Series/parallel wiring for humbuckers

[H]

Hi all,

 

my newly acquired (and previously loved!) H-170CM is currently at the luthier, having some 'through to the wood' dinks sorted out. While it's in there I'm also getting it coil-tapped with push/pull pots since the HRWs are four wire.

 

It seems a common mod done with coil-tapping is switching for series/parallel wiring of the pickups. I've read a little about this and I'm not completely sure about how the lower output of parallel-wired humbuckers sounds. A look on Youtube has not helped much. Does anyone have this on a Heritage (particularly an HRW-loaded Heritage) and what is your opinion of it?

[DeLorean]

Coil tapping and coil splitting are not the same thing. Tappable pickups are actually quite rare. To make a coil tappable, an extra output lead would be added around halfway through the winding process. The four conductors you refer to are the separate outputs from each coil, allowing them to be split (only one coil's output actually in use), or run in series/parallel modes. I know a lot of people misuse the terms as interchangeable (even some people who should know better), but they are not the same thing. OK, nitpicking over for now...

 

Personally, I prefer parallel coils to split coil operation. The output isn't as dramatically lower than series mode, and it remains hum canceling. The sound thins out somewhat, giving an approximation of single coil mode. I have most of my personal instruments wired this way.

[Trouble]

Over the years I have gotten to the simpler is better point and I no longer like a lot of s and whistles. That said, I do very much like the sound of a humbucker wired with its two coils out of phase with each other. Think Mark Knofler to the tenth power. Something else to think about.lol

[barrymclark]

Over the years I have gotten to the simpler is better point and I no longer like a lot of s and whistles.

With you 100%.

[GuitArtMan]

Over the years I have gotten to the simpler is better point and I no longer like a lot of s and whistles. That said, I do very much like the sound of a humbucker wired with its two coils out of phase with each other. Think Mark Knofler to the tenth power. Something else to think about.lol

???

Are you sure? Unless the coils we're terribly imbalnaced then I would think they would nearly totally cancel out producing an extremely week, thin, unusable tone, since they are sensing nearly the identical portion of the string. My experience with humbuckers wired out-of-phase (I'm talking the two whole pickups here so they aren't sensing the same section of the string) is that you have to blend the volumes so that you are only getting partial cancelation, or the tone just becomes too thin and week and nasaly to be useable. I can't immagine having the coils of individual pickup wired out-of-phase. I'd think you'd get nearly next to nothing out of it as the two coild would simply cancel each other.

[Trouble]

Hey I did'nt say i know why it works. Lol if your familiar with the out of phase sound of two pickups it is the same effect but much more noticeable. It does sound a little thin though I dont think I would try it with a stock or vintage output pup the one I had done was with a SD JB.

[barrymclark]

???

Are you sure? Unless the coils we're terribly imbalnaced then I would think they would nearly totally cancel out producing an extremely week, thin, unusable tone, since they are sensing nearly the identical portion of the string. My experience with humbuckers wired out-of-phase (I'm talking the two whole pickups here so they aren't sensing the same section of the string) is that you have to blend the volumes so that you are only getting partial cancelation, or the tone just becomes too thin and week and nasaly to be useable. I can't immagine having the coils of individual pickup wired out-of-phase. I'd think you'd get nearly next to nothing out of it as the two coild would simply cancel each other.

I have never done this, but this result is what I would expect: a very weak and diminished signal. May have some cool effect but I am guessing your average player wouldn't be into it.

[Trouble]

To give a little scale the guitar had the single,single, hum configuration with two Texas specials and a JB and when the bucker was out of phase it had less volume or output than the single coils but still it was a cool effect. Not practical though.

[Trouble]

The selector switch on the guitar Im talking about went out and the guy at the shop wired it up this way by mistake. I liked it so I left it that way but I would only use the position at home. Like I said probably not practical.

[cod65]

I'm wondering if 'vari-phase' is a variable out-of phase option. that sounds intersting, if possible.

[barrymclark]

According to Ed Roman, it is another way to rip off the public! haha.

[barrymclark]

I'm wondering if 'vari-phase' is a variable out-of phase option. that sounds intersting, if possible.

 

Yeah, it is variable phase.

 

The knob all the way up is in phase and all the way down is out.

[peacemaker]

Over the years I have gotten to the simpler is better point and I no longer like a lot of s and whistles.

 

Starting to pare down my electric rig because I'm leaning more and more this way myself . . .