Sinlge Coil, Parallel and Series

[Mr Cougar]

Hi chaps, can someone please explain in terms I can understand the difference between Single Coil, Parallel and Series?

What is the difference in sound? Can you wire up a bass so that you can flick a switch between the settings.

For example if I had two humbuckers (like MMs) what would the options be regarding wiring them up, putting in switches and what would the effect be on the sound or hum?

I'm researching getting a bass made and my preffered config would be a pair of MMs (I'm thinking two Delano MC4 HEs) but I'm unsure how to approach the wiring/configuration side to get the most versatile set up.

[Gazm]

I decided to wire up a bass with series/parallel push/pull switches on each pickup but I find I always use the series setting on both pups. The parallel setting lacks the volume and bottom end on this particular bass. It might be a different story on other pickups, the ones in question a MECs on a fretless bass.

Pete.

[bremen]

[quote name='Mr Cougar' post='143709' date='Feb 20 2008, 02:37 PM']Hi chaps, can someone please explain in terms I can understand the difference between Single Coil, Parallel and Series?

What is the difference in sound? Can you wire up a bass so that you can flick a switch between the settings.

For example if I had two humbuckers (like MMs) what would the options be regarding wiring them up, putting in switches and what would the effect be on the sound or hum?

I'm researching getting a bass made and my preffered config would be a pair of MMs (I'm thinking two Delano MC4 HEs) but I'm unsure how to approach the wiring/configuration side to get the most versatile set up.[/quote]

I have a Seymour Duncan MM and have wired it for parallel/one coil only. In parallel it's amazingly quiet (as in doesn't buzz near the amp) but I prefer the single-coil sound. It's hard to describe, it's just a bit more 'musical' somehow. I haven't tried series wiring but I'd expect it to give a huge boost to the low end at the expense of treble. I could draw you a diagram for a switch to select single/parallel/series - it needs a 2 pole 3 way switch (do these exist in any shape other than rotary?)

[simon1964]

The MEC pickups on the Warwick $$ have switches which allow you to switch between single coil, parallel and series. Both pickups can be switched independently - so you can have one running in single coil mode and one in series, for example.

I don't pretend to understand the whole technical background, but essentially the single coil mode gives a clearer (and quieter) sound reminiscent of a Jazz bass. The humbucking modes are fatter and more aggresive (on the Warwick, giving a sound between a Precision and a Stingray to my ears).

The differences between parallel and series are more subtle, but noticeable, the series being a fatter, louder sound. Personally I prefer the parallel setting as the series can be a bit over the top and ''boomy''.

Edited February 20, 2008 by simon1964

[clauster]

In a single coil you have one coil around one magnet - nice clear tone, but any environmental inerference will generate a hum in the coil.

In a humbucker you have two coils wired opposite to each other. You still get the hum in each coil but when they are added together the hums cancel each other out.

The Fender S1 switch is basically a series/parallel switch - in series the signal from the first coil goes through the second coil too, in parallell the signals from the two coils are mixed together from the outputs of each coil.

Traditionally (especially in guitars) if you have any choice at all it's a push/pull pot offering single coil or parallel. The best known series humbucker s probably the P-bass.


Not sure this makes sense, it's been a long and horrible day.

[Lfalex v1.1]

The Warwick $$ (Double-buck) configuration mentioned above is a good reference point.

It has 2x MEC Open-poled "Musicman" style Humbuckers, which may be independently configured (by 2 3-way switches) as;

Single Coil
Parallel
Series



Other controls;

Volume (probably passive on a pull-up pot if it follows Warwick convention)
Pan
Bass
Treble

Check out G&L basses, too. They use a similar, if less flexible system, and sound great.

Have a look on Warwick.de's support pages under the $$ models. They'll likely have a PDF of the wiring diagram to download.

+1 to what everyone else has said about the various sounds/ tones on offer.

[alexclaber]

You can also run a pair of pickups in series or parallel, as with the Dingwall switch we used on my custom bass. That gives you a choice of neck/series/parallel/bridge, with the parallel giving the usual 50/50 pickup sound with subdued mids and the series giving more volume (6dB theoretically), less treble and more boomy thickness. I did consider individual series/parallel switches on the pickups too but you can have too much of a good thing!

Alex

[Mr Cougar]

cheers guys I'm starting to get the idea here, is a similar option available on the Musicman HH configurations or do they just have one setting??

[bremen]

[quote name='Mr Cougar' post='143847' date='Feb 20 2008, 05:09 PM']cheers guys I'm starting to get the idea here, is a similar option available on the Musicman HH configurations or do they just have one setting??[/quote]

You can wire MM pickups single/parallel/series. I've seen a diagram somewhere online, can't remember whether it's the Seymour Duncan or Musicman site.

[Hit&Run]

Don't stingray 5s and sterlings have a series/parallel/single switch?

I've got a G&L tribute that has a series/parallel switch. I think I prefer the parallel option as it gives more articulated/defined sound (to my ears anyway), but I'd use series if I needed to 'go nuclear' at a gig.

Edited February 20, 2008 by Hit&Run

[dub_junkie]

[quote name='Mr Cougar' post='143847' date='Feb 20 2008, 05:09 PM']cheers guys I'm starting to get the idea here, is a similar option available on the Musicman HH configurations or do they just have one setting??[/quote]

just the one setting and I'm pretty sure both pickups are wired in series on the SR5 HH.