Are there any HB pickups which split to a great sounding SC…???

[Nathan Shane]

Greetings all…okay, so this past weekend I rewired my SE Swamp Ash with a 3-way ON ON ON DPDT toggle switch and kept the Push/Pull Coil Split. So the 3-way toggle switch is now Bridge/Middle/Neck and Bridge-Split/Middle/Neck-Split. I like this wiring configuration much better than the stock factory wiring scheme.

However, I’ve now started thinking, I wonder if there are any great sounding Humbuckers that coil split to a great sounding Single-Coil?

 

[JasonE]

If you don't have resistors in your tap circuit add one. You need a 2.2k for the bridge and a 1.1k for the neck. You can find where they go in a number of the current PRS wiring diagrams. The DGT has them and the diagram for that guitar shows them. This will keep more volume in your tapped tones.

 

[Nathan Shane]

If you don't have resistors in your tap circuit add one. You need a 2.2k for the bridge and a 1.1k for the neck. You can find where they go in a number of the current PRS wiring diagrams. The DGT has them and the diagram for that guitar shows them. This will keep more volume in your tapped tones.

The original SE Swamp Ash wiring diagram shows a 1.1k for the neck but no resistor for the bridge. I double checked and there is indeed a 1.1k resistor used for the neck in my altered wiring. I read somewhere that Lindy Fralin suggests using a 7k resistor, what’s the logic behind that value?

 

[JasonE]

The original SE Swamp Ash wiring diagram shows a 1.1k for the neck but no resistor for the bridge. I double checked and there is indeed a 1.1k resistor used for the neck in my altered wiring. I read somewhere that Lindy Fralin suggests using a 7k resistor, what’s the logic behind that value?

Not sure but I can tell you that I have a DGT and a 594 that both have an 8.8k resistor on the bridge pickup. They now use a 2.2k. I don't know when they changed the values on them. Back then they were also using a 2.2k on the neck pickup. My DGT has the 2.2k and 8.8k in it. I think my 594 may have the 1.1k on the neck but still has the 8.8k on the bridge. I would have to open it up to verify that. It has been a little while since I wad in them checking the values.

 

[ChickenRob]

I’m not that far into exploring all the tones, but so far I’m enjoying my new Zexcoil Tribuckers. 3 voicings, all hum canceling:

Single
PAF
Hot P90

The singles and PAF are both great imo. Haven’t found the p90 settings that I love yet.

 

[Lewguitar]

I read somewhere that Lindy Fralin suggests using a 7k resistor, what’s the logic behind that value?

The higher the resistance the more the signal of the coil being sent to ground is resisted from actually going to ground. So more of it remains in the signal path if you use a 2.2K resistor rather than 1.1K resistor.

I would think that using a 7K resistor would leave even more of that coil being sent to ground in the signal path and give an even fuller tone.

The logic? Lindy likes the way that sounds. That's about it.

 

[Lewguitar]

As for which pickup gives the best split tones, until PRS came up with the idea of using a resistor to ground instead of just a wire to ground to split humbuckers, I didn't think splitting was worth doing.

Too thin. Too weak. Plinky tone.

No pickup sounded close enough to a Strat for me to be able to enjoy using.

That all changed with this "new" method of splitting and I've gone through most of my guitars and added push/pull switches using the 1.1K and 2.2K resistors Jason advised.

Now all of my humbuckers sound great split and I have Bare Knuckle Abraxas in a CE22, Duncan 59 and JB in a Bernie Marsden, 57/08's in a Bernie, Marshallheads in a Bernie...different pickups.

So it isn't really a matter of finding just the right pickup. It's a matter of splitting a humbucker using this new method.

Any of those pickups I mentioned will split well if you use the resistors.

 

[Nathan Shane]

Okay, since the bridge pickup on my SE Swamp Ash is connected to ground when coil split, I recorded the DI signal of neck, middle, bridge pickups (neck, bridge coil split) and they are fairly well balanced between all three of them. So then I soldered a 6.8k (it’s all I had) on the bridge coil split. Result…a very noticeable increase in the split bridge signal level. Too much in fact. So it makes more sense to use resistor values of 1.1k and 2.2k. I read online where some guitarists suggest using a variable resistor so that you can dial in the amount which sounds best to you. That seems like more trouble than it’s worth. So obviously, since PRS has already done all the research and they know which resistor values are optimal to use with their pickups, there’s really no point in changing things. Unless you want to experiment.

 

[Going Modal]

IMO, the problem with trying to get humbucker & single-coil sounds out of one guitar (either through coil-splitting humbuckers, or an H-S-S or H-S-H setup, or whatever) is that you're still likely pushing them out of a 500k volume/output potentiometer. Those singles are never going to sound good like that. I would have to think that this is why the 250/500k switch ended up on the Modern Eagle V (?).

