Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

[overwound]

I heard on a video once (I think Phil X) someone say that having a bridge pickup unfettered by any other magnets in the neck or middle gives the purest vibration/signal/other physics term I don't know.

I have an empty strat with an HSS pickguard. I got a black winter. Original plan was to put dimarzio Areas in the neck and middle along with the black winter (because I'm crazy). But now I'm thinking maybe I should do a pure 1H thing and leave the crazy wiring alone. I have a strat with a single Duncan Distortion in it and it has this amazing resonance/mojo to it. Any credence to this 1H theory?

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Any credence to this 1H theory?

No, but that won't stop people from believing in voodoo.

EDIT:
...except that my head is normally stuck in humbucker land. Sigh.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

yes and no. the magnetic pull of a typical bucker isnt that strong compared to a fender style single coil with rod magnets. i think i notice a difference between a tele and an esquire, i dont know if i heard a difference between my single h strat and my hh strat. adding area's to the neck would be similar to adding single coils so maybe? a strat pup in the neck position has more effect on the strings than it would at the bridge or middle. ive done a few ss strats with no middle pup and again, i thought i heard a difference but that could be my mind playing tricks

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

ive done a few ss strats with no middle pup and again, i thought i heard a difference but that could be my mind playing tricks

I can imagine less intonation and sustain issues due to the decreased string pull from fewer rod magnets.

 

[overwound]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

ah. interesting. i was thinking maybe the areas in particular would have less pull than say 'real' singles...so i could 'get away' with this real/imagined issue

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Areas are Alnico 2, so yes there will be less string pull. You could go with Lace Sensors as well.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

I notice a difference in sound between my 2 and 3 hb guitars. The hb set up - how many and where they're placed - affects how the strings vibrate. Nothing voodoo about that. I think I like the sound of my 3 hb loaded guitar the best. But there's also the issue of some stratitis up the neck on the 6th string.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

I notice a difference in sound between my 2 and 3 hb guitars. The hb set up - how many and where they're placed - affects how the strings vibrate. Nothing voodoo about that. I think I like the sound of my 3 hb loaded guitar the best. But there's also the issue of some stratitis up the neck on the 6th string.

The third humbucker also affects the magnetism of the other two. The extent of this depends on how strong the magnets are.

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

From minuscule to extremely miniscule.

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Here's an experiment for you: take the magnet out of your middle HB and see if the magnetic field from the neighboring pickups causes it to have any output.

 

[Blille]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Not voodoo, it's real. But it only works if you remove the back plate from the guitar. And leave your fuzzes in the freezer prior to the show.


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[Chistopher]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Here's an experiment for you: take the magnet out of your middle HB and see if the magnetic field from the neighboring pickups causes it to have any output.

Or you could do as I did and convert a Black Beauty to only having the neck and bridge pickup. I did this with an A4 59 neck, an A8 59n in parallel for the middle, and a RTM for the bridge. The A8 59 didn't really do it for me, so I got rid of it. Low and behold, the bridge pickup got a noticable increase in output as well as more mids. I believe that the A8 was magnetically fighting with the bridge pickup, the same as why stacking two different magnets in a pickup doesn't have nearly the same result as a double thick one.

As for how big a difference magnetism makes for single humbucker guitars, unless you have an A5 or stronger single coil in the neck position, it really won't make much of a difference at all, even with stronger magnets its not really that noticable.

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

...or I can modify your guitar for you and see what you thought I did.

Removing the magnet from the affected pickup in order to measure the contribution from the offending magnet would have been a far better experiment if you were to do such an investigation by yourself.

As for my Gibson HHH Black Beauty, I've had no issues getting what I need out of it, aside from it not giving me a back ache.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

...or I can modify your guitar for you and see what you thought I did.

Removing the magnet from the affected pickup in order to measure the contribution from the offending magnet would have been a far better experiment if you were to do such an investigation by yourself.

As for my Gibson HHH Black Beauty, I've had no issues getting what I need out of it, aside from it not giving me a back ache.

Yeah, mine has a weight issue too. I didn't do it so much to experiment as to just plain get rid of the middle pickup. It didn't have a useful sound to it. Want to get into voodoo, talk about how "detrimental" an unoccupied pickup route is to your tone.

 

[Artie]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

There is actually some science to support this theory. Consider the fact that the magnet isn't necessary to the operation of the pickup coil, per se. It's job, is simply to magnetize the strings. A magnet, when moved in the presence of a coil, generates a voltage. It's the basis for the operation of all generators. So, if you have a single pickup, you have a set amount of magnetism induced onto the strings. Add more pickups, and you add more magnetism. Thus, increasing the effective magnet strength of the strings. Doesn't matter if those other pickups are "on". The magnets are never "off".

The question then becomes, how much influence do those other magnets have? I see an experiment in my future.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Try a neodymium single coil in the neck. It'll definitely affect primary tone and sustain. An A3? Not so much. But that proves their is a difference that exists on a spectrum, or as the kids say, it proves that "YMMV".

 

[gregory]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Controlled experiments are the way to go; anecdotes: not so much.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

Controlled experiments are the way to go; anecdotes: not so much.

While you work on your controlled experiments, I'll work on my anecdotes. Experiments create rules and rules create boring.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

That's kind of the purpose of the forum. To discuss experiences that veteran plays have had to get to the bottom of things. Everything doesn't have to be based on lab research to infer what is probably true. You want most of the parameters to be based on facts if you can tho.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Single bridge humbucker - is there a sound difference?

I don't even have to read Artie's post to know what it reads.

Of course, it has an effect, there is less pull on the strings. What is the actual debate is how much or what effect and can you hear it? Some swear they can and who am I to argue.