coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

[midigods]

I was experimenting with some jumpers on a 4 conductor humbucker and I had a switch setup for coil cut and parallel, and I couldn't hear a difference between either setting. Neither coil cut or parallel sounded different. There was an obvious difference when I setup the switch for series/parallel. Is it common for parallel and coil cut to sound pretty much identical?

This was with a DiMarzio Air Norton, btw. Thanks.

 

[uOpt]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

No, parallel should be much thinner than each coil alone.

 

[cakire82]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

No, parallel should be much thinner than each coil alone.

+1 It is mostly due to the fact that when you wire a HB in parallel the DC resistance becomes 1/4th of the series. Where is coil cut is approximately half.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

I dislike both options.

 

[blueman335]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

Coil cut is a little sharper sound, with a little more output. Plus there's a little single coil noise. Parallel is noise-free, but weaker and thin. Parallel on a bridge PAF is pretty much useless, whereas coil cut has some virtues. If the series resistence is 8,000 ohms, coil cut is 4,000 and parallel is 2,000 (which is out of gas).

 

[nalo1022]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

I personally enjoy the super lower resistance of a PAF in parallel, but I'm in the minority with that. I find it useful with a ovredriven tube amp. In parallel you have a clean sound, and when put in series it acts like boost and gives enough push to get the amp overdriven.

 

[midigods]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

Here's the wiring I used, is it correct? its Dimarzio 4 conductor (north-to-south -> red, black, white, green) and its a dpdt on-off-on switch.

 

[nalo1022]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

No assuming that the diagram you posted is supposed to give you series/parallel/split. You said your switch is a DPDT 3 postion on-off-on, but do you have pinout diagram/description for said switch. I could easily draw you a diagram if exactly what switch you are using. Given the diagram shown and your description you would have split coil (south), parallel, and then split coil (south) if the green and white leads are connected to common points.

 

[MattPete]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

Parallel on a bridge PAF is pretty much useless(which is out of gas).

Meh, whatever. I add a parallel option to all of my guitars whenever I can. It works particularly well in a Brobucker.

 

[blueman335]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

Meh, whatever. I add a parallel option to all of my guitars whenever I can. It works particularly well in a Brobucker.

How hot are the PU's and what kind of music? At 1/4 the resistence, most of us can't do anything with a bridge PU in parallel unless it's high output. I like coil cut much better, as it still has some balls to it. To me, parallel has more use in the neck slot because the extra string energy makes up for some of the drop in output.

 

[midigods]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

that diagram is just supposed to give me coil-cut/parallel. I don't plan on wiring my real switch that way, just trying to decide whether I like coil cut or parallel better for my real wiring.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

They've always sounded very similar to me. Parallel is (in theory) slightly lighter sounding and will hum-cancel, but anyone claiming a big tonal difference hasn't tried it.

Also, anyone pointing out that it's half the resistance of split has a poor grasp of the physics involved - guitar pickups are not entirely governed by their impedance. Are positions 2 and 4 on a Strat half the volume of 1, 3 and 5? No. Clearly bunkum. As always, do not be duped by people spouting bad science.

 

[blueman335]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

Also, anyone pointing out that it's half the resistance of split has a poor grasp of the physics involved - guitar pickups are not entirely governed by their impedance. Are positions 2 and 4 on a Strat half the volume of 1, 3 and 5? No. Clearly bunkum. As always, do not be duped by people spouting bad science.

Right, parallel isn't half the output of coil cut, just half the resistence, but taking a 14K ohm C5 down to 3.5K makes for a puny sound. Who's using bridge PU's that are 3.5K ohm in series? At least in coil cut, at 7K, you still have a little bite and grit to it.

 

[MattPete]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

How hot are the PU's and what kind of music? At 1/4 the resistence, most of us can't do anything with a bridge PU in parallel unless it's high output. I like coil cut much better, as it still has some balls to it. To me, parallel has more use in the neck slot because the extra string energy makes up for some of the drop in output.

A2pro neck is the weakest I have it on. In the bridge, I think a Brobucker is the weakest pickup with parallel wiring. Either way, tone is tone, and I always got the impression that parallel was far more useful than coil-cut. On a side note, flicking the parallel switch on the JB in my Kramer Pacer and mixing it with the middle SSL1 was instant Michael Schenker wah sound.

Also, 1/4 resistance != 1/4 output.

 

[blueman335]

Re: coil cut sounds identical to parallel?

A2pro neck is the weakest I have it on. In the bridge, I think a Brobucker is the weakest pickup with parallel wiring. Either way, tone is tone, and I always got the impression that parallel was far more useful than coil-cut. On a side note, flicking the parallel switch on the JB in my Kramer Pacer and mixing it with the middle SSL1 was instant Michael Schenker wah sound.

Also, 1/4 resistance != 1/4 output.

I think that coil cut mixed with another HB in series works well, as does two HB's in coil cut. Plus by itself, coil cut is a viable option for both the bridge & neck slots. Having a little more 'oomph', it's more versatile than parallel.