True single coil tone in neck pickup.

[Brownie]

Does anyone make something that's similar to a Fender single coil? Or am I limited to humbucker sized P90s?

Any other options?

The most "Fender-ish" sounding pup in a humbucker size that I've ever heard is the Harmonic Design Z90. That pup in the neck sounds like a big fat strat pup...much more so than say the Phat Cats or a P-94, both of which I have used and like. I have a set of HD Z90s in a Hamer Artist and they are very cool pups...not better or worse than anything else, but certainly different.

 

[PremiumPlus]

+ 1 for the P-94

 

[alanfc]

If you have a 4 wire humbucker, just wire up one of the coils. Thats not just a single coil sound, it IS a single coil pup..........

Can I ask you,,,, will the proper wire be one of these wires that are soldered and taped? My Fralin UnBucker in the neck has the black to hot, and two wires taped off just like Duncans. How do I know which is the slug and which is the screw coil? (thats trial and error thats OK)
My main concern is what would I do with the wire that used to be the hot when the pickup was wired in full ?
thanks alot.

 

[Hammerhead]

TV Jones Magnatron. Best pickup I've ever heard (albeit in my Gretsch rather than my LP).

 

[cuthbert]

I'm looking at options for getting a true single coil tone out of my neck pickup.

I've tried a few different PAF style pickups and I've come to the conclusion that I'm simply not a fan of neck humbuckers, thus I'm looking at options for neck single coils.

Does anyone make something that's similar to a Fender single coil? Or am I limited to humbucker sized P90s?

Any other options?

The solution to your problem is simple:

wire the pickup as "split", aka with just one coil working.

 

[korus]

Can I ask you,,,, will the proper wire be one of these wires that are soldered and taped? My Fralin UnBucker in the neck has the black to hot, and two wires taped off just like Duncans. How do I know which is the slug and which is the screw coil? (thats trial and error thats OK)
My main concern is what would I do with the wire that used to be the hot when the pickup was wired in full ?
thanks alot.

I think this is what you need :
http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/haze...n=SERVE&sku=I-FRALIN&item=freeinfo/print.html

and I've found it here :
http://www.fralinpickups.com/wiring.asp
last link on this page.

HTH?

 

[JohnH]

I rewired my '57 classics for 4 conductor, and I use the single coil sound on the neck much more than the humbucker. Ive also got the bridge pup wired in series with one coil optionally bypassed by a 47nF cap. Its a better bridge SC sound. I have these options wired using the tone controls, which change from humbucker to single coil as you go from 9 t0 10, so no new switches needed.

John

 

[cuthbert]

I rewired my '57 classics for 4 conductor, and I use the single coil sound on the neck much more than the humbucker. Ive also got the bridge pup wired in series with one coil optionally bypassed by a 47nF cap. Its a better bridge SC sound. I have these options wired using the tone controls, which change from humbucker to single coil as you go from 9 t0 10, so no new switches needed.

John

Just as curiosity, how did you manage to rewire a '57 with 4 cables?Did you use a aftermarket '57 or you modified a single cabled '57?

 

[frank thomson]

You might want to consider an adapter that mounts an actual single-coil pickup in a humbucker space. You can get them from http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/covers_adapters.htm

funky!:applaude




AND....
am i reading the thread right?
p-90's, HB's, and mini's CAN sound like a Fender single coil?

...not on any planet i've visited. :ganz

 

[Jurius]

The most "Fender-ish" sounding pup in a humbucker size that I've ever heard is the Harmonic Design Z90. That pup in the neck sounds like a big fat strat pup...much more so than say the Phat Cats or a P-94, both of which I have used and like. I have a set of HD Z90s in a Hamer Artist and they are very cool pups...not better or worse than anything else, but certainly different.

+1

I have Harmonic Designs in my Strat and used to have the humbuckers in my 335 (I sold the guitar).

The Z90 will fit into a HB route.

 

[alanfc]

I think this is what you need :
http://www.stewmac.com/cgi-bin/haze...n=SERVE&sku=I-FRALIN&item=freeinfo/print.html

and I've found it here :
http://www.fralinpickups.com/wiring.asp
last link on this page.

HTH?

EXCELLENT thanks

 

[P.Walker]

you know, on the SD faq, seymour suggests that you can just remove the polepieces to make it work like a single coil...

 

[alanfc]

you know, on the SD faq, seymour suggests that you can just remove the polepieces to make it work like a single coil...

Yes yes I'm probably on a thread or two in their forum on that too and have been suggested that ! I'm always doubting my tech abilities so I end up asking the same thing in different ways in different boards

 

[hipfan]

TV Jones Magnatron. Best pickup I've ever heard (albeit in my Gretsch rather than my LP).

Big + 1! I have the bridge model in a LP copy, and it makes a stunning sound. I bet the neck model would be just what the OP is looking for.

 

[GlassSnuff]

If by "single coil" sound you mean "Fender" sound, the best I've heard is a G&L Big MFD. It has to be angled to fit in the rout, but that's okay as it makes the pole pieces line up with the strings. Mounting it permanently so it looks good... not so easy.

Runner up would be one coil of a Bill Lawrence L-500, believe it or not.