middle humbucker

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:46 am

Tech question here.
In a 3 humbucker guitar like ace uses.. what is the effect of the middle position humbucker ?
Does it make any sense putting the pick ups so close to each other?
I wanted a two hunbucker guitar but set up in the bridge and middle position only.. no neck pick up.. is this stupid ?

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:48 am

Also why is a one humbucker guitar usually only in bridge position and not middle or neck only position. I would guess middle position would be better wouldn't it ?

Sandimas · Post by **Sandimas** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 5:46 am

The bridge position is the traditional biting, honk midrange sound of rock. Middle position sounds a little too mellow and jazz, whereas neck to me just gives a hooting sound.

I Could do an entire gig on bridge pickup, but not neck or middle.

IIRC Ace had the neck and middle disconnected, and in a Les Paul Custom 3 pickup, toggle down is bridge, middle is neck and middle, up is neck only.

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:07 am

You can have your pickups wired to your specifications with coil taps , boosts,and bombs to boot.

Sandimas is correct. In a traditional wiring scheme, that is how a Les Paul is wired.

Dino,
As you know, preference is not stupid, anything that allows and inspires one to create is a beautiful thing.

Vivian Campbell played Kramer Nightswans with the pickup configuration that you speak of. He eventually added a single-coil pickup to the neck position on this guitar:

Here's a Nightswan in a DINO color:

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am

What about angled pick ups ? Does this tend to be a little warmer ?

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:13 am

So your saying no one uses the middle humbucker alone?
It is common to have a single coil in the middle though from what i remember.

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:38 am

like my fellow forumites have said, usually- on gibson anyway- it's not possible to have the middle humbucker alone.For some people it is also a matter of the middle humbucker gettin in the way of picking.
I've modded the guitar of a friend of mine tha t was a sg copy and rewired in a way so each pickup could have been selected,and, on position 1 and 3 you could have added the middle humbucker, using what before was the neck tone pot.

The angled pickup is to have more "body" on the lower strings and more bite on the higher strings.The neck pickup is the point of major string vibration-if it is put in the right position(there's a lot of debate about 22 vs 24 fret guitars).I like the warmer sound and, with proper settings can sound very effective and rock too(Blackmore often has used the neck pu for his solos too).Since i like to use the ebow, for me the neck pickup is also very useful for special effects and sounds tha t may change based on the picking dynamics, but that's just me.

The bridge only pickup i think cam from EVH who coudln't bother properly putting back the neck pickup on his guitar.Since many guitarists- and guitar makers- were aiming for that kind of market-and since many wanted to play rock and metal,there was a huge popularity of one humbucker equipped guitars.

Btw, the nightswan played by Viv had the kramer name on the headstock but it wasn't a kramer.A bit like Jake e lee strat...........

Sorry if that was long and boring..........

Post by **Genebaby** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:40 am

The Nightswan is about the only guitar setup like that. Ace only had three pickups for looks, not for function.

A single in the middle is designed to give you the option of a Strat sound, wether in a Soloist with another single on the neck or an Ibanez with two hums and a single in the middle.

Most guitarists who use humbuckers and encounter a middle pickup screw it down as far as it will go it remove it so it's out of the way. The middle area is usually where you strum the pick and people, like me, like that space open.

Humbuckers at an angle were an attempt to line up the pole pieces on guitars equipped with the new Floyd Rose bridge for pickups made for Les Pauls. We now have two versions of a pickup, standard and F-spaced. Blade pickups and EMGs don't need to be F-spaced.

Post by **Genebaby** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:43 am

Ooh, Ankh posted while I was typing my long post.

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:58 am

i have a buddy blaze shredder ( just like the nightswan that was designed by him ) with the hum in the middle and the bridge .. i find it useless. but it is a different sound no less.

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:19 am

ankh wrote:
Btw, the nightswan played by Viv had the kramer name on the headstock but it wasn't a kramer.A bit like Jake e lee strat...........

The Nightswans was basically a Buddy Blaze creation that Kramer put into production. Vivian was on the cover of GFTPM with a Buddy Blaze guitar before his Kramer guitar endorsee onslaught.

Ankh is correct- Here's a great read:

http://www.vintagekramer.com/night.htm

shramiac · Post by **shramiac** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:10 am

Middle pickup = Useless and in the way!!!!

Ibanez should allow you to order a Jem without it and save $100!

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 11:15 am

i know buddy very well . he likes that pick up config . later on vivian added a single coil to the neck of his lightnig bolt " blaze shredder" that vivian used on tour the middle pick up just didnt work out for him . he also did it to a maroon red one too.

buddys a good guy basicaly makes nightswans for those of you who like thos eand need those in your life.

heres mine :

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:28 pm

Thanks. It seems I was posting at same time as rick and didn't notice hos post.
Why does buddy like that configuration?
Thanks so much for this.

