The Problem With Noiseless Single Coils (inline humbuckers / split coils)
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- Опубліковано 17 чер 2021
- As with all noiseless single coils, the number one question I get is, "Does it sound like a single coil pickup?" In short, the answer is yes. At least, as well as a stacked coil or dummy coil does. This type of design has a distinct advantage over others because only one coil is ever picking up the sound from the same string at any given time. So, in practice, it functions like a single coil and its tone is that of a single coil (just without the hum). The more important question is, why isn't this a common way to make noiseless single coils? It's because there is an obvious design flaw that people talk about on the internet, but no one ever seems to demonstrate.
In the video I call it a phase issue but "correct" that with overlayed text saying it's because the coils don't overlap in the center, creating a dead-spot between them. But, it isn't actually the coil's that are the problem. It's a dead spot in the magnetic field at the center that's the problem. You see, to be hum-cancelling, the two coils need to be RWRP. When you have two opposing polarities like that, there is a center point between them where the polarity is neutralized.
Passive pickups work by magnetizing the strings. The coil picks up the shifts in the magnetic field provided by the vibrating string. If you bend your string into the "neutral" area, your string is no longer magnetic at that spot and your signal drops or disappears entirely because the coils no longer "see" the string. Fascinating stuff!
One thing I don't touch on in the video is that there are fixes for this design flaw. You can use ferromagnetic bars across the tops/sides of the mangets to manipulate the magnetic field in a way that keeps the string magnetized across the center. Fender had a Split Coil pickup on the market for a while that did it too, though it was a commercial flop because while it reduced the signal drop between the D and G, it didn't eliminate it completely. A lot of poor reviews regarding the tone and signal drop issues. Fralin does it too with their Split Blade design, apparently with greater success.
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Thank you for posting this video! I was searching for this topic because I have a bass with inline humbuckers and I was curious about how they sound compared to a pure single-coils. From this video, I take it that they sound dead-on, and since it is on a bass, those large bends really aren't an issue. Great demonstration!
(Also, I need to give props to the UA-cam search engine. I have never heard the term "inline humbucker" before. I searched for "bi-coil" because that is what the manufacturer calls them, and UA-cam lead me right where I wanted to be!)
Split coils
In the video I call it a phase issue but "correct" that with overlayed text saying it's because the coils don't overlap in the center, creating a dead-spot between them. But, it isn't actually the coil's that are the problem. It's a dead spot in the magnetic field at the center that's the problem. You see, to be hum-cancelling, the two coils need to be RWRP. When you have two opposing polarities like that, there is a center point between them where the polarity is neutralized.
Passive pickups work by magnetizing the strings. The coil picks up the shifts in the magnetic field provided by the vibrating string. If you bend your string into the "neutral" area, your string is no longer magnetic at that spot and your signal drops or disappears entirely because the coils no longer "see" the string. Fascinating stuff!
One thing I don't touch on in the video is that there are fixes for this design flaw. You can use ferromagnetic bars across the tops/sides of the mangets to manipulate the magnetic field in a way that keeps the string magnetized across the center. Fender had a Split Coil pickup on the market for a while that did it too, though it was a commercial flop because while it reduced the signal drop between the D and G, it didn't eliminate it completely. A lot of poor reviews regarding the tone and signal drop issues. Fralin does it too with their Split Blade design, apparently with greater success.
Thank you so much for the video! I was thinking about buying bipolar pickups. They have the same design. Such bands are not acceptable for me.
Most stacked singles are full sized coils, one on top of the other, so this is kind of a unique issue to this concept.
Yes. That is exactly the point of the video. To show the drawbacks of this particular design.
Agreed. Just tried it on my Tele with a stacked single coil Seymour Duncan in the neck and no issue of signal loss with heavy bending at all in either the G or D strings.
Its a failure for Benders.. But companies like Zexcoil / Lawning creates one coil for each string and offsets them, and thus eliminating this issue. Fender quickly discontinued these pickups for a good reason.
