Perhaps obvious (but not to me!)

[peskywinnets]

Why do the majority of humbuckers have two large fully wound bobbins?

If a single strat bobbin/coil yields sufficient output the majority of guitarists in the world, then how come two coils with half the turns of a strat coil arranged into a humbucker isn't more common?

yeah, I know most guitarists probably like the higher output of a humbucker, but with higher output comes more inductance, therefore less highs blah blah (you know the drill)

Just wonderin'

[Mike Sulzer]

Why do the majority of humbuckers have two large fully wound bobbins?

If a single strat bobbin/coil yields sufficient output the majority of guitarists in the world, then how come two coils with half the turns of a strat coil arranged into a humbucker isn't more common?

yeah, I know most guitarists probably like the higher output of a humbucker, but with higher output comes more inductance, therefore less highs blah blah (you know the drill)

Just wonderin'

There are other factors to consider in determining the output. For example, the stronger magnetic field of the single coil strat pickup. But the Gibson humbucker was sort of a replacement for the P-90, so that was probably more of a reference for the output level.

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

One builder who's name eludes me at the moment did actually make a strat-style dual coil... David Schwab is a big fan and will probably tell me. I'm not sure if he does half the winds, but still a great idea. I loved the idea of creating a humbucker but not starting with the PAF form factor.

[Peter Naglitsch]

The P90 har 10 000 turns, so Seth Lover simply divided that into half and presto you have the "Holy Grail" of "PAF tone"; the original Gibbo HB with 5 000 turns per coil. I don't think there is more sience to it...

[Ronsonic]

If a single strat bobbin/coil yields sufficient output the majority of guitarists in the world, then how come two coils with half the turns of a strat coil arranged into a humbucker isn't more common?

Sorry, IMO you need more turns than that. The Strat bridge pup is too thin-sounding and weak to stand up to it's brothers in modern musical applications. At least mine. Yes, it works great for a lot of people, you'll find an equal or greater number who need more beef out of a pickup. Losing some highs from a strat bridge is a good thing.

[Ward]

It all depends on how you run the amp, I run my Marshall clones on 8 and when doing that a strat bridge pickup is perfect, I wouldn't want to cut highs in that situation. So many people say strat bridge pickups are thin and trebly, open up the amp n let it rip, you'll hear how it's supposed to sound.

[freefrog]

To some extent, it already exists. Look there:

TV Jones Pickups

Click on "DC resistance & Inductance": Most of these PU's have a lower inductance than an average Strat model...
Some Rickenbacker "toasters" are over clean too.
And the original Gibson mini-humbucker has roughly the same resistance/inductance than a Telecaster PU, AFAIK.

BTW, Kinman has announced that he would release in a close future a HB with an embedded noiseless single coil clone in it.

[David Schwab]

The P90 har 10 000 turns, so Seth Lover simply divided that into half and presto you have the "Holy Grail" of "PAF tone"; the original Gibbo HB with 5 000 turns per coil. I don't think there is more sience to it...

That was it. They just wanted a hum-free P-90.

[David Schwab]

One builder who's name eludes me at the moment did actually make a strat-style dual coil... David Schwab is a big fan and will probably tell me. I'm not sure if he does half the winds, but still a great idea. I loved the idea of creating a humbucker but not starting with the PAF form factor.

???

I don't know who that is, but there's no reason to slavishly copy a PAF unless you want that tone. It's bad enough that you get stuck making them with the same form factor and parts.

[freefrog]

Sorry, IMO you need more turns than that. The Strat bridge pup is too thin-sounding and weak to stand up to it's brothers in modern musical applications. At least mine. Yes, it works great for a lot of people, you'll find an equal or greater number who need more beef out of a pickup. Losing some highs from a strat bridge is a good thing.

There's a really simple way to achieve this goal: use a high capacitance cable; either a coiled one, either a normal cable with a cap between tip and ground.
Beyond 1n of total capacitance (= roughly 6m of standard cable), your sound will become obviously mellower. At 1500pf (=1,5n = roughly 9m of regular wire), it will already have something of a P90, in less powerful. At 2 or 3n, the cable will act even more like a passive mid boost... And so on.
I use such a "mellowing" high cap cable with various Strats for years and it works perfectly for me as it appeared to work for Hendrix or SRV. :-)

[mondo]

I'm not a builder but I play fairly loud, aggressive music and I find the tone of overwound pickups to be muddy and undefined. This isn't always the case with HBs but as a rule of thumb I prefer less turns. If I want more output I turn my amplifier up and if I want less highs from the bridge pup I use the knobs on my amp and guitar. I hate the sound of those coily cables though. They may look retro but I avoid capacitance and inductance in any way possible. My next guitar will have only a bridge pickup and a volume pot.