Hybrid Combinations

[mouse ears]

I have been building a lot of Seymour Duncan hybrids, and I thought I would report in.

Where I’m coming from:

(Skip down to the reviews below if you don’t care.)
I am an 80s rock/classic rock guy. Think Zeppelin, Van Halen, Rush, etc. I have several Carvin guitars and put Duncans in all of them. I’ve been mostly using the JB/Jazz sets for years, but lately have been leaning toward lower output pickups.

For the neck:

I’ve assembled a couple of 59/Jazz hybrid pickups. There are multiple threads on this pickup, so this is nothing new on this forum. I prefer this hybrid over the jazz or the 59. I really like the jazz, but find the 59 too boomy in the neck. To me this pickup is a jazz with character. It takes distortion very well and sounds great in every guitar I have tried it in.

I also built a couple pearly gates/jazz hybrids out of 2 neck pickups. This is my favorite neck pickup to date. I used Alnico V’s in both pickups. It’s got nice top end bite, and a little bit of the pearly gates sizzle. I’ve currently got this pickup in my Carvin carved top and love it. I tried this pickup in the bridge as well, but it was too weak for my tastes. I would like to try this hybrid made out of 2 bridge pickups.

Bridge:

The Custom/Screamin’ Demon hybrid is great for hard rock. It is not as hot as the JB, but it feels aggressive. I always liked the demon, but find it a little weak in the bridge. This pickup is stronger than a 59/custom hybrid, and more aggressive. The custom adds the power and the demon adds the sweetness. I’ve got this pickup in an alder body Carvin and it rocks.

The Custom/Pearly Gates hybrid is in the bridge of my Carvin Carved top. This guitar is mahogany with a maple cap, and I’m using the alnico V magnet from the custom. This pickup replaced a 59/custom hybrid. Think vintage, strong, and open. It makes the guitar sounds huge! The Pearly half is from a neck pickup, but still feels at least as hot as the custom/59. It definitely falls into the PAF on steroids category.

 

[UnWind]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Thanks for sharing your findings, it's always to great to see people experimenting to get new tones out of old pickups through hybrid combos!

Out of curiosity, when you're making these hybrids, what are you doing with the extra coils you have left over, are you making sets of each hybrid?

 

[mouse ears]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Most of the time I just make 2 sets. They usually sound pretty close to the same, but I think the screw coil piece dominates the sound a little.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

For the neck:

I’ve assembled a couple of 59/Jazz hybrid pickups. There are multiple threads on this pickup, so this is nothing new on this forum. I prefer this hybrid over the jazz or the 59. I really like the jazz, but find the 59 too boomy in the neck. To me this pickup is a jazz with character. It takes distortion very well and sounds great in every guitar I have tried it in.

I also built a couple pearly gates/jazz hybrids out of 2 neck pickups. This is my favorite neck pickup to date. I used Alnico V’s in both pickups. It’s got nice top end bite, and a little bit of the pearly gates sizzle.

For neck hybrids I much prefer combining a bridge coil and a neck coil, like a '59B/'59N, SethB/'59N, JazzB/'59N, etc. A difference of about .4K-.5K between coils gives a sharper high end and more clarity. I can use a warm magnet (with much more character than an A5) and still get that. With you using (I assume) two bridge coils together or two neck coils together, that's why you still need an A5 to get the high end. With a bigger difference in coil resistance, you get more treble and would have a bigger choice of magnets.

For me, the ideal neck hybrid is two PAF-ish coils, a 4.2K and a 3.7K with an A2 or UOA5.

 

[mouse ears]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Both of the neck hybrids I've built were made from neck pickups. Thanks for the tip, I'll try that next time I put together a neck pickup.

I kind of want to try a PGB/JazzB hybrid for the bridge, but I'm afraid it'll be a little underpowered for hard rock. I tried a PGN/JazzN in the bridge, but it was a little weak/thin and the neck pickup overpowered it.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Both of the neck hybrids I've built were made from neck pickups. Thanks for the tip, I'll try that next time I put together a neck pickup.

I kind of want to try a PGB/JazzB hybrid for the bridge, but I'm afraid it'll be a little underpowered for hard rock. I tried a PGN/JazzN in the bridge, but it was a little weak/thin and the neck pickup overpowered it.