I picked up a roadhouse deluxe on a really good sale... It has the fourth generation fender noiseless pick ups and I like them.... I personally haven't noticed any of this dropout when bending. I'm wondering if the configuration of the coils is a stack on top of another versus side by each.
@@msi1985 most noiseless singles are stacked and not side by side. There are differences in results between the two approaches, tonally, but like anything in pickup design it's something to factor into the equation when chasing a particular tone. Just like wire type, magnet type and size, number of winds, coil dimensions, slug sizes, etc
Silly question, but is there a change in the sound when switching from series to parallel in this type of setup, and if so, how are the pickups in the video configured?
Also, could you therefore separate and mix the bottom strings of the bridge pickup, with the high strings of the neck pickup? The concept fascinates me, I have MANY questions 😅
I think in this particular video, they were wired in series. However, the final result, if memory serves, was wired in parallel for the customer's purposes. He made a video demonstrating the capabilities of how they were designed for his purposes:
ua-cam.com/video/82Z1fyoKlis/v-deo.html
@@NextGenGuitars I think we spoke a few minutes ago, thank you again for taking the time to explain everything! Fascinating concept here, I'd love to explore it further some day 👍
Have you tried this design, but with the same polarity of the magnets to the strings?
I think - you would like it. 😉
Thanx, what about the Tone ? Is it still closer to single coil or closer to humbucker ?
Much more like a single coil than a humbucker. But, due to the drawbacks, it hasn't been adopted as a common design. Fralin has a similar design in a split blade that sounds quite good, but is pretty expensive. Fender released a Super55 some time ago with this design, but it flopped and was discontinued. Other than that, I haven't really seen anything with this inline design...
At 2:06 the guy wearing a mask while inside his own home, clearly states they "sound like single coils!"..
Are Inline humbuckers the same as being called bipolar pickups which I guess have that LOSS from the G string pole piece to the D string pole piece?
If you're referring to Bipolar (the brand), yes, the design is the same. However, if you use their suggested wiring diagram, they mostly avoid the signal drop-off. Their switch wiring never has two active coils side by side. They are always off-set between two pickups, minimizing signal loss.
Sheesh, I have a rai ‘bucker in my Tele’s bridge. Glad I went with that instead. No signal loss with rails.
There isn't really any noticeable loss in the bridge position (unless you bend up more than a whole step, and even then the loss is minimal), so it's pretty safe there. It's mostly a middle/neck problem. I love rail pups, but they really need 500K pots to shine. They also don't really sound like single coils, so if the goal is to get a true single coil sound, but noiseless, rail pups don't quite get there.
To be fair, I have yet to hear a noiseless single coil that doesn't sacrifice something.
I might bend a G string right up there
but never a D. Is it possible that the EA be on one coil and the DGBE on another?
For hum cancelling (and for matching tone), you generally want the coils to be the same size and shape. So, you could do that, but it would be very difficult to have the same tone/output between both coils, and it would reduce the hum cancelling effects. There are so many good noiseless (or heavily reduced noise) pickups on the market already, this split coil design is just an inferior design if that's the only purpose.
Are the old G&L Z Coils designed in the same manner. Conceptually and visually appears so.
Yes, but the offset magnets/coils of the G&L mitigate this problem.
Meanwhile this is why i use blades.
Excellent tutorial.
Isn’t there still a dead spot?
@@flamedmahoganytable9749 no dead spot on a microphone wide as your guitar neck. Poles are ok. IF u can adjust them. They both good.
*MY WPTR GUITAR*
There are 2realities. Which did u choose?
*Why Ed copied my FrankenFloyd*
Ed was a very naughty human b4 he was killed &cloned. He was removing thdemons Satan gave 2all us idiots.
Ed was my best friend back in LA he gave me thtruth.
There is not gonna be a revolution honestly sell yr guitars u will go broke keeping (damned) thingz.
No joke.
