near as much as a real single coil as I would like. Is there any other options that I may have overlooked?

Thank you for your time!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

in general the answer is no but what kind of guitars do you have? a strat with split humbuckers sounds more stratty than a les paul with split humbuckers

 

[Bananagab]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

in general the answer is no but what kind of guitars do you have? a strat with split humbuckers sounds more stratty than a les paul with split humbuckers

It would probably be a Eastwood Airline 2P (basswood body).

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbuck...Strat-pickup-ANGLED-THREE-COLORS-_p_4349.html
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbuck...Strat-pickup-ANGLED-THREE-COLORS-_p_4349.html

 

[Demanic]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

I would try Lace Alumitones. Not the Deathbuckers, the regular ones. Very bright and clear, can be split, not as much bottom as the Deathbuckers.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Really low output PAFs could do it, combined with the right playing approach. Gibson Burstbucker 1 and 2 (not Pro) set is the first thing that comes to mind.

I see YouTube demos all the time of players getting funky sounds with Les Pauls, often with Peter Green-style PAFs.

Leo Nocentelli of the Meters was known for using a 335 (which of course had PAFs), and he is funk incarnate.

 

[Bananagab]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbuck...Strat-pickup-ANGLED-THREE-COLORS-_p_4349.html
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbuck...Strat-pickup-ANGLED-THREE-COLORS-_p_4349.html

That could work. Although it looks very ugly :/ . If there isn't a better option, I will probably buy these rings.

I would try Lace Alumitones. Not the Deathbuckers, the regular ones. Very bright and clear, can be split, not as much bottom as the Deathbuckers.

Hmm, never heard of those pickups. These do look like a good choice but they do not have a dealer in Canada and I'm scared of buying it from their website because the custom fees I've had for the last year with packages from Amazon US and Ebay have been atrociously high.

Really low output PAFs could do it, combined with the right playing approach. Gibson Burstbucker 1 and 2 (not Pro) set is the first thing that comes to mind.

I see YouTube demos all the time of players getting funky sounds with Les Pauls, often with Peter Green-style PAFs.

Leo Nocentelli of the Meters was known for using a 335 (which of course had PAFs), and he is funk incarnate.

Yeah I thought of that. It's probably what I will end up with if I don't change my mind about the single coil mounting ring thingy. I will look into multiple pickups set that could work.

 

[bangbang1]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Stag Mags are supposed to spilt to more "single-coily" tones, and they have strat-style staggered pole pieces. I had and sold a couple, but want to get one again.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

I'm probably going to pull the Dragon II's from my PRS, install a 3 way Switch and put some Duncan APH-1 or Pearly Gates in my PRS.

Every good guitarist needs at least one guitar with Fender style single coils and one with Gibson style Humbuckers.

I don't expect to get both of those tones from one guitar.

 

[Diego]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

A split humbucker and a nice compressor will only take you halfway there.

If you're looking for something that just resembles those sounds, you're in. If you want to get actually close to them... Ditch the idea and buy a used Squier Classic Vibe Strat or something.

Despite not being a perfect Strat, you'll still have results way closer go your expectations, instead of trying to get cow milk from a goat.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

For Nile Rogers funky scratchy stuff, I do have a magic combo if you're into it. It's the Dimarzio Super 2 in the neck, and Super Distortion in the bridge, coil split to the inside coils. I realize ceramic is counterintuitive but that middle position, with the coils split, is amazing.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Every good guitarist needs at least one guitar with Fender style single coils and one with Gibson style Humbuckers.

I don't expect to get both of those tones from one guitar.

Agreed. Further, I like the feel of a different guitar for different sounds. Nothing about my LP makes me want to play the tones I get from my Strat or Tele.

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

All depends on your guitar, but I imagine something like the Alnico II Pro or Pearly Gates could do the trick.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Pearly Gates is a fantastic choice and has a really squishy and quacky middle position. It's got a really pronounced attack that is sharp yet still warm.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Pearly Gates is a fantastic choice and has a really squishy and quacky middle position. It's got a really pronounced attack that is sharp yet still warm.

So is this thread really about humbuckers that sound sort of like single coils without being split?

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

So is this thread really about humbuckers that sound sort of like single coils without being split?

That was my interpretation and why I mentioned the Pearly Gates since it's got a very interesting middle position sound.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

That was my interpretation and why I mentioned the Pearly Gates since it's got a very interesting middle position sound.

Cool. I misunderstood.

 

[stratguy23]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

That's a really good point - if the humbuckers by themselves can't twang, middle position might, and Pearly Gates is a good candidate for that. Peter Green-style wiring might also get one there.

Adding to Frank's point, the ceramic Custom splits really well and, to my ears, can get kind of funky if you attack it right.

That said, if I were OP, I would go for lean, crisp-sounding PAFs, and BB 1/2 (not Pro) would be my first stop.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

Cool. I misunderstood.

I dunno about that Lew, I'm usually wrong about everything around here.

 

[Bananagab]

Re: Best humbucker set for funky, single coily sound

I think it's a futile quest that only leads to compromise and mediocre tone.

Paul Reed Smith chased that Swiss Army Knife idea for years and years before giving up and just making guitars with vintage sounding paf style humbuckers.

His Dragon II pickups did about as good a job of it as possible but the humbucker tones are not stellar nor are the single coil tones. And most guys prefer the original Dragons.

But for me, those PRS Dragons and Dragon II's do that Gibson/Fender trick better than anything else I've owned.

That said, I'm probably going to pull the Dragon II's from my PRS, install a 3 way Switch and put some Duncan APH-1 or Pearly Gates in my PRS.

Every good guitarist needs at least one guitar with Fender style single coils and one with Gibson style Humbuckers.

I don't expect to get both of those tones from one guitar.

Agreed. Further, I like the feel of a different guitar for different sounds. Nothing about my LP makes me want to play the tones I get from my Strat or Tele.

Yeah, the more I look at it, the more I think I should just wait and get another guitar. Something like a Mexican Strat or Tele would be nice.

Thanks for your input guys!