Split Coil Humbucker Question

[Moonge]

using a 3 way switch & a push/pull tone pot what type of sigle coil sound do you get when you split humbucker? Is it more like a P-90 or a typical Fender single coil? Perhaps it is nothing like either or somewhere in between. Thanks for your replies!

 

[gilles27]

Re: Split Coil Humbucker Question

it's more like a P90 because of the type of magnet used in P90 pickups. Fender single coils traditionally use rod magnets and that gives them a certain type of tone. Humbuckers use bar magnets, as do P90s. Even when you split a humbucker, you don't get a true single coil fender strat type tone because of this disparity in magnet types. the middle position on my humbucker guitar is a split and it sounds like a cross between a real clean P90 and the in between position near the neck on a strat. not quite either though if you know what i mean

 

[Moonge]

Re: Split Coil Humbucker Question

Thanks for the reply, i was figuring it would be more of a P-90 type of sound or more similar to it. Thats more in tune with the type of sound I hope to get when in split coil mode.

 

[gilles27]

Re: Split Coil Humbucker Question

you don't really get the bell - like chimey stuff with a split humbucker. to my ear, my split sound has none of the attack or initial tone of a fender single but towards the end of the note, the character becomes more traditional single coil