single coil split humbucker options?

[Grindspine]

I am considering refurbishing one of my older guitars and could use some opinions on pickup choice.

The white guitar in these pics is a 1985 B.C. Rich Warlock platinum series import. It's got a bolt-on maple neck, 24 fret, 25" scale length rosewood fingerboard, and the body is basswood ply. I realize it is not a very valuable guitar, but as the guitar I have had the longest, I would rather refurbish it than sell it.

It is routed for dual humbuckers and currently wired with a 500k volume pot and a coil tap switch on the bridge.

I want to get some new humbuckers for it that split well to single coil and have a decent sponginess to the low end if in humbucker mode.

I have been considering a Full Shred set, Parallel Axis set, JB with 250k pots, or Stag Mag to use one coil only in neck position.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

The current pickups are kinda meh. The neck is wired as a humbucker now and just sounds bland and a little too warm.

The bridge humbucker sounds like the output is a little lower than I'd like in humbucker mode and is a little too thin in single-coil mode. I do like the sponginess to the low end though. I have the impression that both are Alnico 5 based humbuckers.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

Would a JB and Full Shred neck work out well with coil tapping and 250k pots?

I know I find my friend's JB loaded guitar a tad bright, so a 250k pot should work pretty well with it, but coil tapped, will it be a little more like a Strat sound with those pots?

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

The JB splits very very well. I use it Split very often with a Split Jazz neck. I really cant comment on the other options though. I do feel the Stag mag would be too much out put in the neck.

Why not a Invaders? I guess they should split well too. Maybe Distortion Set

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

Of those you mentioned, the Stag Mag will give you the best single coil split sound by far!

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

But I would use 500k pots with the Stag.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

I am shocked, I got more responses on the H-C forums with this question than I have here!

To summarize what has been said on that forum, the JB makes for great coil tapping. Parallel-series switching is another option besides coil tapping. A Stag Mag wired as a single coil for neck might work well.

Any comments (particularly on the option of running a JB as series-parallel at bridge)?

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

I still think the Stag Mag would be too much out put in the neck in full Humbucking mode. Consider something else for the neck. IMO most Humbuckers should do Parallel well.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

The new parchment colored bobbins have me thinking they'd look great on that guitar.

I think a JB with a 250 or 300k pot for the bridge should work well. A friend of mine uses a JB with 500k pots; his guitar sounds great, I would just want the highs rolled back a touch.

A Stag Mag would be overpowering in the neck position if it were wired in series. So, I am thinking a Stag Mag in the neck with parallel wiring would get me the sound I want.

Since I generally only use the volume and 3-way toggle, I could easily use the mini switch for series-parallel wiring and the spare (disconnected) volume pot to wire the JB in spin-a-split. (I have a Dimebucker wired to spin-a-split and like the results.)

So, any comments on going JB in the bridge wired for spin-a-split and Stag Mag in the neck wired to a series-parallel switch?

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

Just try it and see if you like it. No one here knows what you want tone-wise, so your best bet is to spend the time and money experimenting.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

Just try it and see if you like it. No one here knows what you want tone-wise, so your best bet is to spend the time and money experimenting.

Aye, I was just trying to get some opinions before spending money on a new set of pickups.

As far as the sound I was going for with this guitar...

I want to get some new humbuckers for it that split well to single coil and have a decent sponginess to the low end if in humbucker mode.

I guess what I am asking is if the combo of a JB with a parallel wired Stag Mag can give me a single coil-like sound, but have some spongy humbucker sounds as well.

 

[Grindspine]

Re: single coil split humbucker options?

I tried my friend's JB loaded guitar through my rig last night. It definitely sounds better to my ears with the volume rolled back since he uses a full 500k volume pot.

With the volume rolled off, it sounds like the sound I want out of the bridge in humbucker mode on that guitar--a little less tight and a bit less aggressive than the distortion. I figure a 250k volume pot and spin-a-split wiring for the coil splitting will have the bridge position exactly where I want it.

I think I am fairly settled on trying a Stag Mag in the neck with a mini toggle to select single coil or parallel humbucker operation.

Any suggestions on a good place to get this pair of buckers in parchment colored bobbins?