Gigging With Single Coils and Humbuckers

[BoogieMKIIA]

When playing out with a Tele and Les Paul, do you use any type of boost for the single coils and off for humbuckers?  Adjust your amp after changing? Just let it be?  

I have a clean boost at the end of the chain used for solos, not adjusting guitar differences. I sometimes use the amp gain or master when switching. Not confident I end up back where I started. Sometimes seems to depend on room and overall volume.

What do others use and why? Not really trying to change or buy a pedal, looking for ideas I haven’t considered.

[Jakeboy]

When I was playing out weekly, I used whatever guitar sounded right for the particular song….typically buckers for the heavier stuff and singles for cleans, edge of break up and light OD. I didn’t use many pedals then. Guitar volume knob 8-10 was my boost. Occasionally tweaking the NMV amp volume for more dirt.

[veatch]

I have a compressor that I like to use on strat sounds, so I goose the level a smidge to bring it up a touch to balance with the buckers.  

For what it's worth, I designed this little circuit to put in guitars with coil taps. (No compressor needed. : )

 

 

[cmatthes]

3 hours ago, veatch said:

I have a compressor that I like to use on strat sounds, so I goose the level a smidge to bring it up a touch to balance with the buckers.  

For what it's worth, I designed this little circuit to put in guitars with coil taps. (No compressor needed. : )

 

 

Great demo!  That should be posted on the Shishkov USA FB page... 

[Disturber]

For switching between a humbucker and a P90 guitar I don't use a boost pedal for the P90. However, as I play Marshall's, the singlecoils sound way more trebly and harsh if I have the amp set to sound great with humbuckers. So I usually have like a drive pedal that I turn the treble down way low when switching to P90's. The Newport with the Phat Cats is even brighter. I really dig the Way Huge Green Rhino as it has a very tweakable Eq that works well for this. If I ever play my tele then I have to adjust the Marshall's eq for just that guitar. So harder to switch between gutiars then.

[BoogieMKIIA]

 

Thanks, all. And future responders.

Don't really want another pedal but it is a good point to use one early in the chain to try to balance gain and EQ a bit.

I guess two different amps is an option if you have the room and don't mind packing more. Or some sort of modeler.

There is a lot to be said for using guitar volume and tone controls. I kind of miss that approach.

[Dave Scepter]

For me, the easiest way is a EQ pedal with volume level 

[Biz Prof]

I tried a lot of different options, including clean boosts, OD pedals, compressors.  I finally settled on a JHS Clover, and it works the best of everything I've gigged in terms of goosing a guitar with lower-output singles.

[Teh]

I'm pretty much a single coil guy in my current gig - Strat and Tele into a Deluxe Reverb.  I know you said no new pedals but for those who may be inclined to give one a try, Here are a couple definitely worth a look:

1.  Universal Audio MAX - I have been chasing a compressor for years that sounds like what I hear in my head.  After way too much money spent on other pedals this one does it.  Dual channel design, I use the LA2A side for clean sustain, and 1176 side with the tube preamp at around 9:00 to offer up a nice little grind.  Lots of nice features, this can get as squishy or transparent as you want.  I'm very impressed with the MAX.

2.  REVV Shawn Tubbs Tilt OD - Killer overdrive tone, but the big selling feature on this one is the boost.  Lots of videos on YT if you are interested.

The Tilt would be the one I would recommend if you are looking primarily for boost.  The way it cleans up the low end mud is worth the price of admission.

[Dutchman]

I switch between a 2 humbucker tele, a Special with Humbuckers and single coil Melancon Strat.

This pedal does it for me!

Boost, EQ and Compressor all working in harmony. 

[JGale]

JRAD for the win!

[BoogieMKIIA]

Damn, more equipment to research!  Reminds me I have an MXR 10 band, and old MXR micro amp, maybe some other stuff in the closet. The struggle between frugality and justifying new stuff.

 

 

[BubbaVO]

On 8/23/2023 at 10:16 PM, veatch said:

I have a compressor that I like to use on strat sounds, so I goose the level a smidge to bring it up a touch to balance with the buckers.  

For what it's worth, I designed this little circuit to put in guitars with coil taps. (No compressor needed. : )

 

 

Great idea.  Do you have the schematic for that?

[veatch]

Check yer PM. : )

[tweed]

On 8/23/2023 at 9:16 PM, veatch said:

I have a compressor that I like to use on strat sounds, so I goose the level a smidge to bring it up a touch to balance with the buckers.  

For what it's worth, I designed this little circuit to put in guitars with coil taps. (No compressor needed. : )

 

 

Interesting.....Can this also be used on a single coil pickup to boost it for a solo?

[veatch]

Certainly, but with all of the pedals out there, that might be a simpler route. 

[The Shark]

I play a Kemper Stage Profiler.  I have identical pre-sets for singles and hums.  Basically, I adjust the gain, volume and tone in separate "Scenes" that I just call rigs.  I don't necessarily want the singles to sound like the hums, just like smooth EQ and parity of volume in the rig.

[BoogieMKIIA]

I may have an idea to use with what I have. Seemed to have found a sweet spot on my Xotic SP Compressor with Tele. I’ll check with a humbucker guitar again, but may not use compression with humbuckers. Set the gain up on the compressor balance.

Recently ordered a Sarno Earth Drive, mostly to see if it would give a better low gain dirt sound than the Valve Reamer. It can also be an option for balancing. 
 

In the final analysis, will twist a few knobs if that yields the best tones per guitar type.