Single coil or Humbucker ?

[Robert Ripperden]

I'm buying a new Mullen G2 SD-10 I'm not sure which pickup to get, what do you think ?

[Roger Rettig]

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.

[Ron Pruter]

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

[Dave Campbell]

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.

[Ian Rae]

Yes, I was surprised by Roger's remark. Hum should be less likely in a studio than out there in the scary world of discharge lamps and dodgy generators.

[Dennis Montgomery]

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

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 worlds

[Roger Rettig]

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.

[Ian Rae]

Ah yes - TV studios would have been crawling with spiky mains back then!

[Roger Rettig]

And TV studios were notorious for actual sound quality being low on their priorities.

[Norbert Dengler]

i use a Truetone Single Coil 16 k and never had any problems wit hum
propably our electricity is better over here
the telecaster besides me hums a lot

[Roger Rettig]

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!

[Robert Ripperden]

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

can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?
thanks.

[Roger Crawford]

I have Mullen single coils in both of my G2s. I had 705s in a previous G2, but swapped them out for single coils. Get with Mike at Mullen and he can tell you what to expect from each pickup.

[Richard Sinkler]

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

can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?
thanks.

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).

[Jack Hanson]

Get one Mullen with a single coil, and another with a humbucker. Put a smile on Del's & Mike's faces.
Problem solved!

[J R Rose]

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

[John Hyland]

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

can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?
thanks.

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).

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]

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

can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?
thanks.

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).

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?

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]

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

can you give me instructions or a diagram to wire the humbucker in Series/parallel?
thanks.

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).

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?

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.

Thanks Richard. Very informative. But wouldn’t what i suggested do the same thing?

[Justin Shaw]

I'm a simple dude I guess. I prefer humbuckers for both the tone and the lack of hum. It can be hard to get some of those classic tones with them though.