Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

[master of tacos]

I know neither will produce a "true" single coil tone of a strat bridge single coil, but which one do you think gets closer or alternatively, is more usable?

My first guess is that splitting the pickup will provide a closer single coil pickup tone, but parallel gets pretty darn close without the drop in output or massive hum, which is why I'm leaning towards the latter.

Thoughts?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I prefer split. I think the tone is stronger and "better".

But parallel gives a decent single coil-ish tone too and it's humbucking.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

In the neck I switch the Jazz(N) between Parallel and regular Humbucking. I do like the Parallel tone a lot, and it is very usable, I must say I am a fan of single coils in the neck.
If I were to split a humbucker in the bridge, for single coil tones I would consider one of the higher output pickups. To get a decent output.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I like the split sound better, hum and all. Higher output 'buckers sound better for this in my experience. Play around with which coil you're splitting to, as they sounded quite different when splitting my Tone Zone.

 

[koshikas]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

my experience is that splitting gives you the better pseudo-single coil tone (more P-90ish) on moderate to high output pickup. If it is a low to moderate output pickup parallel sounds better with the tone having bit more body than the same pickup would sound split. However do i feel the highs are somewhat attenuated minutely when the coils are in parallel.

as for which coil to split to, I find the slug coil to be very pleasing for the split having more output (hence lows and mids) vs the screw coil.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I find the slug coil to be very pleasing for the split having more output (hence lows and mids) vs the screw coil.

I wonder if this is due to location more than winding and stuff. The slug is closer to the neck, and further from the bridge . . . thus less bright.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

A Super3 parallel is a really ****ing cool, passable tele sound.

 

[Artie]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

. . . but parallel gets pretty darn close without the drop in output or massive hum . . .

Parallel will definitely give you a drop in output. Around 6db to be exact. Sometimes it can be even lower than split because of minute phase cancellations due to picking up slightly different modes of the string.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

Just get an on/on/on switch and do all three modes.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

Parallel on a lot of bridge HB's is pretty weak and sterile. Coil cut sounds better, and there's not that much hum. BTW, parallel has the biggest drop in output; the ohms are reduced to 25% of series (coil cut is 50% of series).

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I was under the impression that resistance is a poor measure of output of a pickup.

 

[t1r12003]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I like split and the outside screw coils so the bridge pickup is nice and bright and twangy and the neck pickup still sounds a little fat since it's closer to the neck. I kick on a little compression and signal boost to compensate for the drop in volume.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

On one of my strats I have the little mini switch that does all 3...I Like split better.You get the single coil buzz,but I feel the tone is beefier and maybe even a tad more powerful in volume.

Parallel is cleaner,thinner,but still a usable tone with the right humbucker..I have a DMZ Fred that has been in one of my strats since the pickup came out..It has series/split/parallel on/on/on mini switching.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Bridge humbucker: parallel or split?

I was under the impression that resistance is a poor measure of output of a pickup.

Especially in this case, where we're comparing what happens with resistors in parallel. In this case the K rating goes from mildly irrelevant to blatantly misleading - a pickup is not a resistor, how many times does this need to be said!!
The split coil has the cut which will make it sit well in a mix, the paralle has the 'super quack' where a lot of the body does get cut from it due to the frequency cancellation. It tends to sound less sharp, and if the coils are mismatched anyhow it will sound less combed tonally than with two identical coils.