I have a Distortion Neck that I don't really love - what are my options?

[Rex_Rocker]

So I have an SH-6N lying around. I have a Gibson Les Paul Tribute without a neck pickup that I could drop it in. Problem is... I don't really like it as is. What can I do?

I actually don't dislike it matcehd with the right bridge pickup. It sounds fine with a Distortion, a Black Winter, or a 500T. But I wanna use a JB in the bridge.

What I don't like about it is, first, the output is kinda hard to balance with the JB. I feel like I have to have it way down sunk in the pickup ring or it starts overpowering. At that point, the second problem is starting to become more apparent. And that is it's kinda dull and uninspiring, especially clean. Like, distorted, it sounds fine. But clean is flat and 2D. It's not too bassy. It might not even be too dark, but I don't know. I just don't love the character of the pickup in the context of a JB in the bridge.

I have tried an A5 magnet in it, and I don't like it. The output drops, and that helps, but it starts getting very dark, bland, and kinda muddy. Kinda like an Air Norton, just with tons of mud.

So I thought I might try running it in parallel or split as a default. If so, what wires would I need to solder to make it work?

I have also considered the cap trick, but I don't think I wanna cut bass on it. The bass is not the problem. It's the whole character of the pickup. Plus there's also the output issue.

I also don't want to sell the pickup because I'm sure I'd get pennies for it. It used to have a cover stock, so it doesn't have a logo, it has solder marks on the baseplate, and i've pulled it apart and put it back together a few times, and you can tell, LOL.

So... thoughs?

 

[weepingminotaur]

I feel like the Jazz is an easy and obvious choice, but I seem to remember that you aren't a Jazz fan. Sentient maybe?

 

[jeremy]

did you try a normal thickness c8?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

did you try a normal thickness c8?

I did not, but I don't have any around. That might make it a bit livelier and drop the output a tad, right? Problem is I don't have any around.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I feel like the Jazz is an easy and obvious choice, but I seem to remember that you aren't a Jazz fan. Sentient maybe?

I kinda want to give the Jazz another shot, and I'm tempted to just get a Jazz or a '59, and not struggle with the Distortion Neck... but I also don't want to drop money if I can help it.

 

[Mincer]

You can also wire it in parallel to see how you like it.

 

[weepingminotaur]

I kinda want to give the Jazz another shot, and I'm tempted to just get a Jazz or a '59, and not struggle with the Distortion Neck... but I also don't want to drop money if I can help it.

Understandable. If you do decide to drop some money, I think you will like the Jazz, especially in a Les Paul and paired with the JB. To me, it's a match made in heaven.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

You can also wire it in parallel to see how you like it.

Would parallel have less output? Also, what wires would I need to connect where?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Understandable. If you do decide to drop some money, I think you will like the Jazz, especially in a Les Paul and paired with the JB. To me, it's a match made in heaven.

I used to hate the '59, but in my old EC-400VF, it sounded great. I'm sure I could learn to like the Jazz too.

 

[Teleplayer]

Maybe try an A5 magnet, with a set of 1/2” hex screws to make it brighter.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Maybe try an A5 magnet, with a set of 1/2” hex screws to make it brighter.

I have tried that too. The hexes I have didn't make a whole ton of difference. I got them off ebay. I don't think they're far off from what Duncan uses, though. They say YFS on the top.

 

[Thurisaz]

I'd try an A5 or A2. Then set the pickup a bit lower than you normally set neck pickups. Offset the difference by raising the screw pole pieces, perhaps.

Trying the pickup wired in parallel is also a worthwhile experiment. You could maybe try wiring it out of phase instead. See what gives you something closer to usable.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'd try an A5 or A2. Then set the pickup a bit lower than you normally set neck pickups. Offset the difference by raising the screw pole pieces, perhaps.

Trying the pickup wired in parallel is also a worthwhile experiment. You could maybe try wiring it out of phase instead. See what gives you something closer to usable.

Wouldn't wiring it out of phase only affect the middle position?

 

[Teleplayer]

There is an Artie De-mud circuit. It works like a bass-cut and can potentially accentuate the mids. The standard values are a 0.010uF cap and 500k resistor in parallel. If you wish to retain more bass, you could try a 0.015uF or 0.018uF cap instead.

 

[Sam SG]

You can also wire it in parallel to see how you like it.

This was gonna be my suggestion or a split or half split

 

[Rex_Rocker]

There is an Artie De-mud circuit. It works like a bass-cut and can potentially accentuate the mids. The standard values are a 0.010uF cap and 500k resistor in parallel. If you wish to retain more bass, you could try a 0.015uF or 0.018uF cap instead.

Will look into it, thanks.

Not sure if the pickup needs less bass, though. Just better quality treble (maybe?) and less output (never thought I'd say that, must be getting old, LOL).

 

[Rex_Rocker]

This was gonna be my suggestion or a split or half split

What is half split?

 

[Sam SG]

What is half split?

Use a resistor to bleed the tap to ground instead of dead ground it.
Youtube....half split humbucker...there are videos on it and resistor values.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

So far, I think coil split or parallel are the safest options.

Do you think coil split would be hot enough to balance with the JB in the bridge? I mean, it would be a kinda puny 6.5-ish K single coil, but with a huge ceramic magnet.

Or parallel... I don't know how the output of that would work. I am aware, I think, that parallel is quieter than series?

 

[freefrog]

Or parallel... I don't know how the output of that would work. I am aware, I think, that parallel is quieter than series?

To repeat my usual stance, parallel wiring divides the inductance in series by approximatively 4. It shifts up the resonant frequency and lowers the output, yes (since it focuses the energy of the transducer in higher frequencies, weakening the fundamental notes accordingly)...

And to share other ideas than what I've already repeated many times:

-4 cond. HB's don't have exactly the same response to hi harmonics when they are wired normally VS with hot/ground swapped and magnet reversed. There's to experiment, here, but one of these two wiring options not rarely gives noticeably brighter harmonics than the other...

-in the same vein, it's possible to some extent to fake DiMarzio "Dual-Resonance" by putting a capacitor to ground at the junction between coils. Not a big bass-cut / hi-pass cap in the 10nF style (which would bring its specific downsides anyway). I'm talking about LOW value capacitors from a few dozens to a few hundreds pF... ONE of these values should promote hi-harmonics in a way cancelling suddenly any dullness...
It's not easy to find: it requires an array of caps and some lab gear to measure what happens. But it works IME.

Below a 5spice sim showing the "Raw" induced response of a 4 cond. humbucker with a variation of stray capacitance for coil 1 (as if I was adding low value caps to ground as explained above). See the comb filtering happening beyond main resonance...



And below is the measured raw electrical response on a linear scale of a DiMarzio Super Distortion in series, in parallel, and with added resistor+cap meant to make the sound in parallel closer to the response of a mini-hum in series (I can't remember why I've that among thousands of experimental screenshots... Here it will just illustrate my rambling about the use of added wiring components as being a functionally efficient solution).