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:26 pm

im guessing because its the thing hes known for .. and truly theres no real reason cept for the first guitar having it and buddy exsperimenting on it ..
with vivian

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:38 pm

he also loves 24-5/8 scale too. vivian is small and wanted a strat like guitar that played like a lespaul. so buddy came up with the shredder

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:14 pm

Thanks .can anyone tell me the brand and model pick ups are in those guitars ?

ankh · Post by **ankh** » Fri Apr 20, 2012 9:35 pm

seymour duncan JB in the middle and full shredd in the bridge position for the viv campbell models.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:56 am

I am not so sure there is room to add a third humbucker on the nightswan

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:20 am

vivian added a stacked single coil in the neck .. ( like a duncan JB junior, LIL' 59" or hot rail ) later on and he also added a lipstick in one of the others

in the blaze shredder models the bridge pick up is a blaze bucker. and the middle is nostalgia both made buy dean usa. and only available from buddy blaze ... dean makes some nice usa pick ups.

if you ask nicely i may actually a have a pair of pick ups lying round ..

and if you ask even more nicely i may even part with my blaze shredder with the hard shell case

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:55 am

http://iheartguitarblog.com/tag/shredder

INTERVIEW WITH BLAZE AND VIVIAN ETC

Post by **Genebaby** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:27 am

Too bad Vivian won't be playing the new one.

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 10:38 am

Funny thing is bubby gave vivian a brand new one witha titainium floyd as a gift to celebrate the anniversary .. buddy made a limited run of 25 for namm selling for Aprox $10,000.00 each .. buddy suggests he isnt making any more of them .

not sure if viv will play it or not like he said it dosnt fit his thing any more...

but its sure coool

Trixxy · Post by **Trixxy** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 1:10 pm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kramer-Nightswa ... 19ca010c21

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:02 pm

Trixxy wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kramer-Nightswa ... 19ca010c21

Awesome guitar- Good luck getting someone to pay that much.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:58 pm

Very expensive. 10k at namm. That makes he vv guitar look a good deal. I like the guitar but o
I would have thought the price tag used was around 1200. Maybe I know jack shit. It is a great guitar. chris I would ask you nice but I don't have cash.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:11 pm

Some more blue guitars for rick

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 7:52 pm

nightswans bring good cash man.. custom blazes do too .

dino we could always work out a deal

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:01 pm

funny, i did not know they were valuable. I think I am stuck in the 90s with prices when i could buy about 50 great guitars for 10k.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sat Apr 21, 2012 8:02 pm

interesting he switched to DEAN pick ups and not SD's for the new version, I wonder why?

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:50 am

well buddy designed the blaze bucker .. and he liked the way it sounded it also came on his signature dean ml they made for him.. my blaze is an import its a short run he did with all good hard ware original floyd ., dean usa pick ups mahogany body ebony board grover tuners. its plays pretty nice really its just one of those guitars ..

check it here

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:21 pm

Like the guitar but 10k for a bolt on strat with student neck???

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:22 pm

Could make that from warmoth parts for 2k I bet.

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:35 pm

actualy warmoth dosnt offer shortscale bodies and necks out right. but they do offer a 243/4 conversion neck for 25.5... buddys still is using a 24 5/8 odd ball scale...

Post by **Genebaby** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:37 pm

Yeah, that is pretty, pretty, pretty (excuse the Larry David'ism) exy for a guitar like that. The VVV was massively overpriced at 9k, but I guess this thing comes with a case, so they are closer in price when you factor that in.

That said, you can see the work that goes into a neck-thru VVV guitar, just not 9k.

So it's a 24 5/8 scale on these and not 24.75 ala Gibson and the Jackson Fusion line of old?

The Charvel 750XL and Jackson Soloist Archtops were 24.75 scale guitars too.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:38 pm

Get it. Thanks Chris / vic.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:39 pm

Wasn't palecki making vinnie a odd scale vv model?

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:49 pm

i agree bout teh 10 k part but thats only if you want the polka dot guitar .. you can get a sherdder/nightswan ina soild color for like 3000 usd from the custom shop...

mine is much less it retails for 1200 witha case.. plays pretty damm good .

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:51 pm

Now ya talking.
Now I have to put the ugly cc c90 pick up at the neck which will loose you all.

Post by **Genebaby** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:08 pm

I think the VVMG came in both Fender and Gibson scales and in 22/24 fret variations. My fave is 24 fret Fender scale.

Post by **Genebaby** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:08 pm

That's a much better price for a high quality, custom strat from a decently well known maker. Big upcharge for polka dots though!! Get stripes instead!!

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:21 pm

I am used to short scale even though I am big as rick will testify.

poserboy71 · Post by **poserboy71** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:30 am

doublev2 wrote:I am used to short scale even though I am big as rick will testify.

TESTIFY !!!!
[youtube][/youtube]

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:43 am

all depends on what you want . you want vivians guitar with the titainum floyd and all the buddy blaze bells and whistles you'll pay 10 g's ... id rather just have my own guitar.

doublev2 · Post by **doublev2** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:12 am

I would rather someone like palecki or chilcott make me my own spec guitar even though I don't play any guitar these days.

Shred4hire · Post by **Shred4hire** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:38 am

yea sure i get ya buddy just makes what he makes .. but yea if you had a base model in mid with soem one then have them spec out what you wanted.

metatron · Post by **metatron** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:50 am

3 x Humbucker is Two Louder, Ain't it, eh? Eleven....

[youtube][/youtube]