Is it worth replacing EVH Humbucker

[EEF13]

I have a partscaster with a HS config. EVH Frankie in the bridge and a SD Stk2 Hot Stack in the neck. I am adding a Tonerider Single in the Middle and a 6 way switch to get bridge and neck.

The EVH Frankie is one of my favorite pickups. Cleans up great, is articulate and clear and I can get it to downtune chug. I'm not trying to get the EVH tone. This pickup is just great in general.

The thing is that I also love those 80s 2nd and 4th position cleans and I was wondering if the 2nd position without the coil split can get me there or do I need a humbucker that can split. Also with only 2 conductor I am not able to do all those cool wiring series/parallel/split. If I were to replace the EVH, I wouldn't be using the bridge split by itself. Just 2nd position and bridge with neck.

Is it worth replacing the EVH? What pickup comes close to the EVH but with 4 conductor wiring? Do any of you guys play HSS strats without coil splitting and get good 2nd position quacky cleans?

 

[ehdwuld]

https://ebay.us/m/qFN3O1

This guy

 

[EEF13]

I didn't know they made a 4 conductor version. Thanks.

 

[Mincer]

You can get the quacky cleans with the 4th position (2 singles), as it is difficult to get that with a full humbucker and single coil. Splitting helps, but I don't know if it is worth getting rid of a pickup you really love.

 

[htwheelz67]

Duncan makes the Frankenstein for EVH, they also offer it thru the custom shop in 2 conductor 4 conductor, reg and trem spaced, colors and covers, aged how ever you want it.,

 

[uOpt]

It's also doable to replace the lead with a 4-conductor one. Just not a good first soldering project.

Alternatively you could just run one additional single wire to one of the coils to kill it in position 2. You don't need 4-wire to split, just 3.

 

[jeremy]

right, you could add the split wire to the current pup if you wanted, thats probably what i would do