Reversing polarity

[big h]

Dimarzio tech has sugested I get a reverse polarity blue velvet bridge pickup. What does reversing polarity do to the tone?

[Champagne Mist]

Doesn't it invert the phase of the pickup?

[kabuki]

Technically it is known as "reverse wound/reverse polarity". You need a RW/RP single pup in the middle position so that the 2 and 4 positions of a typical H-S-H guitar will be hum cancelling. If you use a regularly wound single coil, the 2 and 4 positions will produce 60 cycle hum.

[big h]

Thanks for the info! It makes sense because I was advised by Dimarzio tech to put the reverse polarity Blue Velvet in the middle, a Super Distortion Humbucker in the bridge, and a Pro Track single coil sized humbucker in the neck. Is this a good combination?

[frankfalbo]

The 2 outside pickups are humbuckers. If you are going to split them into single coils in the 2 and 4 positions, then you need the middle single coil to cancel hum with the neighboring coil of the neck and bridge. If you are not going to split the humbuckers, it doesn't matter which polarity you choose because you'll have the same single coil noise anyway. If you do split them by shorting the coil jumper to ground, then Dimarzio should know which coils are active and whether or not you'll benefit from a RWRP middle. If they are wrong, you can be mad at them. You can also use an alternate method of coil cutting by linking the coil jumper to hot. That will select the opposite coil and then cancel hum.

[bduersch]

Yep, that's the way I've done several H-S-H guitars... always use a RWRP Blue Velvet in the middle (I've used the BV with just about every wood and Dimarzio humbucker combination, and it always sounds great!)

Only place I've ever been able to get RWRP pickups from is direct from Dimarzio--nobody seems to stock them. Of course, you could special order them, but then you just have to wait! Grrrrrr...

--B