Blending pickups

[Benjy_26]

Re: Blending pickups

The '50's wiring has nothing to do with that at all. That's a tone circuit difference, what you are referring to is constant load vs. variable load on the pup side. Running the pups to the wiper enables both volumes to be independent, but the tone changes much more as the volumes are lowered. Gibson has used both back and forth over the years, regardless of decade, and regardless of the offical position on it.

Thanks Kent! I learn something new here everyday.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Blending pickups

Yeah it works, that's the alternative wiring, check Stewmac site they show it there, balance controls have to be wired that way (for example). See comments regarding load issues.

What's your opinion with regards to loading on active pickups?

I've found that they seem to hold their tone much better at low and really low volumes than passives. I kinda wonder what the difference would be tonally between the two wiring methods when using actives.

I plan on leaving them the way they are currently, since I don't dislike the tone at low volumes, and the blend feature is worth any potential gains I might recieve from switching them, but I am interested in knowing non the less.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Blending pickups

What's your opinion with regards to loading on active pickups?

I've found that they seem to hold their tone much better at low and really low volumes than passives. I kinda wonder what the difference would be tonally between the two wiring methods when using actives.

In theory there isn't anything different with regard to loading, but they do tend to maintain more of their tone at reduced volumes (since I don't use actives I must go from what others have told me). I believe it may be an issue of the preamp buffering the signal itself, generally everyone tends to report the same findings, so it doesn't appear to be a problem. Without suitable experience with the issue directly though, I couldn't really say more thean that. On the good side, the wiring is easy enough to swap.