Frustrated by phasing issues

[John Carlsen]

Ok, so most of the time that I do a HB/single coil set, it works out fine and is in phase but occasionally, probably due to my mistakes, they end up out of phase with each other. Just so I know concretely, what conditions need to be true for the humbucker and the single coil to be in phase? E.g. winding direction, polarity, etc. for reference, this is for a Tele bridge/Neck HB set. Thanks!

[Helmholtz]

For "in-phase" wiring of PUs all of them need to have their output signals in-phase, meaning that their signals have the same polarity.

The signal polarity depends on 3 things:
1) magnetic polarity of the poles
2) winding direction (left-going or right-going when viewed from the same side)
3) which of the coils ends is used as the "hot" output

If one or all three of these conditions are reversed, output signal is inverted ("out-of-phase").
If any two of the conditions are inverted simultaneously, output signal polarity stays the same.

If you have an analog needle-µ-ammeter (range 100µA or less), you can check the signal phase/polarity. Connect the red meterlead to the hot wire of the PU, the black one to the ground wire. Now touch the poles lightly with a screwdriver and observe the direction of the (small) needle deflection when removing the screwdriver from the pole. Same needle deflection means same signal phase.

[Joe Gwinn]

Look at the following old post:

https://music-electronics-forum.com/...ll=1#post32148

[copperheadroads]

With the typical way most humbuckers are wound & wired & polarity (south to screw coil) . the tele north up & wound opposite it usually is .

[John Carlsen]

With the typical way most humbuckers are wound & wired & polarity (south to screw coil) . the tele north up & wound opposite it usually is .

So, if both HB coils are wound clockwise and wired up and polarity is the typical as you’ve said, then winding the tele bridge counterclockwise and north up will do it?

[John Carlsen]

Look at the following old post:

https://music-electronics-forum.com/...ll=1#post32148

Thanks for the link Joe, though it’s not really what I’m looking for. I’m trying to find concrete info on how to make a tele bridge pickup (or any single coil for that matter) be in-phase with a humbucker when used together.

[copperheadroads]

This may be the confusing part , The direction the bobbin is spinning is the opposite of direction the wire is wound on the bobbin .

[big_teee]

An easy fix for your tele SC, and neck HB?
Wind the SC like you want, and have the HB either 2 wire with ground, or 4 wire.
Making the Humbucker polarity reversible, & adjustable.
T

[Joe Gwinn]

Thanks for the link Joe, though it’s not really what I’m looking for. I’m trying to find concrete info on how to make a tele bridge pickup (or any single coil for that matter) be in-phase with a humbucker when used together.

Then use the screwdriver trick, from the old days. Somebody repeated it here recently. Connect a sensitive ammeter or voltmeter to the pickup in question. Put a piece of soft steel against the pickup's poles, and remove abruptly while watching the meter. If the meter is sensitive enough (and quick enough) you will see the meter jump. Notice the polarity (positive or negative) of the jump. (If no jump, try a more sensitive meter.) This is what one matches between individual pickups being used together.

[Helmholtz]

Somebody repeated it here recently.

It seems that you are the one repeating.

I discovered this method in the 70s.

[copperheadroads]

To sum up Tele & strat pickups are not usually wound in the same direction or generally have the same Polarity (not including rwrp) & the average humbucker will not be in phase with either without swapping magnet polarity or wires .

[John Carlsen]

To sum up Tele & strat pickups are not usually wound in the same direction or generally have the same Polarity (not including rwrp) & the average humbucker will not be in phase with either without swapping magnet polarity or wires .

Yeah I totally get that for sure. I would absolutely fiddle around if I were putting in pickups someone else made, or I had already made and putting together. IÂ’m trying to figure out a repeatable set of specs to make sure that when I build a tele/HB set itÂ’s going to be in phase.

[Joe Gwinn]

It seems that you are the one repeating.

I discovered this method in the 70s.

I bet that Leon discovered this trick in the 1950s.

[Helmholtz]

I bet that Leon discovered this trick in the 1950s.

Well, I am sure I wasn't the first to discover it. It is quite obvious to anyone familiar with the law of induction and ballistic measurement.

BTW, who is Leon?

[copperheadroads]

Well, I am sure I wasn't the first to discover it. It is quite obvious to anyone familiar with the law of induction and ballistic measurement.

BTW, who is Leon?

I would say he meant Leo Fender