Parallel vs. series pickups - different winding?

[Stealth]

This question mostly comes from some info I read on Nordstrand bass pickups, though I'll hazard a guess and say it might be applicable to any pickup.

When winding a pickup, Nordstrand apparently asks whether it'll be wired as series, parallel or if it'll be switchable. Does that mean you'd take a different approach and wind pickups differently if they're meant for series or parallel use?

Going back to Electronics 101, two impedances in series get summed (at least where the R and L component are concerned), while two impedances in parallel, if matched, are averaged. So by that logic, and knowing that R and L are connected to the number of turns in a coil, would it be sane to say that to produce, say, a humbucker with a DC resistance of, say, 10K, you could either with two 5K coils and wire them in series, or two 20K coils and wire them in parallel? Obviously, the output will be different simply because we're performing signal summation in one case and averaging in the other, but what would the other effects be?

What is your practice? Wind differently for S/P, or wind all the same and let the user handle the output difference?

[David Schwab]

Are they talking about humbuckers, or two single coils?

I wind my humbuckers to sound the way I want in series. Parallel then gives a different tone.

You can wind a pickup hotter with the assumption it will be used in parallel, but I don't really see the point. That would be a lot of extra wire on each coil.

[Stealth]

I was thinking mostly in the context of a humbucker, there might be a point with any twin-singles combination (such as a Telecaster or a J-bass). I assume the fact there's more space in-between pickups makes significant difference simply because of the phasing effect of the pickups (each sensing the amplitude with a slight lag from the other).

[mkat]

For my basses, I don't see the point in wiring specifically for parallel. I can understand the requirement to wire for parallel only though. In your case, it would depend on your application and options you want to provide.

[David King]

I always wind for parallel sound knowing in the back of my mind that series will "just sound better" (being twice as loud etc.) Nordstrand is getting better at writing up explanations for why he does things the way he does. It makes sense in a kind of a way and people like knowing what they are buying. That said I think he could argue the opposite just as easily and still get the same customers excited about buying his stuff.

[David Schwab]

I always wind for parallel sound knowing in the back of my mind that series will "just sound better" (being twice as loud etc.)

Or dark and muddy...

[David King]

Maybe that mud is in the ear of the beholder?

Sure, mud gets there eventually but I usually stop before I hit 30K ohms (or 10K).

[David Schwab]

Maybe that mud is in the ear of the beholder?

Sure, mud gets there eventually but I usually stop before I hit 30K ohms (or 10K).

Do you mean as part of a humbucker, or a couple of single coils?

Yeah, it depends on what you want. If you want the old Gibson or Guild humbucker tone, that will work. But you can't get anything else out of those pickups.

You can always remove high end, but you can't put it back.

I think my humbuckers are plenty bright, but some people were asking for brighter, so now I have the sidewinders, which sound like single coils.