Proper humbucker-sized single - on the cheap

PhilM

I don't like neck humbuckers. I've tried many different ones, and many different wiring tricks to get them more "single-coil like" but nothing really works. I've got a Tele Deluxe project on the go, and I'm making my own HB-sized SC to go in the neck position. Yeah, I could have had a new pickguard made for the HS configuration, but it might have looked weird. And been too easy...

I had a middle position Irongear Pigiron kicking about, and a spare HB baseplate, and I've made a start at lunch. This might not work for direct mount applications, but pickguard and ring applications should be fine.

HB baseplate prior to being covered in cloth loom tape.


Extra holes drilled into the SC between the 1-2 and 5-6 poles. I've also pulled the wire back through so it exits on top.


Wires pulled through the corner


Coil screwed down. Just need to work out how to secure the other "blank" cover, and if I can live with the matt/gloss mismatch between the 2 covers. I'm sure between the laser cutter and 3D printer I have here, I can think of something.




I'll update this as I go, just thought it might be useful to someone else  

Funkfingers

A few UK pickup makers already do something similar.

Another alternative is the old Valco design.

Seziertisch

Mojo made me a couple of Strat/Jag pickups in a HB and Filtertron Mount respectively. 

The coils are centred in the housing making them more Jag that Strat.

Both give a much more balanced sound with the bridge pickups for my uses. 

@OilCityPickups also offers the Brass Knuckle, which is two Strat pickups on a HB baseplate.

normula1

When I did something similar I flipped the baseplate to take account of the deeper coils