How does the '59 sound coil-split?

[severalwills1]

Especially the neck. Anyone have any samples? I really wanted to put a covered set of four-conductor '59s in my ES-339 Pro sometime in the future because it came with push-pulls. I haven't really seen any samples of it, because it's usually a single-conductor.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

It sounds VERY weak and thin when split. I can't imagine ever wanting to split a neck '59. Maybe (rarely, if ever) parallel, but never split.

 

[DreX]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

It's the sort of thing I wire up just because I can, if I have the capacity for the push/pulls, but it's hardly even worth the trouble. I'm certain you'd rarely want to use that sound. I have a set of EJ Customs that are one of the brightest, lowest output production humbuckers ever, I opted to use push/pulls to change the tone pots cap value rather than split/parallel the HBs.

 

[severalwills1]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

Okay, so is it worth sacrificing the coil-split versatility and using regular pots (I know I can just leave in the existing ones but dat OCD) if I really want the 59's? For what it's worth, I mostly play cleans (especially chords and arpeggiated stuff) and slight overdriven stuff with my 339. Or should I even go for the Jazz if I want to keep the coil split?

 

[AlexR]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

I'd go spin-a-split personally. You use the pot to variably shunt one coil to ground. That way you can get 2/3 singlecoil, or 3/4, or whatever amount you want.

 

[DreX]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

HB's like the Jazz and '59 have such a nice clean tone that I don't think you have to worry about going single coil with them. If you want full sized humbuckers, but like the clarity of a single coil and don't want to compromise tone, some models to consider are the Jazz, the DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell, and the EJ Custom, which sounds a lot like a Filtertron.

 

[Artie]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

This is another one of those questions where one man's chocolate pudding is another man's mud. I have a pair of 59's in my Cort M200, and I love them split. However, when I split them, I'm doing the neck screw coil in parallel with the bridge stud coil, for that Strat "notch" quack. I don't really do either pickup by itself in split mode.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

It sounds trebly and very weak. It's a decent way to get a super low output pickup, if that's what you want. It might be useful for recording with lots of gain and/or effects, but I can't imagine it being much use live, as it would have a hard time balancing with other pickups and other instruments in the band. The other use I can think of would be to put it in parallel with another, higher output, pickup. E.g. split the neck pickup, keep the bridge pickup as a humbucker, and use the middle switch position (assuming a Gibson-style 3-way toggle).

 

[Archer250]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

HB's like the Jazz and '59 have such a nice clean tone that I don't think you have to worry about going single coil with them. If you want full sized humbuckers, but like the clarity of a single coil and don't want to compromise tone, some models to consider are the Jazz, the DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell, and the EJ Custom, which sounds a lot like a Filtertron.

The Jazz sounds great split, especially clean. Very usable for pop and softer music, IMO. The 59, I've never tried.

 

[InbredJunk]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

I love the split sounds that my 59 neck pup delivers. It's in a very warm guitar and has an alnico 4 magnet in it.

 

[Demanic]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

I love the split sounds that my 59 neck pup delivers. It's in a very warm guitar and has an alnico 4 magnet in it.

Same here. I think it sounds very strat single like. Though I am planning on swapping my A4 polished for a roughcast. Too much treble for me.

 

[DreX]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

Some have said that single coils, or maybe just low output pickups, are more susceptible to sound good or bad depending on the guitar they're in (and I've heard the inverse; the hotter the pickup, the less the guitar matters). I suspect that this is double true when splitting humbuckers. It might not be the split pickups that are unflattering, but more that a Les Paul (and guitar bodies intended to house humbuckers) don't sound as good with lower output single coil, even a dedicated one. I think I've seen a few freak Les Pauls with Fender-style single coils, few and far between to say the least, and there was a PRS with a SSS configuration, but I think it's been discontinued.

 

[blueman335]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

What's much better than coil cut for most neck HB's is spin-a-split, which is converting the tone pot to a 2nd volume control, but for one coil only. With that you get full HB to coil cut, and can dial in everything in between; all those great sounds of unbalanced coils, which is one reason the original PAF's sounded so good. Unbalanced coils allow some single coil sound to be mixed with HB, and in the neck slot it's very useful to add high end and thin out the mids and lows, without going all the way to the extreme of coil cut.

Spin-a-split is very simple and easy to do, just use a regular pot, and wire it like a volume pot using the red and white wires (on Duncan's) than are usually taped off.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

This is another one of those questions where one man's chocolate pudding is another man's mud. I have a pair of 59's in my Cort M200, and I love them split. However, when I split them, I'm doing the neck screw coil in parallel with the bridge stud coil, for that Strat "notch" quack. I don't really do either pickup by itself in split mode.

So then we're really saying the same thing...we don't like the '59 split. But in parallel, maybe. And one coil in parallel with one coil of another '59 is ok.

 

[Tony]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

Hey. Here is a video that shows several pickups -59 model neck included- in parallel, split and series. Hope that helps. See you.

 

[Securb]

Re: How does the '59 sound coil-split?

One thing I have come to realize about this forum is, people are quick to pigeonhole you into their tone. What sounds good for them doesn't translate to what will sound good for you. Someone mentioned the Jazz doesn't sound good split. I have a Jazz with a split in my Iceman and it sounds fantastic. Archer also has said he also has a split Jazz and is happy with it. You have to separate speculation from practical experience. Some of these people are simply guessing based on stats and voltages with no real life experience backing their opinions. My advice is get the 59 and tap it. Music is all about experimentation, you just may come up with a cool unique tone.