Repeat: Go ANALOG go acoustic I WARNED U Satan is in thelectronics he is in the solder it has black goo its haunted.
Satans kids control all manufacturing they a damned race.
Put 2 & 2 2gether they arent guitars they a goose chase moneygrab &yes Satans kids DO need money they demons in flesh bodies like 2live high life. (They dont know they demons.)
Fret wear:
Not my take it's reality. Guitars meticulously exhaustively engineered 2sap yr spirit be hard2play wear out, harvest money = GOOSE CHASE.
Eds guitar was dffrnt but HE HAD 2MAKE IT HIMSELF.
I also taught Graem Osbree how 2break wrld hour record. Satan wouldnt build rhbikes. Graeme made thbike, every1 copied it. 30 guyz began destroying hour record.
Yahweh showed us Reptilian angels control all manufacturing& showed us Mike Pence raping babies drinking their adrenachrome 300 *&%$ing babies a year. U dont have presidents they devils these creatures not u friend.
I built a guitar ground up just now. ONLY (durable) guitar is ridiculously easy play best guitar in thworld by far = thnew epicentre it vastly exceed my expect.
Did u notice thCrickets? Not 1 thumbs up. I told u Satans computer wont let this info get out. We lost in heavens court 2Satan bcuz u guyz 5stared his You Tube creators &subbed his pandemics &phony war& vaccines. Yah calls vaccines PURE POISON.
Ed made super NARROW necks later on that ET couldnt play stating easier 2play? Huh?
That was thcloned Ed saying that. Satan killed the original. Satan stopped using Ed when i sold my guitar 1988.
Ed was a human. Satan used him2 try hide me. Satan hates humans, cuz they breathe life in2 yr soul. His Plasticines DRAIN yr chakras.
In Noahs day only 8 SOULS remained human.
He HATED having 2use Ed.
He was forced 2do it cuz i was playing@ thtime. I am his replacement in function. He scared of (me.)
Few of u have ever met a human. 95% earth = TARE RACE. Demons hive mind computer controlled by Satan ALL demons digital. Satan has memory eraser downloader.
Thats why u all have a boss. Boss = your steering wheel. Lol u dont get 2touch it. Have fun with that. Satan always takes more then he gives.
He has 2keep all of his kids chipped they have no free will (steering wheel). Why us older crowd had bloody noses in the 70's. Satans grey aliens putting chips in our nose.
Satan is using COVID 19 nose swabs now cuz we killed all thgreys.
COV = Covertly
ID = IDENTIFIED (I.D.)
19 = 1st, 9th letter alphabet. "A" & "I" code 4Artificial Intelligence. Lol pandemic fake there is black goo/diseases in thvaccines turning u in2 satanic robots (DNA modeling) (pure evil computer chips Satan got in thdark universe)
If u buy guitar YOU BOUGHT THEIR PRODUCT.
Satans BEAST computer is advanced he can hack reality = thmatrix we live in.
If u buy a guitar be like Ed or ME. Be like NEO. A movie Satan made about me. I built a 3.5 ton quartz crystal orgone generator with NEO dynium magnets. (In heaven everything run with crystals magnets.)
My orgone (generates Yahwehs life force) generator is the white horse rider of revelation = fire burning Satans dimension. (Computer program)
My Frank MUCH superiour to Eds. How so? Example. Your low e string Satan made ultra fat. MY low e is same size as smaller string beside it. (.032) isnt muddy in thmix much easier crisp 2play &hear& tap action set MUCH lower.
My high e? Same saize string next 2 IT. (.011)
(Makes it sound much louder bcuz Satan gives u teeny string so u cant hear it properly, taps2 quiet etc. Breathe wrong it breaks u will spend 15 -20k strings a lifetime.
Satan uses massive bass increase guitar/neck tension2insane levels vs my tremelo much easier bend. Action super easy low.
Satan standard tune raises my heart rate. LITERALLY i use EB tune. These factors put MUCH less strain guitar/trem/hardware.
