Time to make some hybrids?

[alex1fly]

Was doing some pickup swapping yesterday and accidentally nicked a coil on my Duncan Custom. Oops! So I did the testing on this page: https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/how-to-test-guitar-pickups-with-a-multimeter and it appears that the adjustable south coil is toast. No reading at all on it. North coil reads at 7.0 or so. So of course being a tinkerer I'm thinking this is an opportunity to make a hybrid with the north coil, and I figured I'd share some thoughts here and see what you all think.

1. First, I know I've seen a guide to doing this, can someone link me? Having a bit of trouble finding it.
2. 59/Custom hybrid is an obvious choice. I have a 59 laying around. Done and done.
3. I love the 59, so why not make another hybrid with the other coil? Some pickups I haven't quite found a use for are the JB, Jazz, Super Distortion, and X2N... would any of these be enhanced by a 59 coil? (In general I find the Jazz a bit bland and the other three a bit too pummeling)
4. Why do I keep making rookie mistakes 20 years into this hobby? Silly man.

 

[playas]

Hmm, I'd love to hear what an A2 or A4 jazz/jb hybrid would sound like.
I can't really help you through as my experience with hybrids so far is zero.

Nevertheless as you're thinking of a hybrid with the leftover '59 coil I guess, the '59/jazz neck hybrid seems to be well regarded.

 

[beaubrummels]

The Original thread
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/22822-how-to-make-a-59-custom-hybrid?t=22538

Other hybrid discussions (there's plenty more than this if you search)
https://forum.seymourduncan.com/for...9459-bachtorock-jazz-custom-hybrid-experience

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/307575-let-s-talk-about-hybrid-pickups

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/forum/the-pickup-lounge/31755-c-5-jb-hybrid

 

[Seashore]

I am not sure where the guide is, but what you'll want to do is back the filister screws out of the baseplate (I guess just take em out to use elsewhere), take the tape off, take the brass screws out of the bottom of the screw coil, wiggle/pry that bobbin gently away from the baseplate, find where the white and black start/finish wires from the coil are connected to their conductors in that little bundle coming from the lead wire, untape and desolder those, and then - having taken your new screw coil off the same way from the other pickup - hook the new coil up to the lead and reverse that process to put it back together.

It helps to have that narrow paper tape for the connections on the lead wire. Those are very thin wires so be gentle, use tweezers, and good light is essential. Avoid overheating and try to keep the wires from the coils intact as you pull those solder joints apart, because there isn't a lot of length to work with and it's very easy to break it if you need to strip the insulation.

I can't find other good pics right now but here's a shot of a Duncan screw coil hooked up to the lead, from when I was making Distortion hybrids for my 7 string... hope that helps.

 

[Seashore]

Ah, looks like beau got ya. Cool.

 

[Spaghetti Bolo]

You might be able to salvage the damaged coil if the nick isn't too deep.

 

[switchman]

IMO, the key to a hybrid or mis-matched coils in general is to make the coils complementary. Take what one pickup emphasizes or lacks combined with a pickup that is the opposite. I did a couple of DIY 59/ Custom Hybrids before the official ones came. I thought it was too bright and thin in several 25.5" guitars which I was okay with a 59 bridge.. One of those threads beaubrummels posted talks about all this. The A5 59 and Custom are mid-scooped pickups, so instead of a best of both worlds combo it sounded like over-emphasized scoop. Might be great with a mid-heavy amp or in front of pedals but I was using a black panel Fender clone at the time...YMMV.

 

[beaubrummels]

Sometimes a different magnet can tilt the emphasis also.

 

[switchman]

Good point. There were some people putting A2 or other A5 variants in the 59/Custom for this reason.

 

[alex1fly]

You might be able to salvage the damaged coil if the nick isn't too deep.

Might give this a try. Seems delicate lol

 

[alex1fly]

IMO, the key to a hybrid or mis-matched coils in general is to make the coils complementary. Take what one pickup emphasizes or lacks combined with a pickup that is the opposite. I did a couple of DIY 59/ Custom Hybrids before the official ones came. I thought it was too bright and thin in several 25.5" guitars which I was okay with a 59 bridge.. One of those threads beaubrummels posted talks about all this. The A5 59 and Custom are mid-scooped pickups, so instead of a best of both worlds combo it sounded like over-emphasized scoop. Might be great with a mid-heavy amp or in front of pedals but I was using a black panel Fender clone at the time...YMMV.

Interesting. With this thinking then a JB/59 or maybe even a JB/Jazz hybrid would smooth out the JB’s honk?

 

[orpheo]

I found that jumping 1 gauge won't give nice results. i.e.: 42+43, 43+44. 42+44 is no bueno. Jazz/jb hybrid is horrible. epic failure.

 

[NotDemanic]

I would try a JB/Custom if I were to do it. Either an A5, UOA5 or a regular ceramic for the magnet.

 

[alex1fly]

I am not sure where the guide is, but what you'll want to do is back the filister screws out of the baseplate (I guess just take em out to use elsewhere), take the tape off, take the brass screws out of the bottom of the screw coil, wiggle/pry that bobbin gently away from the baseplate, find where the white and black start/finish wires from the coil are connected to their conductors in that little bundle coming from the lead wire, untape and desolder those, and then - having taken your new screw coil off the same way from the other pickup - hook the new coil up to the lead and reverse that process to put it back together.

It helps to have that narrow paper tape for the connections on the lead wire. Those are very thin wires so be gentle, use tweezers, and good light is essential. Avoid overheating and try to keep the wires from the coils intact as you pull those solder joints apart, because there isn't a lot of length to work with and it's very easy to break it if you need to strip the insulation.

I can't find other good pics right now but here's a shot of a Duncan screw coil hooked up to the lead, from when I was making Distortion hybrids for my 7 string... hope that helps.

Thanks for this!! I’m getting around to this and hit what seems to be a hurdle - custom is 4 conductor but the 59 is 2 conductor. So the 59 screw coil has two black wires coming out of it, vs the customs coil which has black and white. I’ve hooked it up a couple different ways, getting some weird behavior (like it’s really thin sounding unless red and green are grounded and even then it sounds more like parallel than series)

On top of that, I had some kid drama in the middle of this swap and lost my spot, lol. Any guidance would be appreciated on how to get this swap finished out properly!

 

[orpheo]

hook the white and black of the custom coil to the black and white conductor lead wires; then hook up the 2 black wires of the 59 to the red and green. Then, measure if you didn't mess it up or have a short. tape it up, seal the pickup. install the pickup in the guitar like regular: black to the switch or pot, red and white together taped off, green to ground.

if this is out of phase, do red to ground and white and green together.

Simple.

 

[alex1fly]

hook the white and black of the custom coil to the black and white conductor lead wires; then hook up the 2 black wires of the 59 to the red and green. Then, measure if you didn't mess it up or have a short. tape it up, seal the pickup. install the pickup in the guitar like regular: black to the switch or pot, red and white together taped off, green to ground.

if this is out of phase, do red to ground and white and green together.

Simple.

OK thanks!! Will do probably tonight. I think I goofed the series link between the coils, because the coils are reading well with the multimeter but with normal wiring at the pots/switch I'm only getting one coil, and when I ground red/white it gets fuller but not as full as I'd expect.