HBs that sound good series, split & parallel?

[Steve A.]

Humbuckers that sound good series, split & parallel? DiMarzio sells a full-sized 4PDT on-on-on toggle switch (EP1111) which can switch a pair of humbuckers between all 3 modes. This is sized to replace a pot or LP-style selector switch.

I'm looking for suggestions on non-boutique pickups that work well in both series and parallel mode (the traditional DiM "dual sound".) Most HBs are wound with both coils in series. The parallel linkage will supposedly give you a cleaner more strat-like sound without the hum, although it does not always work out that way...

So if you've had good luck getting usable tones from a parallel- linked humbucker please chime in!

Thanks

Steve Ahola

[potatofarmer]

I tried "Super 7 Switching" on a cheap Ibanez RX20 years ago: Guitar Wiring Site VI

The (shared) coils sounded similar but better in parallel than split, though were best in series. So typical results I guess. My takeaway was that if you have the option of parallel coils, splitting doesn't offer anything additional but hum. Though going by inductance it should be more distinct - 4H going to 1H or 2H - but there wasn't much difference. YMMV.

I used coil series/parallel wiring on a Les Paul with Wilde L-500s, the 6H and 8H set. Both options are very useful; never tried splitting. Also the tone controls are only useful/optimized for series mode, rather useless for parallel mode. I think maybe wiring it up for two master tones (with different caps) might work, but never got around to it. The tone/volume change is rather dramatic too, so between having to pull the switch and readjust the tone on the guitar and amp, it's more of a "between songs" utility than something that can be managed for a solo boost.

The Wilde 8H/6H go from "thick, loud, and dark" to "thin, quiet, and jangly" but nothing in between. Maybe the split mode would work well on these.

[big_teee]

If both coils are wound equal, then you have a big volume drop off in parallel and split.
You can do unequal coils, with the slug coil the most, then not as much drop off when split.
I do that with my HSS strat.
When split it is just like 3 single coils, pos. 2 & 4 gives good quack, the Humbucker is made with rod magnets.
Then when in series it is a hot Rock bridge humbucker.
Works great.
I haven't tried it in parallel.
GL,
T

[Steve A.]

Split is a low priority here but I may add the DiM switch to a wiring harness based on a design I found for a two control, two HB guitar with one PP pot switching phase and other kicking the two PUPs into a series linkage (a big thanks to Deaf Eddie for the switch diagram!)



Without the DiM switch I'd get the same 6 linkages as a tele 4-way switch with a DPDT phase switch. With the DiM I think I'd get a total of 18 linkages. If I do the PRS trick of flipping magnet and reversing leads for one pup I believe that the in-phase selection of both pickups would be humcancelling.

The candidate I had in mind for the two PP pot design was a 2011 Gretsch G5425 Electromatic Jet Club so I'll probably use the DiM 4PDT switch in that guitar...

Thanks!

Steve Ahola

P.S. Although it looks like a typical LP copy with the chambered body and maple neck it gets a very chimy acoustic tone just begging for a 010.5/014/018/032/042/052 string set.








Gretsch Guitars G5425 Electromatic Jet Club Electric Guitar | Musician's Friend

Steve Ahola

[Steve A.]

New plan... I think I will put the DiM 4PDT on-on-on switch on a Jay Tursor ESE335 I just picked up used at GC for $169.99.* I will rewire the pickups w/ 4+ cable and check all linkages with jumpers before soldering anything up.

I like the idea of using non-interactive volume controls w/ a phase switch to dial in "just a wee bit" of O-O-P signal which I think was Peter Green's trick. *** (Non-interactive* means that the signal from the pup is connected to the wiper and the amp sees a constant 500k resistance to ground. You have incredible control over the blending of the two pickups with the downside being increased noise with high gain signals with the volume pots set to 0. The solution that Gretsch uses for that is a separate master volume control.)

As for the PRS split coil wiring I think I have it wrong in my previous post as that would give me one inner and one outer coil which is not necessarily bad as I think I would prefer the smoother sounds with the screw coil for the neck and the slug coil for the bridge.

Steve Ahola

*** The wee bit part that is- I have no idea how his volume pots were wired.

[big_teee]

The wiring diagram in post 4 IMO is imcomplete.
No way to do all that with 2 wire pickups, if one wire is connected to the baseplate.
I like this layout, and I've used it with 2 & 4 pot guitars.
Trey Anastasio's Guitar Wiring
T
** You can go nuts tracing the wires.

[Steve A.]

The wiring diagram in post 4 IMO is imcomplete.
No way to do all that with 2 wire pickups, if one wire is connected to the baseplate.
I like this layout, and I've used it with 2 & 4 pot guitars.
Trey Anastasio's Guitar Wiring
T
** You can go nuts tracing the wires.

Good catch, Terry! After posting it I realized it wasn't the correct drawing and I have been trying to track it down. This one is closer...



Deaf Eddie's Collection of DRAWINGS and INFO

Steve

[Richard]

I like to run the pickups in different modes, i.e. neck in parallel and bridge split so I like individual controls for each pickup. I used 4 push-pull pots for a guitar and the varying shades I can get are amazing. It's effectively the same thing as the Duncan triple shot rings. I haven't tried putting both pickups in series. As far as what pickups I've liked in the 3 modes, all of them. Dimarzio Steve's special, Humbucker from Hell, Super 3, Virtual P-90, and DLX 90 neck. Aside from the hum I usually prefer the split sound but the different resistances of the pickups in the different modes changes the mix between neck and bridge.

[Steve A.]

I haven't tried putting both pickups in series.

IMO it can work okay if the pickups are weak (i.e. split) or OOP. I put a prewired 6 position rotary switch in my LP in the late 70s and both HBs in series in phase was WAY over the top. With a strat you can get interesting sounds with two pups in series in parallel with the other...

[Richard]

What experimenting I've done mirrors your experience. The humbuckers I put in series lacked clarity and when split or parallel still didn't really have the definition I like. Neck and middle in series on a strat sounds awesome.