single coil sized HB's

[67polara]

I have 2 Seymour Duncan single coil size Hum bucker's they are different and I am trying to figure out the best placement.  The man at the music store told me one way but I think it would be better another way.  I have a little 59 and a Jeff Beck Jr..  The little 59 is a neck P/U and the Jeff beck I believe is a bridge I think this because there is a b after the model (SJBJ1B).  Now the guy at the music store told me to put them in backwards from what they are marked, Does that make sense to you?  He said it would sound better.  Huh??  I would think if you are in the business of building P/U's you would kinda know what sounds better where.

What do you think and have you had any experience with these P/U's.

Tony

[jjasilli]

I'm not getting which specific PU models you have.  Generally, the higher output PU is put at the bridge.  This gives balance in volume:  the strings vibrate more near the neck, and thus generate a stronger electric signal than near the bridge.  So the bridge PU is higher output to compensate. 
Usually, the PU winding with the higher Ohms rating is higher output.  Use a DMM to measure the resistance of ea PU.  Try the one with the higher rating at the bridge position.

Another factor is pole spacing.  A bridge PU may have wider pole spacing to compenstae for the spread of the strings.  But this is not critical for operation. 

[G._Hoffman]

The JB jr. and Little `59, right?


MOST people would put the JB jr. in the bridge position, and the Little '59 in the neck position.  The JB is a MUCH hotter pickup, and a bit warmer (but also, much more "scooped," because of the higher output), which is usually a good thing for the bridge position.  The reasoning behind this, for most people, is that the neck position pickup - all else being equal - will be hotter because the strings move in a wider pattern and have a wider range of frequencies present (the bridge restricts the movement of the strings), and it is therefore not a bad idea to use a hotter pickup in the bridge position to help balance the output.  It is helpful in practice too, not just in theory.  The other part of it is; the JB jr. with its lower peak frequency, will tame any shrillness from the bridge position, and drive the amp a bit more.  Since most people think of the bridge pickup as the "solo position," these are positive things.

So, if I were building a guitar and those were the only pickups I had available to use, I would put the JB jr. in the bridge position, and the Little `59 in the neck position, because it will help to balance the two, though you will still need to adjust the pickup height to get that ideal.  Though in truth, I'd never use either of them unless a customer asked me to.  I do not like single coil pickups that are trying to be humbuckers.  To me, they fail to get the best parts or either design (other than the hum canceling part, of course!), and they are both much higher output pickups than I like.  But that last bit is strictly MY opinion, and should not be taken as saying they are bad pickups.  I'm just not their target audience.  You may be.


Gabriel

[bluesbear]

BUT.... when he said "put them in backwards", are you sure he meant 1) switch the pickups, or 2) literally turn the pickups around? I've never heard of that with the mini-humbuckers and I don't see what good it would do but if he's only half informed, he may have heard that about actual Strat pickups and think it means ALL pickups in a Strat. I used to do that with Strat singles with staggered pole pieces. It throws the strings out of balance, like someone left-handed playing a right handed guitar upside down. Sound like anyone you recognise? It was way too subtle to actually be useful so I quit. However, I can't imagine what good it would do with either of those pickups. I've used them both and they're great.
You're right! The people at Seymour Duncan know far more about it than the guy at your local shop. Just put them in where they were made to go and forget voodoo.
Dave

[67polara]

Thanks all for your input.  This all came about because the store didn't have the little 59 bridge position in stock so he is trying to sell me the Jeff Beck one instead, but he said to put the little 59 in the bridge position even though it is a neck position P/U and put the Jeff Beck in the neck even though it is a bridge P/U.  Not so sure I could trust his expertise so I came here for the good advise.  I had planned on putting them in as they are marked I just wanted to know if there might be a reason to reverse them.  I also already had the little 59 in the neck position and love it there, he screwed up and ordered the wrong bridge pick up and that is how we ended up here.  Think I will just make him get the right pick up and move on, unless someone thinks this is a good combo. 

I needed to get hum buckers because of the beer signs where we play the hum is out of this world.  With the little 59 in the neck no more problems.  I had to go with the single coil size p/u so I would not have to damage my guitar, it's 45 years old and you can't get pick guards for these.  The p/u fit perfect with no holes added and sound good.  It really fattened up the sound and sustain is doubled.

Tony

[G._Hoffman]

The JB jr is a fine pickup, and you may as well try it.  The full sized JB is the hands down most popular aftermarket pickup on the market.  By a LOT.  Certainly, I sell them probably 4 or 5 to one over anything but the Seymour Duncan Jazz, and even there it is still 2-3:1.  Given SD's 21 Day Real World Return policy (God, I sound like I work for them.  I don't, but I do sell a lot of their pickups, and I like them a LOT), there is no reason not to at least try the thing.  In essence, you have 21 days from when you buy a SD pickup to decide if you like it.  Just don't cut the wires short until you decide you're going to keep it.  (I don't much care for that part, but you can't fault them for wanting to be able to resell the pickup.)  If you don't like it, bring it back and they will replace it with another pickup of the same value.  So a decent job at the soldering, though.  You are supposed to have them installed by a pro, but as long as you do it right that shouldn't be a problem.  It is, at any rate, a hell of a good offer, on their part, and one of the reasons I like SD so much as a company.

If you wanted something a little more traditionally Strat sounding, though, one of my absolute favorite pickups on the market right now is the Seymour Duncan Classic Stack Plus.  Dead quiet, and they sound like single coils (well, 98%).  They are also designed so that, in your "in between" positions, you can wire them up to split the coils and get 100% of the way there, but still be quiet.  I have a set in my Strat, and I can't seem to put that guitar down, even two and a half years after I finished it.

Also, there is no reason you couldn't put the Little `59 in the bridge position - it just isn't a common choice.  It isn't that much work to try it, and you might even like it.


Gabriel