Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

[Agileguy_101]

Title more or less says it all. I'm thinking of turning my SSS Strat to HSH, and I want to rig it up so that when the mini toggle is set one way, the three way switch splits the humbuckers and adds the middle pickup (which is RW/RP) to whatever is selected by the pickup selector. Will this give me hum cancellation?

 

[robrob2]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

In theory yes. But most modern Fender pickups have the opposite magnetic polarity as Seymour Duncans. If you add SD humbuckers and the mid single RW/RP is Fender you may have to cut the inside humbucker coils (outside active) to get the correct North + South polarity. You could always spin the entire humbuckers around so the inside coils were active but then the "Seymour Duncan" logo will be upside down. Of course buying an SD mid RW/RP coil would solve these problems.

You WILL need a polarity tester or magnetic compass to verify the polarity of all the coils so you make the correct humbucker coils active for hum (noise) canceling--don't trust the manufacturer to tell you what the magnetic polarity is, especially for a humbucker.

Ideally you'd want this polarity for an HSH setup: SN....S....NS

With this the inside humbucker coils would pair with the mid: N....S (bridge & mid) and S....N (mid & neck).

Getting the electrical phase right is straightforward. If the split bridge + mid AND mid + split neck sound weak and tinny (OOP) simply reverse the mid pickup's wires.

Get the magnetic polarity right first because if you change a pickup's magnetic polarity its electrical polarity changes too.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

So, two Duncan humbuckers and a RW/RP Duncan single coil should kill all the hum? Excellent, thank you kindly.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

What I would do is hold the single coil polepieces against the polepieces of the coil of the humbucker that you want to use and see if they attract or repel. If they repel you will not have humcancelling. If they attract you probably will have humcancelling. But it's not guaranteed. The two coils need to be reverse wound relative to each other as well. You might have to reverse the black and white wires on the single coil too so don't cut any wires to length until you're sure you have the final wiring figured out.

 

[robrob2]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

So, two Duncan humbuckers and a RW/RP Duncan single coil should kill all the hum?

Yes, they should all play well with one another, but check the polarity BEFORE you start to solder to be sure. Many people have had mag polarity issues.

Lew, I like the attract-repel test for magnetic polarity.

 

[robrob2]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

One other point, since most SD pickups have the "Seymour Duncan" logo on them you'll need to get the specific bridge and neck versions of your humbuckers if you want them oriented in the standard way--with the bridge humbucker's screw coils closest to the bridge, and with the neck humbucker's screw coils closest to the neck.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

Aw damn - so that means I can't use a Screamin Demon in the neck if I want the split positions to be hum cancelling. Hmm.. Maybe I should just forget about getting a RW/RP single coil and get a nice hum free one.

 

[robrob2]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

Aw damn - so that means I can't use a Screamin Demon in the neck if I want the split positions to be hum cancelling. Hmm.. Maybe I should just forget about getting a RW/RP single coil and get a nice hum free one.

No, they will be hum canceling and I just realized it won't be an issue because SD doesn't put their logo on covered humbuckers.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Split humbucker + RW/RP Single coil = hum cancellation?

Awesome! Now my 59C/SSL-5/Demon dream will be fully realized, sans any hum! HUZZAH