Parralell / split question
- Thread starter Hank 55
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Re: Parralell / split question
For a while my Strat just had a neck single-coil and a bridge Hot Rails, with no middle pickup. At first, because it was easiest, I had the single-coil and the two coils of the Hot Rails wired up to the 5-way switch just like three single-coils would have been, so I had
1 neck
2 neck + north blade (parallel, obviously)
3 north blade
4 north blade + south blade in parallel
5 south blade
Later I changed the wiring so it was in series, but that original 4th position both-coils-in-parallel always sounded better to me than either coil by itself or with the coils in series.
I can't speak to all small humbuckers, but I'll pile on with this piece of anecdata:
For a while my Strat just had a neck single-coil and a bridge Hot Rails, with no middle pickup. At first, because it was easiest, I had the single-coil and the two coils of the Hot Rails wired up to the 5-way switch just like three single-coils would have been, so I had
1 neck
2 neck + north blade (parallel, obviously)
3 north blade
4 north blade + south blade in parallel
5 south blade
Later I changed the wiring so it was in series, but that original 4th position both-coils-in-parallel always sounded better to me than either coil by itself or with the coils in series.
Re: Parralell / split question
Amen to that, but most production model 'buckers don't give you that option. Do you know a technique for doing it as a mod in a reasonably straightforward manner?
Amen to that, but most production model 'buckers don't give you that option. Do you know a technique for doing it as a mod in a reasonably straightforward manner?
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Parralell / split question
Huh. All you do is wire a resistor between the series connection and ground. 4k is single coiley, 6k is fat, and 10k is about half split.
Huh. All you do is wire a resistor between the series connection and ground. 4k is single coiley, 6k is fat, and 10k is about half split.
Re: Parralell / split question
Wow... I feel like an idiot. That's so simple and obvious...
Between your words of wisdom and my copious quarantine time, I'm about to bust out my soldering iron and rewire all my toys. Thanks!
Wow... I feel like an idiot. That's so simple and obvious...
Between your words of wisdom and my copious quarantine time, I'm about to bust out my soldering iron and rewire all my toys. Thanks!
Re: Parralell / split question
I refuse to live with hum. I would go parallel.
Now here is the deal: When you split the coil, you cut the inductance by one half. When you put it in parallel, you cut it down to only 1/4.
So, if the pickup is high output with lots of windings and high resistance (and therefore high inductance), parallel works very well. The single-coil sized humbuckers that are wired in parallel - the duckbuckers and vintage rails - sound better up close to the strings.
I refuse to live with hum. I would go parallel.
Now here is the deal: When you split the coil, you cut the inductance by one half. When you put it in parallel, you cut it down to only 1/4.
So, if the pickup is high output with lots of windings and high resistance (and therefore high inductance), parallel works very well. The single-coil sized humbuckers that are wired in parallel - the duckbuckers and vintage rails - sound better up close to the strings.
Re: Parralell / split question
Here is info about the Spin-a-split mod. It certainly attempts to solve the issues some have with straight splitting.
Here is info about the Spin-a-split mod. It certainly attempts to solve the issues some have with straight splitting.
Re: Parralell / split question
And yes between the noise reduction and tone, we do a lot more parallels and partials than we do full splits.
Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
Frankly, to me it doesn't matter. The Sweet spot for spin a split falls in a very small range, so I usually dial it in and leave it there. One thing to note is my spinach splits are by passable and often I will measure the spin a split value and replace the spin a split with a resistor bundle of the same value and switch it in and out.
And yes between the noise reduction and tone, we do a lot more parallels and partials than we do full splits.
Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Parralell / split question
Splits appear to react to the absolute amount of resistance rather than the proportion of the sweep like a volume. 10k will split it the same amount regardless of what the value is at full. For this reason, you have to use a small value pot to get any kind of taper. I've tried everything and found that a 50k no loaded pot works best.
Splits appear to react to the absolute amount of resistance rather than the proportion of the sweep like a volume. 10k will split it the same amount regardless of what the value is at full. For this reason, you have to use a small value pot to get any kind of taper. I've tried everything and found that a 50k no loaded pot works best.
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Re: Parralell / split question
Also, heed the "no load" part
I did a spin-a-split mod on some of my humbuckers without a low-resistance pot (probably around the 50k that Clint suggested), and it sounded MUDDY as all hell because of all the treble that grounded out
Also, heed the "no load" part
I did a spin-a-split mod on some of my humbuckers without a low-resistance pot (probably around the 50k that Clint suggested), and it sounded MUDDY as all hell because of all the treble that grounded out
