Super Distortion: Split, Parallel or ditch it...?

Jaded

Ever since I bought my Cobain Jaguar I've never been completely satisfied with the Super Distortion and since getting my Bronco the lack of jangle or any twang coming from the SD has become unbearable. 

So does anyone have experience with one wired up parallel or split? Would it just be better to get something custom wound? ...or just buy an adaptor ring and stick a single coil in there?

Ideally I'd prefer to keep the stock look (it's unashamedly part of the reason I bought the guitar) and the hum-cancelling. 

ThePrettyDamned

It's not a jangly kinda pickup. They have a sort of hot rodded classic humbucker sound, rather than super modern, I really like them.

Do you want less output, or the same, or more? If less, I'd say abandon the coil split and go for a cowtron, as they have tons of sparkle in them, though you might want to order one in a different look if possible.

If you want high output, there are plenty that have a more modern, bright sound that split well. Also, Duncan do a pickup that's a p90/rails cross that might suit.

OilCityPickups

Certainly a very hot overwound pickup like the SD isn't really going to jangle unless you shut down a coil ... getting (if I remember correctly) about a 6.5k 44awg wound single coil. That'd be what I'd try first ... but that's not going to have much thickness and it'll hum a bit. Still I'd split it and see ... can't hurt.

Incidentally the Super Distortion is one of my favorite pickups ... and was the first aftermarket pickup I ever fitted back in the seventies (wistful dreamy face) ... great classic rock roar, and the pickup that started it all. If it hadn't been for those two 'cream bobbin beauties' that I bought for my Antoria LP copy I doubt I'd have been bitten by the pickup bug ... and started manufacturing them myself.

daveyh

I'd be more inclined to accept that not every guitar is gonna be able to do everything, and it's better to do one thing well than two things 'okay'.

ICBM

Split them. They sound very good like that. Parallel to me sounds a bit bland by comparison (I know some people disagree) but has the advantage of being hum-cancelling. The advantage of splitting is that - if you want - you can do both pickups with the same DPDT switch. There's no switch in the slot next to the pickup selector on the Cobain Jag, but it should be easy to put the standard slide switch there, which would hardly change the look.

That would give you a seriously versatile guitar, not far off a standard Jag and a Cobain in the same package. Looking back I wish I'd done that to my '65 Jag rather than trading it for a PRS - although I certainly wouldn't have routed it for full-size humbuckers - but I couldn't quite bring myself even to fit Strat-size ones since it would have changed the look a lot.

Depending on how you split the pickups, you can retain hum cancellation in the 'both' position by the way - original Jags are like that.

Jaded

Coil splitting it is then. It's got the 4 wires so when I can be arsed to battle with my knackered soldering iron it shouldn't be to much of a job. Hardest part will more than likely be working out the Dimarzio colour codes for the wiring.

@ThePrettyDamned - yeah it's a great pickup for an out and out "rock" sound, I find myself playing The Cult all the time because of it! As for what I'm after, basically I want it less rock and more post-punk I guess. It's not that I don't find it bright, I think it's the massive low end it brings that kills off the jangle. 

@TheGuitarWeasel - I'll try the coil split and see how that fairs up, not being too thick shouldn't be an issue for me (I'll still have the neck PAF for that!) and hum shouldn't bother me too much as this is my only guitar with humbuckers anyway. If I still don't get along with it I'm sure you'll be getting a PM from me for one of your pickups!

@daveyh - I'd tend to agree with you on that. It's my nicest playing guitar though, so I'd like it more to my tastes so it doesn't get left out so much. 

@ICBM - Yeah there's just a piece of black plastic blocking it off and I've got plenty of DPDT switches around. I have little excuse not to. 

OilCityPickups

For a straight split, connect north and south finish together and short em to ground via your switch.

Jaded

Thanks! So that would be the black and white leads. Which appear to already be connected! I know what I'm doing this weekend then