Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

[Jack_TriPpEr]

... With a Dimarzio Area 58 in the neck slot... On a typical Epiphone Les Paul. I'm hoping to get a bridge bucker that matches well in volume with the Area 58, and has a nice split sound that I can combo with the Area 58 to make some Strat- like notch/quack sounds. And hopefully, that same split coil from the bucker would combo well in series with the Area 58 to make a nice humbucker sound. But that last part is just a nice to-have, not a necessity.

Thanks

 

[Mincer]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

I'd go with a 59/Custom Hybrid, as I love the split sound with that, and it isn't so powerful to overpower your neck pickup. So are you going to have a series switch for the 2 active coils when both are selected? That sounds interesting.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

I'd go with a 59/Custom Hybrid, as I love the split sound with that, and it isn't so powerful to overpower your neck pickup. So are you going to have a series switch for the 2 active coils when both are selected? That sounds interesting.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check into that.

Yes, i want to have an option to switch the HB split coil to be in series with the neck 58. But I also want to retain capability also to put both pickups in parallel with each other. I haven't done the wiring research yet to know whether a monster 5 way can do that for me or if I'll need to look at making one of the pots a push-pull or push-push for series/parallel switchover.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Well, a Super Switch would allow you to experiment with a few different schemes and narrow it down to 5 positions you will actually use, and they will be easy to get to, as well. I hate 2 or more moves to get to a sound I like.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Well, a Super Switch would allow you to experiment with a few different schemes and narrow it down to 5 positions you will actually use, and they will be easy to get to, as well. I hate 2 or more moves to get to a sound I like.

Cool. Also, would you happen to know: do I need a RWRP version of the single coil pickup, in order to accomplish these pickup wiring/selection goals?

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

One single and one humbucker? No.

The Area 58 is noiseless, so if you split just the humbucker you will get noise, however.

You can also split the 58. If you like it that way but end up with hum then you can flip the magnet and reverse the wiring on the humbucker.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

One single and one humbucker? No.

The Area 58 is noiseless, so if you split just the humbucker you will get noise, however.

You can also split the 58. If you like it that way but end up with hum then you can flip the magnet and reverse the wiring on the humbucker.

Gregory,

Thanks but I don't fully understand your reply. I do not plan to split the Area 58 at all. I wrote in an earlier reply in this thread, that the only splitting will be against the humbucker, and even then, that will always be done with the full Area 58 combined with it - in either parallel to the split humbucker or in series with the split humbucker. Do you still think that something would end up in pure noise? If so, can you explain why that would be?

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Noise meaning hum.

You asked about RWRP. It will not provide you any benefit.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Noise meaning hum.

You asked about RWRP. It will not provide you any benefit.

The reason I asked if I needed RWRP for the single coil, was out of concern that the split HB combined in series or in parallel with the full single coil might result in an out of phase sound if the single-coil was not wound RWRP with respect to the HB. I was never concerned with hum and I never plannning to split the HB all by itself or the single coil's two coils.

I'd still like an answer to my question about the risk of out-of-phase results with splitting/combo'ing the two pickups as i've now described repeatedlyand if RWRP is part of the solution is the risk ia real, if anyone can address that. Thanks

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Reversing the wires on one of the pickups would be the solution. RWRP would not be necessary, as the potential risk you are concerned about doesn't warrant it. RWRP is so you don't get hum when combining with a standard single coil in phase.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Reversing the wires on one of the pickups would be the solution. RWRP would not be necessary, as the potential risk you are concerned about doesn't warrant it. RWRP is so you don't get hum when combining with a standard single coil in phase.

Ahh, thanks much for the explanation and the help!

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

No problem. Good luck with your wiring! Hope it all works out like you want.

If you do have to swap wires to fix an OOP problem, I'd do it with the DiMarzio. If you do it with a humbucker then you'll need to change the wiring for the split as well; otherwise it will split to the opposite coil.

It's been a while since I've mixed Duncan and DiMarzio, but I don't think you'll have a phase issue using each of their respective wiring instructions.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Am I missing something here? You say you have a "typical" Epi Les Paul, and you are installing a SINGLE COIL Area 58 in the neck ???? I don't understand.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Am I missing something here? You say you have a "typical" Epi Les Paul, and you are installing a SINGLE COIL Area 58 in the neck ???? I don't understand.

Mr. B, I have enojoyed reading and learning from your insights and advice on this forum for the last few years. Thank you for joining in on this thread.

Yes, you didn't read anything incorrectly or miss any pertinent detail. I have an Epi Les Paul that I have no practical use for in its current stock state in regard to pickups, that other guitars in my stable aren't already doing better, SOOO... I would like to find a use for this Epi so it can earn it's keep vs selling it off. I am aware that the Epi Les Paul will never sound exactly like a Strat because of the 24.75" scale vs 25 1/2" scale diff., single cut vs double cut diff., alder vs mahogany body diff, SSH vs HH diff, etc.etc. etc. But... I will be happy to get something reasonably close, and I think its cool and fun to try,since this is an 'extra' guitar. And also, I really feel it is achievable given the right choice of pickups.

Btw, I've been re-reviewing the Mojotone '58 Quiet Coil demo tonight by Andy at ProGuitarShop and I think I am going to change my neck pickup choice from the Dimarzio Area '58 to the Mojotone.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Am I missing something here? You say you have a "typical" Epi Les Paul, and you are installing a SINGLE COIL Area 58 in the neck ???? I don't understand.

Also, I agree that this could fail big time! Haha. But I am ok with that, because if that happens, I just proceed to Plan B for this 'extra' guitar (sell off after return to stock).

So, lets have some fun.

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Are you deciding what single to buy, or did you already try the Area 58 and concluded it wasn't for you?

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Are you deciding what single to buy, or did you already try the Area 58 and concluded it wasn't for you?

I plan to pull the trigger on the Mojotone '58 in the next day or so unless someone recommends something else... Two requirements I have for the neck is that 1) it is a specifically strat, like really clean single-coil tone, and 2) it is hum-free...my intent for this thread has been more more about soliciting recommendations for a bridge humbucker to compliment a vintage-y clean strat-like pup (yes, in a guitar with Les Paul specs ;0))

 

[Mincer]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Well, I dig the STK-S4 Classic Strat Stack, which sounds wonderful blended with a humbucker (mine is mixed with a Hybrid as well). The S4 is my favorite Strat pickup, period, but it gives me all of the Strat tone I need, and works well with a humbucker.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

Well, I dig the STK-S4 Classic Strat Stack, which sounds wonderful blended with a humbucker (mine is mixed with a Hybrid as well). The S4 is my favorite Strat pickup, period, but it gives me all of the Strat tone I need, and works well with a humbucker.

Thanks, I will take a look into the S4.

For the humbucker, a hybrid doesn't seem like a viable option for me because I dont already own a 59 or a Custom to work with. So i think I want to limit humbucker recommendations to standard production pieces.

 

[gregory]

Re: Which humbucker for bridge slot will play nice with ....

The SH-16 59/Custom Hybrid is a standard production piece.

I'm curious to know which stacked single sounds most like a true single when split. I think it could serve to improve the tone of the middle position. Problem is while some have tried a wide variety of stacks, not many split them. Whether it is because they sound great without having to split is another story.

It's also worth mentioning that the SH-12 will work great with a vintage stack without splitting. It also has a good split sound in the right guitar.