How do you wire Epiphone ProBuckers to use them simply as single-coil pickups?

[DHart]

Which of the four leads should be used?

I have a set of ProBuckers that (when they were in one of my ES-Les Pauls) sounded awesome in the split-coil mode. I didn't enjoy their tone as regular humbuckers, but as single coils, I loved them!

Now that I've removed them from that guitar, they are surplus, and I want to run them in a Strat, but wiring them up only in single-coil mode. I don't want to bother with split-coil/humbucker combination, just straight single-coil use.

Can anyone tell me which two leads from the pickups should be used, from each of the neck and bridge pickups, for single-coil operation? I will be cutting off the connector on the leads to expose the bare leads.

 

[gball]

I think this is a Robert Herndon question. I'm sure he'll respond soon.

 

[Hackmaster]

Epiphone is the same as Gibson, I believe.

 

[gball]

Obviously also a Hackmaster question.

 

[DHart]

Epiphone is the same as Gibson, I believe.

Thank you Hackmaster, but I need a little more assistance, if you would. We will be coil-SPLITTING, not coil-TAPPING.


Which lead would you use as HOT and which as GROUND. And, would the other two be connected and taped off?

The bobbin with the adjustable screws is the coil being used, right? So green (south finish) would be HOT and black (south start) would be GROUND? And the other two would just be taped off?

Or... red (North-Start) would be hot and black (south-start) would be ground. With N-finish and S-finish being connected and taped off? But wouldn't that be using BOTH coils, like a Humbucker with just two leads?

 

[DHart]

Found this... so, it looks like all the leads will connect to ground except the inside lead of the screw coil, which if Epiphone is the same as Gibson (as in Hackmaster's diagram) would be the GREEN lead.

In the diagram below, it would be the white lead used as HOT.

 

[Hackmaster]

As I see it, using Gibsons wiring colors, I would use white as ground and red as hot to run the slug coil.

Or if the screw coil is prefered green for hot black for ground. Bare shield goes to ground either way.

That would give you a true single coil pickup.

 

[DHart]

As I see it, using Gibsons wiring colors, I would use white as ground and red as hot to run the slug coil.

Or if the screw coil is prefered green for hot black for ground. Bare shield goes to ground either way.

That would give you a true single coil pickup.

Ah yes. I never thought about using the slug coil as the single-coil, instead of the screw coil. What would be the benefit to doing that?

With the screw coil, at least, you get some adjustability for each string.

I may need to swap hot & ground from one pickup's leads vs. the other pickup to correct phasing when running both pickups together.

 

[DHart]

When using Epiphone's (or Gibson's) PULL POT to engage single-coil mode, is that what the switch is doing, sending three leads to ground and using just one lead as hot?

And, how does that differ from coil-tapping? My understanding is that coil-splitting and coil-tapping are two very different things. Though it seems like some companies use the two terms as though they are the same thing?

 

[Hackmaster]

I doubt there would be any benefit, just an option.
As you stated screw coil gives you the ability to adjust & balance things a bit more.

 

[Hackmaster]

When using Epiphone's (or Gibson's) PULL POT to engage single-coil mode, is that what the switch is doing, sending three leads to ground and using just one lead as hot?

And, how does that differ from coil-tapping? My understanding is that coil-splitting and coil-tapping are two very different things.

The push pull is just grounding one coil. Coil splitting.
Coil tapping is digging into the coil & tapping off at a certain location for a certain number of winds.
3/4 of the wind, 1/2 the wind, 1/4 the wind, etc...

 

[Hackmaster]

Coil tapping would be a great way for a ham fisted clod as myself to kill a pickup experimenting.
Best left to an experienced winder.

 

[DHart]

Ah.... I see. Thank you for that distinction. Epiphone and Gibson (and some others, too) literature often say that they have a coil-tapping feature, when I suspect that in most cases, they really mean coil-splitting.

 

[Hackmaster]

Ah.... I see. Thank you for that distinction. Epiphone and Gibson literature often say that they have coil-tapping, when I suspect they really mean coil-splitting.

Correct sir!

 

[DHart]

Excellent... thank you for your help. I should be able to pull off my project without a problem now!

I've grown to prefer the tones of single-coil pickups and of some Gretsch-style pickups (TV Classics, Hilo'trons, and T-Armonds) over traditional PAF-style Humbuckers.

Thus, this pair of Epi ProBuckers that I have would go to waste, except that I love how they sound in split-coil mode.

So, I'll move them into one of my Strats, wired as single coils, and see how I like it!

 

[Inspector #20]

Ah yes. I never thought about using the slug coil as the single-coil, instead of the screw coil. What would be the benefit to doing that?

With the screw coil, at least, you get some adjustability for each string.

I may need to swap hot & ground from one pickup's leads vs. the other pickup to correct phasing when running both pickups together.

If you use a metal device, you will notice one set of poles will have greater magnetic pull than the others. in general, I put these stronger poles towards the bridge for a more focused sound. So, you can alter the tone by moving the coil/bobbins closer or further away from the bridge. Also, keep in mind that if you go 100% single coil, you may need 250kΩ or 300kΩ pots.

