Combining Humbuckers and Single Coils in One Guitar: The Resistor Trick

A wiring trick to get the most out of Humbuckers and Single Coils when you run them in the same guitar. Works in HSS Strats and HSH Ibanez RG-style guitars, as well as Teles with a humbucker in the neck and single in the bridge.

[@whiteymanngogh4489]

Um don't you mean the middle pickup, or maybe I'm hallucinating ?

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

I wired my HSS Strat with two volumes and a master tone. It solves two problems. You can now balance the volume of the single coils with with humbucker if you are a switch-pickups-a-lot-guy and it allows you to have the proper pots for each kind of pickup. You can also split the humbucker at its volume pot, which you can't do with standard Strat wiring. I also used a push/pull on the tone pot and used two different caps: a .15uf and a .047uf, which gives me more options. I also add treble bleeds. The only downside to that is what happens in your resistor mod: It changes the taper of your pots but you have bright, usable tones at any volume. Lower the volume on your humbucker, with the treble bleed, you'd swear it's a Tele pickup.

[@Gstation9]

Nice idea. I finally understand what the resistor is doing and where to place each end of it but how does adding a resistor intereact with the capacitors ? Do I need capacitors after using the resistor ?

[@frantisca]

Very instructive: thanks !

[@EddieJarnowski]

Great video ty!

[@therail7315]

I guess I’m confused. I though the resister was for the single coil. But your neck Pickup is a humbucker.

[@danterosales6985]

What day is it today?

[@moriartymw]

I have used a parallel resistor on non-logarithmic pots to make them more logarithmic. I just realized that, in essence, that is what a treble bleed does as well. Another thing you can do is start with a 1M Vol pot like the Fender Jazzmasters have. That would give you a larger range of outcomes.

[@MetalGuitarGuy]

Pretty cool trick 🧐

[@franksaine4437]

Very helpful...

[@noternunstoned]

The scribble strips are a nice touch, simple, cheap, effective.

[@gearmeister]

The RG series that I owned did have a very lackluster sounding single coil, you pointed out exactly why, thanks

[@74dartman13]

I've never heard of this before. Great tip! Thanks!👍😎🎸🎶

[@davidwernsing8795]

Great video, I wondered about that a few times and that is a good solution. Thanks.

[@darthdiman]

Great English and great idea to show papers alongside comments!

[@RJD0314]

Awesome video!

[@mikes6388]

First of all, thanks for contributing your expertise to the guitar community! For an HSS strat with 1 volume and 2 tones (all pots are 500k) would you simply use two resistors for the middle and neck pick up from the switch to ground?

[@SAXklon-b]

I was wondering if possible could you please sketch out a drawing for this entire wiring diagram? Im putting together an HSH and looking to use the resistor on the the 5 way but I dont really understand the video. Thanks!

[@agateenchantmentrockwizard5969]

Great tip thank you! How does this influence the sound when you combine the two pickups and play them?

[@JosePineda-jn8jk]

This is a cool idea! When my buddy asks me to work on his guitar again I am gonna try some stuff out 😂