triple pick ups

[MickeyD714]

I saw a photo of Gitfiddler's H 157 #6 with 3 pick ups, in the photo gallery. It is a very beautiful guitar !

 

What are the advantages and / or disadvantages of having 3 pick-ups in a 157 or 150 ?

Is the middle pick-up a bridge- type or a neck- type pick up?

[Gitfiddler]

Hey MickeyD (I've always enjoyed your Big Mac!)~ The middle pickup gives just another slice of tone for the 157. It's placement is between harmonics, so it's kinda an out of phase quack, but with more girth than a Strat. There are a few of them around and hopefully others will chime in. When I bought it, the previous owner had it wired like Gibson triples. That said, I was not able to get the usual neck/bridge pickup tone. It was either neck, neck/middle or bridge. Too limited for my taste, since I use the neck/bridge tone for RnB funky riffs.

 

I had mine wired with a Master Tone push-pull pot and three dedicated Volume pots (one for each p'up). Also, I had the 3-way switch wired so that I got all of the 'regular' tones of a dual p'up git, plus the ability to activate all three at once. Cool stuff. My tech had a hell of a time with it, so he called Ren to get it all sorted out. Now it's a very unique tone monster of a guitar.

 

Something just a bit different, but not for everyone.

 

Here's a shot of the finished product...

 

 

[MickeyD714]

Very interesting and unique guitar. thanks for the info.

[SouthpawGuy]

 

 

Advantage number 1 ..... It looks waaaay cool !

That's all I got

 

 

[big bob]

I have a three pup 140 wired very similarly. It is wired so that each pup has its own volume pot and they then all share a master tone pot. Each pups volume pot is also a push/pull on/off. This allows any combo of pups to be chosen. I then used the three way toggle as a selector to split the bridge pup or to act as a master kill switch. The pups are rio grande with the middle pup being a humbucker sized p-90, the neck is a paf style, and the bridge a real hot screamer.

 

I also have a 170 with three mini hums that is wired the traditional Gibson style and a 150 custom three single coil that is wired as a standard 150 with the middle pot on a push pull for on/off.

 

I might in the future change the 170 to have a p-90 in the mid position as well. Only time will tell .

[big bob]

I tried to post pics but I'm at the beach and only have an I-pad. Sorry

[SouthpawGuy]

 

From the gallery .. the 170

[SouthpawGuy]

And the 150

 

 

[bobmeyrick]

Stewmac stock a 6-position toggle switch - the Free Way, which seems to be like having two 3-way switches in one. I've had a look at the wiring diagram, and it looks like one possibility is positions 1, 2, 3 give neck, neck+bridge and bridge, while 4, 5, 6 give neck+middle, all three, middle+bridge. No middle pickup by itself, though.

[mark555]

I don't know why,, but three full size humbuckers are two much for me, but single coild, P90's, mini humbuckers, no problem. If it make the guitar better for you, then that's the deal.

[Gitfiddler]

I don't know why,, but three full size humbuckers are two much for me, but single coild, P90's, mini humbuckers, no problem. If it make the guitar better for you, then that's the deal.

 

The middle humbucker does tend to get in the way. Mostly when I've NOT played that amazing guitar for a while. (My bad!).

However, one gets used to it soon enough. Funny how the middle position on Strats never are a problem. Likely due to their skinny shape. I'd like to try Big Bob's triple some day!

 

One question I failed to answer to the OP was the type of pickup in the middle. All three of my p'ups are HRW's. They tend to be wound a bit hot, so they work well in this application. The neck and middle are typical neck winds (based on my ear, not a meter), and the bridge is a bit hotter as usual for that position.

[yoslate]

 

From the gallery .. the 170

 

 

 

I'd like to try Big Bob's triple some day!

 

 

I've had the privilege and pleasure of spanking that one, Tim, a couple of PSP's ago (there's video, somewhere in the PSP threads) and, though not exactly my style, that plank has one Big Bag Fulla Tone!

[Houston535]

There is a 157 up around Dallas for sale with three pickups that supposedly came from Detroitblues. I did an experiment before I put down my cash and it seems like I always hit the middle pickup with the pick. All I could hear was " tick, tick, tick." Great guitar but it just wasn't for me.

[SouthpawGuy]

There is a 157 up around Dallas for sale with three pickups that supposedly came from Detroitblues. I did an experiment before I put down my cash and it seems like I always hit the middle pickup with the pick. All I could hear was " tick, tick, tick." Great guitar but it just wasn't for me.

 

Couldn't you just drop the middle pickup way down in the mounting ring ?

[Gitfiddler]

 

Couldn't you just drop the middle pickup way down in the mounting ring ?

 

That is what I did with mine. Then I adjusted the othre two p'ups to balance the tone.

3 pickup guitars are not for everyone. But they are very cool guitars.

[gnappi]

I think that 3 pups would be better suited to the studio where you can diddle with the sound to get it right where you want it.

 

I am not fond of the pick noise when the middle pup is selected, so I generally don't like them.

[FredZepp]

I bought a 3 pickup LP Custom in 1978 that has been my main guitar for most of my life, and I still have it today. I didn't experience any of the issues with the pickup being in the way.

 

When wired regular , it's a subtle difference using the middle pickup. Mine is wired with the middle out of phase and that produces some great unique tones.

[shook494]

 

From the gallery .. the 170

Oh My God!! That is awesome. First guitar to give me gas in a long time. 3 P-90's and a bigsby. Good stuff.

[big bob]

Oh My God!! That is awesome. First guitar to give me gas in a long time. 3 P-90's and a bigsby. Good stuff.

Not p-90, but could be. They are lollar mini humbuckers. I'm thinking of swapping out the middle position mini for a lollar p-90.