Getting single coil sounds out of humbuckers?

[GDPunkRock]

Hello guys,

I'm intending to upgrade my Rally GL400's stock humbuckers to something with more clarity and output. While I've not decided on any particular model, I have thought about getting pickups that allow me to get the same sound from normal single coils while still retaining a humbuckers' fat tone.

I do not know much about this topic so here's what I need to know - Can you route/wire ALL humbuckers to get single coil sounds, or are there specific models on the market that allow you to do this? Also, you have to install a push-pull pot for the pickup selector so you can switch between the pickup modules right? Will that require any external installation or is it all internal routing? Cos I don't wanna destroy my guitar too hehe...

Thanks for the help!

 

[CyanideJunkie]

Your humbuckers need to be of the 4-wire conductor kind in order to be split. The push/pull(or push-push, you can get it from SV) pot can be used to replace any of your existing vol/tone pots. You could install a mini toggle switch to split the coils instead but since you don't want to do anything invasive I would suggest that you stick with the pot option instead.

Considering the sound you're after, I would look at other pickups as another option; Low-output humbuckers or even better, P90s since you're after the single-coil chime as well as the fatness of a humbucker.

 

[GDPunkRock]

Your humbuckers need to be of the 4-wire conductor kind in order to be split. The push/pull(or push-push, you can get it from SV) pot can be used to replace any of your existing vol/tone pots. You could install a mini toggle switch to split the coils instead but since you don't want to do anything invasive I would suggest that you stick with the pot option instead.

Considering the sound you're after, I would look at other pickups as another option; Low-output humbuckers or even better, P90s since you're after the single-coil chime as well as the fatness of a humbucker.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I've actually never tried a P90 before, but have read that it's known for being the middle between a single coil and humbucker but not being exactly as good at either.

Well, really I was considering a coil split/tap mainly for variety purpose. I play a lot of different genres of music so while I love me humbuckers for the crunchy-classic-pop-rock I play most of the times, I would love the option of having bright trebly single-coil-ish sounds for stuff like indie music, and generally just a different sound.

I don't know if this makes sense, but wouldn't it be better to split a good humbucker(maybe a Seymour Duncan JB) for variety and maybe get a not so strong sounding single-coil sound, but at least have a humbucker tone that you can count on, rather than be restricted but a P90's limit, unless of course, you know you want that P90 sound.

Sorry if I sound confusing and am wrong in what I've typed , I tend to assume I know a lot more than I actually do, so feel free to correct me! >.>

 

[an2]

I experimented once, with an Ibanez. i didn't have much use for my neck humbucker, so i switched it to two true single-coils. and changed the 3-way switch to a 5-way =) thus something like a H-S-S setup. but looking like a H-H guitar still.

 

[J.custom]

If you want a whole load of options, check out Seymour Duncan's P-rails! You can split it in so many different ways: Single coil, P90, humbucker, p90 and s coil in parallel etc. You get the idea. The perfect product that it can be paired up with is the SD triple shot mounting ring. It allows you to do all sorts of splitting, check the SD website for more details.

 

[GDPunkRock]

If you want a whole load of options, check out Seymour Duncan's P-rails! You can split it in so many different ways: Single coil, P90, humbucker, p90 and s coil in parallel etc. You get the idea. The perfect product that it can be paired up with is the SD triple shot mounting ring. It allows you to do all sorts of splitting, check the SD website for more details.

Wow,this is the shit I'm talking about man! Didn't know SD had such a gem in their products. Do you own one yourself, J.custom? Any personal thoughts about it? Haha

 

[J.custom]

Nope dont own one, but I've heard one in action and it sounds pretty good! Thinking of getting one for a new guitar that's coming in soon..

 

[subversion]

i have the P-Rails in my Ibanez RGA32 (neck position)- content with wiring it to give me a p-90 + humbucker voicing. there are other options, of course.

 

[subversion]

...have read that it's known for being the middle between a single coil and humbucker but not being exactly as good at either.

it's not supposed to be competing with those pickups, it's in a world of its own.

 

[CyanideJunkie]

I don't know if this makes sense, but wouldn't it be better to split a good humbucker(maybe a Seymour Duncan JB) for variety and maybe get a not so strong sounding single-coil sound, but at least have a humbucker tone that you can count on

There is a difference between a good humbucker and a humbucker that sounds good when split. Some 'buckers like SD's Stag Mag are designed to sound really good when split, others not so much. It's best to do more research so you can thin out the herd.

Ever considered wiring your guitar's middle position out-of-phase? Has that honky, kinda single coil-y sound to it.

 

[CyanideJunkie]

it's not supposed to be competing with those pickups, it's in a world of its own.

Yup, go listen to Mountain's Mississippi Queen for an excellent example of classic P90 tone.

 

[GDPunkRock]

i have the P-Rails in my Ibanez RGA32 (neck position)- content with wiring it to give me a p-90 + humbucker voicing. there are other options, of course.

Nice! How much did this set cost you and where'd you get it from Sub? Only place I can think of is Davis. Not even sure if they have the triple shot mount that J.custom was talking about.

 

[subversion]

got my P-Rails from Davis, $125 (if i could remember correctly). got my triple shot mounting ring from them as well...