Non-traditional humbuckers

klaasvakie · 2018-09-19T08:19:17+00:00

I'll be having an NGD soon (Don't worry I'll do a post when I finally get the guitar). The guitar is a set-neck strat with a HH pickup configuration. It has...

Non-traditional humbuckers

V8

I'm told that the P90 is different/special because of it's form factor? From my reading, the size of the P90 - let's them arrange the pickup bits that give a traditional P90 it's raunchy middy bite.

So in a humbucker shape, I'm not sure you'll get the full glory of a P90 (in the same way a humbucker never quite nails a single coil when spilt).

But since you already have a P90 equipped axe - How about a set of filtertron's or gold foil style pickups? I'm quite a fan of filtertron's, a decent set has dynamics for dayyyysss and I like the vintage-y tone running through a slightly gritty tube amp.

I played a Gretch Electromatic (MIC) a while back through a Peavey Classic 30 - that was bluesy heaven. Pleasantly surprised by how good that combo was.

klaasvakie

V8 Sorry, I might not have expressed myself clearly. I have one guitar with normal-sized humbuckers, and I will be getting another guitar that also has normal-sized humbuckers. Thus my thinking to change the new one into something with P90ish or Singlish pickups (in sound only, I'm not entertaining the idea of routing the body cavities).

I like the filtertron idea, are they standard humbucker-sized?

V8

klaasvakie I like the filtertron idea, are they standard humbucker-sized?

Errmm, not really - but there are options. Either a humbucker sized one from TV Jones, Lollar or GuitarFetish or a pickup ring that acts like a adaptor (which one could also make)

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/tv-jones-type-pickup-in-a-regular-humbucker-size.1419619/

I know @Norm86 put a set into his Cort M800 a while back. can't recall how he did it - think with adaptor rings.

klaasvakie

Sound samples for Seymour Duncan's Humbucker-sized P90:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/phat-cat-set?__uuid_ref=5ba20d586b457

And for their regular P90:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/vintage-p90-neck

Tuckstir

I kinda like the Idea of the Duncans p-rail. throw in a toggle and get more tone choices.

klaasvakie

Tuckstir Yeah, so with the Humbuckerish pickups like the P-Rails, do you know if it makes sense to do series/parallel? Not sure what will happen if you parallel two coils with very different characteristics (I guess this counts for the Bluesbuckers as well).

So my wiring options are:

https://guitarelectronics.com/2-humbuckers-3-way-toggle-switch-1-volume-1-tone-individual-coil-taps/
https://guitarelectronics.com/2-humbuckers-3-way-toggle-switch-1-volume-1-tone-coil-tap-series-parallel/
https://guitarelectronics.com/2-humbuckers-3-way-toggle-switch-1-volume-1-tone-coil-tap-reverse-phase/

@V8, I see some of the fancier filtertrons also come with 4 wires, so serial/parallel/phase and taps are an option. Any experience with these configurations on filtertrons?

V8

klaasvakie Any experience with these configurations on filtertrons?

None! Just played a handful of stock Gretsch's in HH config.

Though I'd think tapping wouldn't work as well as on a humbucker - filtertron's generally are fairly low output (4-5k) so halfing that output with a split that would be very low output pickup.

I'm not much of a fan of fancy switching in general - have done a few with singles and humbuckers. My strat is rocking Kinman "K7" wiring (blend bridge single with any other position). I get more use out of vol and tone knobs than the blend knob...Or I'm a knob. Both are accurate ?

Personally prefer a decent single coil (neck + middle) & a lower output humbucker (bridge) wired up in a strat style 5 way. Call it boring or old age ?

Tuckstir

not knowing how your guitar looks . but if it has a scratch plate that will be easily replaced, you could add a on/on/on toggle switch
similar to this but with you would have to modify it for 2 pick-ups

klaasvakie

Tuckstir I guess I should've mentioned that, it has the pickups mounted in the body like a Les Paul. Here are some images from the seller, I'll only get to see it for real early next month.

klaasvakie

V8 I'll have to do some more sleuthing on the filtertrons. The internet seems to think that while the DCR is low (4-5k), the magnets are much more powerful which produces an electrical signal of similar magnitude to that of a humbucker.

I don't really have much experience with fancy switching, but my LP has push pulls for coil taps and that has been handy (see recently completed Gil-MORE challenge). Also, even if you do have fancy switching you always have the option to not use the fancy bits and to just stick to using the volume/tone knob.

The "pure" P-90s like the P94s will obviously simplify the wiring a lot, but the Bluesbuckers and P-Rails seem to be made with splitting as an expected configuration.

V8

klaasvakie I'll have to do some more sleuthing

Have fun on Guitarfetish - it's heaven for choices and hell for the same reason ?

My mate has a set of 3 GFS vintage lipsticks in his tele/strat hybrid - they're low output (4kish - as expected) and sound great with a boost pedal.

JohanP

Have you considered anything like goldfoil humbuckers such at these at Guitarfetish:
https://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Metal-Foil-Single-Coil-Alnico-V-Humbucker-Shell-Chrome-_p_27752.html
https://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Metal-Foil-Single-Coil-Ferrite-Humbucker-Shell-Chrome_p_21929.html
or any of their other humbucker size pickups:
https://www.guitarfetish.com/Humbucker-Sized_c_578.html
with some Free-Way Pickup Switches from Stewmac:
https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Switches/Free-Way_Pickup_Switch.html
https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Switches/Free-Way_Ultra_Switch.html
The possibilities of switching alone might drive anyone crazy.

klaasvakie

JohanP Damn you!!!! ? Now I have so many more options to consider ...

Those gold foils look sooooooo cool, and I see they also do humbucker sized filtertrons:

https://www.guitarfetish.com/KP--GFS-Retrotron-Nashville-Vintage-Humbucker-Gold--Kwikplug-Ready_p_21920.html

I'm not sure if I want to go for the free-way switch, it looks like it could be tricky to get the right position in the heat of the moment, but maybe it's easier than it looks. But I know have waaayyy too many pickups to choose from. I see guitarfetish also does a Humbucker-sized P90:

https://www.guitarfetish.com/Mean-90--Alnico-P90-Fat-and-Strong-Output-Gold-Case_p_21848.html

I'll have to do some serious sleuthing tonight.

guidothepimmp

Thats a nice fiddle earlier in this thread. What is it?

klaasvakie

guidothepimmp Its a "ToneTree Vector". Built locally in Kleinmond by Robbie Bailey. His facebook page is here:

https://www.facebook.com/ToneTree-Guitars-995333160536338/

He was/is selling off a bunch of guitars he built earlier, I saw it on the SAMIS facebook a couple weeks ago and I bought it sight unseen. It is making its way up to Joburg via a network of friends and family so I'll hopefully get a chance to play her soon.

I'll do a proper NGD when I actually have it.