 

[JasonE]

IMO, the problem with trying to get humbucker & single-coil sounds out of one guitar (either through coil-splitting humbuckers, or an H-S-S or H-S-H setup, or whatever) is that you're still likely pushing them out of a 500k volume/output potentiometer. Those singles are never going to sound good like that. I would have to think that this is why the 250/500k switch ended up on the Modern Eagle V (?).

You can put 250k resistors in line that will drop the pot resistance to 250k to make the 500k pot work for all of them. This is something other guitar manufacturers do. I think my Suhr may be that way. I have not opened it up to see but I know they do something to make this happen that way.

 

[Lewguitar]

You can put 250k resistors in line that will drop the pot resistance to 250k to make the 500k pot work for all of them. This is something other guitar manufacturers do. I think my Suhr may be that way. I have not opened it up to see but I know they do something to make this happen that way.

You'd have to flip a second switch unless there's a selector switch to do that.

There probably is. I don't know how.

Always been a "keep it simple" kind of guy and avoided complicated switching on my guitars.

But a diagram would be welcome!

 

[Family Man]

I've been down this rabbit hole and wound up with similar setups in two S2 594 Thinlines.

Bare Knuckle Mules with Gunstreet Wiring Shop- SG - 50s - Coil Cut - CTS - Switchcraft - Wiring Harness

Bare Knuckle Riff Raffs with the same harness in a different guitar.

Love the setup and don't plan to change a thing. Here's a link to the harness I ended up going with: https://reverb.com/item/44359168-gu...g-50s-coil-cut-cts-switchcraft-wiring-harness

They've also go them on their own website: https://gunstreet.co/products/gunstreet-wiring-shop-sg-coil-cutting-wiring-harnesses

 

[JasonE]

You'd have to flip a second switch unless there's a selector switch to do that.

There probably is. I don't know how.

Always been a "keep it simple" kind of guy and avoided complicated switching on my guitars.

But a diagram would be welcome!

If I get time today, I will try to find a diagram. I remember seeing one for a strat blade switch. The resistors were on the switch and the volume pot was 500k.

Found this fairly fast. Look at solution #4. He says there is a drawback though. I know this can be done without the drawback on a strat.

How To Mix Single Coils and Humbuckers

Mixing Single Coils and Humbuckers in a guitar can be tricky business. Fralin Pickups show you how to get the best tone from your HSS or HSH guitar.

www.fralinpickups.com

 

[Lewguitar]

If I get time today, I will try to find a diagram. I remember seeing one for a strat blade switch. The resistors were on the switch and the volume pot was 500k.

Found this fairly fast. Look at solution #4. He says there is a drawback though. I know this can be done without the drawback on a strat.

How To Mix Single Coils and Humbuckers

Mixing Single Coils and Humbuckers in a guitar can be tricky business. Fralin Pickups show you how to get the best tone from your HSS or HSH guitar.

www.fralinpickups.com

Read through the Lindy Fralin post. Thanks.

Well...the pickguard only cost me $12. Used. Maybe I'll pass on the bridge humbucker.

Sounds like all of these methods of combining single coils and a humbucker are a compromise.

They always have been which I never did it.

Still...if there's a new way of doing it with no compromise I'd give it a shot.

Of all the pickups I've tried over the years, the only humbucker I've liked with 250K pots is the Duncan JB.

It actually NEEDS 250K pots because it's like an ice pick in the ear for me with 500K pots.

Or, that ice pick quality can be mitigated with a magnet swap and then you can use 500K pots with the JB.

 

[JasonE]

Read through the Lindy Fralin post. Thanks.

Well...the pickguard only cost me $12. Used. Maybe I'll pass on the bridge humbucker.

Sounds like all of these methods of combining single coils and a humbucker are a compromise.

They always have been which I never did it.

Still...if there's a new way of doing it with no compromise I'd give it a shot.

Of all the pickups I've tried over the years, the only humbucker I've liked with 250K pots is the Duncan JB.

It actually NEEDS 250K pots because it's like an ice pick in the ear for me with 500K pots.

Or, that ice pick quality can be mitigated with a magnet swap and then you can use 500K pots with the JB.

I have two Suhr guitars that are HSS. I am not sure how they are wired but they work very well. They are nicely balanced. I have an Anderson that is also HSS that is nicely balanced. I am not sure how that one is wired either. I have never opened any of these guitars up to see how they achieved this. That is why I say, I know it can be done.

 

[Nathan Shane]

Here are two different wiring diagrams which show how to make the SC pickups see a 250K Volume Pot.

 

[Greywolf]

I've got some Custom low Wind Fralin's that are delightful, BG PAF's in my SC IRW neck that have a single coil soud that's almost acoustic sounding , which I love at the Cafe'. The 58/15LT's have one of the best split sounds I've heard , have them in mh HB II and Special.

 

[darkbluemurder]

One pickup that does this exact thing very well is the DiMarzio Bluesbucker, model DP163. I have one in the neck position of my S2 Standard 24 with the screws facing the bridge. I did that because I use the inside coils when split. The volume drop vs. both coils is minimal and the tone is excellent.