Eric Johnson Trick?

[Guitar Toad]

When Eric Johnson uses the stacked single coil form Dimarzio, the HS-3, reportedly he only uses the top coil. Does any one else do this perhaps with Seymour Duncan stacked SC's?

Yes there is more to EJ's sound than this trick/mod, but who else uses this? And can you report whether or not they it works well for you with any SDs.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

Eric Johnson uses the HS-2 in his bridge position, but with all humbucking connections left disconnected and simply wound to "true single coil' action, in the way of vertical humbucker as we can call them it ll be allways the one closest to the strings. Eric just loved that tone and it caries a little of his bechmark tone.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

Eric Johnson uses the HS-2 in his bridge position, but with all humbucking connections left disconnected and simply wound to "true single coil' action, in the way of vertical humbucker as we can call them it ll be allways the one closest to the strings. Eric just loved that tone and it caries a little of his bechmark tone.

So then, that is not a noisless configuration is it?

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

Nope, not at all, the mere fact that thers is annother magnet in the vecinity of the working one, will take about 35-40% noise away, but as you put it s no noiseless configuration at all.
Don' know what Eric's up for new, but i allways knew it were his two origninal Fender pups(or rebilt by FCS) and a HS-2 in the bridge but the humbucking part truelly never wired, since he never used the humbucking tone.

 

[Boston Joe]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

I have the HS-3 in the bridge and the HS-2 in the neck of a Strat-- both are wired to a single push/pull pot for humbucking and single coil operation. The HS-2 has a nice glassy, full sound; should have a good bite in the bridge. I'll presume the SDs are comparable.

 

[Jester700]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

Nope, not at all, the mere fact that thers is annother magnet in the vecinity of the working one, will take about 35-40% noise away, but as you put it s no noiseless configuration at all.

There's no other magnet, if you're meaning in the same pickup. There's a shield between top & bottom halves, and the bottom half is just a coil - no magnets or slugs - wound to the same resistance as the top coil.

There are other configurations for stacked buckers that have different coil winds on top & bottom, or magnets or slugs in the bottom coil, or one magnet through both coils. but the HS-1 and HS-2 are as I've described.

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

There's no other magnet, if you're meaning in the same pickup. There's a shield between top & bottom halves, and the bottom half is just a coil - no magnets or slugs - wound to the same resistance as the top coil.

There are other configurations for stacked buckers that have different coil winds on top & bottom, or magnets or slugs in the bottom coil, or one magnet through both coils. but the HS-1 and HS-2 are as I've described.

Well, what about the noise then? EJ reportedly HATES noise of a true SC. Running the HS-2 (or HS-3) would have some noise is it the same or less relative to a usual SC pup?

Is there any merit to the argument the the HS-2 with only the top coil acitve is "hotter" since the coil and the magnet are closer to the strings and not just the magnet?

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Eric Johnson Trick?

I have a set of Vintage Stacks in my Telecaster. I have wired them like this before and it sounded very very good. A lot of bite and very powerful. However, with the clubs we play, the hum is just too much for me...