Question about pickups

[sean]

In the neck position,between the M1 and a split HO1- pickup which has the most convincing single coil tone in an Atom?

[olectric]

I can't answer that question directly, but my experience may help some. I had a 3-M Atom that I traded in for a dual-hum Cobra. The Atom's M1 in the neck sounded GREAT. I gave up that guitar because of the M3 in the bridge...woulda rather had a full humbucker there. Anyway, my Cobra has the H1- in the neck which, when split, sounds very stratty--much strattier to my ears than the M1 in the Atom. But that M1 in the Atom just fit it really well. That pickup was made for the Atom.

I think that you'll get a more true single coil sound out of a split humbucker than an M pickup. The split humbucker really is just a single coil (keep in mind that this makes it a bit weaker). Then again, with its bridge, I don't think that you'll get a *really* convincing strat tone out of an Atom. I've always been a strat player, then I got an Atom with M's because I wanted to be able to do the LP thing and the strat thing. Well, with the Cobra now, I've finally found what I'm looking for--a great rockin humbucker bridge tone that is fairly LPish with the feel (i.e., bridge) and sound of a strat when I want it.

[sylvanshine]

I would expect a split H would get more single coil spank than an M, especially if you use the inner coil. Most people put the M sonically between a humbucker and a single coil.