Neck humbucker opinions

[Fender-guy]

I have a CS nocaster modded with a Gibson type humbucker. It’s a stock 2005 nocaster with the stock bridge pickup and 250k pots/wiring.

I find the humbucker has way too much bottom end. I want something with a lower output just to match the bridge. 7.2 on the neck and 6.8 on the bridge as is now. They seem well balanced currently just the neck pickup has so much bottom end.

What about a SD 59, Gibson 57 classic, others in the lower output humbucker realm that may have what I’m after?

 

[darkwaters]

Have you tried lowering the pickup on the bass side?

 

[Robert H.]

It’s the 250K pot.

 

[Fender-guy]

Have you tried lowering the pickup on the bass side?

I’m fooling with the height now actually. It’s already fairly low but it’s worth trying at least.

It’s the 250K pot.

So maybe add a 500k pot for both or just the tone pot? I’ve got lots of experience with soldering/wiring but everything was always fender single coil guitars. Humbuckers are a whole different world to me.

 

[northernguitar]

I’m fooling with the height now actually. It’s already fairly low but it’s worth trying at least.



So maybe add a 500k pot for both or just the tone pot? I’ve got lots of experience with soldering/wiring but everything was always fender single coil guitars. Humbuckers are a whole different

I have a CS nocaster modded with a Gibson type humbucker. It’s a stock 2005 nocaster with the stock bridge pickup and 250k pots/wiring.

I find the humbucker has way too much bottom end. I want something with a lower output just to match the bridge. 7.2 on the neck and 6.8 on the bridge as is now. They seem well balanced currently just the neck pickup has so much bottom end.

What about a SD 59, Gibson 57 classic, others in the lower output humbucker realm that may have what I’m after?

A T—Top clone is low output and nice and bright.

 

[northernguitar]

A T-Top clone is low-output and nice and bright.

 

[Fender-guy]

Does anyone know what this one is without digging into it deeper?

 

[Robert H.]

I’m fooling with the height now actually. It’s already fairly low but it’s worth trying at least.



So maybe add a 500k pot for both or just the tone pot? I’ve got lots of experience with soldering/wiring but everything was always fender single coil guitars. Humbuckers are a whole different world to me.

Both - If you really want to get rid of that low end mud.

 

[northernguitar]

Does anyone know what this one is without digging into it deeper? View attachment 943351 View attachment 943352

It looks like a 490R to me. I also base this on your reading of 7.2. That would also make sense that it's muddy sounding, which I also find.

Ooh...I just noticed your a hoser. I could not more highly recommend Vineham humbuckers. I have their hot T-Top in the bridge of a LP copy and it's my favourite humbucker. the '6070 Classic' is a bang on copy of the first Pat No. T-Tops. And his prices CANNOT be beat. CDN$85 for an uncovered humbucker. He ships from Botwood, Newfoundland.

Here's a link to his humbuckers.

Humbucker_pickups

 

[brookdalebill]

You might consider my favorite, a TV Jones Supertron, in an English mount.
The outer dimensions of the English mounting ring is the same as a standard humbucker.
They’re the clearest, fullest sounding neck pickup I have found, and they reside in both of my Teles.

 

[Resojazznblues]

Lindy Fralin pure paf is a nice choice for the neck.

 

[Vegetable Man]

+1 on T-tops (or something else with an Alnico V magnet), if the height adjustment/pot swap doesn't work out for you.

 

[Fender-guy]

I tried playing around with the height and it’s definitely better but once I turn my amp up past the 9 o’clock mark it gets muddy.

I’ll have to find out what the CS did with their NAMM nocaster with the humbucker. It says it’s got a SD 59 but I’m more interested in the pots/wiring.

 

[Wallaby]

You could try a 500k volume pot, and use a 500k resistor to ground from the hot lug on the switch where the bridge pickup connects ( so it will *see* a 250k pot ). A .022uf tone capacitor would be a good compromise for both pickups.

Fig. 3 and its explanation at this link show how to do it -

Mixing Humbuckers and Single Coil Pickups – 500k Ohm or 250k Ohm Pots?

There’s plenty of discussion on the web about the correct value pots to use for just single-coil pickups or humbuckers, but very little information about mixing humbuckers and single-coil pickups on one guitar. If you have a guitar that mixes humbuckers with single-coils, you might be wondering...

humbuckersoup.com

I think the humbucker will sound more open and less veiled than it does now. It won't reduce the bass but should be more balanced and clear sounding.

Here's my method to balance a neck humbucker - adjust it to an even height ( 2/32 with the strings fretted at the last fret is a place to start ) on both bass and treble, with the pole screws adjusted so their tops are level with the cover. Lower both sides by quarter turns until notes sound sweet and undistorted on both treble and bass sides, and then lower only the bass side by quarter turns until any boominess is eliminated when playing the bottom 3 strings at around the 9th or 10th fret

Then adjust each pole screw higher by a quarter turn and see if it clears up the mids a bit.

After that I sometimes adjust the A, D and sometimes G pole screws higher by another quarter turn, and maybe drop the B pole screw by a quarter turn.

 

[Wallaby]

Also you might like an A3 magnet in the humbucker.

 

[darkwaters]

It looks like a 490R to me. I also base this on your reading of 7.2. That would also make sense that it's muddy sounding, which I also find.

Ooh...I just noticed your a hoser. I could not more highly recommend Vineham humbuckers. I have their hot T-Top in the bridge of a LP copy and it's my favourite humbucker. the '6070 Classic' is a bang on copy of the first Pat No. T-Tops. And his prices CANNOT be beat. CDN$85 for an uncovered humbucker. He ships from Botwood, Newfoundland.

Here's a link to his humbuckers.

Humbucker_pickups

A Vineham Telepaf in the neck might be a possibility as well. I have one in my Tele. A bright, clear, low wind pickup with zero mud.

 

[eallen]

I use Bill Lawerence Wilde L90 2.0 or 2.8 henry for the neck with singles. They are low enough output to blend with singles with outstanding clarity & highest with the standard 250k pots. That said, they will still flat scream.

 

[Beebe]

I agree with going lower. Both pickups have pretty much the same output now.

I'd probably get something custom wound with Alnico 2 magnets and 42 gauge wire. I think Alnico 5 is better when you have lots of winds with smaller wire b/c it helps brighten it back up... But that's just me.

Revel has fair prices and J (that's all he signed his email with) did great work on a custom humbucker in a JM cover I installed for a friend... Wound to the specs I wanted with the wire type and magnet types I wanted. I have one of his Humdingers on the way.

Revel Humbucker Pickups - Revel Custom Pickups USA Made Guitar Pickups

Revel Humbucker Pickups

revelcustompickups.com

 

[Beebe]

It looks like an underwound Midnight Rider might be right up your alley:

Midnight Rider P.A.F. - Revel Custom Pickups

These are my desert island pickups vintage humbuckers, and primarily because of the middle position. The Midnight Rider features offset coils that are entirely handwound with 42 AWG plain enamel wire. While the large majority of humbuckers are machine wound, the very time consuming art of...

revelcustompickups.com

Edit: I bet these offset coils with a lower output would even sound good with those 250k pots.

 

[hopdybob]

I use Bill Lawerence Wilde L90 2.0 or 2.8 henry for the neck with singles. They are low enough output to blend with singles with outstanding clarity & highest with the standard 250k pots. That said, they will still flat scream.

i rather would suggest a L500 and use the parallel option to with a mini switch if you would go for the R version ;-)