Mini humbucker - parallel or partial split

CarlosG

New member
Hi! I have question about second option sound from my pickups. Basically i used humbuckers. But I like single coil sound too, especially for cleans.
Maybe I'm saying heresy, but I think that with a well-chosen resistor (partial split coil) you can get very close to the sound of a single (usually 1.2-1.5k).
I'm building my new pickguard for my strat. It will most likely be an SH-1 bridge and a little 59 neck.
For the bridge I know I'll use a partial split coil. I don't know what to do with the neck of a Little 59 though. I've never had one. I've heard that parallel sounds better. I've never liked parallel with regular humbuckers, I preferred partial split.
Has anyone compared it side by side with partial split? Or will I have to spend some time testing...
Best Regards
 
Putting a humbucker in parallel drops the volume a bit, and drops the bass a bit. Result? Cleaner, clearer tones like a single coil - but it's still humbucking. Some don't agree, but I think 60 cycle hum is SO 20th century.
 
I've heard that parallel sounds better. I've never liked parallel with regular humbuckers, I preferred partial split.
Has anyone compared it side by side with partial split? Or will I have to spend some time testing...
Best Regards

You'll have to spend some time testing because nobody else has your (g)ear(s). :-)


That said, I'd just avoid preconceptions and blanket statements about parallel vs split, partial or not.

The thing is that parallel wiring divides the inductance by 4 while it's "only" halved with a split pickup.

1/4 of the series inductance will sound good if the pickup has a high enough inductance to start with. Reason why parallel wiring might be a better choice for powerful humbuckers .

1/2 of the series inductance as provided by split coils might be better if the pickup is not too powerful, like a standard P.A.F. clone.

In fact, both solutions are able to deliver a same inductance and close resonant frequencies, opening to very similar tones: a 16k / 8H humbucker will measure 4k and 2H once in parallel. A 8k / 4H one should read the same 4k / 2H once split. Even if they exhibit some differences (like stray capacitance), both PU's should sound close to each other, with for only difference the hum coming from coil splitting...


Personally, I'd spontaneously avoid coil splitting with a powerful humbucker, giving potentially too much hum and a too low pitched resonant peak, for a mediocre single coil tone... But even this is discussible: some high inductance HB's have a low capacitance and a high Q factor when split and work well with this wiring. IOW, there's no rule, there IME and IMO. YMMV.
 
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Freefrog did a good job explaining the details, I can give you a couple of real-world examples...

In general, I find parallel far more useful than splitting because it maintains humbucking and the coil interaction tends to add some interesting stuff.. I don't want to call it phase, it's just some kind of coil interaction going on.

I was hesitant to do minis until one of my customers forced me to do it and I was pleasantly surprised.. considering how low the impedance is, I imagined that less than two ohms would be to low to be useful and how wrong I was.

It turned out to be clear in chimney... Kind of in a filter tron direction but not quite as powerful.

But it really cut through with a single kind of vibe and I've done a couple of these since because they really are incredibly useful tones.

Personally one thing I like to emphasize is it's nice to have some positions that don't have as much power as others so that you can push them harder for rhythm and then switch to the more powerful position for leads.

The parallel mini definitely fits that less powerful but extremely useful description.
 
right, this isnt an actual gibson/epiphone mini-humbucker type pup, of which a good one can be awesome. especially in the neck. this is actually a single coil size humbucker
 
In short for me:
Parallel wiring and normal splitting works best with high wound humbuckers like JB.
Partial splitting also works great with lower wound humbuckers like PAFs or neck Buckers.
With mini humbuckers (a lil 59 is a single coil sized humbucker) i would try first a partial splitting.
 
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In short for me:
Parallel wiring and normal splitting works best with high wound humbuckers like JB.
Partial splitting also works great with lower wound humbuckers like PAFs or neck Buckers.
With mini humbuckers (a lil 59 is a single coil sized humbucker) i would try first a partial splitting.

I find that splitting well depends on the parent wind, no matter what the output. PAF-types can split well, too. I've never gotten a split sound I like with little humbuckers, though- parallel is much better.
 
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