why i (personally) hate two hb setups

[dmoss74]

What sound are you looking for out of the middle position? A righteous set should have a killer Pagey/BB chirp in the middle.

that's the exact tone i'm looking for. i think the neck of this set dominates the middle tone. there isn't enough of that (tele quack) for lack of a better description. page's middle tones (in the early '70s) was a definite barometer. his neck pickup from that era was to die for as well, so it stands to reason that the middle would be fantastic. that neck pickup cleaned up very nicely, when dialed back. i already have the guitar wired '50s style, so i know what i'm after. not to say i'm necessarily trying to copy that guitar all the way through. but the middle setting was very nice.

with this set, each pickup on their own are very nice, but it's just the middle that has me scratching my head.

 

[TheX]

i'm at a loss. i have tried many pickups in a 2xhb setup, but have never been fully satisfied. one set may have a killer bridge, while the other two tonal options blow. one set may have a killer neck, with the same result as already mentioned. the worst combination is where the neck and bridge work great--on their own--but once you hit the middle selector, the sound makes you want to take up hammer dulcimer.

sorry, end of rant.

Why use sets? Pick each one separately.

 

[dmoss74]

this is a quick thing i just did with the hb lp, and the '56 gt (p 90s). first the 2 hbs clean, and a little dirt, then the same with the gold top. forget the $hit playing. you can see what i mean, there's no real quack in the middle of the humbuckers..

like i said, the bbs that were in it originally had a really nice middle setting (to me), but the individual pickups on their own sucked a$$.

oh well,

 

[Frankg11]

Do we really know if it the HB sound or he is looking for a single coil sound. I would tap those and split. See if that works. I have coil taps on both hbs. Love the versatility


Just a thought

 

[dmoss74]

Do we really know if it the HB sound or he is looking for a single coil sound. I would tap those and split. See if that works. I have coil taps on both hbs. Love the versatility


Just a thought

it's definitely a humbucker dual sound. i said l liked the bb's dual sound. i have played (and owned) other 2xhb combos where i liked the sound. i'm just not gelling with this particular set, in that setting.

i have two teles. i don't need the lp to sound like one, other than the characteristic similarity they share, when both pickups are engaged. splitting the coils is not what i'm looking for. i want a chirpier sound out of the hbs, as hbs, and i know it's completely possible without having to split coils.

 

[dmoss74]

here's an old recording i found that i did with my old yamaha sg2000. the middle setting of that guitar was ideal (for me). i should have kept it. the neck pickup (which is the left side rhythm track here) was also very nice.

and you can fast forward this until about 5:07 where you'll hear the tone i'm talking about, as the lp follows bass line in single notes.

 

[zoork_1]

[...]...[...]. Most humbuckers I played were just too muddy on the low strings until I discovered mini humbuckers, firebirds and P90s for the neck position. [...]...[...].

+1

Though, I believe the unorthodox appearance make people hesitate...

 

[jimmyjames]

If they listen with their eyes, that's their biggest problem

 

[zoork_1]

If they listen with their eyes, that's their biggest problem

I hear you...

 

[duaneflowers]

If they listen with their eyes, that's their biggest problem

I see what you mean...

 

[jamman]

i'm at a loss. i have tried many pickups in a 2xhb setup, but have never been fully satisfied. one set may have a killer bridge, while the other two tonal options blow. one set may have a killer neck, with the same result as already mentioned. the worst combination is where the neck and bridge work great--on their own--but once you hit the middle selector, the sound makes you want to take up hammer dulcimer.

sorry, end of rant.

How about using the 2 pups you like in each position you like them in ,,,and then forget about the middle position ???

'Cause

2 out of 3 ,,, ain't bad

(Yeah I know that's lame , but I couldn't resist )

 

[ReWind James]

You don't have to have "matching" or "paired" pickups in a guitar, you know. You could certainly take a neck you like and a completely different bridge pickup you like and make them work together. They don't even have to both be humbuckers.

Doing that might solve your middle position problem, as a coincidence. As it turns out, the greater the differences in the two pickups are in a 2HB setup, the more complex and interesting the middle position is. Sometimes you get additive harmonics, sometimes you get cancellations, it just depends on the combination. You can flip the magnet in either pickup to change the voicing in the middle position without changing the standalone sound of the same pickup. Mixing very different pickups will definitely give you some new middle position sounds, though.

 

[Michel347]

Right no need to have them paired, on one of mine I have a 59 (A5) bridge and Alnico II Pro neck and get good results in all positions.

 

[ReWind James]

It's too bad Jimmy Page had a T-Top put in the bridge position of his #1 LP in 1972. That guitar just never sounded good after that. Especially the middle position.

 

[zoork_1]

It's too bad Jimmy Page had a T-Top put in the bridge position of his #1 LP in 1972. That guitar just never sounded good after that. Especially the middle position.

Right you are, it's so true...

I'm probably gonna get bashed for this, but seriously - to my ears early T-tops have a lot in common with late PAF's/early Patent No's...

 

[Stevie 202]

Right no need to have them paired, on one of mine I have a 59 (A5) bridge and Alnico II Pro neck and get good results in all positions.

I'm the opposite

Golden Age Parson Streets;

I use an Alnico 2 in the bridge
and an Alnico 5 in the neck

But I play mostly blues and vintage rock.
YMMV