Joe Bonamassa pickups modification

[Butcher123]

Hi guys, id like to take these pickups Joe Bonamassa Set - Seymour Duncan Custom Shop
and modify them to 4wire to be able to split the coils
is it good or bad to make such mod? will i lose something by making them 4wire?

 

[DPaulCustom]

You won't loose anything "soundwise", but it could definitely hurt the resale value.
Another thing to consider, these are accurate PAF replicas, splitting them will only give you about 4k output, which I would think to be really thin.
Plus there's always the risk of damaging them.
I'd recommend a different set that already has 4 con before tinkering with a $375 set of pups, but they belong to you, so...

 

[freefrog]

Braided shielded wire is 4 times more capacitive than a good 4 conductors cable but knowing the lenght involved, it shouldn't change the perceived tone.

Now, as mentioned by DrPaul, such a mod is always risky. I've more than once unwrapped and unwound a coil to resolder a broken solder joint but success is never guaranted in such cases...

 

[DrakeZero]

Contact Seymour Duncan custom shop. They might be able to do the mod for you.

 

[freddarl82]

OP did nt mention if he actually owns a set of the pickups. If not, then definitely contact the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop to see if they will make a set with 4-wire leads. Then you'd have documentation and likely not loose resale value.

 

[bluefrog]

no dont do this, the pup is not meant to be splitted
split humbuckers must have enough power in the activ half ....
they hardly work good and a vintage jb bucker sure never ever !

this is wrong most cases
0.5 humbucker = 1 good sincle coil


no sir