Single coil or Humbucker ?
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
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Single coil or Humbucker ?
I'm buying a new Mullen G2 SD-10 I'm not sure which pickup to get, what do you think ?
- Roger Rettig
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I've always felt that single-coils have the better tone but that humbuckers, despite their somewhat lackluster tone, are essential if studio work is on your schedule.
Back in England, I did lots of sessions but, given the dearth of steel players in London, producers and engineers were glad to get a steel player, with or without hum.
Here in the US, my work has been exclusively theatres; I've been able to stick with single-coils, I'm pleased to say.
Back in England, I did lots of sessions but, given the dearth of steel players in London, producers and engineers were glad to get a steel player, with or without hum.
Here in the US, my work has been exclusively theatres; I've been able to stick with single-coils, I'm pleased to say.
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10
(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
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(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
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I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, and a Coral Sitar, USA Nashville 112.
- Dave Campbell
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i really like the telonics offerings for humbuckers. they sound very much like the single coils in the guitars i've had them in.
on the other hand, i did a tour with a single neck that had a single coil in it. i was worried about running into bad stages so i brought along an ehx hum debugger. i only used it once and there were some pretty wild festival stages.
i also think that if the studio has a hum from your single coil then they have problem that will extend to other instruments as well.
on the other hand, i did a tour with a single neck that had a single coil in it. i was worried about running into bad stages so i brought along an ehx hum debugger. i only used it once and there were some pretty wild festival stages.
i also think that if the studio has a hum from your single coil then they have problem that will extend to other instruments as well.
- Dennis Montgomery
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Exactly. That's what I did when I put a BL712 in my Mullen G2 SD12 and wired a coil split switch. Best of both worldsRon Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
Hear my latest album, "Celestial" featuring a combination of Mullen SD12 and Synthesizers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh6b_x ... Ww493qAouK
Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 7lPEtsplyW
Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... NrvnJObliA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh6b_x ... Ww493qAouK
Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 7lPEtsplyW
Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... NrvnJObliA
- Roger Rettig
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It's getting on for thirty years ago from when I was frequently in either TV or recording studios. I can attest to the fact that hum was sometimes a factor and they might plug me in elsewhere in an effort to minimize it.
If they had such a device back then, I was unaware of it.
If they had such a device back then, I was unaware of it.
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10
(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
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(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
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- Roger Rettig
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- Norbert Dengler
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- Roger Rettig
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Hi, Narberth!
Teles are notorious for hums and buzzes.
My Zum Encore had a Truetone: it was a great sounding pickup and I should have kept the guitar!
Teles are notorious for hums and buzzes.
My Zum Encore had a Truetone: it was a great sounding pickup and I should have kept the guitar!
Roger Rettig - Emmons D10
(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
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(8+9: 'Day' pedals) Williams SD-12 (D13th: 8+6), Quilter TT-12, B-bender Teles and several old Martins.
----------------------------------
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can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?Ron Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
thanks.
- Roger Crawford
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- Richard Sinkler
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My experience with single/humbucker coil tap is with the Lawrence XR16, similar to a 710. The pickup needs to be a 3 or 4 wire pickup. Mine were 3 wires, black, white, and red. Black and white are the typical wires used on a 2 wire pickup. The red wire performs the split coil magic. Wire a single pole, single throw switch, the red wire to one side of the switch, a wire from the other side of the switch to a ground that goes to the guitar's output jack. Switching the switch chooses between both coils (humbucker) or one coil (single coil).Robert Ripperden wrote:can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?Ron Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
thanks.
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
- Jack Hanson
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I have all ways been a single coil guy. The Sho-Bud was my favorite. Yes in some cases the hum from lights was their. But in the last years I found the TruTone single coil and love them. Very little hum have I ever had with it. For me they are a very level sounding pickup with all the power you need. J.R. Rose
Black Performance SD-10, 2002. Peavey LTD 400 with 15" Eminence EPS 15-C, Sho-Bud Seat, Goodrich L-120 Pedal, Sho-Bud Bar, Picks, Cords. Nothing else.
