I am thinking about putting a couple of 59s in my LP, but I don't know if I should wire them in series or split besides the regular hook up. I called SD and the tech support told me that putting the 59s in series will make them sound fat like the P90s. However, my friend's Nighthawk and my American Deluxe Tele with the S-1 switch prove it otherwise. I wonder if any of you brothers and sisters has wired the 59 in series and tell me how it sounds.
How does 59 in series sound?
- Thread starter Amateur
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Re: How does 59 in series sound?
I wired them up in one of my Les Pauls years ago. IMO, they sounded like Clapton's "Woman Tone": Thick, loud, bassy; lots of sustain and still had that vintagey, underlying Gibson sound.
I kept them series wired for a while but then, the novelty wore off and I needed the tonal aspects which standard parallel wiring provided.
I wired them up in one of my Les Pauls years ago. IMO, they sounded like Clapton's "Woman Tone": Thick, loud, bassy; lots of sustain and still had that vintagey, underlying Gibson sound.
I kept them series wired for a while but then, the novelty wore off and I needed the tonal aspects which standard parallel wiring provided.
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Thanks Martian.
That sounds like the P90 all right. I may want to try it with the push/push pot I have to switch between parallel and series. What will be the effects of the volume and tone pots If I wired them in series?
Thanks Martian.
That sounds like the P90 all right. I may want to try it with the push/push pot I have to switch between parallel and series. What will be the effects of the volume and tone pots If I wired them in series?
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Naturally, in parallel, you'll notice more dynamics in terms of 1 through 10 with the pots.
In series, believe me, you don't want the tone pots on anything other than 10! The phrase that immediately comes to mind is, "farty mud".
In series, lowering the volume pot(s) took away what little dynamics the pickups on together had. They sounded like they should be in a bass.
Give the series wiring a try as it was fun.
Naturally, in parallel, you'll notice more dynamics in terms of 1 through 10 with the pots.
In series, believe me, you don't want the tone pots on anything other than 10! The phrase that immediately comes to mind is, "farty mud".
In series, lowering the volume pot(s) took away what little dynamics the pickups on together had. They sounded like they should be in a bass.
Give the series wiring a try as it was fun.
T
TheArchitect
Guest
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Are you talking about wiring two 59's in series or just wiring the coils of 1 59 in series which would be how all humbuckers are wired by default
Are you talking about wiring two 59's in series or just wiring the coils of 1 59 in series which would be how all humbuckers are wired by default
T
TheArchitect
Guest
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
What he said...
(for those who don't believe me to back up my statement: how do you think you get the much higher D.C. resistance of a Humbucker if not in series?)
What he said...
(for those who don't believe me to back up my statement: how do you think you get the much higher D.C. resistance of a Humbucker if not in series?)
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ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Correct.
You can't wire a standard '59 in parallel. If you get one with a 4 conductor wire, it works like this:
Series: green to ground, red and white to each other, black to output/switch.
Parallel: green and white to ground, red and black to output/switch.
Series is the fat, powerful humbucker tone we all know and love. A humbucker in parallel will have less output and sustain, and a bit more treble - pretty much like a single coil.
Correct.
You can't wire a standard '59 in parallel. If you get one with a 4 conductor wire, it works like this:
Series: green to ground, red and white to each other, black to output/switch.
Parallel: green and white to ground, red and black to output/switch.
Series is the fat, powerful humbucker tone we all know and love. A humbucker in parallel will have less output and sustain, and a bit more treble - pretty much like a single coil.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
I wired up a Les Paul once with a series/parallel switch to wire both humbucker in series WITH EACH OTHER. I thought it would give me this killer blues twang but I ended up with a 4-coil 20k humbucker that sounded like pure mud.
I wired up a Les Paul once with a series/parallel switch to wire both humbucker in series WITH EACH OTHER. I thought it would give me this killer blues twang but I ended up with a 4-coil 20k humbucker that sounded like pure mud.
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Well, when I talked to the tech support, he mentioned about parallel, in series and split. How does the split hook up sound then? And how is it supposed to wire? I always thought the humbuckers are parallel by default and when it is splitted, it is a single coil. When wired in series, you get higer impedence. May be I should do some more digging.
Well, when I talked to the tech support, he mentioned about parallel, in series and split. How does the split hook up sound then? And how is it supposed to wire? I always thought the humbuckers are parallel by default and when it is splitted, it is a single coil. When wired in series, you get higer impedence. May be I should do some more digging.
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: How does 59 in series sound?
Split wiring is black to output/switch, everything else to ground. It basically turns the humbucker into a low-output single coil, including 60 Hz hum. In contrast, parallel wiring a humbucker will give you single coil tone, but no hum.
Have a look at the wiring diagrams for humbuckers in the Support section of SD's website. There are lots of good ideas in there.
Split wiring is black to output/switch, everything else to ground. It basically turns the humbucker into a low-output single coil, including 60 Hz hum. In contrast, parallel wiring a humbucker will give you single coil tone, but no hum.
Have a look at the wiring diagrams for humbuckers in the Support section of SD's website. There are lots of good ideas in there.