In/out Of Phase

[thomasteven]

Can someone please explain to me what the differences are with in and out of phase pickups will be?

Thanks

Steve

[lovekraft]

Two equal pickups wired out of phase will cancel any signal they have in common - the reslt is the accentuation of the higher harmonics and loss of bass.

[thomasteven]

So is there sounds that out-of-phase pickups are good for that in-phase pickups might not sound as well for?

[lovekraft]

I don't understand the question - I guess any time you want shrill treble and no bass. Think 70s "chicka-chicka" funk rhythm guitar, thin, bright, very little sustain.

[Dugz Ink]

As Lovekraft accurately pointed out, this "will cancel any signal they have in common"... but that doesn't mean that two pickups completely cancel each other out. Because of the seperation between the pickups, they pickup different vibrations at the same time. Since teh placement of the pickups affect the effect, you have to experiment to see how your guitar will react.

On my first project guitar (which is nearing completion) I put together a poor-man's patch bay, and tried every possible wiring combination that I could come up with using 2 humbuckers that have split wiring.

In the end, I decided to throw in a DPDT switch that will allow me to reverse the phase on the bridge pickup; that creates a cool semi-hollow sound, especially when playing a lead rift on the higher strings.

I'm using this in combination with a blend pot (instead of an A/B/etc. switch), which will allow me to increase/decrease the effect of mixing the neck pickup with the inverted bridge pickup.

D~s

[thomasteven]

So basically out-of-phase pups are better for leads on the treble strings persay?

[lovekraft]

No! An out-of-phase setting should be thought of more as a special effect that can be thrown in to spice things up, like Dug said! It's a cool sound, but it's just another option, not something you'd want to hardwire in permanently (unless you're only playing 2nd rhythm guitar for a Parliament?Funkadelic tribute band).

[thomasteven]

I understand a bit better, I'm still learning a lot about electronics and the such, but, is there anywhere I can go to and listen to pickups wired in/out of phase to actually hear the difference?

[donbenjy]

here ya go:

http://www.angelfire.com/blues/jeff_leites...kupSamples.html

not TOO good examples...if i get my wiring done soonish, ill do a recording fgor you, but i havn't got the parts yet

[thomasteven]

Thanks alot donbenjy!!

That's exactly what I was looking for to tell the difference.