The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

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I wondered how many out there prefer a single coil in the neck position for rhythm as opposed to a HB? I have found that humbuckers, which cant all be split, require a bit more dialling in to get the right tone, and some can push low watt valve amps into a slight , thick overdrive which is not always desirable. Also, a single coil cuts through the mix better. The Tele. neck pup as always been great for rhythm. The mellow 'woman tone' that so many love hearing, especially with sustain, is as much down to the section of string being shorter as you play around the 12th fret as choice of pick up. You can try this on any guitar and pick up combination....:reporter:
 
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Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

I read Clapton's autobiography, and according to him - his "woman tone" was the bridge pickup with the tone rolled off - NOT the neck pickup.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

ICTGoober said:
I read Clapton's autobiography, and according to him - his "woman tone" was the bridge pickup with the tone rolled off - NOT the neck pickup.
Click to expand...

This doesn't surprise me. The Woman Tone actually has quite a bit of bite and treble. With the neck pickup it;s way too dark and sounds almost like a distorted jazz tone.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Yeah bridge withvtone rolled off is used way more throughout rock music.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

And it works for Phil X..... He's always quoting the solo line from "American Woman" by the Guess Who, and he usually plays single pickup axes. Of course - with the tone rolled off.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Single coils in the neck just sound different than a humbucker. They've got a very precise and almost hollow sound that is lovely clean.

A humbucker (even low output PAF style) is a less clear and less defined sound than a single coil . . . this works nicely in the bridge where the twanginess of the strings adds lots of clarity to the sound. In the neck it can be a tough to get clarity with even medium output 'buckers. The higher output of a bucker in the neck combines with the greater amount of motion of the strings in that position and the increased bass response to make for a signal that can overpower a clean channel easily. I find it easier getting a good sound from the bridge, so in a two HB guitar always set the neck to sound good and then adjust the bridge as necessary to balance things. When you get everything working though, you're rewarded with a smokey/throaty neck position sound that works great for leads and isn't overpoweringly bassy.

With neck pickups in general I think they sound better for lead stuff once you start moving further up the neck. Around and past the 12th fret with both 'buckers and singles you'll hear a more fluid/bubbly sound playing up high.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Rob option: middle hb or p90. Fat but not jazzy or sloppy.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

I've never heard that tone come out of a single coil. There are other great tones, but not that one.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Mincer said:
I've never heard that tone come out of a single coil. There are other great tones, but not that one.
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With a Strat, tone controls on the neck and bridge but not the middle pickup allows for a killer woman tone with the right tone pot value and tone cap value.

For Strat single coils, I start with an 0.018uF on the neck and an 0.022uF on the bridge. Then simply select a notch position and roll down the active tone control all the way (bridge tone for pos 2 and neck for pos 4). Instant woman tone. If not, the tone cap needs tweaking because it will certainly do it.

The standard woman tone on a two humbucker guitar with separate volumes and tones is done in the middle position, both volumes full up, with the bridge tone control all the way down.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

I like theM both very much. I don’t have a preference and I have quite a few of both.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

I have a particular love of singlecoil neck tone. But I agree the classic woman tone is bridge humbucker with tone control way down.
Not that you can't get great sound rolling the tone pot back a bit on a neck p90.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

eclecticsynergy said:
I have a particular love of singlecoil neck tone. But I agree the classic woman tone is bridge humbucker with tone control way down.
Not that you can't get great sound rolling the tone pot back a bit on a neck p90.
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No, the classic woman tone is pickup selector in middle position, both volumes up fully, and the bridge tone rolled all the way down. Anything else is a derivative of the real thing.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Tone Meister said:
With a Strat, tone controls on the neck and bridge but not the middle pickup allows for a killer woman tone with the right tone pot value and tone cap value.

For Strat single coils, I start with an 0.018uF on the neck and an 0.022uF on the bridge. Then simply select a notch position and roll down the active tone control all the way (bridge tone for pos 2 and neck for pos 4). Instant woman tone. If not, the tone cap needs tweaking because it will certainly do it.

The standard woman tone on a two humbucker guitar with separate volumes and tones is done in the middle position, both volumes full up, with the bridge tone control all the way down.
Click to expand...

I'd love to hear an example of this, since my single coil guitars aren't wired like that.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Mincer said:
I'd love to hear an example of this, since my single coil guitars aren't wired like that.
Click to expand...

It's actually pretty good for single coils, but won't have the thickness of a humbucker guitar, obviously.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

The best woman tone I've ever got was a stock Phat Cat in neck position on a pos mini scale guitar. I kind of wish I had kept it. It was insane. The bass fundamental thumped through all fat even with the gain on.
 
Re: The 'woman tone' and SC's versus HB's

Tone Meister said:
No, the classic woman tone is pickup selector in middle position, both volumes up fully, and the bridge tone rolled all the way down. Anything else is a derivative of the real thing.
Click to expand...


Minute 18:30-18:55

You need to hear the exact words.

He says "the woman tone is produced by using the bass p'up or the lead p'up but with the bass off. In fact, you can use both p'ups and take all the bass off on the tone control.. to take it out to one or out, you know, on the tone control and then turn the volume full up, you know, and it's supposed to sound like this"

What I understand of what those words meant for him, is, that any p'up, separately or both, with the volume full up and the tone all the way down meant "woman tone".

Any other interpretation of those words?

/Peter
 
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