H-S-S config - you use the middle S?

[jackson1]

Weird question i guess, but to you guys'n'girls having the H-S-S pickup config... how much do you actually use the middle single coil?

I'm sitting here contemplating on bondo'ing a H-S-S guitar (project) to H-S and that's why i'm asking. I would do it for two reasons: 1) my pick won't hit the middle pickup and 2) looks better, less crowded.

I never had a H-S-S config before, so i don't know if i would miss it. Help me out here

[diablomozart]

i prefer h-s myself for a lot of applications...but my soloist has h-s-s and i wont change it...reason being the 2 single coils when combined give a beautiful shimmery clean tone...i just lower my middle single coil to where my pick doesn't hit it (yes i pick right there as well)...d.m.

[Big Al]

+1 on lowering the middle pickup, if you can lower it enough.

[neilli]

I never use the middle pickup...

[rjohnstone]

Depends on the guitar... with my PC1, the middle pickup is actualy not in the middle, closer to the bridge pup, so it's not in my way.
On my PC3 however, I have the middle pickup lowered a bit as it IS in the middle and bugs the crap outta me.
I do use the middle pup alot though.

[toejam]

Never cared much for the middle pups either, that's why I got rid of my Model 6 awhile ago. I prefer either H/H or H/S.

[Dave L]

I use the middle singles a lot, actually... and mostly for various clean tones. I miss them on my H/S Collens.

[DonP]

My favorite is the H slant S, found on Predators, Charvel Fusion Deluxe, Model 5FX, or 3DR. I like the H-H as well. I have a DK2 and a Fusion Professional and rarely use that middle pickup position.

Personally, I'd fill it in if you are already doing a re-fin.

diablomozart,

What pickups are you using?

Dave L,

That makes sense. What pickups do you use for the two singles?

[srommes]

I lower the middle pick-up and use positions 1,2,4 and 5 on the selector. With the pick-up lowered, position 3 doesn't have enough umph by itself (unless you get an extremely hot p/u) but if you combine it with the other two p/u's in position 2 and 4 it gives you more versatility.

[shreddermon]

Just a hand position/picking technique issue. Play it enough, and your hand will "learn" to adjust. No biggee, IMHO. Certainly not anything I'd modify a guitar for. Worst case scenario, lower the PU height, as suggested by others above.

...reason being the 2 single coils when combined give a beautiful shimmery clean tone...

Exactly why I love HSS layouts. Either PU alone is pretty good, too. As is the hum-middle single position, for semi-distorted tones.

That said, I love H-S layouts, too. And not just with neck SCs routes.

[maxboost]

H-S-S is my favourite pup combination. If you want to get strat type sounds like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, etc you need the mid and neck single coils. I just lower them a bit and don't worry if i hit the pups with a pick. Makes a versatile guitar with more tone possibilities but, 82.5% of the time i just use the bridge hum.

Nice ax Shredderman!

[jackson1]

Great with all the input! For every new post, my mind change

The guitar in question needs a refin and i'm just wondering if i should do more things to it. Right now i'm leaning towards new paint only, to keep the guitar original so to speak. But H-S sure looks good. It's cheaper too, in pickups

Another thing: would you ever consider matching a Duncan Custom (SH-5) in the bridge with a DiMarzio YJM in the neck? There would be a pretty big difference in output, don't you think?

[HoWheels]

I have a YJM in the mid on my SL1, and the output is EXTREMELY low. It's actually so low that I'm probably going to swap it out with a Chopper or Fast Track


-a

[vondran]

I have a YJM in the mid on my SL1, and the output is EXTREMELY low. It's actually so low that I'm probably going to swap it out with a Chopper or Fast Track
-a

Take the YJM wire that is to ground and connect it to the Bridge hum coil tap wire. This gives more output to the middle position by putting it in series with one of the bridge hum coils. This especially works great for balancing the middle in a H-S-H configs. The nice part is that if you also use the coil tap, which generally grounds the coil tap wire on the hums, it will ground the YJM ground lead turning it back to its normal output when the hums are tapped without any additional wiring or switches. So in normal mode you get a balanced H-S'-H, and then when tapped you get a balanced S-S-S.

Note that if the 2 and 4 positions sound dead when not tapped, then reverse the wiring of the YJM for it is in the wrong phase.

I did this on a H-S-H guitar with an Dimarzio AlDimeola in the bridge, Hum-from-Hell in the neck, and a Virtual Blues in the middle. I found I get great sounds in all positions when I did this.

If you want simply a balanced H-S-S without using this trick, then I found a Duncan 59 is matched well with two SSL-1 Vintage stagger for a very good strat sounds with a lot of chime. One of my other guitars has Dimarzio PAF matched with two FS-1's, which has a stronger and fatter sound, but less chime.

[jtr]

I use the middle S all the time it has more highs. As far as picking goes you'll get used to it you really don't need to dig that far in on the stings. With pickups there is no way any single is going to have the same output a s humbucker .