I love the idea of a noiseless single coil. But just about every hum-canceling pickup I've ever heard or tried just hasn't sounded right to me. I've personally tried the fender noiseless pickups as well as lace sensor gold. But both of them just don't have the....character i guess you could say. The pick attack just isn't right on the hum-canceling pickups and the bass is a little to undefined. So has anybody ever tried any really good noiseless single coils? I've been interested in the fralin split coils as well as the dimarzio area pickups. But should I give them a chance or just get used to the 60 cycle hum?
to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
- Thread starter mammo300
- Start date
jake_xms3_punk
New member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
the hum is a small price to pay for the tone of a true single coil. you can't even hear it when you're playing so it doesn't bother me.
the hum is a small price to pay for the tone of a true single coil. you can't even hear it when you're playing so it doesn't bother me.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
+1. Part of the charm. I use P-90's (that predate Fender single coils) and in a band setting, especially in a crowded bar, you're not going to hear any PU hum with everything else going on. For a bedroom player or a studio situation, yes, there may be some noise, but look at how much great music has been recorded with single coils (Gibson and Fender). I certainly wouldn't lose sleep over a little noise, nor would I want hum-cancelling PU's (other than traditional HB's).
+1. Part of the charm. I use P-90's (that predate Fender single coils) and in a band setting, especially in a crowded bar, you're not going to hear any PU hum with everything else going on. For a bedroom player or a studio situation, yes, there may be some noise, but look at how much great music has been recorded with single coils (Gibson and Fender). I certainly wouldn't lose sleep over a little noise, nor would I want hum-cancelling PU's (other than traditional HB's).
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
I have singe coils (Fralin, Fender CS) and I have DiMarzio Virtual Vintage and Area pups.
The DiMarzios are a BLAST to play. They have 90% of the single coil flavor but are more quiet than any humbucker I have. They have personality and all the juice that you need, plus you can add heaping amounts of gain and they are still quiet.
Regular single coils are nearly useless under high gain. Many great single coil recordings use the 2 and 4 positions of the strat which are hum canceling anyway.
The 2 and 4 positions pretty much SUCK under high gain. How Ritchie Blackmore played with gain and true single coils is beyond me.
My house is chock full of RF, single coils sound horrible with gain at my house. As far as a band setting, I personally HATE hum and noise at gigs... there is nothing worse than a band who has 30db of noise blanketing the bottom half of their dynamic range.
Single coils are great clean through just about any set up. I can't turn my Blackface Fenders up past 3 or 4 (crowded neighborhood) so I use my single coil guitars to play clean through them... that's about all I use them for.
I personally love DiMarzio's Area and VV series. I will eventually replace the FRalin Blues Specials with VV or Area pups. I'm waiting to see what DiMarzio will come out with next... the Injectors are a total hit with me, so I suppose they will have something cool coming around the corner this year or next year.
I have singe coils (Fralin, Fender CS) and I have DiMarzio Virtual Vintage and Area pups.
The DiMarzios are a BLAST to play. They have 90% of the single coil flavor but are more quiet than any humbucker I have. They have personality and all the juice that you need, plus you can add heaping amounts of gain and they are still quiet.
Regular single coils are nearly useless under high gain. Many great single coil recordings use the 2 and 4 positions of the strat which are hum canceling anyway.
The 2 and 4 positions pretty much SUCK under high gain. How Ritchie Blackmore played with gain and true single coils is beyond me.
My house is chock full of RF, single coils sound horrible with gain at my house. As far as a band setting, I personally HATE hum and noise at gigs... there is nothing worse than a band who has 30db of noise blanketing the bottom half of their dynamic range.
Single coils are great clean through just about any set up. I can't turn my Blackface Fenders up past 3 or 4 (crowded neighborhood) so I use my single coil guitars to play clean through them... that's about all I use them for.
I personally love DiMarzio's Area and VV series. I will eventually replace the FRalin Blues Specials with VV or Area pups. I'm waiting to see what DiMarzio will come out with next... the Injectors are a total hit with me, so I suppose they will have something cool coming around the corner this year or next year.
clcwarlock
New member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
I have read before that Eric Johnson uses a stacked single coil but disconnects half of it or only uses half of it. I am not sure how this would work but I wonder if you would get closer to the traditional single coil sound. Anyone done this before?
I have read before that Eric Johnson uses a stacked single coil but disconnects half of it or only uses half of it. I am not sure how this would work but I wonder if you would get closer to the traditional single coil sound. Anyone done this before?
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
The best noiseless single I have used is the Duncan Classic Stack Plus. They sound like an old Strat pickup, just without the noise. I use them with 500k pots and they still sound great. IMO, they are the best out there right now when it comes to the vintage Strat tone in a noiseless format.
