I do have a Mule neck on a rather dark SG and it JustWork(tm) for these bluesy tones. Warm & fat indeed, but still clear and fluid, and very vocal.
Sounds like I'm sold. :D
That was not meant to sell you the Mule neck but if the above description talks to you then you should definitly consider it as an option.
How do you calculate the output of a split humbucker? Is it just the half of normal DC reading?
DC resistance doesn't equate directly to output. Output level is a factor of wire type, wire gauge, number of turns, magnet type, magnet size, construction (magnet placement wrt/ bobins and pole pieces) and probably yet another couple thangs.
I'm not an electronic engineer but AFAIK on a perfectly balanced 'bucker, split coil operation should indeed yield something about half the normal (series) output - but halving the pups output level doesn't mean you have half the volume (SPL is log, not lin).
I find the split sound of the 8,2k stock humbucker is quite useful, even if it doesn't sound like a strat.
The main difference between G and F pups is not HB vs SC - else a Wide Range (I mean a _true_ Wide Range) would sound like a PAF and a P90 would sound like a Strat or Tele pup -, it's about how the pup is built, physically. Fender SCs and the original Wide Range bucker use magnet pole pieces within the bobin, while Gibson's pups - P90 and 'buckers - use metal pole pieces and have the magnet(s) under the bobin. This alone makes a huge difference (I once played a P90s SG where the P90s had been rebuilt Fender-style so I can tell). Also, the bobin height and width makes a difference too, which is why a (true) Jazzmaster pup sounds somewhere between a Tele / Strat pup and a P90 (and not that far from the hacked P90s on that SG).
But anyway:
But then again its mainly useful because the sound is more articulate and I'm quite sure that the BKP wont lack this quality even in humbucking mode.
A bucker will be "in humbucking mode" whether serial or parallel. But yes, articulation, definition and note separation are part of the BKP signature, and their low-output 'buckers have truly splendid clean tones and dynamic. Strange as it might be, I often use my SG or Hofner (semi-hollow, RR set) to play early Dire Straits stuff - not that they sound anything like a strat, but the response and dynamic are better than what I get from my strat (MiJ / Texas Special pups), specially when finger-picking.
I've never really liked the serial wiring, to me it sounds like the "worst of both worlds".
I have a 4-ways switch on my Tele and I beg to disagree.
And that "quack" on positions 2 and 4 is about the only thing I really like on strats.
You won't get this from a 'bucker wire parallel - much of that quack comes from phase cancellation due to the distance between the coils.
So it will be either split or 50s wiring.
You can have both FWIW. All my guitars - including the strat and tele - are wired gibson 50s way.
Btw do you ever roll off the tone when using the neck pick up?
With 'buckers ? Nope. I don't even know why there's a tone pot here :mrgreen:
But since I have good pups (and 50s wiring) on my guitars, I do use the tone pot on the bridge pup sometimes (talking about 'buckers here), and my volume pot is now my best friend.
