• macg1
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,020

Topic: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

I am thinking about souping up my 1995 G&L Legacy with some hum canceling, high output single coil sized pickups.  Maybe just in the bridge position... Been listening to a lot of Steve Morse, George Lynch, Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen lately.  The deal is that the guitar has one 250K volume, and a 500K and 1M ohm tone pots.  What do you guys recommend?  I have used a DM Chopper before in a Tele and rather liked it (but had 500K pots installed).  I am open to suggestions, with the following criteria in mind:

1-Hum canceling

2-High output

3-Single coil size (even though the legacy is swim pool routed, i don't want to change pick-guard)

4-Will allow to go from cleanish to mean with volume knob

5-Works with the pot values I mentioned

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint

2 Reply by AD3THREE (edited by AD3THREE 2012-08-28 18:44:45)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

I heard Eric Johnson has a DiMarzio Area 61 in the bridge and I think he said a 58' in the neck.  Saw this video of Brad Witiford talking about it in this video he had today.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnQMMU8arGI

As far as pot values you can run anything you want.  250k is your typical single coil pot, it cleans the sound up a bit better then 500k or 1 meg.  500k will give you a brighter tone because it filters less Fq then a 250k pot but it typically doesn't clean up as easy as a 250k and I think normal Single coils are too bright with them.  1meg???  I would suggest running a humbucker at this point.  Pickups that are dark sound brighter with 1meg, bright pickups will be ear bleeding I would think.

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  • macg1
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
  • Posts: 1,020

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

yeah i saw those rig rundowns and the Areas, just afraid they don't pack enough of a punch.

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint
  • From: N.Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-03-06
  • Posts: 2,183

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

I would listen to Brad....

  • macg1
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  • From: St. Petersburg, FL
  • Registered: 2010-01-21
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Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

mmm... actually this demo is pretty good;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoqbFKtTyB4

going to strongly consider it.

Amp: Firebird Musical Amplifiers
Guitars:62 LP SG , 02 FB VII, JB FB I, 76 Electra Omega, 64 Firebird V, 73 LPC, 61 Custom Tele, 59 and 60 Melody Maker
Effects: Mythos Chupacabra, Strymon Deco/Flint
  • From: Asheville, North Carolina
  • Registered: 2009-02-24
  • Posts: 133

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

Here Eric says he's using a Dimarzio HS-2 in the bridge of his black Strat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4uYxO4rcd8

Guitars: 1974 LP Custom, 2013 R8
Amps: '88 JCM 800 w/ TV cab, Tone King Falcon
Effects: Fulltone Clyde, Monsterpiece Stud, EP Booster, Strymon El Capistan

7 Reply by Jimmy (edited by Jimmy 2012-08-29 19:12:48)

  • From: New York
  • Registered: 2011-02-13
  • Posts: 444

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

I like Fender's Hot Noiseless. Very thick with zero hum. Joe used them on BCC 1 with a Beck Strat.

Gibson Custom Joe Bonamassa Ltd Signature Les Paul VOS # 31
  • Registered: 2010-09-30
  • Posts: 163

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

You might look into a Seymour Duncan JB Jr.

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Thinking about Hum-cancelling SC's. Suggestions?

I had a little 59' and was expecting a humbucker sound since well it was a humbucker.  But the magnetic field is single coil strat sized so you get the narrow magnetic field of that compared to a full size 59'.  Wide is fat, skinny is thin.... lately I'm wide and fat and I'm not just talking pickups.  So if you decide to go with a hot rail or a JB jr. or a little 59'  don't be disappointed when you go and strike your first D chord and you get a hot strat sound instead of a Fat Strat.

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