I'll tell you what...you should try hooking them up with a coil splitting micro switch and solder in a 0.01uf tone capacitor. I did this on some of the Tele-esque Von Herndon's and the tone was really incredible....

 

[smitty_p]

Excellent... thank you for your help. I should be able to pull off my project without a problem now!

I've grown to prefer the tones of single-coil pickups and of some Gretsch-style pickups (TV Classics, Hilo'trons, and T-Armonds) over traditional PAF-style Humbuckers.

Thus, this pair of Epi ProBuckers that I have would go to waste, except that I love how they sound in split-coil mode.

So, I'll move them into one of my Strats, wired as single coils, and see how I like it!

I’m just now seeing this thread. I’ve wired a couple of my guitars for coil splitting. It’s not too difficult as long as you remember a few simple principles.

1. Pick the coil you want to use.
2. If using the slug coil, the “Start” wire on that coil is your “hot” lead. If using the screw coil, the “Finish” wire is your hot lead.
3. Connect everything else to ground. You are effectively grounding out one coil, rendering it nonfunctional.
4. Ensure you wire the other pickup the same, or you’ll be out of phase.

NOW...let’s dig into what can be expected (I realize you, @DHart , know what to expect...but I’m going into this for the benefit of other readers).

A split humbucker WILL NOT sound like a Stratocaster single coil. I don’t find this to be a problem, because I think the split humbucker has a very useful sound. It is an airy sound when played clean. In my Les Paul Studio...if I split both pickups and play clean, I can strum an acoustic guitar part. Mind you, I won’t SOUND like an acoustic guitar, but I can play the part and make it work. But, a Stratocaster pickup is very different from the design of a humbucker.

In a Stratocaster, the pickup consists of six individual rod magnets, which are also the pole pieces. The coil wraps around these magnets. Conversely, in a traditional humbucker, the pole pieces are not magnets. They are steel slugs or machine screws which thread into a steel keeper. A single bar magnet straddles the underside of each coil and is in contact with these pole pieces. Consequently, the nature of the magnetic field impinging on the strings is different than in a Strat-type pickup.

For this reason, do not expect your split humbucker to sound like a Stratocaster. It won’t. However, the sound has its own character. I use it quite often.

 

[Inspector #20]

Great points!!!!!

 

[DHart]

I’m just now seeing this thread. I’ve wired a couple of my guitars for coil splitting. It’s not too difficult as long as you remember a few simple principles.

1. Pick the coil you want to use.
2. The “Start” wire on that coil is your “hot” lead.
3. Connect everything else to ground. You are effectively grounding out one coil, rendering it nonfunctional.
4. Ensure you wire the other pickup the same, or you’ll be out of phase.

NOW...let’s dig into what can be expected (I realize you, @DHart , know what to expect...but I’m going into this for the benefit of other readers).

A split humbucker WILL NOT sound like a Stratocaster single coil. I don’t find this to be a problem, because I think the split humbucker has a very useful sound. It is an airy sound when played clean. In my Les Paul Studio...if I split both pickups and play clean, I can strum an acoustic guitar part. Mind you, I won’t SOUND like an acoustic guitar, but I can play the part and make it work. But, a Stratocaster pickup is very different from the design of a humbucker.

In a Stratocaster, the pickup consists of six individual rod magnets, which are also the pole pieces. The coil wraps around these magnets. Conversely, in a traditional humbucker, the pole pieces are not magnets. They are steel slugs or machine screws which thread into a steel keeper. A single bar magnet straddles the underside of each coil and is in contact with these pole pieces. Consequently, the nature of the magnetic field impinging on the strings is different than in a Strat-type pickup.

For this reason, do not expect your spilt humbucker to sound like a Stratocaster. It won’t. However, the sound has its own character. I use it quite often.

Smitty... indeed! The result is a single coil tone of its own character. Doesn't sound quite like a Tele, doesn't sound quite like a Strat, but it does sound like a sweet, rich single-coil, with all the inherent sparkle, richness, and almost a "hi-fi" quality.

My surgery was an easy and complete success! I installed the two ProBuckers in one of my Teles.

I used the green lead from each pickup as the two "hots" and grounded all the other leads. Turned our perfect! Very exciting.

Since I was running a 1M volume pot and a 1M tone pot (which I had converted to No-Load), the tone quality is (as I expected) quite sparkly bright. But I'm surprised that I don't find it to be overly so. And the tone pot (which usually I never touch) engages nicely to soften the brightness without dulling down the hi-fi quality. I'm using a .015uF K40Y-9 PIO cap.

These ProBuckers make spectacular single-coil pickups! This project was well worth doing, especially since these pickups were just surplus in my parts closet.

 

[DHart]

The pickups came out of this guitar which, along with another ES-Les Paul that I have, dramatically demonstrated just how good they sound in single-coil mode. The split-coil volume pot in this guitar had gone bad, so I decided to replace the entire harness with premium components, and install a set of Gretsch HS Filter'trons.