Question about changing Silo Pickup

[Mick]

I have a Silo with HB/SC/HB. I don´t like the SC too much so I will change it with a noiseless SC of another brand.
My question: Since the Pafpros aumatically split in the 2+4 position of the 5way is the actual SC in the Silo reverse wound so that there is no hum from the paf(now switched to SC) in these two positions ???
And will I loose this when I change it to a standard noiseless SC??

Thanks a lot and have fun at the open house

 

[beej]

You are correct. If you put in a noise-free single coil, then you'll get hum in the 2 & 4 positions.

 

[beej]

I had this same dilemma when I updated my silo special with Bill Lawrences, though there was only one humbucker to deal with.

Rather than wire up the silent circuit (which I realize you don't have on the silo) to handle the split humbucker + noise-free single (which would have induced noise), I decided not to split the humbucker in the in-between position (a la Luke). Since I'd picked a bridge HB that was well balanced, the sound was still really pleasing and had some quack to it.

Guess what I'm saying is, if you go with the Kinman in the middle she's gonna hum unless you don't split the HBs. And if you do that they may be way unbalanced, so you'd end up needing to go with different HBs.

Or, I guess you could find a silent circuit on eBay and wire it up for 2 & 4 ... but that sounds like quite a pain as well!

 

[Mick]

Thank you
Since I have to be humfree onstage I ´have to live with it unless someone at the forums has another idea.
Anybody????

The inbetween 2+4 sound ok through my twin but in my showband I have to play through a
Modeller F/X Boss VF-1 and somehow the middle positions sound more thin than through an amp, hmmm. And would love to have a kinman in the middle.

 

[mhorse]

One solution could be to replace middle pickup not with Kinman, but with one of those 4-conductor Dimarizo singles (technically they are more like humbuckers or stacked humbuckers, but sound more like single-coils). That way you can split both humbucker and single coil in position 2 and 4. I believe SD makes singles like this as well. Go to Dimarzio website and check out Hum-canceling Start pickups section. Sorry I can't give you the link - their website uses Flash.

 

[Mick]

But the SC has to be reverse wound to have an humbucking effect then.
I will try something I have in mind and let u know

 

[beej]

Another thought- it's what I've done on my homemade strat that had a noisefree single in the middle. Requires adding another toggle switch.

Rather than split the humbuckers in the 2 / 4 positions, keep them in humbucking mode and simply combine them with the single. (Neat sound, doesn't quack as much as you might want.) But add a toggle to select between series / parallel wiring on the humbuckers.

In parallel mode they'll have 1/4 the inductance and be similar in output to the single, yet noise-free. So in pos 2 / 4 and with a flip of the toggle, you'll get the characteristic quack, but it'll be totally noise free.

Advantage- all of the pickups are quiet. You also get the benefit of an almost S / S / S guitar when the toggle is engaged.

Disadvantage- you have to wire up and place another toggle switch, and it isn't quite as quick to switch into this setting in pos 2 / 4.

Anyway, just though I'd share that. Not for everyone, but I have an HSH guitar wired up like that and really like it. Also wired up my Morse with a series / split / parallel toggle so I can get those sounds from it.

 

[Mick]

Nice thought.
Messed around with a 4 layer 5way switch and had the parallel HB wiring before dues to noise cancellation but didn´t care for the sound.
Back to where I´ve started - all original and I´m waiting for Chris Kinmans Humbuckers til the end of this year ))
Everything is solved then - They will be as good as his SCs I hope (I almost know- will buy them blindly)
But thanks anyway

 

[beej]

Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

 

[Mick]

Well it will take a while till they are available. But then I will post.