Hummm with Vintage Voicing?

[Ray K.]

I'm getting 60 cycle interference when I switch to Vintage Voicing on my HDT with HSH configuration at church. What has me puzzled is I don't get it in the 2/4 split positions. Also, the VV is only causing the pot to "see" 250 or 500k, right?

Btw, any true single coil guitar I try to use has the same problem, so it is not a friendly environment in that respect only.

What gives? Why is the sky blue?

Thanks,
Ray K.

[tom]

vintage voicing only makes the single coils happy to see a 250k load, it has nothing to do with hum. a single coil is still a single coil. the 2 and 4 positions have t20 singles on so they can humcancel each other.

[Ray K.]

Tom, thanks for confirming. So, now you know why I'm baffled. I am getting hum (or buzz) when switching to VV. :confused:

Could a ground be getting dropped when I flip the toggle switch? Do you have any trouble shooting ideas other than me opening it up and making sure all the solder joints are good?

Otherwise I have a dead quiet rig and only have 60 cycle problems with true single coils in other guitars (eg. "Tele") or the VV on my TAG.

Thanks,
Ray K.

[tom]

there is no vintage voicing switch. you are getting hum when you switch to single coils and only have one on. there is no fix for single coil hum when you have a single coil on. you can choose to rewire so you always have humcancelling coils on but they will sound different than the true single coils. do you have a 5 way or switcheroo? if you have switcheroo, you can change it with the little switches in the back. 5way would require more extensive wiring changes.

[Ray K.]

Okay, I guess I'm getting confused with the terminology again... :o

I have the 5 way selector switch, btw.

So, If I'm in position #4 (middle single and bridge humbucker combined) and flip the mini toggle switch up, it definitely sounds single coil. So this is the bridge pickup split and in series with the middle pickup, correct? Also the Vintage Voicing is kicked in automatically to get 250k. Good so far?

When you say I'm getting hum from having only one single coil on, I'm assuming you mean one of the humbuckers split, since the SA "single coil" is supposed to be hum canceling by design (stacked).

Also, not to get off topic, but just so I can be clear, the push/pull pot adds the bridge humbucker only when the selector is in the #1 or #2 position?

So, borrowing from your web site is the following correct for my HDT?:

* Position 1: Neck Pickup (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 1 alt: (with push/pull in up position) Neck + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 2: Neck + Middle Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 2 alt: (with push/pull switch in up position) Neck + Middle + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 3: Middle Pickup (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 4: Middle + Bridge Pickups (series or split with toggle selection)
* Position 5: Bridge Pickup (series always)

Bear with me and I promise I'll print this once you get me sorted out with the operational aspects of my guitar. ;)

Btw, I don't believe I want to change the wiring. I'll deal with it. Fortunately I rarely need true single coil sound. Until the day I can afford another Anderson, I'll use one of my "S" or "T" type guitars with noiseless pickups to get by.

I really appreciate your time and patience, Tom!

Thanks,
Ray K.

[tom]

the SA is a stacked humbucker so it can be run in humcancelling or true single coil mode. the mini switch is a master splitter. when it is up all 3 pickups are split, true single coil, regardless of where the 5 way is. the middle pickup will humcancel when combined with either the neck or bridge to make quite single coil combinations. if your guitar has the "B5" wiring, the bridge pu will always be a full humbucker in position 5. it is most common for hsh guitars to have the master splitter though.
when ever any pickups are in combination they are connected in parallel, never series.

[Ray K.]

Okay, I got it! :rolleyes:

See, my excuses are: A) I was at work and my TAG was at home, B) The noise problem at church is intermittent and C) As crazy as it seems, I rarely play my HDT here at home.

Anyway, I pulled it out of the bag and started playing and also tapping on the pickup coils as I ran through the switching. I'm listing the results here for prosperity, and so I can refer back to it next time I have a "senior moment."

Toggle Switch in down position (off):
* Position 1: Neck Humbucker only
* Position 2: Neck Humbucker and Middle in Parallel
* Position 3: Middle only
* Position 4: Bridge Humbucker and Middle in Parallel
* Position 5: Bridge Humbucker only

Toggle Swith in up position (on):
* Position 1: Neck Humbucker Split
* Position 2: Neck Humbucker and Middle both split in Parallel
* Position 3: Middle split
* Position 4: Bridge Humbucker and Middle split in Parallel
* Position 5: Bridge Humbucker Split

Tone pot pulled up:
* Position 1: Neck Humbucker and Bridge Humbucker in Parallel
* Position 2: Neck Humbucker, Middle and Bridge Humbucker in Parallel
* Position 3: N/A
* Position 4: N/A
* Position 5: N/A

Sorry to put you through this on a Monday, Tom. Thanks again for your help and patience! :)

Ray K.

[tom]

since your bridge humbucker is splitting in pos 5, you do not have B5, but a standard master splitter.

[markus]

Very interesting! I didn't realize that the Master Splitter would also turn the stacks into true single coils. Very cool!!! :cool:
From a sonic perspective, what would a split SF1 compare to? VA's? SN's? Or does it simply have its own sound?

[tom]

sf's and sc's were meant to run in stack mode all the time, so the humcancelling tone is brighter than we have been able to accomplish in the past. if you were to split it, it would be brighter than any of our vintage style offerings. we will be shipping the sc's and sf's with 2 conductor wiring in the future to avoid doing the "wrong thing".

[markus]

I guess I'm a bit confused now, Tom. :confused:
My latest Classic has the pretty typical 5 Way, Splitter, VA Booster, Pull Adds Bridge switching option with SF2R, SF2, HN3+ pickups.
Currently, would the Master Splitter also split the SFs or only the HN3+?

[tom]

pretty sure it's just a bridge splitter.

[pipedwho]

Very interesting! I didn't realize that the Master Splitter would also turn the stacks into true single coils. Very cool!!! :cool:
From a sonic perspective, what would a split SF1 compare to? VA's? SN's? Or does it simply have its own sound?
I replaced a set of SD1s with some SF1s (4 conductor wiring) on my switcheroo Drop Top. In the old configuration, I preferred the split sound of the SD1s over the hum cancelling mode. But, the SF1s have a much sweeter hum cancelling sound that I prefer to the split sound.


sf's and sc's were meant to run in stack mode all the time, so the humcancelling tone is brighter than we have been able to accomplish in the past. if you were to split it, it would be brighter than any of our vintage style offerings. we will be shipping the sc's and sf's with 2 conductor wiring in the future to avoid doing the "wrong thing".
This is a good thing to do. The hum cancelled tone is very 'sweet vintage' on its own and the split sound is IMO definitely too much of a good thing. I think Kinman agrees that the split option is more likely to confuse than to help, as all his stacked singles are two conductor wiring only. :)

[markus]

pretty sure it's just a bridge splitter.

It sure is, Tom! I checked tonight... the splitter only works for the bridge humbucker in a HSS configuration.