Getting out of Phase sounds.

[RichRS6]

Having just re-wired my standard with push push pots for coil taps I want to get the middle position out of phase.

As I understand it you just swap the ground and hot lead on one of the pick ups around.

Is it best to do this on the neck or bridge pick up or does it make no difference which one you swap ?

Also (I believe) it's possible to do this by turning the magnet around on one of the pick ups, is this a better way to get the OOP sound.

Not worried about being able to switch them in and out of phase as I rarely use the middle position.

Your opinions would be appreciated.

Cheers, Rich.

[Jakeboy]

I have done it using both methods and don't notice a difference between them. Flipping the entire neck pup around while flipping the mag produced less mud on that pup....nails the Peter Green sound. If I only had his fingers.....

[velorush]

Having just re-wired my standard with push push pots for coil taps I want to get the middle position out of phase.

As I understand it you just swap the ground and hot lead on one of the pick ups around.

Yes, this is the way the 80's Specials were wired from the factory.

Is it best to do this on the neck or bridge pick up or does it make no difference which one you swap ?

Electrically it makes no difference. On Hamers it was the neck position that was swapped.

Also (I believe) it's possible to do this by turning the magnet around on one of the pick ups, is this a better way to get the OOP sound.

IMO, flipping the magnet is the superior means of achieving the end you seek. Flipping the magnet (as opposed to swapping the pickup leads) provides a more musical result (and it is flipping the magnet rather than turning it around - you're changing the polarity of the polepieces in the pickup).

What you are going to do is flip the magnet along the long end so that (following this example) S is on the slug side and N is on the screw side. Flipping the magnet along the short side would result in N and S remaining the same relative the coils. Lots of online references:

ETA: I'd be remiss not to add this link to Jol's PG article from some years back.

[gorch]

I'm using it on many guitars by lead swapping.

[velorush]

I'm using it on many guitars by lead swapping.

The benefit of lead swapping is that it can be turned "on and off" with a DPDT switch. The Punkavenger Special FM was so configured. Really nice to have that option rather than have it one way or the other all the time.

[murkat]

flipping the mag yeilds the best true O.O.P. tone.

when I use to build boneyards for Joe, I would do the flip on the rythum pup for Him,

Always got shine from him for nailing it.

wire swap is okay, but the flip is where it's at for that vocal quality.

that,

and swap the pup hot to pot to middle if you have two volumes so you can blend with great results

[Jakeboy]

I will say this, my fave OOP sound came when I flipped the mag and then turned the entire pickup around like PG. Now that I think of it, it was the most vocal. I like it, but I LOVE the middle position tone of 2 buckers wired "normal".

[Bobby Marshall]

If you flip the mag then turn the pickup haven't you only effectively swapped the slugs and screws?

[murkat]

If you flip the mag then turn the pickup haven't you only effectively swapped the slugs and screws?

yes.

But,

No.

when flipping, you have created a phase'd magnetic field between the two pickups.

when you also include turning a pickup, it just brings more creamy icing on the cake.

Turned or not, the mag fields are phased.

[bubs_42]

One day when I finally find THE ONE, i'll send it to Jay to send it over the top.

[RichRS6]

Thanks again for all the helpful info.

I flipped the magnet on the neck pickup (a pair of WB Gregwinds) and have to say it sounds more than just nice and (subjective I know) a lot better than a normal (wiring reversed) OOP BC Rich, this could be the difference between the Gregwinds and the Super Distortions though.

I used the South coils (with the Adjusters in) when splitting the neck P/U as it puts the active coil close to where the 24th fret harmonic is which seemed like a good thing.

[Uncle Thor's Hamer]

Do the same concepts apply to single coil pickups? Does one flip the magnet to get it out of phase?

[murkat]

Do the same concepts apply to single coil pickups? Does one flip the magnet to get it out of phase?

nope. negates string magnetic fields.

this is where you flip wires to get out of phase... like Brian May.

[Uncle Thor's Hamer]

Do the same concepts apply to single coil pickups? Does one flip the magnet to get it out of phase?

nope. negates string magnetic fields.

this is where you flip wires to get out of phase... like Brian May.

Thanks. That explains why single coil guitars have switches with bazillians of combinations but humbuckers don't.