Rise and Fall of 3 Humbucker Guitars

[Inflames626]

It seems like in the late 70s and early 80s three humbucker guitars were the rage. Ace Frehley of Kiss (I know about the smoke bomb in the neck pickup thing) and Phil Collen of Def Leppard seemed to be using them especially. Ibanez had some truly cool and innovative Destroyer models out at this time. Canadian luthier Lado was making the Earth line, which Adrian Smith used on Iron Maiden's Powerslave tour in 1985 (I still want a Lado). Everything had a whammy bar.

And then one day three humbucker guitars seemed to dry up. Why?

I know there's concern about cost vs. market demand, etc., but from a player and pickup builder's viewpoint, is there any reason to shy away from a three pickup guitar?

I'm guessing it's like the middle position on a Strat--it doesn't offer much--but a 3 hum guitar wired up in various ways would seem to offer the most flexibility as far as tones.

Not sure I'd like 3 hums in an LP, but a 3 humbucker super Strat I'd sure try.

Thanks as always.

 

[Inflames626]

3 hum on the surface would also seem superior to H/S/H designs that Ibanez keeps going.

 

[idsnowdog]

Add Peter Frampton and Pete Townshend to that list. People complain about the middle pickup being in their way when picking. Also the Gibson's didn't really have much for switching options because the neck/bridge share a volume/tone while the middle has its own volume/tone. So basically they were mixing the middle with whatever position the three way switch was in. A Freeway Switch would give someone a lot of switching options but that doesn't mean they are all that usable.

 

[Artie]

For me, doing a simple wiring mod to give you the stud coil of the bridge, in series with the screw coil of the neck, gives you a "virtual" middle humbucker that has the bright qualities of the bridge with the warm qualities of the neck. And, at a fraction of the cost. But I'll admit, a 3 humbucker axe looks cool.

 

[GuitarStv]

With SSH or HSH, the single coils give a very different and usable sound. I don't really find the sounds that a middle humbucker makes are any more useful than the typical 3-way 2 HB setup.

Also, I always find myself needing to screw the middle humbucker waaaaay down into the guitar body to be comfortable picking over it.

 

[Inflames626]

With SSH or HSH, the single coils give a very different and usable sound. I don't really find the sounds that a middle humbucker makes are any more useful than the typical 3-way 2 HB setup.

Also, I always find myself needing to screw the middle humbucker waaaaay down into the guitar body to be comfortable picking over it.

Great point. As a HH player usually, I find myself often struggling with HSS because I'm not used to the middle single coil.

That said, I'd like to think a 3 hum guitar would help tighten up right hand picking by keeping the right hand within a smaller area and force the player to choke up on the pick more to keep from striking the middle pickup when playing.

For the middle S, for those of us who like a genuine single coil, in terms of noise the middle S could be a liability, whereas the middle humbucker would remain quiet. I tend not to like stacked hum cancelling singles and see them more as smaller footprint humbuckers. Side by side singles are marginally better to my ear.

With a three hum guitar, I thought perhaps using the middle pickup's coils with the inner coils of the front and rear pickup might sound interesting. I usually find the inner coils on front and rear pickups not very useful, but with a third pickup, maybe?

It just seems like such an unexplored area of tone. A low output neck pickup ramping up to a middle to a high output bridge pickup. Or 3 all the same. Suddenly more choices seem to open up.

It just seems like cutting a middle pickup route into a carved/archtop guitar might be a challenging process relative to a flat top super Strat.

 

[Aceman]

I'll say it again. I generally dig the middle/bridge sound of a three hum bucker guitar for rhythm vs Bridge only.

 

[Mincer]

Robert Fripp used HHH LPs, too, but that middle pickup gets in my way if I try it.

 

[weepingminotaur]

I just don't have a use for a middle HH. Also, three-humbucker guitars just look ugly and crowded to me.

 

[Mr. 80's]

Though I pretymuch only play on the bridge I've always wanted a 3 HB LP Custom because of Steve Clark and Tom Keifer. I've also always wanted a 3 HB Superstrat because of Richie Sambora.

 

[uOpt]

The pickups are so close that their magnetic fields influences each other. You don't get an unchanged neck humbucker or bridge humbucker sound out of it.

 

[dave74]

I hate on all counts.
Not for me.
Don't like middle singles either.

