Humbucker with single coil dynamic

[dsuigdsf]

Hi!
I have Fender strat with two custom humbuckers. I very like it, but I need more dynamics and middle freq in bridge pickup. It's 12k DCR and Rough A5.
I know that A2 has more dynamic, and I will try it. A3 supposedly has greatest dynamics, it's true? Is it worth trying A4 too?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Actually, I don't notice a dynamic change with magnets- I notice it with how hot the wind is. A 12k pickup is not nearly as dynamic as a 7k one.

 

[dsuigdsf]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

As for 12K is hot. For strong humbuckers, what magnet performs best dynamically and clearly? A2, A3, A4, A5, UOA5, A8 or Ceramic?

 

[daenius]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

As for 12K is hot. For strong humbuckers, what magnet performs best dynamically and clearly? A2, A3, A4, A5, UOA5, A8 or Ceramic?

Unfortunately you can't just generalize like that. The wire gauge and the winding of both coils will affect the responsiveness and dynamics of the pickup. The magnet is only part of the equation.
The DC resistance of a pickup is also not immediately indicative of "hot"

It ultimately boils down to how you play, how you set your amp to work with the pickups, and the design of the pickups themselves. Before you start messing with the pickups, it's a great idea to look at your amp settings first. This also includes any pedals you're using.

Start with that and see what kind of dynamic response are you looking for, and that would help you buy the right pickup.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Unfortunately you can't just generalize like that. The wire gauge and the winding of both coils will affect the responsiveness and dynamics of the pickup. The magnet is only part of the equation.
The DC resistance of a pickup is also not immediately indicative of "hot"
.

True, but we can ascertain with pretty much 99% certainty that a pickup with that DC resistance is wound with wire no thinner than 43 AWG. So we have a good idea that it has at least 6,000 turns on each coil. A standard PAF type pickup is 5,000 turns of 42.

So I’d call this a hot pickup.

As far as dynamics; I use a 16k pickup with ceramic 8 magnets. It’s very dynamic. But it’s also pretty bright. Almost like a louder Tele bridge pickup.

Weaker magnets give a softer tone with less attack and top end. Look at a Strat; it has Alnico 5 rods that measure around 800 Gauss. An Alnico 5 magnet in a humbucker reads about 300 Gauss at the poles.

So a stronger, not weaker magnet, like A2, 3, or 4, will give a more dynamic and less compressed tone.

The other thing is a brighter pickup. Hot humbuckers have lots and mids, but none of that sharp top end like a single coil.

Something like a Bill Lawrence L-500 would get in the ballpark (the Wilde version, not the awful “Lawrence USA” copies.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

To me, the oriented mags A5, A6, and A9 are the clearest. While the oriented mag A8 is kind of thick. This is subjective though. Some people might think the unoriented mags of A2,3,4, and uoa5 are more dynamic. The wind is what causes the dynamics mostly but you can find mags with the eq that help it for you. I recommed you try all the mags and see which work best for you.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Maybe I am not getting what the terms mean: dynamic, to me, means not compressed. It isn't an EQ description.

 

[effzee]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Maybe I am not getting what the terms mean: dynamic, to me, means not compressed. It isn't an EQ description.

i agree for the most part.

however, a certain band or frequency range can be experiencing more of the compression than other areas of the spectrum.

 

[Ewizard]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

I would say it like this: A hot pickup has less dynamics because it sends a hotter signal at all times that the front end of the amp will have a tough time with and be in distortion more often. This makes it hard to be dynamic because you really have to play softly to get the level low enough to not slam the amps front end. A lower output pickup will have greater dynamics because you have to actually play the strings harder to really get any output. Because a low output pickup is not slamming the front end of the amp as hard, you can get more range of sound between clean to distortion, hence more dynamics.

A magnet's strength is what ultimately creates its ability to sense a strings movement so to speak. So a strong magnetic field would mean that a small movement from the string is easily converted into output. A lower gauss ( lower strength ) magnet will convert less string energy into output. There is a balance point between magnet strength and coil wind to get a particular sound. A larger coil with a weaker magnet may not translate into what the generalized idea says it should be. Just as a smaller coil ( less winds ) and a stronger magnet may not get what we want either. It is all about the sum of all parts.

