HH vs HSH

[Grandturk]

My 770DX that I just got is really my first HSH guitar. I've had plenty of H-H, H-S-S, 3xS and 1xH. Generally I just play with a pretty straight up metal lead and rhythm tone, and don't really mess about with a clean sound - so that in between setting is nice, but its maybe 5% of my playing time.

[skins345669]

HSH, although I'm loving my SSH strat more and more (do mini humbuckers count as single? They still have that great strat quack and cut)

[prydogga]

I prefer HH in playability because there's no single messing up my picking and as long as there's a 5 way switch I can do without the single. Although Jems and UVs aren't the same without singles and covered pickups don't work on RGs for me.

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by kotornut

I'm a an HSS or H-S guy myself but I don't really find all the split tones that useful so I guess I like HH better. Of course, if I wanna do some SRV or some blues I find the split neck and mid single coils useful on an HSS but not the neck hum and mid single of a HSH config guitar. HH certainly looks beter to me.

Over a year ago I said this and I take it back. I find positions 2 and 4 (what I meant by "split tones") to be super useful these days. I'm using them all the time. And for a main guitar I wouldn't choose a guitar if I couldn't do that.

1. HSS

2. HSH

3. SSS

4. HH

[Scali]

Originally Posted by kotornut

Over a year ago I said this and I take it back. I find positions 2 and 4 (what I meant by "split tones") to be super useful these days. I'm using them all the time. And for a main guitar I wouldn't choose a guitar if I couldn't do that.

Yea, but I think that depends more on the guitar than on the pickup configuration.
Ibanez puts in a 5-way switch in their H-H guitars, so you still get 'split tones'.
And on old Strats you get a 3-way switch, so you don't have those 2 and 4 'in-between' positions.
I personally like a guitar which can give me both humbucker and single-coil style sounds. It doesn't really matter to me if it has real single-coils or uses split humbuckers, as long as it sounds good.
For me, I'd rate a regular 5-way H-S-S higher than a regular 3-way H-H for that reason.
However, if the H-H has a coil split/tap option with either a push-pull knob or with a 5-way switch like Ibanez uses, then I would prefer it over the H-S-S, because I'd be able to get neck humbucker sounds out of this setup aswell.

[doctormetal]

I prefer the HSH on my RG2550.
I actually use all positions on the 5 way switch, depending on the sound I want.

[MattyG]

HH looks nicer IMO
HSH for sound

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by Scali

Yea, but I think that depends more on the guitar than on the pickup configuration.
Ibanez puts in a 5-way switch in their H-H guitars, so you still get 'split tones'.
And on old Strats you get a 3-way switch, so you don't have those 2 and 4 'in-between' positions.
I personally like a guitar which can give me both humbucker and single-coil style sounds. It doesn't really matter to me if it has real single-coils or uses split humbuckers, as long as it sounds good.
For me, I'd rate a regular 5-way H-S-S higher than a regular 3-way H-H for that reason.
However, if the H-H has a coil split/tap option with either a push-pull knob or with a 5-way switch like Ibanez uses, then I would prefer it over the H-S-S, because I'd be able to get neck humbucker sounds out of this setup aswell.

I'm with you on the straight HSS thing. That's what I play check it out:




I love it so much I just think about getting another just like it.

[eviltwin]

a lot of those examples aren't really singles. The Jem middle is a true single coil, but those HSS configs are really HHH, with stacked singles or double rails. Same for the famous HS config on the RG565.

A split-5 HH is never going to give you true 2/4 position sounds either, since the pups are in the wrong place and don't pick up the same harmonics.

Irrespective, my personal favorites are, in order:
HSH
HH (with coil split JS style)
HH split-5
HS

[Scali]

Originally Posted by eviltwin

A split-5 HH is never going to give you true 2/4 position sounds either, since the pups are in the wrong place and don't pick up the same harmonics.

One of the settings in an Ibanez H-H is the humbucker wired in parallel. Gives a great twangy sound. It may not be a true 2/4 configuration, but who cares? As long as it sounds great, and it does.

[Timbaline]

I like this pickup configuration the best.
http://www.guitarnoize.com/blog/comm...fnel_musicman/

[IbanezDaemon]

Yeah HSH here as well.

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by eviltwin

a lot of those examples aren't really singles. The Jem middle is a true single coil, but those HSS configs are really HHH, with stacked singles or double rails. Same for the famous HS config on the RG565.

First thing is, the guitar came with true single coils and you can keep it that way so it is still a HSS guitar. Same for the 565. The rails pickups are aftermarket. Second, I guess people can argue about whether or not a stacked or railed single voiced humbucker makes the grade or not but I honestly think my single voiced railed humbucking pickups are pretty darn single sounding. I've never had anyone nor myself say "well those don't sound like a single coil." So I'm over it.

[SColfax]

Originally Posted by Tom Gilroy

I use the lone singlecoil as much as any other pickup combination on my Jem, beautiful rhythm tone, I'd dare say I use the "in between" combinations more than I use the humbuckers by themselves.

+1, sometimes the song needs more subtlety.

[rickwh1973]

I've got a Epiphone Les Paul custom silverburst that I recently put active EMG 81/60s into and I love the tone I get from it now.

my 90s Ibanez RG470 axe is HSH config and I kept the stock V8/S1/V7 pickups in for years. They were ok but I didn't realize what I was missing until I redid the Epi with EMG actives...

Very very rarely use the middle single coil in the Ibanez axe...