Parallel HB Neck vs Bridge

evh_slash

New member
Hey,
I'm planning on installing a Schaller Megaswitch M in my HH guitar. 1 of the positions will be a parallel HB. Which is typically the better / sweeter sound for clean tones , a neck HB in parallel or Bridge HB in parallel ?? (IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE 1)
 
Depends on what specific pickups each one os. But I might side with the bridge, since bridges are typically hotter, whereas necks are typically already slightly lower output.
 
Depends on what specific pickups each one os. But I might side with the bridge, since bridges are typically hotter, whereas necks are typically already slightly lower output.
Parallel in the bridge can be interesting. Especially if you tend to play with an amp on the edge of breakup.
But a neck pickup in parallel is great for super clear cleans. Even if lower impedance one. You can almost get single coil tone, but no hum.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
Thanks guys. Yes I'm talking for super clean cleans... Like Eric Johnson / Holdsworth / Dream Theatre kinda cleans. (with sloppy chorus, delay and compressor)
 
Holdsworth used a bridge pickup with vintage output in series for his sound. He went to lower output pickups later in life. I think if it is a more powerful pickup, like a JB, it would be fine in parallel for those tones, too.
 
Parallel in the bridge can be interesting. Especially if you tend to play with an amp on the edge of breakup.
But a neck pickup in parallel is great for super clear cleans. Even if lower impedance one. You can almost get single coil tone, but no hum.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

Agreed. Like I said, depends on the specific pickups in play, and goals, to decide which one to put in parallel. But recently, I've been trying all kinds of bridge hums in my Jackson and I have it wired to a 5-way that does series-coils-no-tone, series-coils-with-tone, parallel coils, slug coil, screw coil. After flipping through Custom, Custom 5, Custom Custom, Distortion, Black Winter (still have to do 78 Model, Perpetual Burn, Super Distortion and JB), but I've come to appreciate the usefulness of bridges in parallel - most of these so far have sounded quite Tele-like in parallel, or like a Firebird mini-humbucker. But yeah, I've had JP wiring in an SG for about a year and tended to keep the neck in parallel - made a great middle tone also.
 
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