Explanation of in-series vs parallel wiring -

[Pieman]

This is what MusicRadar wrote in its review of the Talladega. Can somebody explain the underlined text? Thanks.

"Jol's mention of "series wiring" implies more than the Telecaster's basic three-way selector. Sure enough, here we see one of our favourite Tele upgrades: the four-way switch provides Dantzig's 'in-series' facility, allowing the pickups to be wired 'one behind the other', rather than the more traditional 'side-by-side' (parallel) found in almost all other guitars. Queen fans will know that Brian May's Red Special has the series option and it's this that gives those giant walls of sound."

http://www.musicradar.com/us/reviews/guitars/hamer-talladega-145850

[tbonesullivan]

I believe it means that that a Talladega has a 4 way switch, which is a popular telecaster modification. Most US-designed guitars with multiple pickups have them wired in parallel. This means that the volume level is pretty much the same in all three positions on a standard three way switch. When mixing two pickups together you get a more "airy" sound as often there is some level of phase cancellation. This is what produces the "cluck" of telecasters and the "quack" of stratocasters.

In series however you get the two pickups to add together, so instead of having a more mid-scoooped sound, you've got a more mid-heavy sound, and a more powerful output. It will be more "beefy" sounding, kind of like a humbucker.

Why? Because a humbucker pickup is is two single coils wired in series. While you can coil split humbuckers or wire them in parallel, they were almost universally designed to function as two coils running in series..

They mention brian may because the pickups of the red special are all wired in series. This means the more pickups you have on, the more output you get. The Red Special has 6 switches, 3 on/off and 3 phase switches.

[Bobby Marshall]

I thought the phase switches switched between series and parallel. I must be out of phase.

[gorch]

With regards to the Talladega, in series, both pickups build a humbucker. Tonewise it means that the signal of one pickup flows into the other before being amplified. Typically it creates a fatter sound. Technically, two 7.5k pickups wired in series build up a hot 15k humbucker.

Talking frequencies it is much more complicated. There is the option to connect the second pickup reverse ways. In this case the magnetic direction of the coils will be switched. +/- becomes -/+ . In this case frequencies turn from simple addition to substraction. Listening to Queen music all the fancy cristal and nosey guitar sounds are made from reverse switchings. Since Brian May's guitar is build upon series wiring he's got all the sounds literally available at a switch. On the other hand, his guitar doesn't have parallel wiring. He simply can't play strat and tele tones.

Out of phase means exactly the same as reverse wiring. Magnetic poles are swapped.

Then there is the option to reverse wind the coil of an individual pickup. Instead of clockwise, RW pickups are wound counter clockwise. For two pickups wired together in whatever mode, it eliminates hum noise.

In parallel, all same color wires of the pickups are soldered together respectively. So, the signal of one pickup does not alter the signal of the other pickups. Technically, the resulting signal is not simply the sum of all the pickups. The formula behind is more complex. Two 7.5k pickups in parallel result in 3.75k. 7.5k is the typical measure of PAF humbuckers as well as the Phat Cats, and to my knowledge, the Talladega's Double Ds. Classic single coils for strat and tele are well below 4k. Heavy metalists like to play beyond 15k measured pickups.

Historically I assume, the single coils came first at lower measures at around 3.25k on average. With the hum cancelling idea, the first PAF humbucker simply wired two single coils in series. Measuring 2x 3.25k equaling to 7.5k.

I hope I've got all right and picturesc. To my knowledge, Brian May is the only one guitarist famously using series wiring. Infamously, I use it a lot. My newport have been treated to series and reverse wirings. The Phat Cat pickups sound magnificent in series.