True single coil vs. coil split

Are single coils necessary for "single coil" tone?

  • Single coils only

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Humbucker with coil split is just as good

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • All this nerd talk is why I don't have a girlfriend😅

    Votes: 4 50.0%
  • Total voters
    8
GrandmaShreds

GrandmaShreds

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Do any of you notice any huge difference between a true single coil and a humbucker with coil splitting? I noticed with my SG Pro (Epiphone) when I run the coil split in the neck position I get a great spanky/snappy tone. It's the same with the bridge. Is there any need for a guitar with true single coils vs. having a guitar that can be called a Swiss Army knife in terms of doing it all?
 
If it works it works. If it sounds good that’s great!
I have had iffy results on some guitars.
One I remember well was a Dimarzio I applied their parallel coils faux single coil sounding scheme on that was great.
Other schemes didn’t do as well sometimes.
This LP Custom Lite was another great one:
IMG_0013.jpeg
 
RustyChops said:
If it works it works. If it sounds good that’s great!
I have had iffy results on some guitars.
One I remember well was a Dimarzio I applied their parallel coils faux single coil sounding scheme on that was great.
Other schemes didn’t do as well sometimes.
This LP Custom Lite was another great one:
View attachment 883
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I suppose it's like everything else, hit or miss!

That's a unique coloured LP!
 
I had great results with split coils on a Sheraton ll. Should a kept it. Push pull pots to split BurstBucker Pros. The alnico 5, potted version.
20190521_163231_Original.jpeg
 
Have my split coils sounded like true singles? Not really. The splits have been good and very useable, but not the “straty” sounds I get from the real thing.
 
It depends on what "single coil" tonality someone is after. In general I would say no a split or tapped coil doesn't sound the way I want a single coil pickup to sound but that doesn't mean it's unusable. My PRS DGT SE allows me to tap both pickups I like that sound. I've also had dual humbucker guitars that allowed me to split each pickup individually and I liked that option as well. But it still doesn't sound like a single coil Strat and Tele pickup and it won't.
 
Eddd said:
I don’t think that a split humbucker sounds exactly like a single coil but pretty close for me.I just wish there wasn’t so much volume loss when switching mid song .
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I have to agree ^^
I prefer HBs or P90 over a SC

GrooVey said:
I had to vote “nerd.”
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oh, you're not alone....
a lot of nerds here in the thread....eusa_dance.gif
 
IMHO ... Humbucker in question will play a role in how well it does . 7k Humbucker split = 3.5k single coil ......... 16k split = 8k single coil give or take ( even or uneven wound ) .
 
JBCustoms said:
IMHO ... Humbucker in question will play a role in how well it does . 7k Humbucker split = 3.5k single coil ......... 16k split = 8k single coil give or take ( even or uneven wound ) .
Click to expand...
True
 
Never had a guitar with split humbuckers that actually sounded like true single coils, and there is always a huge volume drop off when you tap that coil. If I want a good single coil sound I'm going to use my Strat or Tele.

I've actually started rewiring all my guitars to be a pickup selector switch, one volume, and one tone. No push/pull, no extra switches, no active boosts, no phase shifting, no multiple tone or volume knobs - none of that crap.
 
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