Humbucker for your neck

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GT

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My electric Strat copy has a humbucker for the bridge, and a regular pickup for the neck. When I use effects, the neck pickup gets noisy.

Question: Is there a good humbucker, that's quieter, and sounds better than a single coil for the neck? And are they hard to replace? All opinions appreciated.
 
If you like the sound of single coils don't put a humbucker on the neck just because of the noise. Use noiseless single coils. I've a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage on the neck of my strat and its great. Look for Kinmans noiseless single coils which is even greater.

It's not hard to replace your pickups just need to learn how to use a soldering rod and be able to identify colors. If you are trying to put a double coil pickup into a single coil slot that's a different story. You'll need to do some woodwork. Else you can go for those blade humbuckers.
 
Hi. There exist various humbucker designs that fit into a single-coil slot. BUT! You already have a HB in the best position on your guitar. Single-coils are slightly noisier, they have that 60-hertz hum and that only when you're not touching the strings, otherwise they should not present a real problem. Your effects maybe amplifying that noise too much.

I have a Yamaha Pacifica "fat strat" type guitar. I installed a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom HB in bridge and then wanted to upgrade the single-coils (just to experiment). I installed a DiMarzzio Virtual Vintage Solo in the neck position. This is not a true single coil - it has a "dummy" coil on the bottom that cancels hum, but isn't electrically wired or something like that, so it sounds "cleaner" than a regular HB, but it ain't a true single-coil either. I find it nice, but nothing special :) Well, I still have the stock single-coil in the middle and it's not worse - Yamaha stock pups are decent (compared to some others).

If I were you I would first try to understand why exactly you get that noise. Then I'd consider a replacement single-coil if I'm still unhappy. If I had my choice now, I'd like to try a Seymour Duncan single-coil, I know I like their HB and bass pups.

P.S. I was very shy about modding my instruments at first, especially messing with the electronics, but one thing after another I learned to do it all (well, yeah, almost). 1 - it's fun, interesting and educating, 2 - it saves money!
 
Theres also two types for positions "N" for neck "N" for middle and "B" for bridge

Tony
 
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