Phat Cat hum

[pookey]

I installed a SD Phat Cat in the neck of my Steinberger. I have a SD Custom in the bridge. O.K. So I know the Phat Cat, being a single coil, will have 60 cycle hum, on it's own. But, when I select both PUs (middle position on selector switch), I still get some hum. The Custom, on it's own, is quite as can be, so I know it's not a grounding issue. I thought a single coil in combo with another PU would cancel hum?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Phat Cat hum

not quite. a single coil with another single coil that is reverse wound/reverse polarity will cancel hum. since you are using a bucker with the phat cat you get no humcancelling. if you split the coil of the custom in the middle position with the phat cat it should be quiet

 

[pookey]

Re: Phat Cat hum

You know, I was comparing this one to my other Les Paul, but that one actually has a P-100, which IS hum cancelling. So, I guess it makes sense now. You need an even number of coils (two singles or humbuckers) to get cancelling. A humbucker and a single together still hums (odd number of coils).

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Phat Cat hum

And two singles coils of drastically different design/output can still hum, though not as badly as they do on their own. You end up with partial cancelling, but since the 60 cycles from one isn't strong eough to balance out the 60 cycles of the other, you can still hear the leftover.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Phat Cat hum

to fix this just wire the custom to split when in the middle position. then you use one coil of the custom and the phat cat, there may be some hum left but shouldn't be too much.