coil split and phase reversal

[versusrider]

Hi all, maybe someone can explain about coil split and what it does. Also phase reversal with another humbucker. I think I have had my head in sand of standard guitar set ups for 40 odd years. I am now building an American walnut jaguar style guitar with strat maple neck, although the neck may change at a later time to a musikraft walnut neck with some exotic fretboard. I would like to keep to one volume and one tone pot and use toggle switches to be able have coil split and phase reversal, if that is indeed what turns out to be the sound I want.

[BigB]

Hi all, maybe someone can explain about coil split and what it does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_wiring#Coil_splitting

Also phase reversal with another humbucker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_wiring#Phase_cancellation


As far as I'm concerned I've always prefered the serie/parallel options than the coil split - almost the same tone as the split coil in fact, but it retains the hum cancelling feature.  Phase inversion, well... never really liked it, but YMMV.

[versusrider]

Ok coil split doesn't sound ideal for me, seems it makes for a brighter sound. May just go for a straight up 3 way switch to start with and get pick ups that I like as they are. Playing about could follow. I find the biggest obstacle is  scratchplate mounted controls, 'cause its impossible to remove it to play with the wiring with the strings still on. May have to have the wiring and controls hanging loose during playtime.

[BigB]

Ok coil split doesn't sound ideal for me, seems it makes for a brighter sound

coil-splitting, serie/parallel switch (on a single 'bucker) and phase inversion will all give a brighter and/or thinner tone, and less ouptut overall.

May just go for a straight up 3 way switch to start with and get pick ups that I like as they are. Playing about could follow.

For the record, my good old and trusty Vox Custom 24 had serie/parallel and phase switches. When I replaced the stock pups with Crawlers (my very first BKP set, and boy it kind of changed my life), I first didn't bother with rewiring all theses switches (you can read the whole story here). This was in june 2009, I still not have rewired them...  Not that it would be worthless, the Crawlers are known to split well and this would bring even more versatility to this guitar, but well, to make a long story short, better to have the right pups and no gadgets than all bells and whistles on cr@ppy pickups :mrgreen: