Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

[Fabio Kuriyama]

Hello Friends,

I bought an entry level Fender Telecaster Modern Players (S-S-H) and this model has spin-a-split selector. I didn't like the original pickups and I bought a bridge invader and little 59 to middle position - I like the fender neck position and I will keep it. I also like the possibility to work with a lot of tone blends of original wiring (5 way + spin-a-split switch) and I have a doubt if I set the spin-a-split on little 59 or invader. Basically I understood that Invader has a very high output and the little 59 a fat humbucker roar sound but I not figure out the sound of each one in single coil mode. What do you suggest friends? Tks a lot!

 

[TeleJr24]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

I don't know about the Invader but I have a Duncan Custom in the bridge position of one of my guitars and I love using the spin-a-split on that pickup. It makes it a little brighter and thinner in a really good way. For distortion I would keep it full on, but for clean and overdrive I prefer to turn the spin-a-split down about one third of the way.

I also use it on the neck pickup with is a Virtual PAF and it works well on that pickup as well.

I don't think of it as turning a humbucker into a single coil, I think of making my humbucker more cleaner since you have a wide range of coil splitting variances to pick from.

 

[koshikas]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

i would have liked to advice you to apply the spin-a-split to the bridge humbucker with the intent of getting some twang too, but with the bridge being an 'Invader' i am not too sure whether you could get a usable twang, even if it were completely split let alone anywhere inbetween.

so that leaves the lil '59, i really havent had any luck getting usable tone from split mini-rail humbuckers. maybe a partial split (with spin-a-split) might work there.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

First of all...you say "spin-a-split SWITCH", and your photo shows a mini toggle switch. The spin-a-split is NOT a switch/toggle, it is a pot (variable resister) like a volume pot which allows you to adjust the amount of one of the coils of a humbucker that you remove from the signal path.

I've tried the spin-a-split on several guitars and while it is a neat tool for some people, it just doesn't do it for me. For most of my pups, I don't like the split tone (StagMag and 59/Custom hybrid are notable exceptions)...too weak/thin/flimsy. I much prefer the parallel tone...very clear and articulate, a fuller more complex tone than split, and it can take a powerful high output pup (like the Invader) down to very low manageable output levels for ultra clean tones. The resistance of a pup in parallel is approximately half of a split bucker which is about half of a full series bucker.

I would absolutely put the "switch" on the Invader (the Little 59 sounds very bad split), and I would recommend parallel rather than split. The Invader sounds VERY good in parallel and is great for jumping from a heavy, rich, full-bodied tone to a crystal clear clean tone.

 

[TeleJr24]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

good point, if it's a switch it's probably a parallel / series switch. I missed that because I was too busy thinking what a nice looking guitar it is.

 

[htwheelz67]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

I have that guitar, The switch is a hum/split switch, on mine I replaced it with a 3 way series/split/parallel, duncan custom custom bridge, texas special mid, tonerider hot classic neck, 500k volume pot, 0.0001 cap for a treble bleed and a TBX tone control. Its now a monster can do anything from classic tele twang to hard rock and metal.
I have a couple Mod player strats too great guitars for cheap, I was looking for a trans charcoal like your and saw this head stock and played it.......SOLD The custom custom works great with the bright pine body.
Heres mine

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

Its now a monster can do anything from classic tele twang to hard rock and metal.

You're getting "classic Tele twang" out of a Custom Custom mounted to a pup ring (not a Tele bridge)?!!

I don't want to sound negative here but, I don't think so.

 

[htwheelz67]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

The neck twangs just like a tele should, the custom custom when split and the TBX on 10 does a pretty good twang even more so with the volume turned down slightly.
It is a very bright guitar to begin with but I did notice,when I played it the other day, the strings have gone a bit dead. With fresh strings its much more pronounced.

I run the CC almost flush with the ring and raised the pole pieces and a bit more on the bottom 3 strings and in parallel it sounds quite similar to my thinline tele with an overwound bridge pickup.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Spin-a-Split - Fender Modern Players (Little 59 or Invader?)

The Invader is going to sound awful in a Pine guitar. Trust me, I speak from experience! +1 for the Custom Custom, I went through nearly a dozen different Duncan Humbuckers when I was looking for a replacement for the stupid Triplebucker my Koto (Chinese Pine) bodied M.P. Marauder & the TB-11 C.C. was just perfect! It was one of the first ones I tried & I just kept coming back to it. It was the exactly the RX she needed, & now it's one of the best sounding & playing guitars that I own! I'm not sure if I just got lucky but it played like a $1,000 guitar out of the box, just S*** electronics? It sounds amazing paired up with the stock Jazzmaster neck pickup now!!!

View attachment 67579

The pine bodies on the M.P. series resonate very well, almost too well, & that's what makes finding suitable replacement pickups for them so hard? The pickups that come stock in the guitars are actually designed for them & when you use something else it either sounds great or terrible, there's no in between, no "ehh, it's okay"???