Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

[Inge Malmstein]

Hi guys,

i'd just like to know your opinions about splitting a bridge Humbucker, especially on a H-S-H guitar.
I always prefered the coils which are closer to the neck (i think at the neck position the pickup migh be "stratier"), because at the bridge position the screw coil might be too thin, and the slug coil has more "bite".
Otherwise i also think that a H-S-H combo is more versatile if the outer coils are used at split mode.

I never tried a tele, but would you agree that the slug coil might give you a strat-sound and the screw-coil a tele-sound?

 

[Artie]

Re: Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

I had one of my guitars set up for awhile with switches so that I could select either of both. On the neck, I prefered the screw coil, (closest to the neck). On the bridge I prefered the stud coil, (away from the bridge). The coil closest to the bridge was just a bit too thin and twangy.

If I was going to use one push/pull to split both at the same time, I'ld go for inner coils. The inner coil of the bridge was more important to me than the outer of the neck.

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

I had one of my guitars set up for awhile with switches so that I could select either of both. On the neck, I prefered the screw coil, (closest to the neck). On the bridge I prefered the stud coil, (away from the bridge). The coil closest to the bridge was just a bit too thin and twangy.

That's how i do it usual.

If I was going to use one push/pull to split both at the same time, I'ld go for inner coils. The inner coil of the bridge was more important to me than the outer of the neck.

Once i used an on/off/on switch for two humbuckers were i could choose between the outer and inner coils to split.
I found out that the in between sounds have been different.
For my current project i think i'm gonna look which coils "fit better" for using at pos. 2&4 with the middle pickup.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

Well, I experimented with it for awhile. I tried just using the screw coil with the pup oriented properly, but because of the low string vibration that close to the bridge, that sounded very soft and wimpy.

I turned it around, it sounded a lot better. That's how I do it, the pup is in backwards so there is enough vibration for the split.

*hehe. Vibration for the split*

But I like it that way more than I do with the slug coil split for the same reason strat players just staggered pickups over flat ones. The string output is more balanced. Before I was just getting a lot of low and high E. There seems to be a bit more midrange and brightness going on now, along with better balance.

It's not hard to do at all. Just swap the green and the black.

I also use the screw coil on my PGb in the neck. Wound ever so slighty hotter than the slug coil, and closer to the neck (more string vibration, more output)

 

[Hellion]

Re: Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

I've never found there to be too much difference between the two coils, but normally I'll try to use the coil that's further away from the bridge. There's a bit more string energy sensed there.

 

[Tony_H]

Re: Splitting a brigde Humbucker - slug or screw coil?

I prefer slug coils when split. They sound better than the screw coils to me. The difference is not huge, but it's noticeable. To my ear the difference was the most pronounced with the Gibson 496R. I like that pup a lot - powerful and clear, no mud. Well when split, the slug coil sounds full and biting whereas the screw coil is thin and hollow.

I have an all-mahogany Strat-style guitar with a Pearly Gates neck, a SSL-1 mid and a Custom bridge with a standard 5-way switch. It's wired so the slug coils only are activated in positions 2 and 4. The SSL-1 makes for some great cluck with the Custom, but with the PG it's noticeably softer and thinner.