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Richard so to be clear the red goes to the switch, the black to the other side of the switch and onto the ground and the active white just goes straight to the output Jack?Richard Sinkler wrote:My experience with single/humbucker coil tap is with the Lawrence XR16, similar to a 710. The pickup needs to be a 3 or 4 wire pickup. Mine were 3 wires, black, white, and red. Black and white are the typical wires used on a 2 wire pickup. The red wire performs the split coil magic. Wire a single pole, single throw switch, the red wire to one side of the switch, a wire from the other side of the switch to a ground that goes to the guitar's output jack. Switching the switch chooses between both coils (humbucker) or one coil (single coil).Robert Ripperden wrote:can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?Ron Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
thanks.
- Richard Sinkler
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Nope. The white (hot) and black (ground) wire up the same as a 2 wire pickup. On my D10, they go to a terminal strip that handles both necks and the neck selector switch. The red wire goes to the new coil tap switch. You need to put a new wire from the other side of the switch to ground, either on the jack or ground on the terminal strip (on a D10). I have an XR-16 on my E9 neck and a regular 710 on my C6. On my D10, I hooked wire from the switch to the ground terminal on the terminal strip. On a single neck, the pickup may be hooked direct to the jack. In that case, the black wire from the pickup and the new wire from the switch would both go to the ground lug on the jack.John Hyland wrote:Richard so to be clear the red goes to the switch, the black to the other side of the switch and onto the ground and the active white just goes straight to the output Jack?Richard Sinkler wrote:My experience with single/humbucker coil tap is with the Lawrence XR16, similar to a 710. The pickup needs to be a 3 or 4 wire pickup. Mine were 3 wires, black, white, and red. Black and white are the typical wires used on a 2 wire pickup. The red wire performs the split coil magic. Wire a single pole, single throw switch, the red wire to one side of the switch, a wire from the other side of the switch to a ground that goes to the guitar's output jack. Switching the switch chooses between both coils (humbucker) or one coil (single coil).Robert Ripperden wrote:can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?Ron Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
thanks.
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, NV400, NV112 . Playing for 53 years and still counting.
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Thanks Richard. Very informative. But wouldn’t what i suggested do the same thing?Richard Sinkler wrote:Nope. The white (hot) and black (ground) wire up the same as a 2 wire pickup. On my D10, they go to a terminal strip that handles both necks and the neck selector switch. The red wire goes to the new coil tap switch. You need to put a new wire from the other side of the switch to ground, either on the jack or ground on the terminal strip (on a D10). I have an XR-16 on my E9 neck and a regular 710 on my C6. On my D10, I hooked wire from the switch to the ground terminal on the terminal strip. On a single neck, the pickup may be hooked direct to the jack. In that case, the black wire from the pickup and the new wire from the switch would both go to the ground lug on the jack.John Hyland wrote:Richard so to be clear the red goes to the switch, the black to the other side of the switch and onto the ground and the active white just goes straight to the output Jack?Richard Sinkler wrote:My experience with single/humbucker coil tap is with the Lawrence XR16, similar to a 710. The pickup needs to be a 3 or 4 wire pickup. Mine were 3 wires, black, white, and red. Black and white are the typical wires used on a 2 wire pickup. The red wire performs the split coil magic. Wire a single pole, single throw switch, the red wire to one side of the switch, a wire from the other side of the switch to a ground that goes to the guitar's output jack. Switching the switch chooses between both coils (humbucker) or one coil (single coil).Robert Ripperden wrote:can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?Ron Pruter wrote:I'd recommend a splittable humbucker that could give you both single coil( lower output, bright sound with a little hum). And double coil( louder, fatter sound, no hum)Wiring in series/parallel will give you the two sounds with no hum in either position. RP
thanks.
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