HSH or HSS for my warmoth guitar build?

[Chriscross]

Hey everyone! I'm kinda new to guitar building, and I would like to build a partsocaster. The only problem is that I don't know what pickup configuration I should use. From what I have seen, it looks like I should use either HSH or HSS. The type of music I like to play is leaned towards hard rock and some metal, but I would also like to play some blues and classic rock. Thanks for your help! 

 

[Mor Paul]

My vote is for HSH.
Get some pups that split nicely, and you have plenty of good tones for blues, rock, metal, and whatever else you need.

 

[dmraco]

what about HXH???  I have alway been a humbucker guy.  I guess it matters what type of GEETAR you are building...HSS looks good on a strat...HXH look good on everything!  :headbang1:

Duncan P-RAILS give a good option for for a HXH setup...

You also can tap the humbuckers for a single coil twang if you like!  I never liked the HSH setup...too much going on...but that is me....GOOD LUCK!

 

[Chriscross]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm going to get a strat body for this build. Do you guys have any wiring diagrams for this type of setup? I'm a real newb when it comes to wiring, so all I would want would be at least a volume knob, a tone nob, and five way switch. Would this be enough for splitting the humbuckers and getting great tone, or would I need more knobs and stuff? 

 

[blue313]

For hard rock and metal I'd say a neck bucker.  Plenty of blues and classic rock have been done on humbuckers so thats not a limiting factor either.  However, a good HSS setup can cover a wide range of tones.  It all depends on what you want out of your neck pickup.  Are you looking for that classic single coil chime or something heavier?  Split humbuckers can be nice, but there's really no substitute for a single coil if you're after that sound.

 

[dmraco]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm going to get a strat body for this build. Do you guys have any wiring diagrams for this type of setup? I'm a real newb when it comes to wiring, so all I would want would be at least a volume knob, a tone nob, and five way switch. Would this be enough for splitting the humbuckers and getting great tone, or would I need more knobs and stuff? 

almost anything you could wish for here....

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/c=MdnSzeX5LapKPpVTomsiq5hVW/category/wiringresources.2_pickup_diagrams/

 

[smavridis]

i have an HxH and i play the same music... maybe a bit more metal, but essentially 60's-early 90's music.

 

[Chriscross]

Blue313, for my guitar, I would probably want a little more heavier tones and wouldn't want a pickup with tones meant only for lighter stuff. This would mean I should have a humbucker for the neck pickup. Also dmraco, thanks for the website, it was on the two pickup page, but it doesn't matter I guess. I have two more questions for you guys: Whay is a HxH pickup configuration (and would you guys post a pic maybe with the reply), and on the warmoth pickguard configurator, there are multiple humbuckers to choose from. Could you guys explain about each one maybe, or are they all the same type of humbucker essentially?

 

[blue313]

HxH

 

[tfarny]

Well, I wouldn't go around saying single coil pickups are 'meant only for lighter stuff' - a lot of the very best guitar music out there has been made on good old single coils. That said, since you want to keep it simple and you lean towards the harder stuff, two humbuckers (HxH) will probably get you all the sounds you need. Most HSH strats just look too "busy" to my eyes. Just make sure to get a nice not-very-hot neck pickup that is versatile with clean and overdriven sounds, then get whatever hell-metal bridge pickup you think is good. A Seymour Duncan '59 or Jazz in the neck will get you all kinds of good sounds and can be paired with a metal-y pickup in the bridge.

Here's a wiring scheme that will give you some good variety of tones from two humbuckers:
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WD2HH5L11_03/Guitar_Wiring_Diagram_2_Humbuckers5Way_Lever_Switch1_Volume1_Tone.html
There are a million ways to wire it up, but that one looks like you'd get a very different sound out of each position. It would require a 5-way super switch.

 

[JaySwear]

how about a universal route? obviously you'd need a pickguard, but it's a good option i think

 

[jay4321]

I think HSH looks cooler on Strats, but that's about all - I never used the middle pickup. If you're more concerned with the practical, then an HxH with a coil split option is probably the way to go, based on what you play. Having said that, I haven't had the best experiences with using the same guitar for blues and the metal... you might want to consider one of each if possible.  

 

[Nando Vallart]

HSS looks cheap... At least put a P90 under humbucker size on neck...

 

[big bob]

I have an hss and just love it. H=dimarzio 1980's classic paf s's= shaller single coill large slug.

 

[Mor Paul]

Actually, H/p90 will get what you need, probably. A coil-split on the H if you want it.

 

[Chriscross]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I just want to get this straight, HSS is more for blues and jazzy stuff, HSH is a HxH with a single coil, and HxH is for metal, hard rock, classic rock, and blues. There is one thing I want to ask you guys though. For the routing for my warmoth strat, it has options for three pickups (SSS, HSH, HSS) and then it has Universal. What does that mean? If it isn't HxH, should I then get a HSH?

 

[smavridis]

Anything is for anything is for anything is for anything. if every guitarist stuck to their genres guitars,  dave murray wouldnt play the strat, john5 wouldnt play a tele and allen collins wouldnt play the explorer. do whatever is comfortable for you. its just personal preference.

 

[tfarny]

OK, before you build a custom guitar, take a full day and visit the best guitar shops in your city - play everything you can get your hands on, through an amplifier that you'd like to own one day. compare stuff side by side and decide what you do like - if  you don't have a preference yet, you should get one quick. If you have this much confusion just deciding between single coils and humbuckers, you are going to tear your hair out when it comes to nut width, pot values, scale, tuners, floyd vs. fender trems, on and on.

Your PRS SE singlecut is a HxH, with moderate output humuckers, great for classic rock and bluesy sounds as you said, not much of a metal guitar though. I think it's a pretty good guitar for the $$ actually. One thing you should consider is upgrading the pickups, electronics, and nut on that guitar and keeping it around for a while, get then get yourself a good strat-type with a hot bridge pickup. You'd have lots of versatility that way for all your different stuff.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I just want to get this straight, HSS is more for blues and jazzy stuff, HSH is a HxH with a single coil, and HxH is for metal, hard rock, classic rock, and blues. There is one thing I want to ask you guys though. For the routing for my warmoth strat, it has options for three pickups (SSS, HSH, HSS) and then it has Universal. What does that mean? If it isn't HxH, should I then get a HSH?

If mounting to a pickguard, always get the body routed for more than your pickguard will accomodate.  If your getting a HxH pickguard, get the body routed for an HSH.  An HSH routed body will accomodate the H, HxH, HSH, and HSS pickguards.  If you change your mind or the pickups, just get a different pickguard and the body is already routed for it.  A universal route is also referred to as a "swimming pool" route.  It has no particular pickup or configuration in mind.  It accomodates all as long as using a pickguard.  There are actually very practical with the modder in mind, but hideous in my opinion.

 

[big bob]

you could allways go HxHxH, or P90xp90xp90, or mini-h x mini-h x mini-h, or even s x s x s x s x s you could even go tele s, p-90, hum

play what you can and decisde from there..