Coil splitting humbuckers - Is it worth doing?

[richard]

Would it be fair to say that you're more likely to get a good split sound with a higher output humbucker ? I can imagine that a split PAF type in an LP would sound weak but my RY bridge still has plenty of output when it's split and sounds muscular and punchy. Very close to the way I'd like a good Tele to sound.

[BigB]

Would it be fair to say that you're more likely to get a good split sound with a higher output humbucker ?

"More likely" ? I can't tell, honestly. Both the JB and the X2N are rather high output, and both sound very thin split. In fact most of the guitars where I've seen coil splits had rather high output buckers and none of them sounded right split (and by "right" I don't mean "fenderish", just "usable"). Now I've read quite a few posts about BKPs working fine for coil splitting, at least for some of the vintage-hot and contemporary ranges. So well, output might play some role here but AFAICT it's not enough.

[Philly Q]

Would it be fair to say that you're more likely to get a good split sound with a higher output humbucker ?

I think that's probably true, because at least on paper it's closer to a true single coil (or perhaps more accurately given the construction of the pickup, a P-90!).  The magnet and wire must play their parts too - maybe alnico is more likely to give a "good" single-coil sound than ceramic.

I'd also say a higher output humbucker tends to give a more "interesting" series/parallel wiring, there's more contrast between the series and parallel sounds than there is with a vintage pickup.

[darkbluemurder]

On paper, a higher output humbucker should sound better split than a lower output humbucker but the ultimate test can only be done by trial and listening.

BTW I tried the Grissom wiring with the additional resistors on my swamp ash guitar with the CS neck in the bridge and the HD neck (both lower output humbuckers), and it improved the split sound - not much more output, not much more bass but just enough to fill out the tone. Good mod.

Cheers Stephan

[sjwebb90]

I would tend to agree that the higher output pickups, from my experience anyway, do tend to sound better than the lower output ones when split. (Three way toggle with push pull switch)

I have a calibrated set of VHII's but didn't really like the sound of the split tones (personal thing obviously).

On the other hand I have calibrated sets of Rebel Yells and Abraxas in two PRS custom 22. To my ears these spit nicely when both "outer coils" are active. I have been using this configuration for my clean tones for some years and am more than satisfied. (Only drawback with this combination is it does tend to makes the bridge when split on its own sound pretty thin, but then again I don't use it, humbucker all the way on the bridge).

[Zaned]

I have a coil split on the Nailbomb bridge on my strat. I like it quite a lot! It's definitely a much better split sound than what I got from a Cold Sweat bridge in a PRS..

-Zaned

[Philly Q]

I have a coil split on the Nailbomb bridge on my strat. I like it quite a lot! It's definitely a much better split sound than what I got from a Cold Sweat bridge in a PRS..

Assuming it's an A-Bomb, I wonder how much part the magnet plays there?  After all, single-coils are alnico pickups, almost never ceramic. 

I realise that argument may not hold much water, since we're still comparing slugs (or screws) and a bar magnet with a set of individual rod magnets.

[Zaned]

I have a coil split on the Nailbomb bridge on my strat. I like it quite a lot! It's definitely a much better split sound than what I got from a Cold Sweat bridge in a PRS..

Assuming it's an A-Bomb, I wonder how much part the magnet plays there?  After all, single-coils are alnico pickups, almost never ceramic. 

I realise that argument may not hold much water, since we're still comparing slugs (or screws) and a bar magnet with a set of individual rod magnets.

A-bomb it is. But now that you mention it, it might actually be the slug coil I'm using when I split the 'bucker :D I'll have to check that tonight.

-Zaned

[darkbluemurder]

A-bomb it is. But now that you mention it, it might actually be the slug coil I'm using when I split the 'bucker :D I'll have to check that tonight.

-Zaned

If you wired it up as specified by BKP (red = hot, black = ground, white and green together and to ground for split) then the slug coil is active. Want to have the screw coil active - solder black and red together and use green and white as hot resp. ground.

Cheers Stephan

[Zaned]

If you wired it up as specified by BKP (red = hot, black = ground, white and green together and to ground for split) then the slug coil is active. Want to have the screw coil active - solder black and red together and use green and white as hot resp. ground.

Cheers Stephan

I did not originally wire it, just wired it the same way when I changed the pickup. Almost embarrassing :) I wanted it primarily so that I could get that middle+bridge tone to have two possibilities. I rarely use the split tail bucker alone, but now that I (re)discovered it, I probably will.

On my PRS I don't really use the split bridge humbucker alone that much, but sometimes. I think on the McCarty the split position drops the slug coil, so that also contributes to the tone. EDIT: screw coil is dropped and slug coil is in use, in both the strat and the PRS.

On my LP I don't even have it on the bridge, just on the neck. That's where I use it a lot more :P

-Zaned

[BigB]

Assuming it's an A-Bomb, I wonder how much part the magnet plays there?  After all, single-coils are alnico pickups, almost never ceramic. 

I realise that argument may not hold much water, since we're still comparing slugs (or screws) and a bar magnet with a set of individual rod magnets.

Entry-level Fender pickups - ie the one found in most Squiers and some of the MiM and  lower MiJ range - are actually a ceramic bar magnet with metal poles :mrgreen:

[Philly Q]

Entry-level Fender pickups - ie the one found in most Squiers and some of the MiM and  lower MiJ range - are actually a ceramic bar magnet with metal poles :mrgreen:

Yeah, I know, but they're not generally regarded as "good" examples of the single-coil pickup sound.  :P

That said, I do remember reading an interview with a blues guitarist, I think it was Duke Robillard (or was it Ronnie Earl?), who said he really liked the sound of those cheap Strat pickups, even went to the extent of fitting them in better guitars.

[Guitarteach]

I have single coil switch for my HH LP style guitar.  Usable in a gig for the odd number that needs a thin sound or twang but it's generally nasal and lacks body when using one coil of an HB. I rarely go to it by choice. You also notice the hum and noise when you do.

I am far more impressed with series/parallel switching in another guitar I have and would seriously consider making the coil spilt switch a neck/bridge phase switch and make the tone pots push/pull for series/parallel for each HB when I get round to doing some work on my LP guitar.

That said as others have pointed out, it can work great in an HSH or HSS with another single coil.  I just installed a Holydiver today that does single coil with middle single coil really well.

[BigB]

(snip - about cheap ceramic Fender SC pups)

That said, I do remember reading an interview with a blues guitarist, I think it was Duke Robillard (or was it Ronnie Earl?), who said he really liked the sound of those cheap Strat pickups, even went to the extent of fitting them in better guitars.

Actually it seems that quite a few guitar players like these pups (cf the relevant threads on TDPRI). Go figure...

@guitarteach: +1

[fbloke]

Coil splitting simply drops the output and makes a full-sounding guitar sound thin. I've never heard it work well. Re Philly's comment re the PRS DGT, it is probably the best coil-splitting setup that there is.  I'm fortunate enough to own one and I can tell you that the coil splitting sounds awful even on a guitar of this awesomeness.  That's why I'm selling it - a Les Paul or 335 with BKP's makes me sound like ME, so happily I can stop looking for tone! The good news is that if you want a Fender-y sound you can buy really good strat's and tele's quite cheaply and put BKP's in to take it to a whole new level.  I think Tim's expertise really adds value to guitars.