How to do a Bernie out of phase mod?

[Mayfly]

OK, I'm handy with a soldering iron - changing pickups and repairs are no problem. But I'm not so hot on circuit design and don't want to ruin my day by wiring up things incorrectly.

I'm sure some of you have done the out-of-phase mod on the Bernie. Has anyone got before/after wiring diagrams and/or photos to help me? I don't need the push-pull pot version, just the out of phase on the middle position of the pickup selector switch.

Loving the guitar, it's giving the LP a run for its money.
Many thanks

 

[Mayfly]

After finding out that Peter Green's famous out of phase LP was an "accident" (the repair shop rewired the faulty neck pickup but crucially replaced the magnet with its polarity in reverse, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHOdXWLrxPk), I went down the non-soldering route and decided to simply reverse the polarity of the magnet in the Korean 245 pickup. Taking a pickup apart and turning the magnet around is much easier than it sounds.

For anyone who wants to do this (extremely effective) mod, here's a step-by-step guide complete with photographs:

http://www.soft.com.sg/forum/showth...-humbucker-out-of-phase-a-k-a-Peter-Green-Mod

It took me - from start to finish (i.e. including restringing) - about 45 minutes, and I'm blown away by the results . The guitar has even more character, the middle position having a classic, crisp and clear out-of-phase sound, kind of scooped in tonality.

This method loses the in-phase on the middle pickup selector position, of course, and you may want to think about that (many people have noted that this position has bags of character, too). However, compared with the soldering solution (swopping the polarity leads around in the cavity), I find this method to sound a touch different - perhaps closer to Green's guitar. There was also not the expected loss of volume. I raised the neck pickup height a little so it didn't sound too thin. True to the Green/Moore LP, I also remounted the pickup the other way round i.e. with the zebra stripes reversed. Some claim this produces a more exaggerated out-of-phase sound, others say it's purely a matter of taste.

For anyone following the instructions above, the tip with the hairdryer to soften up the potting wax is essential. Heat up the metal back of the pickup mounting, and after a minute the magnet will just slide out with a little push from a small screwdriver. Be careful to shield the guitar (and particularly the neck) from the heat, though. Also be careful to push the magnet out from the housing *from* the wired side out through the unwired end. Don't pinch the wires with the screwdriver while you are doing this! Turn the magnet *around* and not simply *over*!

I would highly recommend this (easily-reversible) mod for any blues-oriented player. The difference is astounding, it really broadens out the tones available. The Bernie is now a killer blues machine!

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Nice!

I've got 4 conducter pickups with a view to doing the 'OOP' mod on my Bernie. If there had been room in the control cavity I'd have installed a switch but I'll likely go for a push / pull pot one day.

Have you posted pics of your Bernie yet?

 

[Mayfly]

Here it is... zebra stripes reversed on the neck pickup for Peter Green "authenticity"

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Mike - Saw your review on U-Tube while thinking whether to buy it... thanks for posting that!

 

[tolm]

My vote goes for independent coil-split push/pull for each pickup on the volume controls and OOP on the tone push/pull: go the whole 9 yards!

 

[garrettb]

You can get the in-phase position back by using a push-pull to reverse the hot/ground the other way.

 

[Mayfly]

My vote goes for independent coil-split push/pull for each pickup on the volume controls and OOP on the tone push/pull: go the whole 9 yards!

Yes, that would definitely be cool! However, I've read a lot about how the wiring OOP option sounds different to actually turning the magnet around, though. I don't know how much of a consideration that would be.

 

[TroyBaer]

My vote goes for independent coil-split push/pull for each pickup on the volume controls and OOP on the tone push/pull: go the whole 9 yards!

I have an Epi LP wired up that way, and I'm probably going to have my tech wire my Bernie (which now has 4-conductor PUs in it) that way as well at some point.

 

[tolm]

Yes, that would definitely be cool! However, I've read a lot about how the wiring OOP option sounds different to actually turning the magnet around, though. I don't know how much of a consideration that would be.

I've just had my LP wired with those options (plus series/parallel on the other tone) and I really like it. I know a guy in another band who has his neck magnet flipped and - whilst I've not heard our guitars at the same time - my OOP setting sounds damned similar to his OOP gig tone to my ears. I believe there is, as you say, a slight difference but for the convenience of an on/off switch I'm happy. Worked for a certain James Page as well.