HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

[Therustycowboy]

Hey guys, so I’ve got a hSH with a 5 way switch, master volume (push/pull) and master tone.

My pickups are SD parallel axis original trembucker in the neck, an SD five-two RWRP in the middle, and a SD Parallel axis distortion in the bridge.

Per the title: I am experiencing hum in positions 2,3,4 that I cannot get to go away no matter how many times I resolder the grounds. The hum in 3 is different, and honestly expected, since it is a single coil. But the hum definitely sounds worse in positions 2 and 4

So could this hum be because I bought a RWRP single coil when I should of bought a regular single coil, given that all these pickups are Seymour Duncan pickups?

 

[TVFV]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

May have to flip a magnet to get hum cancelling in positions two and four.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Blille]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

So could this hum be because I bought a RWRP single coil when I should of bought a regular single coil, given that all these pickups are Seymour Duncan pickups?

That would be my guess if your splits are normal.

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

That would be my guess if your splits are normal.

When you say “splits” are you referring to positions 2 and 4? Yes, my neck inner coil runs with middle in position 2; and my bridge inner coil runs with middle in 4

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

May have to flip a magnet to get hum cancelling in positions two and four.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

Would flipping the magnet(s) help if the pickup is reverse wound as well? Also since it’s a Five Two, does that mean my five magnet will end up where the two should have been?

 

[Blille]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

When you say “splits” are you referring to positions 2 and 4? Yes, my neck inner coil runs with middle in position 2; and my bridge inner coil runs with middle in 4

Correct. Then yes. You can just wire it differently and use the other coil for the split.
Or you can get a normal non rwrp pickup. If you bought the duncan new you can just exchange it with them.

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Correct. Then yes. You can just wire it differently and use the other coil for the split.
Or you can get a normal non rwrp pickup. If you bought the duncan new you can just exchange it with them.

How do I go about flipping it so it middle runs with outer coils in 2 & 4?

 

[Toejam]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Do you have a standard five-way switch or a super switch?

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Do you have a standard five-way switch or a super switch?

Standard 5 way switch

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

It depends on the manufacturer, if you swap coils in the notch positions and you have a phase issue, you can also reverse the phase of the humbuckers if they are 4 conductor.

For DiMarzio, to shut of the opposite coil you would swap the red and green wires around. For Duncan, you would swap the Black and green. If you need to swap the phase/polarity of the pickup for DiMarzio you would connect the red and green wires together where the white and black were, the white becomes the hot, and the black and shield go to ground. For Duncan black and green go together where red and white were on the switch, red becomes hot, and white is grounded with the sheild. You can then swap those around well just like above to shut off the innrr coil if you want the quackier notch sound (in this case swap the white and black for DiMarzio, and the red and white for Duncan).

You might also just have the rwrp wires swapped as well. I would try swapping them first though. Rwrp pickups with the inner coil of either humbucker tend to sound thin, but will cancel the hum.

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

It depends on the manufacturer, if you swap coils in the notch positions and you have a phase issue, you can also reverse the phase of the humbuckers if they are 4 conductor.

For DiMarzio, to shut of the opposite coil you would swap the red and green wires around. For Duncan, you would swap the Black and green. If you need to swap the phase/polarity of the pickup for DiMarzio you would connect the red and green wires together where the white and black were, the white becomes the hot, and the black and shield go to ground. For Duncan black and green go together where red and white were on the switch, red becomes hot, and white is grounded with the sheild. You can then swap those around well just like above to shut off the innrr coil if you want the quackier notch sound (in this case swap the white and black for DiMarzio, and the red and white for Duncan).

You might also just have the rwrp wires swapped as well. I would try swapping them first though. Rwrp pickups with the inner coil of either humbucker tend to sound thin, but will cancel the hum.

So youre saying try to swap the wire of the rwrp first. As in move my black wire to the switch, and my white wire to ground?

If that doesn’t work, and I move my humbucker wires around like you’ve described, will that put me out of phase, or effect the tone or output of my humbucker?

