H/S/H Pickup Combo

[25%moreCOWBELL]

After watching Steve Via make gay faces on G3 with his JEM guitar I have to ask this of those that know........... what the hell is the upside to having a single coil between your neck and bridge humbucker. I've been told repeatedly that the middle pick up is a gimmick that just gets in the way and if you really want to add single coil sounds get a humbucker that can be split. What do you guys think about this? Is it damn good and everyone should try it or only useful for sitting in your basement making gay Steve Via faces while you play.

[Coyote]

Great for those clean sounds, for one...

I don't know 'bout those Vai-faces, though.

[Don Corleone]

As Coyote said good for clean sounds, they add a bit of warmth to the bridge pick up. Other than that I never really use them.

[Mr Grimsdale]

the biggest advantage/disadvantage (depending on how you look at it) is the vast volume difference you get between the single coil and humbuckers

[Coyote]

Originally posted by Mr Grimsdale
the biggest advantage/disadvantage (depending on how you look at it) is the vast volume difference you get between the single coil and humbuckers

Albeit one can neutralize the difference by messing about with the pickup height. (Even though 'tis a chore in its own league...)

[indeedido]

Different sound. Gives you another option for tone. It sounds best clean. Gives the guitar almost an acoustic sound. Pickups sound different depending on where they are located. the single coil in the center will sound a lot different than in the neck or even bridge.

[Don Corleone]

Originally posted by indeedido
Gives the guitar almost an acoustic sound.

I find that works best with the toggle between the bridge and middle pick ups.

[Mr Grimsdale]

yep!

[Matt White]

All a matter of taste....or lack thereof......

[sagebrush]

Im sorry i think its a bunch of crap to put a single in a great guitar . less sound , less bite . If you have a old les paul with the p 90s its cool or a old strat its kool but the h/s/h is not a good set up to me . I have a kelly 5 and its h/s/h and the 1st thing is rip out the 5 way put a 3 way and cut the power to the single . If you play a lot of blues it cool to have one in the neck but a good hum like a tone zone will make you switch to a hum fast .

[jhale667]

Originally posted by sagebrush
Im sorry i think its a bunch of crap to put a single in a great guitar . less sound , less bite .

Gotta disagree. Thinking like that limits your possibilities. I use positions 2 and 4 a lot on my Strats particularly for clean sounds, but were I to do a H/S/H combo I'd probably rig the humbuckers to do coil splitting. The output problems mentioned earlier can be solved by paying attention to the output levels of the pickups used..more closely matched sets are going to provide better results.

PS: Don't know what to tell ya 'bout those Vai faces, either.

[sagebrush]

I get having s/s/s on a strat but h/s/h on say a jem or kelly or something like that just don't make the guitar any better for me . When i want a clean sound i faze my hums but i have never used the single on a h/s/h because its just not right for my sound .

[Nitro Express]

You would never get that great Stevie Ray Vaughn or Dick Dale tone with humbuckers.

Good single coils are magic and part of the fun is to hear the hum, pops, and farts. Shit, that was part of a Hendrix show.

Pink Floyd without that wonderful David Gilmour Strat tone? I don't think so.

Each to their own but I have to have a good Strat. I just have to and it's got the old style pickups that hum.

[Mr Grimsdale]

my seymour duncan 55 strat pickup is a great contrast to the dimarzio humbuckers that surround it