HSS,SSS,HH OR HSH

[Bruce]

my fav is H-S!! like this mmmmmm 'droools'

 

[phoenixcager]

Pardon me for resurrecting an old thread.

I'm kind of ignorant about humbuckers. Have been playing S-S-S type guitars for years.

So, I was just wondering....

Is it as simple as:
Single Coil: for cleaner sounds and rhythm?
Humbuckers: for heavier solos?

Also, is there a reason why it is more common to have a humbucker near the bridge than near the neck if you are using a 2 single + 1 humbucker combination?

 

[subversion]

when Seth Lover invented the humbucker, his primary aim was to eliminate the hum but its conception led to a cancelling of some top-end frequency too. this is a major diff between a single coil pickup & a humbucker. for crisp, jangly tones, the single coil would excel. if you tread the less trebly path, the humbucker would be your cup of tea.

one would argue that a split humbucker would eminate single-coil type tones- yes but not entirely. effectively, the humbucker & single coil each offer a different tonal spectrum. an apple cannot outperform an orange albeit both being fruits...

 

[guitarnub]

single coils are more "twangy"
and humbuckers more "boomy"
lo

 

[Lifehouse]

HH with coil tap, or similar HH with 5 way switching gets my votes

 

[phoenixcager]

OK thanks! I got the twangy vs boomy distinction. And that it's a matter of covering a different tonal spectrum.

Is there a reason, then, that it is so common for people who have a combination of both to position the humbucker near the bridge?

 

[Char]

Generally speaking, the bridge is the most used postion for rock, neck for jazz. Blue... either way

There is no right or wrong. My preference have changed over the years. All have their strength.

Agree with Lifehouse. Currently, I prefer to go for HH with a multi-pole 5 way selector to get single/split sound out of humbucker. Which I did with 2 evolutions. I can still get strat, tele like in-between type of sound, not truely authentic but good enough for me.

 

[Jayshen]

Just to add on my 5 cent worth.... been playing for a while my frenz HH ESP Ltd X-series.... it really has a very nice crude sound when in heavy distortion and jamming power chords away...each chord has a very good sound together... but den i plucked in my Good'ol Squier strat wif SSS( last one is sensor... but to me the same lar)... and found out the same heavy kind of sound can't be duplicated so jus changed the riffs a bit and instead used more improvised chords(basic chords but wif an added hammer-on or pick-off.. sorry dunno how to explain it any clearer) like not just power chords and i got something completely different... it was a lighter and more dynamic sound... which u can't really get from HH cos HH can't catch the hammer-on or pick-off parts clearly...

i think i expand the KFc mac idea to say like... Mac chicken drumstick not as good as kfc ... but KFC burger not as good as Mac... really depends on the type of sound u mainly like to get lar.... so i think this applies to any combination... they are all good...