Pickup wiring discussion

PeachyDragon

I've been having flights of fancy about pickup combinations and
such. Parrallel, series, single coil, humbucker, in phase, out of phase.

There are really many options. What are your favourite setups?

I've been playing standard humbucker setups my whole life.
Looking at having a guitar built, I've been quite keen on Burns Trisonic
pickups (probably from Adeson... they are soooo helpful and well-priced).

I asked them if it would make sense to buy four and wire them as humbuckers.
They said it might be too thick, depending on the wiring... of course, in my opinion,
they would traditionally be wired in series... As far as I know that makes humbucking impossible.
True or not?

AlanRatcliffe

The Brian may wiring for Tri-Sonics always gives you series wiring of more than one pickup pickups and also offers phasing options (May's Classic lead tone is neck and middle OOP). Basically the more pickups you have switched on, the more powerful the output - a single Tri-Sonic isn't very powerful all by itself. The series wiring also helps offset the tendency of OOP pickup combos to lose a lot of output (because of all the common frequencies cancelling out). It also helps that the pickups are in different positions.

Last time I looked, Bothner's Plumstead had a Burns Brian May sig guitar in stock. So if they still have it, it would make sense to try it out if you're anywhere near CTown. The pickups aren't faithful replicas, but it will give you a good idea.

Otherwise, I never have phasing on a guitar - generally kills too much output level for my liking, and even if it doesn't, more often than not the sound tends to disappear in the mix unless you compress the hell out of it. Phasing between coils of a humbucker is completely useless - they hear basically the same thing, so most of the output is cancelled.

On single-coil guitars I like a "neck on" switch to get the "bridge and neck" and "all three" pickup combos. I never use middle pickup alone, so I usually use a Super Switch and replace the position three with one or the other sound (depending on guitar), which obviates the need for another switch. If I need more power, well... that's what humbuckers are for. An HSS pickup config with the 'bucker tapping automatically on position two is a nice flexible arrangement with little compromise.

For a two humbucker guitar, the stock wiring works well, but if I need more flexibility a simple coil-cut switch is hard to beat. For ultimate flexibility, I like using a three-way switch to give me inner coil/normal series/outer coil, which gives the widest variety of tones. When I was gigging a lot I had it the coil cuts set up to give me series/single-coil/parallel (the parallel sound being very similar to the single-coil setting, but noise cancelling for problem venues at the expense of a little sparkle compared to the single-coil setting).

MikeM

Two humbuckers, parallel switch for the neck pickup, out of phase switch for middle position. Sorted.

Gareth

Personally I like the idea of a "blow switch" on the bridge PU, by-passing everything, real easy mod and gives that little "kick" when you need it.

PeachyDragon

Thanks. Alan, is the HSS configuration with the humbucker in the bridge position then?
Gareth, what on earth is a blow switch?

I figure that the only usefull OOP sound is the outer two pickups.
If I decide to buy 4 single coils I can do the HSS configuration, possibly
something like neck, neck and middle, all pickups, bridge humbucker only. That's four options...
So the options I left out that I might like are :
bridge single coil plus middle
Outer single coild out of phase
Bridge humbucker out of phase with neck single coil.
A potential switch between parrallel and series.

PS, Adeson Tri-Sonics are so awesome, they can modify how hot the pickup is at no extra cost.
Most people want the specs used on Brian May's guitar though... The Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro
has to be the sweetest neck pickup I have ever heard... you can listen to the comparisons on their site.
And that humbucker pickup has a lower output that any of the Tri-Sonics as described by Adeson. So I'm not sure
output is an issue for me. Ive had active pickups and hated them pretty much. I can always buy an extra EQ/distortion pedal
just for volume boost where I want it. I got a BOSS DS-1 way back for R350. Sold it... wish I still had that now just for a volume
boost.

AlanRatcliffe

PeachyDragon wrote: Thanks. Alan, is the HSS configuration with the humbucker in the bridge position then?

Yup.

If I decide to buy 4 single coils I can do the HSS configuration, possibly
something like neck, neck and middle, all pickups, bridge humbucker only. That's four options...

Usually, two single coils wired up as a humbucker will be over-the-top and very muddy - you end up with a very high output humbucker.

PS, Adeson Tri-Sonics are so awesome, they can modify how hot the pickup is at no extra cost.

Most custom winders will do that.

PeachyDragon

Okay, point taken about the high output humbucker. What's the difference then
when you have two single coils on in a SSS pickup configuration? Is the fact that
they are spaced further apart significant in avoiding too much signal frequency summing?

I am only concerned that the pickups might sound thin. Most references online are using a treble
booster and some form of bad quality recording equipment so it's difficult to guage. On one
review I did hear a Seymour Duncan single coil compared to a Burns Trisonic single coil
and they were similar enough in that case. I haven't heard them compared to a humbucker though.

AlanRatcliffe

PeachyDragon wrote: What's the difference then when you have two single coils on in a SSS pickup configuration?

Firstly, the coils are in parallel with a normal SSS, which means lower power and a higher resonant peak. Secondly, because of the string-sensing window in a humbucker config, it's mostly the high frequencies that end up cancelling and giving you the characteristic warmness. With an SSS config the notches and peaks of the comb filtering move down into the midrange and spread further apart, giving you the "quack" tones so beloved by some of us.

I am only concerned that the pickups might sound thin.

Single-coils are usually thin compared to humbuckers (exception being the P90, which has a very hot wind and a wide coil). Wiring two in series (the way it is done on Brian May's guitar) does fatten them up though, because the resonant peak moves lower, the same as a humbucker. With the Tri-Sonics, the relatively wide air coil also has the effect of warming up the single-coil sound a little.

PeachyDragon

Thanks for the help. I think I should go get the quote and timeline from two guitar builders
and get their opinion on the pickup issue as well.

Gareth

PeachyDragon wrote: Gareth, what on earth is a blow switch?

It's a little switch on your guitar that can blow your amp up ?

Basically it's a by-pass of all your guitar's electronics, allowing a pickup to output jack with NOTHING else in between configuration, ie.no tone nor volume controls (nor anything else that can dampen your PUPs signal).
OFF = guitar as normal
ON = raw output from PUP (just bridge is nice, but can also be wired to use any/all PUPs on guitar)

Kinda neat for solos and such, and also quite an easy mod ?

PeachyDragon

Sounds interesting actually... Is it actually a danger to equipment though? Anyone ahd experience with a "blow" switch?

ezietsman

PeachyDragon wrote: Sounds interesting actually... Is it actually a danger to equipment though? Anyone ahd experience with a "blow" switch?

No its not dangerous. Check the Guthrie Govan signature Suhr. It has one of those.

I think its actually in this one:

PeachyDragon

Sold on the concept of the "Blow" switch! Now I actually want two... one for bridge and one for neck....
but that would just be ludacrous....

Gareth

Yeah 11 I like it ?

Ezietsman, that's exactly right.

PeachyDragon, if you want it all, slip in a 3 way toggle switch as well, then you can get neck or bridge or both. Depending on how it is wired you may get away with using your existing toggle, but the simpler you can keep it the better ?

Switches just route the electricity and don't suck power, but pots (vol/tone) and any resistors etc in the circuit do.

All the best with your project.

PeachyDragon

Thanks for the advice.
I think a good setup would be 1-tone, 1-volume, 5 way switch, and then a blow switch with it's own 5 way toggle. Which means I wil basically be able to switch back and forth between 2 sound I have preselected.