Humbucker coil polarities

danielXP83

danielXP83

New member
Hi everyone. This is my first post here, I've been a fan of Duncan humbuckers for 8 years now.

I currently have a Screaming demon installed in the bridge position of a HSS Strat clone and I need some polarity advice on buying a Seymour duncan single coil for the middle position.

I like to split my Screaming Demon the way described on the leaflet: I'll shut off the adjustable screws side (red+white+ground). I intend to split it that way in the bridge+middle position, and I want that to be a hum-cancelling combination.

So my question is: which kind of Seymour Duncan single coil pickup will match my coil-splitted Screaming Demon for in-phase hum cancelling? RWRP or standard-polarity?

Thanks a lot,
Daniel
 
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Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Come on guys, this can't be so hard.... :sad:

My assumption is, the coils on my Screaming Demon are RWRP with each other... all I need to know is whether one of them would be RWRP with a standard Seymour Duncan single coil pickup.

Thanks again
Daniel
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

I don't know, so i don't really have the right answer, but that's what i did, when i used Duncan humbuckers with single-coils, if the polarity was not the right for hum-cancelling:
I reversed the magnet bar of the Duncan humbucker, so i got the choosed humbucker coil with single coil hum-cancelling.
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Duncan humbuckers with adjustable pole pieces use a north polarity for the slug coil and south for the adjustable coil. So, if you are using a bridge humbucker and want the slug coil energized when split ( which is what you are doing by shorting red and white to ground) you want a south polarity Duncan single coil. RWRP production Duncans and Fenders are north polarity so you want a standard SSL series strat pickup. Duncan Antiquities may different as Fender used north polarity for the first few years of strat production.
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Thanks for your answer, slightly_rude!

I must have read a hundred of Seymour's Q's and A's, plus the whole FAQ, and couldn't find that distinction of polarities for slug vs. screws anywhere.

I thought the "standard" coilsplitting method would give a humbucker the standard polarity for SD's singles.

I jsut got myself a really cheap RWRP Duncan Designed SC-101. Will DD singles have the same polarity as SD's? If so, I suppose this one won't humbuck with my split Demon, right? :smack:
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

If you don't care about which coil will be active, then you can connect red&white&hot, but i think that's not what you want.

How do you want to split the Humbucker? Push-Pull? Mini-switch?
For this case i have this suggestion:
Use a 3-way mini switch (on/off/on):
center position: series / the 2 outer position: inner coil or outer coil
So you can split and choose between both coils, which gives you another interesting option:
For a tele mod (bridge and neck) you can choose the other coil for hum-cancelling.
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Hey Inge... I've been through that once... I have one of those "mega-switches" that let you connect your pickups in a thousand variations. It's really great for tele-like or LP-like sounds from a HSH strat.

But no, I'll never go 3-way switching again eheheheh... as stated on another post, hitting the center position onstage can be a real b***h.

I think I'll try your previous suggestion.... inverting my bridge Demon's magnets will give me all the humbucking I want when working in SC mode (B+M and B+N).

Is that a easy thing to do? I'm used to work with guitar setup and wiring, but I never tried a magnet flip before. Do I need any special equipment for that?

Thanks
Daniel
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Standard Duncan Wiring diagrams split the Humbucker essentially into an RW/RP Single coil... this means that a single coil to be used for a Hum cancelling setup need to be "standard" in this situation... ;)

If you want to use the other coil, though, you ma need an RW/RP after all...not too sure on that...
 
Re: Humbucker coil polarities

Actually, with SD 4 conductor wiring and the ability to flip the magnet you can match the split humbucker to any single coil.

You really don't even need to flip the magnet in most cases.

For the problems created by wind direction you can just switch the coil leads. If you are splitting to the stud (north) bobbin and the phase is out, wiring the HB white to hot and red to ground with the black and green tied will correct the phase.

Flipping the magnet will correct polarity as will wiring the HB green to hot and black to ground.

Any combination is possible. Just identify the problem and change the wiring or magnet accordingly.
 
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