Reverse Wound Pickups

[taclassic]

I have a question regarding reverse wound pickups and their actual purpose.

From what I have heard, they are used in a set of pickups to get the correct phase when in use with other pickups (i.e. in between strat sound).

Why do Anderson guitar S-S-H combos use a reverse wound in the neck position, while the S-S-S combo uses it in the middle position?

Finally, can one just reverse the leads in a non reverse wound pickup to get the same effect?

Thanks,

[bruce]

I'll take this one since nobody else has taken a shot..

You are correct in that a reverse-wound pu is meant for a "in-phase" sound when combined with the pu next to it...that is the reason that the humbucking pickup was made that way...(I think).

In a typical Anderson S-S-S arrangement the middle pickup is reverse wound and reverse polarity. So, for example when you have position 4 selected on a 5-way switch, (middle and bridge), you are getting it "hum-cancelling." Same goes for position 2.

In a typical Anderson S-S-H arrangement the H has it's forward coil already reversed from the S in the middle positon, so that means position 4 will hum cancel. This is why the neck S wants to be reversed from the middle S in a S-S-H config.

And, no, you can't just reverse the leads on a pickup and get the same effect...it has to be magneticly polarized reversed at the same time.

[taclassic]

Thanks Bruce. That is a lot of help.