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Depends on what your goal is. Are you trying to make it noiseless with the inner coil, or are you just trying to make it noiseless period with any coil.

So let’s just back up a sec, because I read your original post more carefully. If it’s a rwrp pickup from the same manufacturer like you indicate, it’s odd that you would be having this problem. Are you sure you have one of the coils of each humbucker shorted out when in those 2, and 4 notch positions?

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Depends on what your goal is. Are you trying to make it noiseless with the inner coil, or are you just trying to make it noiseless period with any coil.

So let’s just back up a sec, because I read your original post more carefully. If it’s a rwrp pickup from the same manufacturer like you indicate, it’s odd that you would be having this problem. Are you sure you have one of the coils of each humbucker shorted out when in those 2, and 4 notch positions?

My goal is to have positions 2 and 4 be noiseless and to just have the respective inner coil running along side the middle sc (as a standard 5 way in this configuration should run). The screwdriver test is indicating that I have all the right coils on, but the hum is still present. The reason I ask if the rwrp pickup is the cause of my hum is because I’ve read a few posts that hint that rwrp are actually meant to used in SSS set ups when all the coils are from the same manufacturer. And that in the case of a single coil running along side a humbucker of the same brand, a standard single would already be rwrp to the inner coil of the humbucker, because that’s how SD winds their pickups. I guess I’m just looking for confirmation that this is true?

 

[Blille]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

The way I see it you have three options:
1) get a normal pickup for the middle
2) swap the cables to have the outer coils split. If you don’t like the outer coils, you can just turn them around and make the outer coils the inner coils.
3) embrace the hum

 

[Herby]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

The reason you're getting hum is because HBs have one RWRP coil and that just happens to be the one you have wired up to the middle SC RWRP, so all 3 coils are RWRP.

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Thanks everyone. I tried swapping the wires on just the single coil and was not impressed by the tone. I will try swapping the wires around on my humbuckers as described above to get positions 2 and 4 running with outer coils. If that produces a less than desirable tone, it looks like I’ll be purchasing a true single coil.

So in short, what I’ve learned here today is that you don’t put a rwrp single coil in a HSH set up

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

My goal is to have positions 2 and 4 be noiseless and to just have the respective inner coil running along side the middle sc (as a standard 5 way in this configuration should run). The screwdriver test is indicating that I have all the right coils on, but the hum is still present. The reason I ask if the rwrp pickup is the cause of my hum is because I’ve read a few posts that hint that rwrp are actually meant to used in SSS set ups when all the coils are from the same manufacturer. And that in the case of a single coil running along side a humbucker of the same brand, a standard single would already be rwrp to the inner coil of the humbucker, because that’s how SD winds their pickups. I guess I’m just looking for confirmation that this is true?

If you have everything wired correctly you are grounding out the south coil of each humbucker in the notch positions. So only the north coil and the should be active. This should be correct for Seymour’s rwrp pickups.

If you swap the middle pickup’s leads around and the hum stops, but the tone is super weak and ultra thin, sounds like a koto, than you have phase cancellation and you will need to adjust the wiring of the humbucker as mentioned above.

This will not change the sound of the humbuckers. Both coils will still be wired in phase and in series when in positions 1 and 5.

 

[Blille]

HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

I will try swapping the wires around on my humbuckers as described above to get positions 2 and 4 running with outer coils. If that produces a less than desirable tone, it looks like I’ll be purchasing a true single coil.

Like I said above, after you swap the wires you could turn the humbuckers around so that the coil goes from outer to inner. Both coils are identical. It will just be silly to have the logo upside down [emoji4]

 

[Therustycowboy]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

Thanks, I may turn them around then. The logo is only lettering, so I don’t think it will look all that goofy unless you know which side the lettering should be on

 

[Mincer]

Re: HSH with RWRP SC hum in positions 2 and 4

The logo also comes off fairly easily with some Brasso, if it does bother you.