How to Tele-ize an HB route.

Rich_S

Rich_S

HomeGrownToneBrewologist
I've been a 2-guitar guy for years. I had a regular Tele (my #1) and then for humbucker tones, I had my Schecter PT partscaster with a '59 set. I was happy.

Then I fell for a little MIK wine-red Hamer Sunburst. I upgraded it to as close to USA-Hamer specs as I could, including a custom pair of Josh Gravelin pickups. I told Josh, "Double cream bridge, zebra neck, and make them sound like "Budokan"." Josh knew exactly what to do, and suddenly I had a new guitar for humbucker sounds, leaving the PT somewhat redundant.

So the PT is now sort of the "extra" guitar. It's good to have an extra around, I expect it will spend a lot of time in alternate tuners. (I've been learning "Headmaster Ritual" lately, and it's good to have a guitar on the wall tuned to open E.) The thing is, I'm really more of a Tele guy than a humbucker guy, so it would be better if the extra guitar leaned more toward Tele sounds than Les Paul.

Which brings me to the point of this thread: the PT presently has a '59 set, with the pull-split switch on the bridge pickup. I love the '59 as a humbucker, but it's kinda wimpy as a single-coil. Usable, but wimpy. So the question is, how best to get single-coil sounds out of this guitar? I suppose a could make an adapter plate, but it would look like ass. Other options I've considered:

  • Custom '59 Hybrid. This would give me a stronger single coil sound, without getting too far into hot-humbucker territory.
  • Stag Mag. I've know this pickup existed for years, and know that giving authentic Strat sounds in a humbucker format is its primary purpose. However, I've never seen (or heard) one in the wild. Anybody have any experience they can relate?
  • Phat Cat. Actually, I'd probably try a GFS Mean 90, since I want a black cover and "cheap is good" when we're experimenting. I don't have much hands-on experience with P-90s, but I suspect the P-90 sounds is fatter than what I want in a Tele.
  • GFS Dream 90. I've read that GFS' first attempt at a humbucker-sized P-90 doesn't sound anything like a P-90, but is thinner and more single-coily.
  • Booteek Pickups: I understand that guys like Lindy Fralin make single-coil voiced pickups in HB covers, but I haven't researched the details.
Given my druthers, I'd stick with Duncan, which is why the hybrid and the Stag Mag are at the top of the list. But I'll consider whatever's likely to give me something similar to (but not exactly like) my regular STL-1-loaded Tele.

Discuss.
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

The problem with splitting a humbucker into single coil mode is half a humbucker is not the same as a real single coil! It’s under wound, and the magnet structure is different.

I played in a band with a guy that had Barden humbucker in his Les Paul Custom. It was the Two/Tone pickups. The coils have taps so it switches into a lower, brighter output and sounded just like a Strat.


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Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

I'm currently messing with an alnico II JB in my Nighthawk. It's pretty hot in full humbucker mode, but it does do a decent country twang tone when split and does a decent fake stray sound when combined with the middle single. May be worth a try if you don't mind going that hot.
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

If I were trying to make a PT Schector more Tele-like, for me, I would try either a Seth or Jazz in the neck and a 78 Model bridge without any splits or perhaps try a 59/C or Pearly Gates bridge with a partial split.

I've had a Stag Mag in my pickup box for several years and haven't gotten around to installing it. I haven't needed to because I've been able to get HH combos with twangish-Tele leaning tone without it.

In fact, even a simple pair of Seths can sometimes do the slightly twanged Tele tone when the tone controls are on 10 and rolling off to 7-8 puts them back in normal darker Humbucker tone.

Vintage wind P90's can sound Fendery through a snappy bright tube amp. Maybe a brighter wind P90 in a Humbucker format would do the trick. I haven tried Humbucker 90's however.
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

I've got the Gibson A2 BB2 in the bridge of my Les Paul Historics, and it can do ballsy+twangy. More edge than the Seth, but a +1 to the Seth. Pearly bridge might do well too.

Bill
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

Rich_S said:
So the question is, how best to get single-coil sounds out of this guitar? I suppose a could make an adapter plate, but it would look like ass. [...]
Discuss.
Click to expand...

I've already mounted this kind of adapter:

http://www.tdpri.com/attachments/gfs-humbucker-single-coil-adapter-ring-width-jpg.204492/

The frame as well as the contour being black, it didn't look bad...

... but it didn't give an exact Tele tone: if memory serves me, the angle of the pickup was different and anyway, the "ashtray" of a Tele interacts with the magnetic field of its bridge pickup, contributing to its sound IME.

If I had to redo it now, I'd mount a metal frame below the adapter - or the pickup in a sawed ashtray used as a pickup adapter.

If you just want a Fender sounding single coil tone from a humbucker, it's better IME to do that with a model exhibiting 2H or 3H of inductance per coil (just like most Fender SC's). It's typically the case with high gain humbuckers measuring 12k to 16k (hence the DCR of the Stag Mag, BTW). IOW, it should be more interesting to use the "Custom" coil than the 59 one is ever you try a Custom 59 hybrid.

If it was me, I wouldn't try HB sized P90's here: not single coil sounding enough in this configuration, IHMO, except for the hum. YMMV

"More later" if time permits. Good luck in your quest.
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

I settled on pearly gates in my PT. Not tele, but as a mainly les paul user it gave me enough. I also had a x2n in there for a while, and split was good enough too.

I have tried to find single sized bridge hardware to fit (whole bridge assembly, not an adaptor plate), but couldn't find the right dimensions over here in New Zealand.
 
Re: How to Tele-ize an HB route.

It's not ever gonna sound similar to a Tele in the end, but there are ways to make it unique among the guitars you have.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. DiMarzio EJ Customs. Mini-humbucker tone in a full size humbucker form. Drops right in, sounds great. Humbucking, but with a lot of single coil flavor.

2. P-Rails with Triple Shots. Bridge/neck combo, or neck/neck, which is what I do to get a brighter bridge tone. These have the best P90-in-humbucker-rout P90 tone IMO. Being able to switch the rail coil on in series (or alone) is a bonus. I'm not big on the parallel tone, but it's there too, should you ever want it.

3. DiMarzio Bluesbuckers. Drop right in, look exactly like a regular humbucker, but sound like a fat single coil without hum. These are the 2nd best P90-in-humbucker-form pickups on the market IMO (best is the P-Rails neck model).
 
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