Virtual humbucker different from other humbucker sounds in the guitar?

[Bowtomecha]

I’m not a big fan of the combined neck and bridge humbucker sound. It isn’t distinctive enough to be worth the position. I like the split inner coils in parallel sound and will probably go that way but I’m curious what people think about inner coils in series. Artie’s virtual humbucker essentially. Does wiring it that way give a different sound from one or the other humbucker? I don’t like when both humbuckers are on and it’s basically the neck or bridge sound. I’m using a 4 pole switch with two humbuckers.

 

[Mincer]

The inner coils in series is a different sound, certainly thicker (to me) than the coils either in parallel or compared to each humbucker on their own. Personally, I like the inner (or outer) coils in parallel the best.

 

[Artie]

Artie’s virtual humbucker essentially.

Thank you. But PRS did it before I did. I just didn't know it at the time.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

I've liked inner coils in series when i experimented with it recently, as a good platform for clean tones, superior to the too-trebly/too-grainy character of just bridge, as well as the too-dark nature of just neck, as well as how the weaknesses of those two show up in Both Humbuckers In Parallel mode (middle position).

In one of my next wiring projects on a HH guitar, I am going to make that combination one of my 5 positions, in place of Both Humbuckers in parallel.

 

[idsnowdog]

The virtual humbucker will sound different because it is sensing the strings at two widely different positions. So it won't sound the same as a regular humbucker which senses the strings fairly close together.

 

[Mincer]

The virtual humbucker will sound different because it is sensing the strings at two widely different positions. So it won't sound the same as a regular humbucker which senses the strings fairly close together.

Yeah, it absolutely sounds different. You don't have quite the same phase cancellation.

 

[idsnowdog]

Yeah, it absolutely sounds different. You don't have quite the same phase cancellation.

It's a useful clean sound but isn't a great distorted tone. You get bass and treble without much midrange which is good if you're trying to emulate an acoustic sound.