When I combine two coils in a neck hybrid that only have about a .2K difference in resistance between them, I have to use a bright mag, like an A5, to get the high end I want. When the difference is double that, the benefits of unbalanced coils start to kick in and then you can use a more interesting magnet. A2, A3, A4, and UOA5 are all unoriented and have more 'personality' and 'character' than oriented magnets.

With standard neck HB's, I like them to be in the low to high 7K to preserve clarity and high end. With a hybrid you can go hotter, with a combined resistance of low to mid 8K, and still have as much or more clarity and treble as a 'normal' 7.5K PU (with balanced coils), as long as there's a .5K or greater difference in coils in the hybrid.

For a bridge hybrid, try a coil in the low 4K (from a bridge PAF) paired with a hotter one, anywhere from 5 to 7K (take your pick, like a PGB coil with a Screamin' Demon coil, etc). The two will make a 9K to 11K PU that'll have more output to it. It'll have high-end bite and that can be balanced by a warm magnet with a lot of texture, like an A2 or UOA5, or A8 if you want a real boost in output. Lots of dynamics. That's much more interesting than a PGB/JazzB bridge hybrid. There isn't nearly as much benefit in two coils that are almost the same resistance. Hardly seems worth the effort.

To me, the appeal of hybrids is the contrast in coils and what happens when you pair them up; the icing on the cake is a warm magnet.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

I tried a jazz n and a 59b coil per Blueman's recommendation. i really like it: very clean, clear, flutey and glassy tones! Needs a tone pot to go 'fat!!!!", though, if I want that 'sweet child o mine' vibe.

 

[mouse ears]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Okay Blueman, you're the man. I have a couple extra alnico 2 magnets. I'll give them a try and report back.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Okay Blueman, you're the man. I have a couple extra alnico 2 magnets. I'll give them a try and report back.

It's fun. I like selecting PU's to use in hybrids, and then trying a couple different magnets in them. BTW, I wire my hybrids with 4 leads and in the Duncan color codes.

 

[mouse ears]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

I switched out the polished A5 in my Custom/Pearly Gates hybrid and Peraly Gates/Jazz hybrid for UOA5s. The bridge lost all of it's smoothness and the neck got really bass heavy. So, I switched the JazzN for a 59B in the neck, (59B/Pearly GatesN hybrid)but it's still lacks treble.

I have a set of rough cast A4 mags on the way. I'm debating wether to wait and try them or just putting the original polished A5s back in.

 

[mouse ears]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

Went back with the polished A5s. I do like the 59b/Pearly Gates neck hybrid. It's a stronger neck pickup than I'm used to, I'm leaving that one alone. Thanks for the advice bluesman.

 

[DeathMetalRob]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

For myself, I'm over the moon with my '78/'59 Hybrid (A2) I think the best of both has been captured there. Very good for playing metal solos.

The other hybrid I actually made myself is a Nazgul/Custom 5 Hybrid. It's very crunchy for want of a better description. The scooping is a little less but, the treble has more presence. Descriptively, it's an angry bastard

 

[blueman335]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

For myself, I'm over the moon with my '78/'59 Hybrid (A2) I think the best of both has been captured there. Very good for playing metal solos.

That sounds interesting. I'd like to try it for classic rock/blues.

 

[swissmountain]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

For neck hybrids I much prefer combining a bridge coil and a neck coil, like a '59B/'59N, SethB/'59N, JazzB/'59N, etc. A difference of about .4K-.5K between coils gives a sharper high end and more clarity. I can use a warm magnet (with much more character than an A5) and still get that. With you using (I assume) two bridge coils together or two neck coils together, that's why you still need an A5 to get the high end. With a bigger difference in coil resistance, you get more treble and would have a bigger choice of magnets.

For me, the ideal neck hybrid is two PAF-ish coils, a 4.2K and a 3.7K with an A2 or UOA5.

This all sounds very interesting.

My gripe with neck pickups is not really missing high end but lack of tightness in the low end. Does that improve as well with the greater disparity of coils?

Many thanks for sharing.

 

[Jermo3178]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

59/Jazz hybrid... from what I'm BARELY stumbling across, is this the Sentient?

 

[SJ318]

Re: Hybrid Combinations

When choosing a hybrid for an aggressive and bright BRIDGE pup in the 8.5-9K range, which parts would you use- the strong screw coil with the weak slug coil or vice-versa?
I haven never read which way to go. Maybe it doesn't matter. However, when it comes to a pretty big change like a hybrid, it seems like it would matter.
Same thing for the NECK pup too, bright and aggressive, would apply, correct?
SJ