Trying a Lil 59' HB in my esquire.. but what to do with this switch now?

[thenarwhal]

I was thinking of installing this humbucker in my bridge. I'd like to use a modified version of the Series/Split/Parallel switch:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...tic=esquire_hb

I think that splitting is unnecessary because in parallel, the humbucker will act almost like a single coil but without the hum. I've always had really similar sounds between these two and favored the parallel configuration due to this fact. Please feel free to comment on your experiences with this, I'm curious!

So! I've got this extra switch position to work with, but can't come up with a way to set up the wires so that I can incorporate it. Any ideas from you seasoned vets?

One thought I came up with was to have Series/Parallel/Parallel with tone out of the circuit (to save the twang factor), but I can't seem to make the tele 3-way pull this off... been messing around with different configurations.

[robt57]

Wire the pup series coils [normal HB], parallel coils [loud and proud], and one coil shunted.

[thenarwhal]

Originally Posted by robt57

Wire the pup series coils [normal HB], parallel coils [loud and proud], and one coil shunted.

So you find a significant difference between parallel coils and splitting?
Is it mostly a volume boost?

I guess I'd like to maintain the hum-cancellation, which is why I'm looking for something else besides just cutting out a coil.

[tjk3052]

I did a parallel/series switch with a mini toggle when I had a lil'59. I can't compare it to being split, but it was a nice mod.

[newtwanger]

Both the split (simply dropped the volume to a thin crappy sound) and parallel (different in a useless way) were of no interest to me.

Best solution I found... no switch.

[robt57]

My lil 59er gets used as 'series both coils' as a HB least. 1/2 and 1/2 between one coil, and both parallel. I simply do not like the tight mid rangy bark using it as a HB gives a Tele personally. To each his/her own... ;)

[thenarwhal]

Originally Posted by newtwanger

Both the split (simply dropped the volume to a thin crappy sound) and parallel (different in a useless way) were of no interest to me.

Best solution I found... no switch.

I plan on making a no switch esquire someday, that looks great! Already got my heart set on messing with this one though.

Maybe the tone bypass mod may be best used on a split setting in a series/parallel/split switch, which would give it a bit more boost next to the parallel setting to avoid that 'thin crappy sound' ? I'm going to have to test this out and report back my results.

How could one make the a parallel wired humbucker emulate the standard sound of a tele single coil, minus the hum? Cut the signal strength a bit?

[jkingma]

Originally Posted by thenarwhal

How could one make the a parallel wired humbucker emulate the standard sound of a tele single coil, minus the hum? Cut the signal strength a bit?

You'll never get a humbucker to sound like a tele pickup... not by cutting the coil, not by cutting the signal, not by nothing...

[robt57]

Originally Posted by thenarwhal

How could one make the a parallel wired humbucker emulate the standard sound of a tele single coil, minus the hum? Cut the signal strength a bit?

A dial shunt pot, although you'd loose varying degrees of humbucking as you spin it down..

[tweedtone]

Originally Posted by jkingma

You'll never get a humbucker to sound like a tele pickup... not by cutting the coil, not by cutting the signal, not by nothing...

I've got three Teles with Bardens that say otherwise.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by tweedtone

I've got three Teles with Bardens that say otherwise.

Yea, I agree with some PUPs you can pull it off, just not bakersfield twang maybe....

[Deaf Eddie]

I think the series/parallel/shunt is the way to go, BUT that mod benefits GREATLY from the "unbalanced coils" adjustment. I've done this on my Strat with a JB Jr and Lil' 59ers, and was quite pleased with the results. Here's how:

Tap the pup when it's in coil-shunt to find out which coil is HOT, and RAISE the polepieces for that coil 'way up, so that their tops are maybe an eighth of an inch or so out of the top of the coil. Next, screw the pole pieces for the other coil IN, so that they are below the top of the coil.

With the coils' "unbalanced" output from this adjustment, you should get more color out of the humbucker tone, and less of a loss of gain out of the other two throws.

IF you have wired the pickup so that the coil closest to the bridge is shunted, leaving the one closer to the neck active, it's even better. There's more kinetic energy farther AWAY from the bridge, making that coil even more dominant.

[newtwanger]

Originally Posted by Deaf Eddie

I think the series/parallel/shunt is the way to go, BUT that mod benefits GREATLY from the "unbalanced coils" adjustment. I've done this on my Strat with a JB Jr and Lil' 59ers, and was quite pleased with the results. Here's how:

Tap the pup when it's in coil-shunt to find out which coil is HOT, and RAISE the polepieces for that coil 'way up, so that their tops are maybe an eighth of an inch or so out of the top of the coil. Next, screw the pole pieces for the other coil IN, so that they are below the top of the coil.

With the coils' "unbalanced" output from this adjustment, you should get more color out of the humbucker tone, and less of a loss of gain out of the other two throws.

IF you have wired the pickup so that the coil closest to the bridge is shunted, leaving the one closer to the neck active, it's even better. There's more kinetic energy farther AWAY from the bridge, making that coil even more dominant.

As usual, Mr. Deaf Eddie makes sense. Now I have to try this next weekend.

[thenarwhal]

Thanks Deaf Eddie, I'll definitely give that a try and see what kind of output I pull from the coil.

Yeah, I should not even bother with trying to get my humbucker to sound like a single coil, at least not this one... I'll just shunt it and see if I can use that tone.

@robt57 - A dial shunt pot, now that's a mod I'd like to try out sometime. Two volume knobs per hb might give some neat variations in tone.

[robt57]

I did a dial a shunt on a 4 wire min HB, and the subtleties it allowed where interesting. Nice to change the character of the output. With the mini HB it gave some sparkle and less compression, I liked it...

[Middleman]

Originally Posted by jkingma

You'll never get a humbucker to sound like a tele pickup... not by cutting the coil, not by cutting the signal, not by nothing...

I had a humbucker designed for me which is actually 2 standard bridge tele coils side by side. If I shut off one of the coils, it sounds exactly like a tele.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by Middleman

I had a humbucker designed for me which is actually 2 standard bridge tele coils side by side. If I shut off one of the coils, it sounds exactly like a tele.

That is a lot of magnets/poles/pull, my esquire is getting a sphincter lock at the idea of it...