Author Topic: 2 pickups in parallel - technical q (Read 3143 times)

dpmasunder · « **on:** December 31, 2005, 12:15:22 PM »

I hope this makes sense but I was contemplating the interaction of humbucker coils in series vs. parallel, ie. the difference in inductance, capacitance, resonant frequency etc. and it popped into my mind that those properties change when running multiple pickups together too.
So I'm wondering how much tonal deviation there is when 2 pickups are in parallel, like they normally are in the middle position on a LP, compared to what their 'theoretical' sound would be if you were to isolate each one and then combine them?
Is that too strange a question?

dpmasunder · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2006, 10:53:32 PM »

No thoughts on this? :idea:

PhilKing · « **Reply #2 on:** January 07, 2006, 01:57:25 PM »

I have played with a lot of different wiring options. The only way you could do what you are after is with a stereo wiring option. They will react differently because some of the sound is changed in the guitar when it is mixed as the capacitance will be changed. How that would affect the sound is really hard to say, as you would need to make sure that you have everything perfectly matched all the way through your signal chain to try it. For me I would rather have the switching on the guitar and only a mono setup (I do have a stereo output on one guitar, but this is to isolate the piezo accoustic sounds). You would get a lot more difference with series/parallel wiring the 2 pickups in combination.

HJM · « **Reply #3 on:** January 07, 2006, 03:35:22 PM »

Try it!

dpmasunder · « **Reply #4 on:** January 08, 2006, 03:09:22 AM »

OK, I'll spill the beans on why I asked. I'm thinking of having my next set of 8 string pickups wound as 2 pairs of 4 string humbuckers, allowing me to do things like run the bass strings through the bridge pickup and the treble strings through the neck pickup. I'm hoping they can be wound to compensate for the tonal effect of having two pickups in parallel.
I posed the question thinking that a familiar situation might help get the idea across better.

Tim · « **Reply #5 on:** January 08, 2006, 08:49:17 AM »

Just trying to visualise this.............are we talking about a P bass type arrangement but with the coils seperated(I know P bass are in series but I thinking of the aesthetics)so you'd have your bass string coils at the bridge and the treble string coils in the neck position?Or am I barking up the wrong tree :lol: !

dpmasunder · « **Reply #6 on:** January 08, 2006, 09:17:48 AM »

Sort of like that, but using a total of 8 coils, arranged as 4 humbuckers, and grouped into the usual 2 positions :roll: :lol:
Best I give a visual guide, methinks. This is a possible wiring scenario using an 8-pole 6-way rotary switch (yes, they do exist). So the two coils under the bass strings are in series, the two coils under the treble strings are in series, and both signals are then output in parallel.