humbucker - parallel as default?

[Supernautilus]

I was thinking about trying this in a guitar I’m working on and wanted to see if anyone here has done this. I want to try wiring up a humbucker in parallel using 250K pots to account for the extra brightness. Either permanently or maybe with a switch, but default operation would be parallel. And pair it along with a vintage output single coil. Anyone else try this? Thoughts?

 

[jeremy]

ive wired buckers in parallel before, almost always on a switch, but if you like the sound that way, then run with it. on one of my main strats i have hot rails neck and bridge on a series/split/parallel switch and i use parallel as much or more than the other two options

 

[Supernautilus]

ive wired buckers in parallel before, almost always on a switch, but if you like the sound that way, then run with it. on one of my main strats i have hot rails neck and bridge on a series/split/parallel switch and i use parallel as much or more than the other two options

Yeah I’ve tried parallel switching before as well. But unless it’s a hot pup like a JB, I haven’t really had good results. There always seems to be a shrillness to the tone that even rolling off the tone knob doesn’t fix. I think it has something to do with “resonance peaks” or whatever, but I’m not an expert with that stuff.

Anyways, that’s why I thought maybe using 250K pots, instead of the typical 500K, might address that. I guess I’ll have to try it and see for myself.

 

[RanchManSandy]

one of my 2 hb ibbys has a 5way switch and one of the positions is the neck HB in parallel. definitely has a unique sound. I don't often use it but it's cool to have available

 

[Chistopher]

That's how Stingrays come

 

[jeremy]

very true, but those are different than a typical humbucker. i do love the old school huge alnico rod mm pups

 

[freefrog]

Paul Gilbert had also his DiMarzio's wired in parallel by default back in the day, if memory serves me... Works well with high inductance coils IME.

So well that I use to put powerful pickups in parallel with switchable dummy coils. As long as the circuit is tuned with added resistors to keep realistic DCR and inductance, it makes high power PU's sounding like underwound ones (I've no merit with this recipe, it's an extrapolation on the good old Lawrence Q filter. I just use higher inductance chokes).

So, parallel by default appears to me as an understandable idea.

 

[zionstrat]

I wire parallels a lot in thick, muddy guitars... Quite often Les Pauls.. it's a great way to tighten up a muddy guitar when you don't want to switch pups and you can still get fat and thick with the flip of a switch.