Weird sound change inverting the phase on a Mustang single coil

[marcello252]

Ok, that's a thing I don't understand I want to share.

I recently had a Squier mustang, it came with 2 humbuckers I didn't like, so I bought a new pickguard with switches and I wired a couple of single coil , SSL5 bridge + SSL1 neck, you know in a mustang the single switch can invert the phase of its pickup.

Being single coils I expected no change in sound, when singularly engaged, inverting the phase. Well, no. I clearly hear a difference comparing the two positions, although very slightly, I'd say in the bass freqs.

does anybody know why? Am I just going nut?

 

[jeremy]

weird!

 

[Chistopher]

Do both switches have the same effect in the same position? IE, is the in phase position always bassier than the out of phase position? Is there a way to do a blind test?

My best guess would be your OOP and IP settings have a different length of wire, with longer wire introducing extra capacitance.

 

[marcello252]

btw, first thing I thought was one side of the switch was oxidized , so I sprayed some solvent in, nope, still hear this slightly slightly difference, I can't think it's the length of the internal wire or the solder joints, I'm an old solder fart, I know how to do it properly. And it happens for both switches.

 

[marcello252]

is it possible it might be something connected with the geometry of the pickup and the windings ?

 

[beaubrummels]

My Brian May guitar does this. The company swears, and I agree and understand, it shouldn't even be possible; yet there is an audible difference. The May guitar has the pickups wired in series. My only guess is that the inactive pickups are still hanging on the circuit producing some kind of load or resistance/capacitance that factors when the single pickup phase is flipped by itself. I don't remember if the Mustang wiring is in series or parallel, but that's the only thing I can think of. Regardless of the reason, I can say confidently that it does happen.

 

[freefrog]

Brian May hears a difference with Red Special. I hear a difference too with a short scale Strat involving the same kind of switchable OOP wiring... More later about possible explanations but +1 on the tonal difference anyway.