How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
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Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
North coil only
South coil only
North coil with a wee bit of South coil
South coil with a wee bit of North coil
Both in series in phase
Both in series out of phase
Both in parallel in phase
Both in parallel out of phase
You can also put capacitors in between them to adjust the tone (like the Invader neck). And there are mods you can do to partially split a humbucker.
North coil only
South coil only
North coil with a wee bit of South coil
South coil with a wee bit of North coil
Both in series in phase
Both in series out of phase
Both in parallel in phase
Both in parallel out of phase
You can also put capacitors in between them to adjust the tone (like the Invader neck). And there are mods you can do to partially split a humbucker.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
Not all of them are quite worth it though. Parallel out of phase is almost always useless and series out of phase only sounds good with serious coil mismatch (p-rails).
But you can get quite a few usefull sounds with partial coil splits. If you use a 4.7k resistor on link that is sent to ground for a coil split, it will give you a nice Tele-esque tone. A 10k resistor will give you a sort of p90 type tone as well.
Not all of them are quite worth it though. Parallel out of phase is almost always useless and series out of phase only sounds good with serious coil mismatch (p-rails).
But you can get quite a few usefull sounds with partial coil splits. If you use a 4.7k resistor on link that is sent to ground for a coil split, it will give you a nice Tele-esque tone. A 10k resistor will give you a sort of p90 type tone as well.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
And also now that I think about it, you can't do all of that on 3-way toggles. You can probably do it with a 4P6T rotary switch though.
And also now that I think about it, you can't do all of that on 3-way toggles. You can probably do it with a 4P6T rotary switch though.
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
I don't care if I can get all of the sounds, I just want to be able to have 6 different sounds. I don't want to install any more switches or a rotary switch or anything like that.
I don't care if I can get all of the sounds, I just want to be able to have 6 different sounds. I don't want to install any more switches or a rotary switch or anything like that.
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
Split and/or parallel is useful, as is flipping the whole pickup out of phase so it cancels with another pickup. Many people find this tone a bit odd.....and practically none would find putting the two coils of a humbucker OOP with each other useful due to the cancellation (and volume drop) to be too much.
Split and/or parallel is useful, as is flipping the whole pickup out of phase so it cancels with another pickup. Many people find this tone a bit odd.....and practically none would find putting the two coils of a humbucker OOP with each other useful due to the cancellation (and volume drop) to be too much.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
What I'm trying to say is with a Gibson two way toggle, or even two, you can't. You could get a single free-way toggle switch. They look like a Gibson switch but they have 6 switching positions.
What I'm trying to say is with a Gibson two way toggle, or even two, you can't. You could get a single free-way toggle switch. They look like a Gibson switch but they have 6 switching positions.
vinnie1971
New member
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
And resistors between the cut coil and ground, or a potentiometer to dial a split...
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And resistors between the cut coil and ground, or a potentiometer to dial a split...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
vinnie1971
New member
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
Try this - works great in a 2 humbucker guitar.
In the middle position the outer coils sound like middle position on a Tele. The inner coils sound like the cluck on position 2 or 4 on a strat. I added out of phase to this as well on a separate push pull.
There is another way to individually split coils so you can have one humbucker and one split when send the push pull coil splits to another push pull which connects the series link wires to either ground (inside coils) or hot (outer splits) when they are split. I haven't seen a diagram for it but I can do one if you are interested.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Try this - works great in a 2 humbucker guitar.
In the middle position the outer coils sound like middle position on a Tele. The inner coils sound like the cluck on position 2 or 4 on a strat. I added out of phase to this as well on a separate push pull.
There is another way to individually split coils so you can have one humbucker and one split when send the push pull coil splits to another push pull which connects the series link wires to either ground (inside coils) or hot (outer splits) when they are split. I haven't seen a diagram for it but I can do one if you are interested.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
I didn't completely understand this, could you elaborate?
I didn't completely understand this, could you elaborate?
vinnie1971
New member
How many ways can you configure a humbucker?
When splitting coils you can just do a straight coil split by grounding the outer coils so it's the inner coil split.
This has disadvantages notably the slug is the active coil and it is further away from the strings. In asymmetrically wound humbuckers the slug is lower in output leading to the common complaint coil splits sound rubbish. Although grounding via a resistor to retain some if the outer coil in signal mitigates this.
Better to split to the outer coils then. So that means connecting the series link to hot. Simple enough.
But why would you want to split both ways? Because while on their own they sound similar, when both pickups are selected it's all about the in between tones. Inner splits have that Stratocaster in between cluck as the inner coils are closer together like the middle and bridge on a strat, for example.
Outer coil splits have that in between telecaster spank as the coils are far apart.
