Split or Parallel

Hsb

Hsb

Well-known member
I currently have a Black Winter bridge paired with a Jazz neck, although I dont mind the Jazz neck, I am thinking about adding a Black Winter neck to the guitar to match the bridge. With that I'm pondering replacing the regular volume pot with a push pull volume to run both pickups in either parallel or split.

The guitar itself is a single volume, no tone, so would this actually be possible for both pickups or would I need to add a pot.

Those who have run them either split or parallel, whats your thoughts on the idea.
 
you can split two pups with one p/p pot but you can only put one pup in parallel with that same switch. if i was in your shoes, id go split for both pups to have a brighter/thinner/lower output set of options rather than parallel for one. unless there is something specific you are going?
 
Not looking for anything specific, just looking explore some different sounds out of the guitar.
 
I think splitting both with a p/p would give a set of more useful sounds than just putting one pickup in parallel.
 
You can however make it so when 1 coil from each humbucker is selected, it cancels out the hum.
 
I would go with split though that is just a personal preference. What I will say is the BWn is matched and voiced perfectly for the BWb, it is an amazing set. You are going to really enjoy yourself.
 
I also prefer split. It's annoying that it's not hum free, but I just prefer the sound. Parallel is brighter, but it's always missing something single coil-y that split has.
 
i agree. i like parallel as an option, but split sounds more single coil like. go figure, its only one coil
 
Not all of my split humbuckers have an overly noticeable hum, my Dimebucker split is still pretty quiet. My Fralin Pure PAF is also pretty quite split.
 
This is really an issue of what you want to do with this lower output option.

Do you want Single coil tones? Then by all means split. FYI a split Humbucker is less noisy than a true single just because of the proximity of the other coil.

Do you want a very clean, but weak, Humbucker sound? Then parallel is the way to go.

Time and a place for each...


If you are willing to add a knob, might I suggest two on/on/on mini switches instead? Each switch puts a pickup in series/parallel/split mode. Run it anyway you want for each pickup.

Also - hot pickups are awesome for this. I used to run a DiMarzio X2N that way and it had all sorts of cool sounds, because even split/parallel had a decent amount of output.
 
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i feel like im saying this a lot recently, but you if you get a 4pdt on/on/on switch, you can switch two buckers series/split/parallel at the same time. i prefer that over having two separate switches
 
jeremy said:
i feel like im saying this a lot recently, but you if you get a 4pdt on/on/on switch, you can switch two buckers series/split/parallel at the same time. i prefer that over having two separate switches
Click to expand...

I said that somewhere recently.
 
IME Black Winters split sound remarkably like the Custom family when split - very Fender like. Almost gets a bit of quack just with the one coil (think Dire Straits or Lay Down Sally kind of Fender sound.). Parallel just sounds like a quieter anemic Black Winter. I didn't really need it.
 
I haven't tried a Black Winter in parallel, but I think they BW's split particularly well because you're not left with puny underpowered anemic coils from an already puny underpowered anemic humbucker.

JMO.
 
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