Are there any humbuckers that sound nice clean?

S

Stonker

Junior Member
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I've never really got on with humbuckers.  OK for playing Santana or Gary Moore but I use a lot of clean tones and just find that they normally sound so dull.  I've had 3 LPs in my time; a Gary Moore Sig and a Classic Plus which I never really got on with.  I also had a cheap studio with P90s which I did like but of course, no humbuckers.  I currently have a PRS Single Cut which is OK clean with a compressor on.  Are there any humbuckers out there I'd like or shall I just stay a strat player?

I play mainly blues, country, fusion type material so aren't looking for high output shredding pickup but do prefer a more woody and responsive pickups.  For crunch, I do quite like the SD Alnico 11 Pro (Not the Slash ones) from what I've heard on YouTube.  I also wonder if I should check out the P rails but wonder if they are a bit of a 'jack of all trades' compromise?  Being English, maybe I should look at Bare Knuckle (but theirs seem a bit heavy) or Kent Armstrong (who are just down the road from me).
 
Any PAF should do it. The Seymour Duncan Jazz is also a very good clean humbucker. Very articulate and not dull at all. To go with that I'd say a 59 at the bridge.
 
I'd go for the P-rails, with a split option and TBX tone controls they sound amazing.
Check my guitar for wiring: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22702.0
 
I think these sound good. Skatterbrane pickups. this is a guitar I built for my dad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kir2ObyehYc
 
Thos scatterbranes sound quite nice.  Not heard of them before.  Which Model are they?
 
Single-coils have a perceived "scoop" in the midrange that makes them sound so good for clean tones. Humbuckers just don't have that attribute.

The Humbucker From Hell" is a low-output pickup with a bright treble, but still won't sound like a single-coil.

One thing that makes a humbucker sound a little more single-coily is wiring it in parallel.

I like pickups that don't hum, so I am a big fan of the Dimarzio "Area" series single-coils as well as the "Injector" neck pickup.

I still insist on a humbucker for the bridge position though, whether it's a hot-rail or a full-size 'bucker.
 
I had a listen to the HFH and it does sound quite nice.  I was a bit put off by the name because it sounded like a Metal Humbucker.  I love Kinman single coils (and their P90's sound great too) but I'm not sure they're quite there with their humbuckers yet
 
Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates are low output PAF style pups. I'd guess they're named after Billy Gibbons 59 Les Paul "Pearly Gates."
 
AutoBat said:
Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates are low output PAF style pups. I'd guess they're named after Billy Gibbons 59 Les Paul "Pearly Gates."
Click to expand...
They are - they're designed after measurements taken from the pickups in that guitar, etc, and they're the pickups he uses in all his other LPs in an attempt to make them sound as good. They're slightly hotter than normal PAFs you'd find in a 59, but not "high output" pickups at all. They just have a tiny bit more... attitude. I think the neck pickup in particular is awesome.
 
Street Avenger said:
Single-coils have a perceived "scoop" in the midrange that makes them sound so good for clean tones. Humbuckers just don't have that attribute.

The Humbucker From Hell" is a low-output pickup with a bright treble, but still won't sound like a single-coil.

One thing that makes a humbucker sound a little more single-coily is wiring it in parallel.

I like pickups that don't hum, so I am a big fan of the Dimarzio "Area" series single-coils as well as the "Injector" neck pickup.

I still insist on a humbucker for the bridge position though, whether it's a hot-rail or a full-size 'bucker.
Click to expand...

You and I are very much alike in this regard.  I rarely want a neck humbucker, unless I'm going for a certain "creamy" sound, and even then, I prefer something like a '59 or AII.
 
BKP does indeed have some options and good sound samples. Rebel Yell or one of the vintage models comes to mind. On that level of expense I would also recommend have a look at Klein pickups. I have their Wicked PAF in the bridge on an HSS strat and use it clean a fair amount of the time. I play almost entirely blues. I've also had a BKP Mule in the bridge and liked it as well.
 
As for the PAF suggestions, whether you like them or not, when the op starts out with "I haven't met a humbucker I  liked clean", the answer is virtually guaranteed to NOT be *the quintessential stereotypical humbucker that defines all others". Just saying.
 
Stonker said:
... For crunch, I do quite like the SD Alnico 11 Pro (Not the Slash ones) from what I've heard on YouTube...
Click to expand...

Have you tried both or your opinion is based from online clips only?
 
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