Favorite Humbuckers Split

[ErikH]

There's so many humbuckers that have the split option these days. Not all of them sound great though, and some better than others. Of them all, which ones are your favorite?

Mine are the DiMarzio Super Distortion and the Seymour Duncan Perpetual Burn.

The SuperD has this really cool overwound single-coil sound. Great for clean or saturated sounds with a nice cut. Plenty of sparkle without getting sharp despite the ceramic magnet. It's a classic, what else can ya say.

The Perpetual Burn split has the output of a good Duncan bridge single-coil. In my latest Frankenstrat, I'm floored at the amount of single-coil sparkle it has without getting nasty. It just sounds good. Real good. It's the only pickup in the guitar so having that split option makes it all that more diverse.

I have not tried the Screamin' Demon split yet, though I have 3 of them...LOL. I might in the near future.

 

[Despair]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

P-Rails! For all the reasons that get mentioned every time the P-Rails comes up.

PATB-1b balances nicely with a middle single. Worked much better with middle pickup than the JB I tried before it.

 

[BluesIsBlood12]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

The problem with splitting is that you usually end up with about a 4k single coil, which is too weak. PRS makes this better by including a little of the 2nd coil, which gets it pretty close to a normal single coil output. I've only tried a couple, but I'd say most good pickups would sound pretty good this way. For a normal split, you'd have to look at pretty hot pickups. I bought a 59/Custom Hybrid specifically for this, as you can split to the 7k-ish custom coil, which sound pretty good to me. It'll never sound like a vintage strat, but it effectively gives me 2 usable levels of gain at the same amp settings.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

Black Winter neck splits like a mofo and does not sound weak or thin at all. You can get great blues tones from a split Winter neck, and even some nice archtop-type shimmer playing clean with a bit of reverb and the tone knob rolled off.

 

[Dave Z]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

JB works. Decent single coil tone but vintage strat single it is not

 

[AlexR]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

^ I found the JB was pretty cool in parallel. Sort of chimey like you were playing old time music through a vox.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

JB, Alt8, Distortion N and 59N.

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[Mincer]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

I like 3 main ones: 59/Custom Hybrid, Alnico II Pro, and Custom Custom. All 3 provide very cool, usable sounds.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

Which coil do you split the hybrid to?

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[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

The DiMarzio Ionizers in my 8 string sound awesome split. They're Tosin Abasi's signature pickups, and he plays clean as much as distorted. They were spec'ed to sound very good split, and in combination with the middle single coil. I won't say it sounds exactly like a Strat, but they sound like real single coils.

My PRS SE Custom 24's stock pickups have excellent split tones, too. It has the SE HFS/Vintage Bass setup, and they're just great all around. I have an Invader in the bridge now, which has a very usable split tone, as well.

My RG 7 string has an DiMarzio Imperium bridge, usable but not amazing split tone. It's almost more like a bass cut than a single coil sound. The PAF7 in the neck is very Stratty.

 

[starmaker]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

JB & 59's split in a nice thick mahogany body sound great to me...….

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

PAF Pro+ Super D split together (inside coils, or Pro to neck coil).

59n or PGn (slug poles) -- Don't sound like Strat singles, but both are great lower-powered sounds.

Bluesbucker. Fantastic split. But not sure if it counts, as it's an oddity and about 80% of the way to being a single coil even with both coils on.

 

[AniML]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

PAF Pro+ Super D split together (inside coils, or Pro to neck coil).

59n or PGn (slug poles) -- Don't sound like Strat singles, but both are great lower-powered sounds.

Bluesbucker. Fantastic split. But not sure if it counts, as it's an oddity and about 80% of the way to being a single coil even with both coils on.

Yes, enjoying that split PGn here too

 

[Mincer]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

Which coil do you split the hybrid to?

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The Custom.

 

[gdsmithtx]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

Air Zone bridge sounds great split in my Ibanez SZ520.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

P-Rails, StagMag, 59/C (and/or any of the Customs).

Most other pups that sound OK split, I find sound much better in parallel.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

My top 3 bridge are 59/Custom Hybrid, Perpetual Burn and the Alt 8.
Neck only found one I really like so far in the Sentient.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

SD pups have been covered pretty well, I definitely love to put a JB coil in parallel with the middle pickup with HSS designs.

For non-sd pickups I love to spin a split practically every Joe barden pup, and on a few songs will totally spin off the 2nd coil.

My new favorite is the railhammer hyper vintage. the pup is just so versital as a humbucker and when you add splits it's like getting a total separate pickup as well.

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[blueman335]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

Rather than coil split, I use spin-a-split as it's far more versatile.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Favorite Humbuckers Split

The Custom / Jazz set in my Explorer sounds great split, especially in the middle position.