I feel that if you want a more dynamic pickup, you should utilize a lower output one. I.E. one with a slightly lower DC resistance and a brighter overall sound. To me anything 10k and over is hot. 8k -10k is medium output and anything below 8k is low output GENERALLY. I prefer pickups to be right around 10k of DC resistance. While DC resistance doesn't tell the whole story, it is generally a good starting point. For me 10k is not too hot but is certainly isn't cold. A single coil pickup with an 8k DC is a pretty hot single coil and will spank pretty good, so keep in mind that different pickups have different rules too.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

I would say it like this: A hot pickup has less dynamics because it sends a hotter signal at all times that the front end of the amp will have a tough time with and be in distortion more often. This makes it hard to be dynamic because you really have to play softly to get the level low enough to not slam the amps front end. A lower output pickup will have greater dynamics because you have to actually play the strings harder to really get any output. Because a low output pickup is not slamming the front end of the amp as hard, you can get more range of sound between clean to distortion, hence more dynamics.

A magnet's strength is what ultimately creates its ability to sense a strings movement so to speak. So a strong magnetic field would mean that a small movement from the string is easily converted into output. A lower gauss ( lower strength ) magnet will convert less string energy into output. There is a balance point between magnet strength and coil wind to get a particular sound. A larger coil with a weaker magnet may not translate into what the generalized idea says it should be. Just as a smaller coil ( less winds ) and a stronger magnet may not get what we want either. It is all about the sum of all parts.

I feel that if you want a more dynamic pickup, you should utilize a lower output one. I.E. one with a slightly lower DC resistance and a brighter overall sound. To me anything 10k and over is hot. 8k -10k is medium output and anything below 8k is low output GENERALLY. I prefer pickups to be right around 10k of DC resistance. While DC resistance doesn't tell the whole story, it is generally a good starting point. For me 10k is not too hot but is certainly isn't cold. A single coil pickup with an 8k DC is a pretty hot single coil and will spank pretty good, so keep in mind that different pickups have different rules too.

This is exactly what I was talking about. Great description!

 

[weepingminotaur]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

I know it's super-obvious, but pickup height will also affect dynamics.

 

[Techy Beccy]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Wow! Ewizard your post hurt my brian to read! I've just woken up an drinking my first coffee!:24:
I agree with your explanation (and mincer's), Im not sure I could explain it myself though.
I've tried quite a few different pickups and yes, maybe with the exception of the hybrid 59/Custom which I think is abouts 12k, the higher output pickups seem to lose character - to me anyway. But who know what the metal players think!!?

I don't think you will find what you're looking for by swaping mags. You seem to have an idea of what youre looking for in your head. Try some differnt pickups.

What amp are you using!?

 

[Despair]

Re: Humbucker with single coil dynamic

Dynamics aren't determined by pickup alone, a high output pickup into a high headroom amp can be more dynamic than a low output one into same amp. It's the interaction of output, distortion and compression/limiting.

That said, if you want more mids, almost anything has at least more relative mids than a polished A5 magnet, which is the most common magnet...

I have a JB with an A3 magnet, it has a high end sparkle that isn't there with A5 with those coils, and is low output with more even midrange. Rather squishy feel, but a lot more dynamic than stock. I actually use it as a neck pickup... That's an extreme oddball configuration. [Also is installed stud poles towards neck, with side under wound strings cranked way down, 3 0.75 hex screws swapped in under wound strings and screw poles adjusted to even out string balance (WAY up on low strings).]

Same guitar has a PATB-1b, which is a high output bridge pickup with soft attack and ridiculous response to pick articulation. Parallel Axis pickups tend to be very dynamic (though sometimes dynamics are expressed curiously, like in the face-melting high output PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion, where they show up as tone changes more than output).

But if you are looking for humbuckers that feel more single-coily, '59/Custom hybrid is one to look at.

If the dynamics you are looking for are lower output, with a bit more squish in the pickup, rather than harder attack, UOA5, A2, or A3 magnets might get you closer, too. Roughcast A5 is like a polished A5, with slightly less high end, and maybe some mild changes to EQ elsewhere. About same output as polished A5.

A3 is a fair drop in output, lowest output and least bass of any magnet I've tried. It's sort of like an A2 with lower output, less bass and more treble, but the treble is smooth in almost any pickup I've heard with it, rather than harsh.

If you have the skills and patience to swap magnets yourself, it's really worth trying them all to see what you like. Cheaper than swapping pickups, certainly, as long as you are careful not to damage the wires where they connect to the bobbins. Though with unique pickups, what you learn about magnets may not apply to other pickups quite as predictably, you'll still have the extra magnets to try in any other humbuckers that aren't quite to your taste.

Last, if you really want single coil tones AND no hum, best option for most players is something like Seymour Duncan's Stack Plus line (I like STK-S6/STK-S4m/STK-S4 or STK-S6/STK-S4m/STK-S7, but I'm a Gilmour/SRV fan who likes light strings and doesn't get along with hum/noise at all), or Kinman pickups.