Do I need a single coil equipped guitar?

[darkandrew]

I have a number of humbucker equipped guitars, two of which are an ESP Eclipse with BKP Crawlers and a Fender Showmaster superstrat with a BKP Rebel Yell / VHII combo. In split coil mode either of these guitars can do a fairly good funk rhythm tone (think of Nile Rodgers' typical rhythm playing but with about 1/10th of his skill) but would there be much to gain from getting a "proper" single coil equipped guitar (eg hardtail Strat, Tele or Asat) for this sort of thing?

Edited October 16, 2016 by darkandrew

[Lozz196]

I`d reckon that the Showmaster in split-coil mode is probably 90% there so probably the only things to be gained are, to the good point, a nice shiny new guitar, to the bad point, something else to carry around for gigs.

[JapanAxe]

Splitting a humbucker rarely gives a sound close to that of a lone single-coil pickup, for reasons to do with their construction. The Seymour Duncan JB sounds quite good when split, and some other HBs are allegedly designed to split in a convincing manner.

If you like your split sounds, stay with them. If not, a shopping trip may be in order.

[ezbass]

Having a guitar equipped with just single coil pickups (or at least single coil voiced) avoids the temptation to just hit the switch for that humbucker mid range bump, especially during solos. I'm a big Telecaster fan from an aesthetic POV and my favourite pickups are P90s so my opinion as to 'needing' a single coil, hardtail equipped guitar is somewhat skewed.

[Schnozzalee]

I now have all (Single Coil, P90 and Humbucker).

Some Single Coils just don't cut through, so a Blade can be more practical; however, if you split a Humbucker then I think you cover this ground. As mentioned above, the Seymour Duncan '59 and JB split very well, as does the Jazz.

It's more important to have a Bolt-On and Set Neck Guitar in my opinion, as there's now nothing I can't do (my Yamaha SG does Jazz, but it's normally this Genre that you miss out).

[Bassnut62]

I have a 335 with Seymour 59 and JB that split....they doc fair imitation of a single coil; but really not as good as 50s style Strat with a nice single coil pup at neck and a maple neck for that Nile Rogers sound.
Single could Strats, Teles or ASATs are all great....if you want a great Tele the ASAT Special is killer...pips are very P90

[randythoades]

I love single coil guitars (mainly strats and teles) and they have so much more clarity than humbucker or split humbucker. There is nothing like the real thing, but if the split coil voicing does the job then why bother? The crowd won't know and you have another guitar to carry, set up and get levels right, and then swap from one to another. Or as someone else says, the G&L ASATs have got some great strong pickups that are very P90 like and could cover both roles.
Don't know about anyone else but swapping from a Gibson scale to a Fender scale and back in a short space of time really confuses my fingers...

[therealting]

I have a couple splittable-humbucker guitars (notably a PRS CE24), and about nine Strats... no comparison IMO, the Strat is the sound and the split hums can't compete.

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='therealting' timestamp='1476740436' post='3156926']
I have a couple splittable-humbucker guitars (notably a PRS CE24), and about nine Strats... no comparison IMO, the Strat is the sound and the split hums can't compete.
[/quote]

I'd agree with that; but as someone else mentioned...the audience won't the difference anyway....but I would when playing, so it's worth separate guitars to me.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1476610678' post='3155548']
Splitting a humbucker rarely gives a sound close to that of a lone single-coil pickup, for reasons to do with their construction.
[/quote]
True. I even prefer the sound of a split HB to that of a single coil.

My love for single coils took a real beating after trying out some painstakingly constructed replica vintage 57 single coils for my Hitmaker replica. They were sh*t and were promptly replaced by some modern Fender noiseless singles. I have strong suspicions that Nile's Hitmaker is a bit of a dog in real life but my replica is still nice to practice Chic stuff on.

BTW - a Seymore Duncan P-Rail will give you P90 with humbucker and single coil options.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/p-rails-set

[Dasher]

I have a USA 2004 Tele with the tapped (or split) hum buckers. I used it a lot for gigs where I only needed to take one guitar as I can get a huge range of sounds from it. Is it the same as a '67 blonde maple neck Tele with single coil lip pups? no. Does it do a reasonable job? Yes. If you are looking for a really good single coil though I'd look at a EB Music Man Axis super Sport- love mine and much more of a contrast to humbuckers than even my S/C equipped Tele.
Depends where you are coming from and what you want to achieve though. One the one hand if you have powerful, clipping humbuckers that need little gain to get dirty, then a shrill and piercing bridge s/c is at the completely opposite end of the scale. A vintage s/c neck pup on a Strat can be as creamy as a more laid back, less reactive to gain, humbucker and if you have the latter then you're probably not missing a s/c unless you want that Steve Cropper tone - but that is a pretty special tone and doesn't just come from the guitar!

[Schnozzalee]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1477024432' post='3159293']
True. I even prefer the sound of a split HB to that of a single coil.

My love for single coils took a real beating after trying out some painstakingly constructed replica vintage 57 single coils for my Hitmaker replica. They were sh*t and were promptly replaced by some modern Fender noiseless singles. I have strong suspicions that Nile's Hitmaker is a bit of a dog in real life but my replica is still nice to practice Chic stuff on.

[/quote]

I'm in this camp. My experiences were very similar when I owned a Fender '57 AVRI Strat - I didn't have the pedals to make it work in a band setting.