Ssl-5/ssl-3 in serie with a ssl-1

[ThomasP]

Hello everybody,

I have a simple question : does a ssl-3 or ssl-5 in the bridge could sound good or too muddy in series with a ssl-1 in the neck ? Is it too much?

For the record I tried a ssl-3 bridge and ssl-1 neck in parralel and its awesome but ssl-52 and ssl-1 is kind of weak and thin.

My setup is : a strat with 500k volume pot, no tone (pot with only use push/pull for series).
I only have the bridge (ssl-52) and the neck (ssl-1) pickups (no middle pickup).
I can have parralel or series mode.

So, does a hot single coil will sound too muddy in series with a vintage one ? (With 500k volume pot, no tone).

Thank you for your time,
Thomas

 

[jeremy]

personally, i wouldnt like a ssl3 in series with an ssl1. ssl52 in series with the ssl1 would be better to my ears. the ssl5 might work, but could also be too muddy

 

[freefrog]

So, does a hot single coil will sound too muddy in series with a vintage one ? (With 500k volume pot, no tone).

Having a series/parallel push-pull pot in my main Strat, I'd say that vintage Strat SC's in series are already too fat because their respective locations make them work together like a super-wide humbucker*. With its super high inductance, a SSL3 or SSL5 in series with a SSL1 would make this sound even fatter and darker (I've measured a SSL5 @ 6.2H, for the record, while SSL1's clock @ 2.6H. 6.2H+2.6H=8.8H of inductance. It would already be quite high for a normal humbucker).

The only way to make that work would be to go for a creative wiring. Maybe a bass-cut / hi-pass capacitor in series with both pickups themselves in series would make them acceptable by trimming the bass... Wiring 'em OOP in series might also be interesting.

*Side note: I've a Burns guitar wired like "Red Special" and that I've used on many covers of Queen: in this instrument, TriSonic's in series are ALSO too fat inherently, despite of their low inductance. Brian May make 'em sound good in his guitar thx to a treble booster - whose first component is... a bass-cut / hi-pass capacitor.

FWIW.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, I'd say that a hot single and vintage single wouldn't be all that great, as I think even vintage singles in series is like trying to run in mud. I know some people like the singles-in-series sound, but I've never found that it sounds good either clean or distorted.

 

[jeremy]

i run two antiquity ii jag pups with the option to put them in series (bridge & middle) i dont use it clean, but for overdriven slide work, it works well

 

[freefrog]

Not surprised if it works well in a short scale guitar like the Jag. Brian May's "Red Special" is also a short scale instrument. The Burns that I use for Queen covers has a longer scale and it contributes to make the single coils in series bassier (pickups being not located at the same place and harmonics being comb filtered differently). Same thing in my Strat...