Winding question: Mismatched coils (both types)

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Hi I have two questions, one quite simple, the other not so much.
Both have to do with Mismatched coils on a HB.

First: What does mismatching the coils do when using the same gauge of wire, i.e. one coil is wound fuller and hotter than the other? What is the difference in sound/tone vs a HB with two evenly matched coils?
Say I had one with coils 3.8K + 4.2K = 8K as opposed to 3.2K + 4.8K = 8K (a larger mismatch but the overall DCR is the same)
(I know the more mismatched the coils are the more hum is let through and that DCR doesn't = output.)

Second: Now say perhaps we wound one bobbin with 42AWG wire and the other with 43AWG in a single Humbucker... What would the difference in sound be then measured against a standard 42AWG wound humbucker?


[The boring stuff]
Again lets use 8K as a base and go on the assumption that the same DCR of 43AWG will only have 75% of the output as 42AWG wire.
Say the coils of the all 42AWG HB are 4K*2=8K
to get the same output as a 4K 42AWG coil the 43AWG coil would have to measure 5.333333333...K

Ok so now both coils are wound one at 8K and one at 9.333...K but with the same amount of wire (approx.) meaning similar levels of output. What would the diference in sound/tone be between these two?



*Lets just assume that all HB's represented hypothetically in this thread are machine wound evenly and in exactly the same pattern to negate the scatter wound/machine wound argument.

Thanks
Sash

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Winding question: Mismatched coils (both types)

Generally both types give you an altered attack, usually more defined/sharper, more overtones and harmonics, and a broader, more expansive sound, what some people call "3D".

The 42/43 and 43/44 types tend to have some tendencies of the pickups they are made from, ie. Custom/59 sounds like a Custom and a 59 put together.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Winding question: Mismatched coils (both types)

Mismatched coils of the same gauge don't quite cancel out the highs (and hum) as well as matched coils. You get a little more of an 'alive' tone.....a little closer to a single-coil. The best examples of this are original PAFs, that have that 'tele on steroids' tone.

When you mismatch the wire type, you also get a bit of what each wire brings too. the thicker the wire, the more open the tone, the thinner lowers the resonant frequency AFAIK and adds a natural compression. The C/59 is a good match as you get the open nature of the 59 coil with a splash of thicker darker custom coil.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Winding question: Mismatched coils (both types)

The coil with the higher winds of the 43g wire at 5.3333k will also give you more mids, afaik.