Mini humbuckers

[JB_From_Hell]

I recently got one of those Ibanez Paul Gilbert Fireman guitars, the version with the three mini humbuckers. The guitar has DiMarzio PG13 pickups, which are my only experience with minis. Interestingly, they have a specific pickup for each position, and the middle is hotter than the other two, so you can lower it out of the way and still have it balance output wise.

Based on my initial impression, they're exactly as described, kind of a middle ground between singles and buckers. Super clear, with some girth. It makes me wonder why we don't see more mini-hum loaded guitars.

 

[zizyphus]

Yep.

I have an SG special with mini-hums, and they're fantastic!

 

[Benjy_26]

IMHO, firebird minis are the best neck pickups for teles and tele-esque guitars. They blend well with traditional AND hot singles at the bridge and get good quack and chime when combined with a middle single in a Nashville configuration.

 

[Clint 55]

Minis are insane. Such a pretty sound with their sc chime and hb grind. I have no reason to use single coils lol.

 

[ICTGoober]

Johnny Winter got the most out of them when he played a Firebird. (I know, Firebird units are not the same as mini-hums - which are historically an Epiphone pickup that Gibson co-opted). However - they both have a sharper sound than normal humbucking units, with enhanced trebles and plenty of sizzle.

One of my apprentices built a mahogany Strat in the 80's with a pair of mini-hums from an SG Special loaded in the bridge and middle positions. I was astounded that with both units on it still had that Strat quack! He still plays it as of last year.

 

[Mincer]

Mini hums are something I never bonded with. Others sound great, but I always want them to sound more like full size HBs. They are better at doing just what they do.

 

[jeremy]

im a big fan of both vintage style firebird pups and the lp dlx style. the antiquity ii versions of both are fantastic!

 

[TVFV]

Has anyone tried a mini in the neck and a low wind HB in the bridge?

 

[jeremy]

yep. works great!

 

[Benjy_26]

Has anyone tried a mini in the neck and a low wind HB in the bridge?

Yup. Sort of. I have a Demon/SM-1n in an Epiphone Alleykat. It sounds pretty great. Clean and clear, but it'll still snarl and grind with the right amount of dirt.

 

[Clint 55]

I think my favorite pickguard I made was Fralin mini neck and middle and Pure PAF bridge. Insane mofo. I wanna redo that but instead of a middle have a sc size hb for the neck and an angled mini right behind it as a 2nd neck.

 

[zizyphus]

Has anyone tried a mini in the neck and a low wind HB in the bridge?

The axe I have that's closest to the "sound in my head" is my tele with a dimarzio transition in the bridge (swapped the ceramic magnet for an A6), and a Gibson lead mini from my SG special in the neck (swapped the short A2 for a full sized A3). Its delicious! The transition is wound to 10.6, so maybe a little hotter than what you're talking about, but hardly a face-melting level of heat

 

[zionstrat]

Very cool guitar! Going to have to check that one out.

I'm crazy about minis especially in the neck and middle positions. But I understand why some people don't like them in the bridge and I think that's part of the confusion.

If you need a full range driving bridge pickup, a mini may not do it for you.. You could get a full-blown EVH experience out of a mini but it's going to take a lot of work after the output jack.

And I think there's something of an ignorant visual perspective around minis in general.. full humbuckers are bigger therefore they must be better.

The truth is, minis are more articulate and are great when matched with thick guitars that would otherwise be muddy.. of course you're not easily going to reroute a muddy Les Paul so most of my minis are in the necks of strats and teles.

They provide an extremely good middle ground between the sustained and punch of a humbucker and the articulation of a single coil.

And, by far my favorite Les Paul's I've ever played were deluxes with two minis... And I kick myself for not grabbing a three mini SG many many years ago.. I don't even remember what the model was.

So end of my reflections of love with one last piece of advice.. especially in the neck use p90s when you need more warmth and punch (not a mini but fits in the same route), use Firebirds when you want more clarity and bite, and the good old Gibson mini design falls right in the middle of the two.



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