Interference between single coils where a humbucker used to be

[pjd3]

Hello, hope I could get some accurate information on this from anyone that really knows about this.

I built a telecaster like baritone guitar from scratch and initially designed the neck pickup for a humbucker. The pickup I placed in the neck position was a Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell due to its high resonance frequency and lower inductance plus, I thought having two tappable coils might increase the flexibility of the guitar. Unfortunately, it exascurbates particular frequencies or frequency ranges that are a bit fatiguing or annoying. So, after doing alot more listening and having conversations I'm interested in trying two single coils instead of one humbucker. This guitar is for acoustic type fingerstyle, complex finger picking, clean with a good deal of time based effects. I've come to the conclusion that choosing a couple of very neutral or flat pickups may address the issue I had. Specifically, I'm looking at Bill Lawerence microcoils and perhaps something from Lace Sensor.

My concern is, how much do I need to worry about the magnetic fields of these pickups affecting the tone of each other when they are directly adjacent to one another as in my neck position where a humbucker lived? I have heard that there can be magnetic interference between pickups but, where these single coils I've mentioned are a very different design and at least the Lace Sensors as known to have a much weaker field, is there reason to think there could be problems? I sure would not want to have the fundamental responses of these pickups altered due to magnetic proximity dynamics.

Is there conclusive evidence available on just how much this happens and how much tone/response can or is affected? Or, am I a little more safe with the particular pickups I've mentioned (I believe that they are both present a much smaller magnetic field strength to the string - I'm not 100% certain about the microcoils).

Thank you, very much for your input
Best,
Phil D.

 

[Mincer]

Fender had Strats in the 90s with 2 very different Lace singles right next to each other (like a humbucker) and they sounded great. So I think you'd be fine there.

 

[beaubrummels]

First off, single coil bobbins are larger than the bobbins of a humbucker, so is the guitar routed large enough to put two singles in there?

Second, FWIW there are humbuckers that are designed to do what you are trying to do, like the Duncan Nokie Edwards pickups, or just tell them what you want/need and they can make it.

Last, I've had two singles in the bridge next to each other and they worked fine together, individually and paired. Paired they aren't a humbucker, per se, it just sounds like Fendery singles with less quack. Maybe more like a humbucker in parallel.

 

[Sam SG]

Freind of mine just made a Lace Duelly for a strat project. Guess he likes it.
I know Fender did indeed have Lace duellys in the 90s a freind had one.

 

[freefrog]

It depends on the single coils involved, IME: the magnetic field of a Lace Sensor or SC sized rails HB has not the same shape and "return path" than a conventional Strat pickup for instance.

I've witnessed cases of hi-pitched squealing with some configurations and something that anybody can check is how the sound of a single coil changes if one sticks a bar magnet on a side of its cover, under the strings.

But I don't know nothing about the magnetic field of microcoils.

So, the only way to know seems to try, with one single pickup then with two of 'em, in order to check if it makes a difference...

Let us know!

 

[freefrog]

the magnetic field of a Lace Sensor or SC sized rails HB has not the same shape and "return path" than a conventional Strat pickup for instance

Example below.

What such pics don't show is how the magnetic flux is stronger at each end of the coil (under both E strings).