Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I wouldn't mess with it. Connecting the tone pot to the bridge will likely dull the sound in humbucker mode.

Why would it? Humbucker guitars have tone controls.


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[Pete Stevens]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

Why would it? Humbucker guitars have tone controls.


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A humbucker guitar normally has 500k pots for volume and tone to make the humbuckers see approx. 250k with the knobs at 10. The OPs guitar likely has 250k pots to accommodate the single coils. Adding a tone would make the bridge twinbucker see 125k instead of 250k, which would siphon of the highs.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

A humbucker guitar normally has 500k pots for volume and tone to make the humbuckers see approx. 250k with the knobs at 10. The OPs guitar likely has 250k pots to accommodate the single coils. Adding a tone would make the bridge twinbucker see 125k instead of 250k, which would siphon of the highs.

Not exactly, Tone only affects specific frequency band. Using 500k tone would help issue a lot.

 

[Pete Stevens]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

Not exactly, Tone only affects specific frequency band. Using 500k tone would help issue a lot.

I'm sure you're correct about the specific frequency band, I'm just relaying my experience with a similar HSS setup. In my case the bridge PU is a single coil sized Pro Track. After installing it I added tone to bridge and the Pro Track sounded rather dull (250k volume + 500k tone). Then I DIY-ed the tone pot to a no-load and that brought life back to the Pro Track. It's quite a big difference going from 10 (no-load) to 9 (~480k). The OP probably has 250k tone pots which would make the difference even larger.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I'm going to say something controversial.

Your bridge pickup sounds harsh, because it's a bridge pickup.

The true tonal qualities of a guitar are found moving away from the bridge position -and the thing people like at the bridge position is the attack of the string -but the rest of the tone of a bridge pickup is usually a garbage compromise to get that initial attack.

That's why blending pickups if you want tone with attack is the strategy -but it's not easy to make work without experimentation.

Come at me -you bridge pickup only dorks.


Also -I'm not discounting the OP/TS pickups as not extra harsh, --but they are all harsh.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I'm going to say something controversial.

Your bridge pickup sounds harsh, because it's a bridge pickup.

The true tonal qualities of a guitar are found moving away from the bridge position -and the thing people like at the bridge position is the attack of the string -but the rest of the tone of a bridge pickup is usually a garbage compromise to get that initial attack.

That's why blending pickups if you want tone with attack is the strategy -but it's not easy to make work without experimentation.

Come at me -you bridge pickup only dorks.

This is especially true for a Strat with a Single coil bridge pickup.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

This is especially true for a Strat with a Single coil bridge pickup.

indeed. I just think people confuse that sharp aggressive attack of a bridge pickup as their tone -when it's really only the quick rise to the most of the tone moment in the decay of the note.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

indeed. I just think people confuse that sharp aggressive attack of a bridge pickup as their tone -when it's really only the quick rise to the most of the tone moment in the decay of the note.

This is what makes overwound bridge so great. You get the snap, but also tone won't decay and note trail off too badly.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

This is what makes overwound bridge so great. You get the snap, but also tone won't decay and note trail off too badly.

Tell me more! Maybe I own some and don't know it -as I certainly have bridge pickups that are much better than others.

-are the overwounds designated in this way on the packaging?

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

Tell me more! Maybe I own some and don't know it -as I certainly have bridge pickups that are much better than others.

-are the overwounds designated in this way on the packaging?

Love the QP's and Twangbanger (for more SC tone) in bridge.

Though I pretty much always have treble boost on with 'em as well...

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

Love the QP's and Twangbanger (for more SC tone) in bridge.

Though I pretty much always have treble boost on with 'em as well...

I've got QPs in several things amongst other higher output high winding pickups -didn't know that's what you meant though, I thought maybe there's another technique you are referring to in the overwound technique to mitigate the brightness -like gauge. material or winding pattern etc.

 

[Artie]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I'm one of those, who when I get a Strat, either wire it for MV/MT, and use the other hole for a switch, or wire it for N/M tone and bridge tone. Works for me.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I've got QPs in several things amongst other higher output high winding pickups -didn't know that's what you meant though, I thought maybe there's another technique you are referring to in the overwound technique to mitigate the brightness -like gauge. material or winding pattern etc.

Also use 500k pots with them.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Why my bridge single coil sounds harsh and lots of treble?

I'm sure you're correct about the specific frequency band, I'm just relaying my experience with a similar HSS setup. In my case the bridge PU is a single coil sized Pro Track. After installing it I added tone to bridge and the Pro Track sounded rather dull (250k volume + 500k tone). Then I DIY-ed the tone pot to a no-load and that brought life back to the Pro Track. It's quite a big difference going from 10 (no-load) to 9 (~480k). The OP probably has 250k tone pots which would make the difference even larger.

Keep in mind that the way your guitar is wired and input impedance of device connect it to also affects this.