I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

[orangecountycarl]

At least for me.

It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get it right, but I've finally (after 4 attempts or so) gotten a humbucker to play nice with single coils. I'd like to thank everybody who has taken the time to give input on my wiring questions. It is appreciated. It took forever because of the generally accepted practice of using 500K pots for humbuckers. I've come to realize, it all comes down to which pickups are used along with what type of guitar.

My first attempt put my Strat in an H-S-H configuration with 500K pots for the master volume and bridge humbucker tone. That guitar was extremely bright.
I also tried the adding a resistor trick for the single coils so they see close to 250K. It didn't sound right either.

Fast forward to the present. A friend gave me a Peavey Raptor purchased used from a pawn shop for a Christmas present. (You know your friends think all guitars are alike....it looks good so it must be a good guitar.) It was H-S-S. I tried it out and not only did the humbucker sound good, the cheap single coils had good quack as well. I opened it up and all the pots were 250K. I realize different humbucking pickups will react differently with the various pot values so I thought this might be a fluke.

I gave my Strat one last shot and pulled out my 30 year old JB which was lying around (I never liked it in my Les Paul). It seems to be one of those pickups which splits well after reading the forum here.
Wow. Not only does it sound great with 250K, the quack with the single coil middle pickup (bridge humbucker in split and unsplit mode) is very acceptable. I may have kept the H-S-H configuration if I had used all 250K.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

Congrats on finding out what works for your tone! Enjoy!

 

[Archer250]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

Congrats. Some humbuckers don't react well to 250k, some are fine with it, others like the JB are as good with it as with 500k.

 

[blueman335]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

You do realize there have been years of blowups and heated exchanges here over the use of 250K's with HB's. Apparently a small contingent believes only tone deaf hacks and imbeciles would even consider it, and that for the sake of decent church-going people in society, the practice should be prohibited by law.

BTW, congrats on finding your tone. I'm a firm believer in using 250K's with bridge HB's.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

I used a JB for a while with 250K pots, but after installing the JB in another 2-humbucker guitar with 500k pots, I thought the 250k pot was smothering the character of the JB. I now run it and Fender Fat 50's single coils with a 300k volume pot, and it lets a little more of the JB's character through.

 

[Archer250]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

I'm a firm believer in using 250K's with bridge HB's.

After 4 humbuckers with 250k pots, I'm starting to be a believer, too.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

As far as i know, the very first "JB" pickup made by Seymour was wired up with 250k pots....also the the Jazz in the neck.

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

As far as i know, the very first "JB" pickup made by Seymour was wired up with 250k pots....also the the Jazz in the neck.

I've heard that too. It would explain why the Jazz is really bright for a neck pickup.

 

[padesig]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

Interesting thread! This is my first post here in the Seymour Duncan forum... I have two electric guitars, an old Yamaha SG300 H-H AlNiCo V and a modern Ibanez SA160QM with H-S-S all ceramics. I would try to change the pots as a starting point, than changing the capacitors and, as last solution, changing the pickups. What I would in the Yamaha is more presence in the highs and a bit brilliance in the sound. In the Ibanez, instead, I hope to find a way to obtain, on demand (by a switch for instance), a less aggressive tone. The proposed solution in this thread is really nice and I'll try pot change, for the Yamaha, as first step... Thank you all!

 

[padesig]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

Just found this: http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiring_resources_guitar_wiring_diagrams.wiring_faqs/

 

[swissmountain]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

250k or 500k (or anything in between) is really a personal preference, and for me it changes from one guitar to another.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: I've finally figured out how to get humbuckers to play well with single coils

Humbuckers with 500k and singles with 250k are are not divine edicts, they are just rules of thumb. Probably correct 70% of the time. But as I always say and people are sick of it, every hunk of wood is different. So don't fight your guitar with what "ought to be", just give it what it wants because it will never change its mind or compromise with you.