 

[Securb]

I don't hear Strat players complaining about the middle pickup. I think the middle humbucker pickup gets in the way thing is in people's heads. Once I start playing, I don't even notice it.

 

[beaubrummels]

I'd have a couple if they were readily available and affordable for me. But I can cover a lot of ground without them also. Currently only my Firebird has HHH. I find both the original Gibson wiring useful, as well as the mod where each H has it's own volume, master tone, and the middle isn't on the switch, just blended with it's volume. Lots of great sounds to be had. Can't speak to why certain periods of time HHH seem to 'dry up' in manufacturing. I'm not sure that's the case. I think they are always made, in small numbers, and you might think there are more of them around if someone famous uses one, but I actually don't believe the manufacturing numbers vary as much as is perceived.

 

[dave74]

I don't hear Strat players complaining about the middle pickup. I think the middle humbucker pickup gets in the way thing is in people's heads. Once I start playing, I don't even notice it.

It just depends where your pick falls, and that depends on the distance between your palm mute and the pick, which depends also on how you hold the pick.
Lots of depends, we should buy shares in the company!

No really it's all those things. Hand size and the distance between the mute and the pick also has an effect on the tone's bass vs treble, looseness vs tightness too.

 

[Securb]

It just depends where your pick falls, and that depends on the distance between your palm mute and the pick, which depends also on how you hold the pick.
Lots of depends, we should buy shares in the company!

No really it's all those things. Hand size and the distance between the mute and the pick also has an effect on the tone's bass vs treble, looseness vs tightness too.

I get it. I pick all over the place. Sometimes palm muting on the bridge, other times over the neck pickup, and there are even times when I will pick or strum on the neck.

 

[Inflames626]

Re: picking and hand placement, my guess is bass players are much more conscious of this than guitar players, as their tone changes immensely wherever their fingers/pick are along the string. On distorted guitars I don't think this is noticeable, and tbh I think most players end up playing wherever their hand falls as long as they stay in time.

Horizontal string placement. This is part of the appeal of a 3 H for me--wherever the pickups are make a big difference, obviously. It's also why I refuse to buy a reverse P/reverse PJ bass. Why make your bass strings brighter and your treble strings duller with the reverse pickup placement? Sorry 80s Jackson/Charvel/BC Rich PJ players--Leo got the pickup placement right the first time to my ear.

So, in sum, I think the picking on the 3 H thing can be overcome. It's just a question of how willing the player is to do it. I'd be much more concerned about wiring complexity and choosing the right 3 pickups when most of us are confused about the right 2 pickups. : )

 

[Inflames626]

The pickups are so close that their magnetic fields influences each other. You don't get an unchanged neck humbucker or bridge humbucker sound out of it.

Nice to see uOpt back on my threads. I thought he might say something along this line.

 

[Inflames626]

I'd have a couple if they were readily available and affordable for me. But I can cover a lot of ground without them also. Currently only my Firebird has HHH. I find both the original Gibson wiring useful, as well as the mod where each H has it's own volume, master tone, and the middle isn't on the switch, just blended with it's volume. Lots of great sounds to be had. Can't speak to why certain periods of time HHH seem to 'dry up' in manufacturing. I'm not sure that's the case. I think they are always made, in small numbers, and you might think there are more of them around if someone famous uses one, but I actually don't believe the manufacturing numbers vary as much as is perceived.

For me presence in manufacturing means are they making 3 H guitars as part of a standard, non custom shop batch, preferably with a low/mid tier.

Phil Collen, Pete Willis, and Steve Clark's 3 H guitars might have been done as favors. I seem to remember Hamer and Def Leppard promoting each other aggressively pretty early on.

Just check out the "Me and My Wine" video. I know he had a rough night out before in the video, but I'm pretty sure Joe Elliott's wearing a Hamer shirt on purpose.

 

[dave74]

I get it. I pick all over the place. Sometimes palm muting on the bridge, other times over the neck pickup, and there are even times when I will pick or strum on the neck.

And I'll admit I've never had a triple-bucker guitar. Perhaps the middle doesn't get in the way for some because generally humbuckers are not set as high as singles.
My Ibanez guitars that were H/S/H annoyed the hell out of me because my pick tip was right on top of that single, so when swapping pickups I just rewired it H/H and lowered the single all the way down out of the way. Just left it in for looks.