Then comes what if I want hum free single coil tones?
It's not necessary one or the other you can combine them with the right schema. The following assume a Les Paul with standard appearance using push pulls:
Option 1:
I want inner coils, outer coils and the ability to get hum free single coil tone.
One push pull is used to universally split both humbuckers to the outer coils when pulled.
The other universally splits to the inner coils when pulled.
When both are pulled this puts each humbucker in parallel with itself - hum free single coil tone.
Option 2
I like the telecaster custom and telestrat 51 tones of neck humbucker bridge single coil or bridge humbucker and neck single coil respectively, as these are unique tones different from HH or SS, but still want inner and outer coil splits for the usual Tele and strat in between tones.
This needs 3 push pulls.
The you set 2 push pulls to split as normal, take the series link wire on each push pull and solder to the middle terminal but instead of grounding the pull terminal you take a wire and hook up to another push pull on the middle terminals. Each side of the 3rd push pull sets both the coil split push pulls. So with the 3 push pull down the series link connects to ground, remember to use a resistor as it's the slug coil so you need a little screw coil in signal. Pull up and then the series link is connected to hot output.
The 3rd push pull only has an effect when one or both of the other push pulls are pulled. So you can combine one humbucker with either the inner or outer coil of the other pickup, have both split to inner or outer, or both humbuckers.
Downside is you can't have each humbucker in parallel with itself for hum free single coil tones.
---------/
So I either have universal inner outer coil split with parallel option. Or just series parallel options on each humbucker.
Or just have the ability to do outer splits available individually on each HB apart from one when I split to inner coils with a resistor but rotated the pickups so they are the outer. This is on a double slug bucket where the poles are alnico magnets, like 2 single coils in series. It's on an HSH strat with some funky wiring!
But I have lots of guitars all bar 2 HH guitars do some manner of coil splitting and or series/parallel options.
And 2 are HSH strats with 3 way rotary switches and super switches to select the mode of pickup selection and coil splitting off the 5 way switch ..., but that's another story
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This requires some explanation first.
When splitting coils you can just do a straight coil split by grounding the outer coils so it's the inner coil split.
This has disadvantages notably the slug is the active coil and it is further away from the strings. In asymmetrically wound humbuckers the slug is lower in output leading to the common complaint coil splits sound rubbish. Although grounding via a resistor to retain some if the outer coil in signal mitigates this.
Better to split to the outer coils then. So that means connecting the series link to hot. Simple enough.
But why would you want to split both ways? Because while on their own they sound similar, when both pickups are selected it's all about the in between tones. Inner splits have that Stratocaster in between cluck as the inner coils are closer together like the middle and bridge on a strat, for example.
Outer coil splits have that in between telecaster spank as the coils are far apart.
Then comes what if I want hum free single coil tones?
It's not necessary one or the other you can combine them with the right schema. The following assume a Les Paul with standard appearance using push pulls:
Option 1:
I want inner coils, outer coils and the ability to get hum free single coil tone.
One push pull is used to universally split both humbuckers to the outer coils when pulled.
The other universally splits to the inner coils when pulled.
When both are pulled this puts each humbucker in parallel with itself - hum free single coil tone.
Option 2
I like the telecaster custom and telestrat 51 tones of neck humbucker bridge single coil or bridge humbucker and neck single coil respectively, as these are unique tones different from HH or SS, but still want inner and outer coil splits for the usual Tele and strat in between tones.
This needs 3 push pulls.
The you set 2 push pulls to split as normal, take the series link wire on each push pull and solder to the middle terminal but instead of grounding the pull terminal you take a wire and hook up to another push pull on the middle terminals. Each side of the 3rd push pull sets both the coil split push pulls. So with the 3 push pull down the series link connects to ground, remember to use a resistor as it's the slug coil so you need a little screw coil in signal. Pull up and then the series link is connected to hot output.
The 3rd push pull only has an effect when one or both of the other push pulls are pulled. So you can combine one humbucker with either the inner or outer coil of the other pickup, have both split to inner or outer, or both humbuckers.
Downside is you can't have each humbucker in parallel with itself for hum free single coil tones.
---------/
So I either have universal inner outer coil split with parallel option. Or just series parallel options on each humbucker.
Or just have the ability to do outer splits available individually on each HB apart from one when I split to inner coils with a resistor but rotated the pickups so they are the outer. This is on a double slug bucket where the poles are alnico magnets, like 2 single coils in series. It's on an HSH strat with some funky wiring!
But I have lots of guitars all bar 2 HH guitars do some manner of coil splitting and or series/parallel options.
And 2 are HSH strats with 3 way rotary switches and super switches to select the mode of pickup selection and coil splitting off the 5 way switch ..., but that's another story
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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