Single coil in place of humbucker neck ?

[Andrew Gerard]

So I picked up an Ibanez 1990 rg560, for 300 bucks. ( hss )



I mainly play rg550 ( hsh ) and I LOVE the single coil in the neck, the bell like tone is so clean and glassy.. its a SD "vintage strat" So Now I want to put singles in 2 other of my rg550 which have humbuckers in them...

Questions are:

will I have to take out wood ? Can I modify the single coil not to ? Is there kind of plate to cover this empty space where the other half would be ?

If I put just a single in... should it be closer to the NECK or BRIDGE in the slot...
THANKS in advance for any help.

I realize many will say P 90 is the solution, just curious if anyone else has done this already...

Andrew Gerard


Here is a video of the rg560 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfkdNhmnunI

 

[gulliver]

You could also try a Dimarzio Bluesbucker, really nice hum canceling humbucker sized PU w/ single coil tone ... with a bit of PAF rattiness. You can flip it to see where the pickup picks up the best, as only one side is active.

 

[JB6464]

Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90
It's a single coil that drops right in a humbucker spot with no mods needed.

 

[Andrew Gerard]

Great ! Is the Phat Cat very noisey ?


Thanks will check it out.


AG

 

[JB6464]

I have them and use them alot.
Not noisey at all for a single coil pickup.
They do have that slight hum like all true single coils have but they are a very fat sounding single coil with that nice cut you won't get with a humbucker.
You should really try one , they are great pickups.

 

[L_Totti]

Or you can use a adapter ring from GFS and use a true single coil.

 

[JB6464]

Or you can use a adapter ring from GFS and use a true single coil.

Another cool idea as well .

 

[teleman55]

GFS Mean 90 or Dream 90 are a couple of others like the Phat Cat. Other makers have some too. I put Mean 90's in an Ibanez Artcore and like the result.

 

[Whiskeyrebel]

Dream 90 works well at the neck with a bridge humbucker.

 

[movingpictures]

Put a pickguard on it....

 

[L_Totti]

Yet another option - Eastwood makes (cheap) Airline-style HB-spaced singles that look very cool. Probably not your thing , but...
http://secure.eastwoodguitars.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=21_73&products_id=97

 

[Andrew Gerard]

WOW Airline Look very cool !!


Thanks.

 

[harpinon]

If the 'bucker is a 4 wire pickup, you can remove the dummy coil wire and it should act as a single.

 

[Andrew Gerard]

I ordered an Airline... I will wire it into my 1998 rg550 in the neck and make a video if anyone is interested.

 

[Drak]

For what you asked for, I wouldn't opt for the Phat Cat, I have one in a Tele neck and that thing is thicker/meatier/louder than some real HB's I have, not very single coil-ish in nature, at least for me.

Two other recommends if the Airline isn't what you're after would be a Rio Grande Tallboy HB, which basically are two standard single coil pickups mounted side by side in a HB format, so you get real genuine SC sound AND HB sound too...
http://www.riograndepickups.com/scart/ProductPage.asp?ImageLink=TBHB&ProductName=For+Humbuckings

...or a light-wind HB like a DiMarzio Eric Johnson, THAT is a light-duty true HB that really almost sounds like a SC, great sparkly chimy cleans from it, far more light-n-lively than my Phat Cat, (which I love for it's thick meaty tone btw).

 

[shane8]

coil tap

 

[Andrew Gerard]

Thanks Drak, those sound like great options.

I think to get a real single sound, you need a single coil.

Many hb come close though, Possible more dependent on the guitar eq etc..

I am excited to install the Airline. It looks kinda groovy to boot..


thanks for all the well informed thoughts.

AG