2 Hums

[Casper]

Getting used to the new Cobra and its switching. Not to sound like an idiot, but..what are you '2-hum' folks doing when balancing out a different guitar (ie: a classic w/ singles)? I feel like I should set the Cobra up by positions 2-4 and then roll off guitar volume when playing neck or bridge positions. There's obviously a volume diff between the single and hum sounds.
I have mostly been a vol/tone full blast player most of my life and only in old age have I started to work with vol and tone knobs (theres my confessional of the week), so the adjustment is a bit awkward for me.
What are you guys doing, volume pedals? or just using the volume knob to balance?
Just some opinions if you would please...

[Pietro]

Well, ymmv, but with my Hollow Cobra I use the single-coil positions most of the time, so I stray towards positions 2-3-4 (with the tone knob pulled out to split the middle position), and then I either jam it to the lead pickup to pick up the volume for more energy or to the rhythm pickup for when I need that. Also, if I'm playing the middle position (by FAR my favorite on all guitars like this), I do the same thing, just tapping the tone knob in to get a little extra "oomph".

Fact is, I'm a humbucker guy, and my Hollow Cobra is the first "split-able humbucker" guitar I've ever used the split positions on, because the pickups sound so amazingly great split, better than others I've tried. (IMHO, NOBODY's pickups split into single-coil better than the Andersons. I've tried others over the past 20 years, and only the Andersons worked well for this.)

So, I'm using single-coil "tele-ish" sounds for, basically, the first time ever.

I rarely use the volume control, but will sometimes back off of a boost or something on the board when I switch to full-hum. I prefer this to rolling off the volume, which I find very very imprecise. For me it's the EP booster from xotic, which is usually on when I'm in single-coil, and off in humbucker unless I'm playing a lead, which is getting more and more rare, as I find them uninteresting for the P&W music I do.

My Hollow Cobra and my PRS (which doesn't actually split coils, just re-arranges them in creative ways with that 5-way rotary switch) are the only guitars (except, I suspect, my just-back-from-Cali Crowdster Plus 2) I've ever used ALL positions on, almost equally.

[Casper]

Well, Pietro I guess logic really is out the window.. I've been a single coil (or an Andy single coil guy for the last 20 years and I agree, the split hums (H1&H3)actually do sound as good as the SC2 and SD2 on my Classic..and I guess thats what I was leading to..I should set the amp up for the split sounds like I would for my classic and kinda back off the vol on the hum sounds..?

I liked your xotic boost idea too and thought of using my tone press compressor in the same way and either cut in on for single sounds 'boosted' or use it to 'brake' the hum sounds in 1 and 5. Especially for pos 3..that sound is way out there and I am still struggling with it...

I know I should have been using my vol knob more over the years, but I have always had trouble and complaints about my stage volume (what guitarist doesn't?)and I kinda got jaded getting my tone from the amp and pedals and since I rarely ever get a sound check, it was simpler to guess at starting volumes for the night....I have missed out on some great tonal pallets because of this..but old habits are hard to break. Sorry for the novel..:o

[Pietro]

Wow, Shaun, our rigs must be way different. Because Position 3 is the one, for me, that I KNOW if I switch to it it'll be super sweet... every time...

I tried to become a "ride the volume" kinda guy, but I just am not that way and I don't think I want to change that too much. On the very rare occasion I do use my volume control for this (ONE time in the last five years actually), I get a little frustrated that I can't always get to the right spot because, again, it's so imprecise.

I do occasionally ride the tone on my Cobra and my US Masters (the only SSS --actually hum-canceling, though-- guitar I've ever kept, because they are so useful. My Godin only sounds great with the tone wide open, and my Crowdster Plus 2 has no tone control, neither does my PRS.

I think the Tone Press idea will be GREAT! I occasionally drop my Keeley off for the hum setting, but usually just use the EP.

[Casper]

[QUOTE=Pietro]Wow, Shaun, our rigs must be way different. Because Position 3 is the one, for me, that I KNOW if I switch to it it'll be super sweet... every time...

I don't mind position 3 for some rhythm stuff, but the sound gets away from me and thats one sound I really have to roll the tone and vol back on. Its very country sounding and I'm not a country player. Thats the way it is with the H1 & H3 I guess. It may sound different with and HO/HC or hotter/lower rated pickups..
I absolutely LOVE the Neck and bridge sounds though and LOVING the guitar overall..

[tom]

i set my amp for the bridge pickup full. nice and big. then i adjust the height of my neck pu to work well with it. i'm almost always an m1 in the neck so it's easy to get a little less output and clarity compared to the bridge humbucker.
i use the middle sound lots, maybe even most of the time unless. it's my go to clean sound cause i like the clarity. i use my volume control all the time so the different levels for splits aren't an issue, and usually the split sounds are for things that aren't as loud anyway.