Resonates with reality.
(Earth vibration 432kz.)
It matters unless u read satans bllsht google. Human voice resonates with eb flat. Ask any singer. They tell u.
You press MUCH LESS on fret.
Your guitars a nightmare.
If u play HALF A DAY u FRETS HAVE LONG VERTICAL LINES &shiny flat spots unwound stringz. I use softer string alloys.
Van halen copied my guitar in only 2, 3 repects. My new Frank I changed dozens of thingz. Primarily his original FIRST Frank neck was wider thenANY neck made 2day. His radius was around 17 or 20. (Frets were very FLAT.)
Made it easier play.
Stainless frets last 4ever? U funny guy. So was Ed. Lol Satans boys gave Ed stainless alloy spiced on 95% brass. These factories are serpents. Literally Reptilan Angels run.
U will spend 15 - 30k on stringz in 50 years. 50 years is not that long. Lol i designed floyd rose so u couldloosen reclamp stringz. Lol Floyd duznt even know that neither did Ed. Ed nowhere near on my level. Lol stringz dont oxidize or wear out whatsoever. Sound a tad dffrnt new, so what? Not better. Just dffrnt.
I have had enuff i will see if i sell even 1 guitar ebay &I am getting rid of all this stuff i had enuff. No humans or common sense left.
I hereby signing out. 98% you tube not humans. The demons in human bodies Yahweh calls Plasticines. We were sent 2make a dffrnce. Sadly u all chose Satans "creators"
He named them that 2mock u cuz u sit at their poison feet like they gods.
I have a Van Halen stainless fret stage guitar lol thfrets with huge dents& i dont even play very much 5 years. Honestly its a goose chase wallet drain frets can easily last 2lifetimes.
1 last thing. I am worlds best guitarist. I quit playing 25 years ago. Then i played only 3 years 8 hour days. We dont have that kind of time. Time is money u have 2have millions2 afford 2not work but ONLY PLAY 5 years minimum 2get good.
My 5 amps &speakers BROKE IN 5 YEARS. MY Wolfgang shot 2 hell. The electronics shot. Bucketheads guitars also, his electrinics go out regularly he has been selling his guitars.
I lived near Buck &Ed 35 years they wr friends both avatars Satan used 2whitewash me.
Living on 3k a year my only hope is pull out selling it. Manufactures wont dare ask see prototype. They corrupt.
I give blueprints free any1 every1 whoever ask... Lol not even 1person will. Well other then Edward &Floyd did.
This was written ealier I am still cmpleteing thguitar thousands of guitarists &corrupt companies have already read this.
I will be doing a cmplete in depth follow up in a few days.
Ed had a rambo these are my marbles not your side 2him. I call it deer antler syndrome.
The old matrix is over guyz. Satan is gone. Yahweh is now ruling midst of his enemies je has had enuff he flipping thtables &turning thchairs over.
There is no money or pattents or fences or copyrights in heaven I'll go out of business in a heartbeat 2see that my neighbor gets an optimum product.
what happens when you tap the bottom of the magnets with a copper tape?
Nothing remarkable.
I build a similar pickup and I’m willing to bet that one of the coils on the bobbin is reverse wound. You reverse wind the bottom coil when making a stack pickup not when the coils are side by side.
Both coils need to be wound in the same direction and wired in series finish-to-finish. Magnets north on one coil and magnets south on the other coil.
That would eliminate the dead spot, but would also eliminate the hum cancelling. These needed to be hum cancelling.
That pickup need a rail type off magnet for bending issue i think
That would be one solution. That's what Fralin does with his split S coils.
The fender noisless Gen 4 is stacked. One over the other thus this issue doesn't exist
Yes. I like stacked designs. That is a totally different pickup design though. This video is just a quick discussion on the split inline design.
@@NextGenGuitars yea i noticed. Thanks for the info. Video is very informative. Cheers!