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Post subject: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:36 am
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Fender won’t tell me, anyone know how to split the ‘bucker so it’s anS/S/S style? I don’t care for the sound of the humbucker. Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:48 am
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If they're color coded as Fender humbuckers usually, black & white are one coil, red & green the other.


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 7:39 am
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I think you will be better off getting a real single coil.
Of course that will require a new scratch plate as well so the cost will go up.
One half of a Shawbucker will be a pretty weak single coil.
I assume yours is in the bridge position.
A weak bridge pup will very likely be even less to your taste than the humbucker.
Not to mention that the pots in your guitar may not be appropriate for three single coils.

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 7:55 am
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Thanks for your replies, I found numerous articles online (duh Bruce!) and it’s very easy to do. Probably try it and if it is real weak I will get a true single coil and pickguard. Maybe make more sense to just play it eh?,


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 9:14 am
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It can be a problem for some people.
They become too focussed on the perceived shortcomings of their equipment and not focussed enough on just playing the thing.
It is almost always the best idea to begin any tone quest by spending more time exploring the tonal possibilities of the equipment you already have rather than spending all your time on the internet searching for an illusive magic elixer.
That is a common ailment with guitarists and I think just musicians in general.
I have been guilty of it myself for many years.
My pursuits were traditionally in the search for the magic pedal.
I have tried more pedals than most people even know exist.
LOL

Maybe just give your guitar another chance before you hack it up.
It might grow on you.
Or?
Throw caution to the wind and try 50 pickups in 18 months.
That's what a lot of people do so you wouldn't be alone ....
:wink:

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:21 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I think you will be better off getting a real single coil.
Of course that will require a new scratch plate as well so the cost will go up.
One half of a Shawbucker will be a pretty weak single coil.
I assume yours is in the bridge position.
A weak bridge pup will very likely be even less to your taste than the humbucker.
Not to mention that the pots in your guitar may not be appropriate for three single coils.

+1

I've never heard a humbucker operating in the split-coil mode (from any manufacturer) that sounded like an authentic Strat pickup.

To my ears they always sound weak, tinny, and totally emasculated.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 10:50 am
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Lindy Fralin sells a humbucker that is designed especially for coil splitting but it is a compromise.
On that model he winds one coil hotter than the other so it will seem more balanced when being split.
The downside is that is sounds neither like a single coil nor a humbucker but kind of somewhere in between when both coils are in use.
It is also only partially able to buck hum.

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 12:51 pm
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The closest I ever got to having both sounds (standard humbucker and traditional single coil) in one guitar was with my SCN-equipped Strats wired with the S-1 switch. Even then it was somewhat of a compromise but I could live with it.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 2:47 pm
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Personally I like the sound of a humbucker in a Strat.
I know some people think it's a sacrilege.
I think that's the biggest reason why my HSH Partsocaster very quickly became my number one and to such a great extent that I barely play any of my other guitars anymore.
I've come to prefer humbuckers in Strats.
I like buckers much better in a Strat than I do in a Gibson.
Buckers in Gibsons seem so dead and dull to me but in Strats they sing.
It has become my signature sound.
I've got my old number one posted in the local classifieds right now.
I thought the day would never come.
I treasured that guitar but it has been so drastically eclipsed it just never comes out of the case anymore.

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 3:04 pm
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When I've split humbuckers I've never had satisfying results.

But I've sometimes found that wiring a humbucker for series/parallel offers two usable humbucking voices. The regular, plus a slightly lower output, slightly brighter voice.


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2019 7:43 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
When I've split humbuckers I've never had satisfying results.

Me as well.
On my HSH I originally wired it to split the buckers in positions 2 & 4 thinking I needed to do that in order to retain quack in those positions.
It sounded very displeasing so I made the choice to eliminate the coil tapping in those positions and just use the full humbuckers, fully expecting to lose quack.
What I discovered is that the quack is actually better without tapping.
It's not quite as quacky as my SSS Strat but absolutely miles better than it was with the tap.
I have lost all interest in coil tapping as a result of that experience as I now feel it is not a worthwhile option for my purposes.

Ibanez seems to have figured out how to make it work but I suspect there is some special circuitry there.
They made an HSH SuperStrat in 93 that was less shred and more Strat than their usual offerings.
The RT650 somehow managed to coil tap and sound very Stratty.
If memory serves they only made that guitar one year.
I'd love to get my hands on one but they are rare to find in the used market, at least around here.

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:26 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Personally I like the sound of a humbucker in a Strat.

Going on that note, have you ever tried the Dually Lace Sensors?


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:50 am
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Lefty Blues wrote:
Fender won’t tell me, anyone know how to split the ‘bucker so it’s anS/S/S style? I don’t care for the sound of the humbucker. Thanks!


Fender have wiring diagrams available for the Shawbucker showing HH and HSS coil splits.
http://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Origi ... _SMALL.pdf


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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:22 am
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jmattis wrote:
BMW-KTM wrote:
Personally I like the sound of a humbucker in a Strat.

Going on that note, have you ever tried the Dually Lace Sensors?

I once owned a 1989 MIA Telecaster Plus Deluxe equipped with a red dually Lace at the bridge.
Image

Why do you ask?

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Post subject: Re: How to rewire Shawbucker to Single Coil?
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:39 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Why do you ask?

Curiosity, conversation, possible hint to test if that pickup is new for you.
I'm all single coils myself, but I must admit the Dually on a friend's Ultra was a pleasant surprise.


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