Single Coil Pickups - RW/RP can you hear a difference ??

[garageman]

For the Strat & Tele players, can you hear a difference for strats in position 2 and 4, and for Teles in the middle position... when one of the pickups is reverse wound and reverse polarity from the other ??

 

I know it cancels hum, but can you hear tonal differences ??

 

Would you order them this way ??

 

Thanks in advance

[cratz2]

I don't know how much of a difference I can hear. And if there is a difference, I'm not sure if it's better or worse, just different. I don't have noise issues to contend with, but the Fender CS54s and CS69s are two of my favorite sets of pickups and they are not RW/RP. The Duncan Antiquities which are probably my favorite set overall, come either RW/RP or not.



My CS69s are not RW/RP though I've read that some of them installed in various stock guitars ARE RW/RP. I LOVE the neck and the neck middle tone on that set and again, they are not RW/RP on my set.

On the other hand, I think possibly my best sounding strat overall has Duncan SSL-2s which are RW/RP. The neck+middle is OK, but definitely a step down from the Antiquities, the 54s and the 69s, but very nice. The middle+bridge is probably my favorite middle+bridge tone of any set I've ever owned.

I'd say if you have noise issues at all, I'd probably lean towards the RW/RP but basically I don't think being RW/RP means anything tone-wise in and of itself.

Sorry... I know I probably confused you more than you were before.

[phreddy]

I'd say if you have noise issues at all, I'd probably lean towards the RW/RP but basically I don't think being RW/RP means anything tone-wise in and of itself.:

+1

Scott

[Bro Blue]

I don't know how much of a difference I can hear. And if there is a difference, I'm not sure if it's better or worse, just different. I don't have noise issues to contend with, but the Fender CS54s and CS69s are two of my favorite sets of pickups and they are not RW/RP. The Duncan Antiquities which are probably my favorite set overall, come either RW/RP or not. My CS69s are not RW/RP though I've read that some of them installed in various stock guitars ARE RW/RP. I LOVE the neck and the neck middle tone on that set and again, they are not RW/RP on my set. On the other hand, I think possibly my best sounding strat overall has Duncan SSL-2s which are RW/RP. The neck+middle is OK, but definitely a step down from the Antiquities, the 54s and the 69s, but very nice. The middle+bridge is probably my favorite middle+bridge tone of any set I've ever owned. I'd say if you have noise issues at all, I'd probably lean towards the RW/RP but basically I don't think being RW/RP means anything tone-wise in and of itself. Sorry... I know I probably confused you more than you were before.

+2

The difference, if any, is really not that much. I like mine RW/RP for the hum cancel, though.

[wartoxin]

 

For the Strat & Tele players, can you hear a difference for strats in position 2 and 4, and for Teles in the middle position... when one of the pickups is reverse wound and reverse polarity from the other ?? I know it cancels hum, but can you hear tonal differences ?? Would you order them this way ?? Thanks in advance

 

 

Correcting my post, I guess there are different claims about tone, but but RWRP is not necisarily a classic strat feature.

 

 

I don't see how it could be 'no'. The very signature feature of a strat is the cancelation of that reverse center, based on what I've read. Some describe the sound as a quack. Aside from overdrive/effects, it's one of the things that makes electric guitars distinct from acoustic instruments. I've also heard that it can be wired differently to basically not get the same cancelation / quack and still cancle hum if you want to.

 

[Griffin]

I guess some claim that the quack is more pronounced in non-RW/RP. I can't personally tell a difference.

I never cared about whether positions 2 & 4 are hum-cancelling or not, because I don't like the sound of them with high gain, anyways. Those are for cleans only.

[DaleH]

I don't see how it could be 'no'. The very signature feature of a strat is the cancelation of that reverse center, based on what I've read. Some describe the sound as a quack. Aside from overdrive/effects, it's one of the things that makes electric guitars distinct from acoustic instruments. I've also heard that it can be wired differently to basically not get the same cancelation / quack and still cancle hum if you want to.

 

 

I don't think so. RW/RP calibrated pickup sets are a fairly new thing to strats. Vintage strats are what most feel is the signature strat tone. Those guitars had 3 single coils all wound exactly the same. Like the CS69 pickup set.

[Bro Blue]

I don't think so. RW/RP calibrated pickup sets are a fairly new thing to strats. Vintage strats are what most feel is the signature strat tone. Those guitars had 3 single coils all wound exactly the same. Like the CS69 pickup set.

 

 

With a three position switch. I don't think the five position switch was standard until sometime in the CBS era.

[wartoxin]

 

I don't think so. RW/RP calibrated pickup sets are a fairly new thing to strats. Vintage strats are what most feel is the signature strat tone. Those guitars had 3 single coils all wound exactly the same. Like the CS69 pickup set.

 

My bad, I see that some still call it 'quack' with a non reversed one.

[ILikeGuitar]

Nope..you can go RWRP or just shield the damn thing if not

[DaleH]

With a three position switch. I don't think the five position switch was standard until sometime in the CBS era.

 

 

True dat

So what then is quack a new thing or did they jimmy the switch half way and get quack back in the day?

[Bro Blue]

True dat So what then is quack a new thing or did they jimmy the switch half way and get quack back in the day?

 

 

They moved the switch until both came on. Techs started modding switches for it first so it wouldn't be as easy for the selector switch to slip out of the sweet spot.

[elsupermanny14]

Most Strats will quack if you play the right music. That doesn't have to do with being reverse wound or not. That is just the nature of positions 3 and 4. They quack. I can't hear the difference between reverse wound pickups and those that are not and I am willing to bet that most people can't hear the difference either. Most people that "hear" the difference are either ones who bought a really expensive set of boutique pickups and need to justify it or just hear it i their imagination.

How many of us hear can honestly admit that we can hear the difference. MOST OF US COULDN'T EVEN TELL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN WAGDOG COMPARED HIS GFS GREY BOTTOM PICKUPS WITH HIS FENDER TEXAS SPECIALS!

[Johnny Z]

The main reason for this is hum-canceling, not a tonal difference, I think there is a slight difference in tone. My '62 reissue ('88) doesn't have a rp-rw in the middle position so there is no hum-canceling. Other Strat's I've owned and played most had the rp-rw and I think had a little more out of phase sound in the 2 & 4 positions. There is a way to wire your guitar so you can have the middle work with the neck or bridge together as humbucking if you have a rp-rw. I modded a few Strat's years ago to do this but now I like the original setup better.

[Angry Tele]

no