Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

PhatStrat

PhatStrat

New member
Let me ask a few general questions to see if I am understanding correctly. Pup outut is determined by DC resistance... higher resistance = higher output, right? Then... splitting the coils on a HB results in a 50% reduction in resistance which should equal about 1/2 the output. Then lastly... wiring two SC's in series should result in roughly double the output of parallel. Is all this theory pretty much correct? Or am I misunderstanding something?

Now... assuming it is correct... I have a H-S-S Strat with a Fat-O for Fatties switch (thank you deaf-eddie.com) which allows me to 1) split my HB for more of a S-S-S sound, and 2) set my two SC's in series for more of a H-H sound. Based on my first paragraph... if I switch to APS-1 SC's with 6.4K DC res, then the best match for my setup would be a Custom Custom with 14.4K DC res. This should mean that when I split the HB I get a single with 7.2K in the bridge, and when I run the SC's in series I get the equivalent of 12.8K in the neck.

Oh... BTW... pup choice is based on Alnico II mags to warm up a VERY bright Alder Strat.

Comments?
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

It should work, at least in theory.

Keep in mind that resistance is not the measure of a pickup's output, it's just a convenient indicator.

For example, I have a JB in the bridge of my Hamer that measures in at 16.6k, and my friend has a Duncan Distortion that measures in at 16.1K. They should have pretty similar output, with the JB maybe being a touch hotter right?

Not a chance. ;) The DD is much hotter than my JB, probably due to the magnet size and construction.
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

Thanks or the input Benjy... anyone have experience with splitting a Custom Custom? And if so... how would you compare output to the APS-1's?

At the same time... anyone wired the APS-1's in series? And if so... what was the output result?
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

I split a Custom Custom in the bridge of my Carvin, paired with an APH in the neck. It's not exactly a strat sound, but it gets close. I have APS-2's in my strat also, but I've never tried them in series.
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

Hey Phat Strat:

Thanks for the post and welcome to the User Group.

D.C. Resistance is but one variable used to determine a pickup's output. It's not the be-all-end-all. It just represents and wire gauge and number of turns. The magnet is also very important. So is the shape of the coil form.

Splitting the coils on a humbucker wired in series does result in a 50% loss of d.c. resistance, but to my ears at least, it's not a 50% reduction in output. Why? Well, one of the reasons is the magnetic gauss isn't affected by the splitting.

Also, switching from series to parrallel is around a 75% reduction in d.c. resistance, but only accounts for around a 6dB reduction in output.

It's true, generally speaking, that Alinico 2 will warm up a bright guitar. However, if the pickup is underwound, the low d.c. resistance will create a high resonant peak, which could actually ADD brightness to the guitar.

I hope that helps.
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

PhatStrat said:
Let me ask a few general questions to see if I am understanding correctly. Pup outut is determined by DC resistance... higher resistance = higher output, right? Then... splitting the coils on a HB results in a 50% reduction in resistance which should equal about 1/2 the output. Then lastly... wiring two SC's in series should result in roughly double the output of parallel. Is all this theory pretty much correct? Or am I misunderstanding something?

Now... assuming it is correct... I have a H-S-S Strat with a Fat-O for Fatties switch (thank you deaf-eddie.com) which allows me to 1) split my HB for more of a S-S-S sound, and 2) set my two SC's in series for more of a H-H sound. Based on my first paragraph... if I switch to APS-1 SC's with 6.4K DC res, then the best match for my setup would be a Custom Custom with 14.4K DC res. This should mean that when I split the HB I get a single with 7.2K in the bridge, and when I run the SC's in series I get the equivalent of 12.8K in the neck.

Oh... BTW... pup choice is based on Alnico II mags to warm up a VERY bright Alder Strat.

Comments?
Click to expand...

A humbucker split into a single coil will never actually sound exactly like a real Strat single coil because the design of the two pickups is so differant. In a vintage Strat single coil the six polepieces are the magnets and the wire is wound directly around them. In a humbucker the polepieces are not magnets...they are steel screws and slugs, and the magnet is underneath the pickup.

However you are right in assuming that a 14.4K pickup like the Custom or Custom 5 or Custom Custom when split will give a better and stronger single coil tone than splitting a vintage output 8.5K humbucker like a '59 would.

The best sounding single coil tones from a humbucker that I have ever heard come from the alnico 5 JB. That's a 16.4K pickup and when split you'll have a 8.2K single coil: plenty strong enough to sound good in a guitar with two regular single coils. An A5 humbucker like the JB or C5 will usually have more bass than a comparable A2 humbucker, and that can be a real plus when splitting or using that humbucker in the bridge position which generally has less bass.

But the Custom Custom also has very respectable single coil tone when split, though it won't sound exactly like an APs-1 or 2.

It is one of my very favorite bridge humbuckers though and I use it myself. If you're trying to add mids and reduce treble in an overly bright guitar it's a great choice, although I wouldn't limit its use to taming the highs of an overly bright guitar. It's a killer pickup in just about any guitar!

I think you should go ahead with your plan and try that combo and see if it lights your fire. IMO, the odds are very good that you will be happy with the combo you are thinking of.

Lew
 
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Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

specifically with those pups, the aps are warm sounding vintage single coils which means they still have a nice high end. i have a guitar with neck and middle aps single coils than can be switched into series. it is louder and has more low mids for a thicker sound but the distance between the coils is wider than on a humbucker so the sound is not the same. it sounds more like the normal notch tone but much thicker, with more output and growl. its a cool tone but not very humbucker like. if you roll the tone control back it gets a little closer to that type of tone but never quite gets there. cool tone though
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

Thanks for all the input guys. I'll post a follow-up once I get my pups and get them installed. I just recently added the Fat-O switch and it made an incredible difference. Now I can't wait to add the pups to the mix!!
 
Re: Pup balance H-S-S... theoretical

UPDATE... Phase I complete. I swapped the original Tex Mex HB out with a Custom Custom SH-11. Dayam what a difference!! This is one SWEET pup if anyone was wondering. It adds the warmth I was missing. The Tex Mex had Alnico V mag, the Alnico II in the SH-11 makes a huge difference just as I had hoped.

As far as the balance... I assume the original Tex Mex SC's (which are still in there until my next cash flow) have around the same output as the APS-1's will have when I install them down the road. Since they are vintage staggered style pups, this should be a fairly safe assumption. Now... when I set my switch in H-S-S mode, the HB is hot, just as it should be, but still not overpowering when I switch from the SC's. But, when I split the HB the single coil level is pretty much equal (to my ears at least) to the other two SC's. If anything, it is slightly hotter, which is what I want in S-S-S mode. Finally, when I switch to Bridge HB and the two SC's in series (emulating a H-H setup), the balance is again pretty even between the two SC's and the HB.

In summary... my theoretical setup seems to hold water. So, if anyone is looking to try this setup with H-S-S and switches to split the HB into single coil and also to run the two SC's in series... think about a similar pup set with HB resistance at double or slightly more than double the SC resistance. You will be amazed at the resulting balanced sound you get.

Of course, I will post yet another update when I get the APS-1's and rig them up.
 
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