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Author Topic: VHII in SG options?  (Read 3014 times)

kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« on: June 27, 2008, 02:59:35 PM »
Hello All,

I've just got my first set of BKP, some VHII's to go in my SG. Im gonna get the local guitar guy to put them in next week hopefully, but as I've never had 4 conductor pickups before I dont know what options I have regarding how they can be set up.

Any advice on the best use would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Twinfan

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2008, 03:37:03 PM »
If you've got four conductor wire, the world is your oyster!

If you like the Peter Green "Out OF Phase" sound you can set them up like that, but for me I'd have:

* Both volume pots replaced for 500k pots (standard are 300k)
* Both tone pots replaced with push/pulls (if they'll fit in the SG cavity)
* Both pickups set up for coil splitting, split by the tone push/pull

That would be a very versatile setup.

Oh, and welcome to the club  :D

WezV

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2008, 03:41:58 PM »
what about a series/parallel switch for each pickup - i'm prefer that to a coil split...  or even series/split/parallel if you want a 3-way on/on/on mini switch

might be a bit tight with the push/pull pots in an sg

kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2008, 03:49:53 PM »
thanks for the welcome and advice, thing is i dont really understand how any of this works.

if i do the coil split with the tone pots, lifting one pot splits one pickup? so if that pickup is selected by my 3 way toggle switch then its just a single coil? and if im in middle position with both split its like a strat in 2 or 4? am i warm?

as for series/parallel, i aint got a clue what that entails?

Philly Q

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2008, 06:13:21 PM »
Quote from: kristo
if i do the coil split with the tone pots, lifting one pot splits one pickup? so if that pickup is selected by my 3 way toggle switch then its just a single coil? and if im in middle position with both split its like a strat in 2 or 4? am i warm?

That's the gist of it, although it would be possible to split both pickups at the same time with a single push-pull pot, if you wanted to - gives you less options, but keeps it simple(r).

Quote
as for series/parallel, i aint got a clue what that entails?

In a humbucker the two coils are normally wired in series for that typical thick humbucker sound.  They can also be wired in parallel, which gives a thinner sound, more like a single-coil, but still hum-cancelling.  You could use push-pull pots for series/parallel switching, but in that case you would need a separate push-pull pot for each pickup, because it uses more of the switch connections.


HOWEVER, as both Twinfan and Wez have already mentioned, it will be a struggle fitting push-pull pots in an SG because the body's too thin (I'm assuming it's a Gibson SG, not a Yamaha?).
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

gwEm

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2008, 06:20:24 PM »
you could rewire the guitar to have one master tone pot like V or explorer.

the second tone pot you could wire to be a coil split fader for one pickup - gradually fade between humbucking and single coil sound. versatile, no drilling required, and stock looks.
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kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2008, 09:00:27 PM »
thanks for all the help guys, im thinking of either the coil split with a push pull switch for each pickup, or the series/paralell set up mentioned by philly q.

does doing this lower the volume of the pickup then? im guessing series would a bit and coil tapping would some more?

kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2008, 09:01:52 PM »
and it's actually an epiphone Sg.

Philly Q

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2008, 09:34:09 PM »
Quote from: kristo
does doing this lower the volume of the pickup then? im guessing series would a bit and coil tapping would some more?

The volume does drop a bit, but it's more that the tone changes and cleans/brightens up.  It's usually much more noticeable with cleaner tones than distorted ones.

I have an SG with a Riff Raff and a series/parallel switch, and I find that some interesting and unpredictable things can happen with different amp sounds.  For example, with some very distorted sounds, rolling down the guitar's tone control with the pickup in series creates a dark muddy tone.  But in parallel, the tone control seems to have much less effect and most of the treble is retained.  With cleaner amp sounds, you can get almost the opposite happening.  It's weird, but good fun.  :)
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2008, 10:41:38 AM »
thanks for all the help, i cant wait to get these pickups in my guitar. however after reading this forum more and more im beginning to think a set of mississippi queens may be more up my street.....?

Philly Q

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2008, 10:45:01 AM »
You won't be able to do all those wiring options with the Mississippi Queens... unless you order them tapped, but that's another story.
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

kristo

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VHII in SG options?
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2008, 11:40:48 AM »
i know, i just mean what ive read about the standard tone. however i think the vhII's sound like they are gonna be pretty sweet just as humbuckers, the rest is just for subtle differences.