New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

[Pat_rocks_and_rolls]

Hello i had the idea of a new concept for a humbucker.

Would it be possible to use 6 coils with 6 different kind of magnets making one single humbucker. What would be more interesting, it would be to have a single volume knob for each coils.

So is this possible, if not why ?

 

[AlexR]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

It is certainly possible......but there will be several effects of magnets doing odd things to each other to consider. Plus the physical winding of coils in order to get them crammed into the space needed.

 

[Mincer]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

Over time, stronger magnets will weaken the weaker ones. So the sound of the pickup will change over time.

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

There's so much that can be done with a regular passive humbucker, alternative wirings, resistors/caps, and push-pulls that there's no need to pursue a 6 coil/6 magnet PU monstrosity. Have you noticed few guitar makers put 6 coils in a guitar as it is (HHH), because the demand's just not there. 6 coils packed like sardines and magnetic overlaps don't do much for tone quality. If it did, every guitar maker would be cranking them out. And that's basically what you have is an HHH with double the magnets. 6 magnets that close together would be a mess.

You're much better off exploring the vast array of options that are available now; try some, combine some, get creative. I'm currently working on combining 5 mods (involving only 1 push-pull) that will give many different tone options, with $10 of parts.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

Hello i had the idea of a new concept for a humbucker.

Would it be possible to use 6 coils with 6 different kind of magnets making one single humbucker. What would be more interesting, it would be to have a single volume knob for each coils.

So is this possible, if not why ?

View attachment 85966

Let's start with a practical question: what exact problem(s) were you trying to solve that lead you to think of this solution? There might be other ways to get there.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

Zexcoil has done something similar I think, using magpoles made from different alloys.

 

[gregory]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

...and from what I've heard, they sound absolutely phenomenal, despite the coils being "packed like sardines and magnetic overlaps".

 

[freefrog]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

Out of the question of weakening mags, side by side humbuckers tend to create "dead spots" if they are in neck position and as soon as the player bends a string.

It's possible to solve it: that's what Zexcoils do.

But if "split coils" are not used outside of bass pickups, 12 strings guitars and hexaphonic bridge transducers, that's because the problems related to this design are not systematically easy to avoid. Do a Google search about Fender Super 55 if my quick explanation is not clear.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

G&L has Z coils on at least one of their guitars, not sure how they sound, but seems like most innovative ideas around this suffer problems that prevent usage, enjoyment and adoption.

 

[gregory]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

IME, the biggest obstacles are price and fear.

 

[freefrog]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

BTW, Fralin has also solved the dead spot issue in an elegant way:

https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/strat-split-blade/#&gid=1&pid=1

 

[Pat_rocks_and_rolls]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

okay and what if we put a thin wood bar between the magnets ? wont it solve the issue ?

 

[freefrog]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

okay and what if we put a thin wood bar between the magnets ? wont it solve the issue ?

Each pole piece / coil would need to be slanted or wide enough to "hear" two strings. That's how Zexcoils and Fralin split coils avoid dead spots. G&L Z coils appear to obey to the same principle under their plastic cover:

http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY/Craig/Z-coils/web/IMG_5130.jpg

 

[blueman335]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

...and from what I've heard, they sound absolutely phenomenal, despite the coils being "packed like sardines and magnetic overlaps".

So how many of them do you have?

 

[Cullenszoo]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

The greatest thing about this idea is it shows your using your imagination. As previously mentioned, the limits of a standard non-active humbucker have yet to be found.

So keep your imagination active. Do some studying on the physics going on with a pickup and what makes it tick. There have been few real serious innovations to pickups for a while so who knows, maybe you'll build the better mousetrap.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: New Kind of humbucker : will it work ?

Hello i had the idea of a new concept for a humbucker.

Would it be possible to use 6 coils with 6 different kind of magnets making one single humbucker. What would be more interesting, it would be to have a single volume knob for each coils.

So is this possible, if not why ?

View attachment 85966

I tried to order a Custom Shop Stag Mag like that. A5 under E and A, UOA5 under D and G, and A2 under B and e. I didn't for monetary reasons though, but I might get it one day. It would be really rough to do with bar magnets, especially ceramics. As others have said the overlapping magnetic fields would be a problem.

Or another possibility would be an El Diablo type construction with two separate magnets.