I use P90's too but I can work with them being not noiseless a lot easier.
The best noiseless single I have used is the Duncan Classic Stack Plus. They sound like an old Strat pickup, just without the noise. I use them with 500k pots and they still sound great. IMO, they are the best out there right now when it comes to the vintage Strat tone in a noiseless format.
I use P90's too but I can work with them being not noiseless a lot easier.
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
There's almost zero buzz about the Classic Stack pickups on the internet... Where there's smoke, there's fire and there isn't any smoke.
Better than the Areas? I don't know how that's possible.
Erik, can you elaborate on how they are better than the Areas?
I'm always blending SD humbuckers with DZ noiseless singles... it would be great to have all SD in at least one of my HSS strats.
There's almost zero buzz about the Classic Stack pickups on the internet... Where there's smoke, there's fire and there isn't any smoke.
Better than the Areas? I don't know how that's possible.
Erik, can you elaborate on how they are better than the Areas?
I'm always blending SD humbuckers with DZ noiseless singles... it would be great to have all SD in at least one of my HSS strats.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
I haven't tried the Areas myself but from clips I have heard and local players that have them, they have the slight sterile feel to their sound. Not as alive as a true single-coil. Now, the Classic Stack Plus isn't as alive as a true single either but it is as close to it as I have used myself, and they don't sound sterile. If you want Duncans and you want vintage noiseless, those are the ones. The Vintage Hot Stack would give you slightly more output.
I haven't tried the Areas myself but from clips I have heard and local players that have them, they have the slight sterile feel to their sound. Not as alive as a true single-coil. Now, the Classic Stack Plus isn't as alive as a true single either but it is as close to it as I have used myself, and they don't sound sterile. If you want Duncans and you want vintage noiseless, those are the ones. The Vintage Hot Stack would give you slightly more output.
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
I have a DMZ Virtual Solo in the neck of my start-ish guitar. It's the hottest Virtual Vintage pickup they make and it's designed for the bridge position but I love it in the neck. It does have some of the quack of true single coils but it's very creamy as well, and I've heard so many good things about the VV series and the ones I have played, they are as close as stacks can sound like ture single coils. I haven't played any of the Area but people tell me they are extremely close as well.
So if you want noiseless, my advice would be to try the Dimarzio Virtual Vintages or Areas. Don't know about Duncans, so can't say.
But thrut is, if you really want true single coil sounds, you probably have to use them. The hum is manageable and is indeed a small price to pay for it.
I have a DMZ Virtual Solo in the neck of my start-ish guitar. It's the hottest Virtual Vintage pickup they make and it's designed for the bridge position but I love it in the neck. It does have some of the quack of true single coils but it's very creamy as well, and I've heard so many good things about the VV series and the ones I have played, they are as close as stacks can sound like ture single coils. I haven't played any of the Area but people tell me they are extremely close as well.
So if you want noiseless, my advice would be to try the Dimarzio Virtual Vintages or Areas. Don't know about Duncans, so can't say.
But thrut is, if you really want true single coil sounds, you probably have to use them. The hum is manageable and is indeed a small price to pay for it.
LReese
Sausage Gravy
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
There's the ilitch (Formerly Suhr) system. Its the best solution I've experienced. That and a good set of non-RWRP singles (Our host has some really FINE ones to choose from) = tonal nirvana IMO You can use an RWRP middle, but you need to use an alternate wiring diagram, which disables the Ilitch system in the #2,3 and 4 positions.
I do like Duncan Vintage rails, kind of a more modern twist on a single coil tone but nice. They're real ducky too. ;-)
The Lace Hot Golds were pretty nice too.
There's the ilitch (Formerly Suhr) system. Its the best solution I've experienced. That and a good set of non-RWRP singles (Our host has some really FINE ones to choose from) = tonal nirvana IMO You can use an RWRP middle, but you need to use an alternate wiring diagram, which disables the Ilitch system in the #2,3 and 4 positions.
I do like Duncan Vintage rails, kind of a more modern twist on a single coil tone but nice. They're real ducky too. ;-)
The Lace Hot Golds were pretty nice too.
ItsaBass
New member
Re: to be noiseless or not to be noiseless
I feel you. I finally settled on getting an ISP Decimator G String noise reduction pedal. I was quite adverse to the idea, but I tried out my bandmate's, and I was very impressed, so I got one. It's without a doubt the most useful pedal I have ever owned. Expensive at $200, but worth it IMO.
I feel you. I finally settled on getting an ISP Decimator G String noise reduction pedal. I was quite adverse to the idea, but I tried out my bandmate's, and I was very impressed, so I got one. It's without a doubt the most useful pedal I have ever owned. Expensive at $200, but worth it IMO.
