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hi guys....i have a question about hum-cancelling in pickups, particularly two Phat Cats.....which are humcancelling when combined in the middle position

my question is, if i am in the middle position with the 2 Phat Cats, and lower the volume of one of the pickups (this is a les paul style wiring) will the hum begin to gradually fade back in as i lower one of the pickups volume, or will it just stay constantly humcancelling?...i guess i am wondering if there is a relevance to signal level (will lowering the signal of one of the pickups increase the hum since its effect on the sound is fading away?) with humcancelling?

anybody have 2 Phat Cats to see how this works?

In typical Gibson wiring, the two pickups work off of the same volume knob. One knob affects both pickups.


Originally Posted by big_blackIn typical Gibson wiring, the two pickups work off of the same volume knob. One knob affects both pickups.

i don't understand that


Originally Posted by big_blackIn typical Gibson wiring, the two pickups work off of the same volume knob. One knob affects both pickups.

this is a factually incorrect assertion

i am sorry that i cannot answer your question about humcancelling and phat cats .. i have no experience with them ... given that one of them is RW/RP compared to the other, as long as there is enough signal from the 'turned down' pickup, it might be enough to cancel the hum

would be interesting to try

let us know if you do

good luck
t4d

It's an odd thing and I personally can't explain it very well but I know there is a mod you can do to get the volumes to work independently when both pups are selected.

Don't know if its true after reading T4D's post just something I always found some people did to theyr guitars. If it works or not... beats me, especially since T4D's post.


Originally Posted by tone4daysthis is a factually incorrect assertion

Factually incorrect? I don't know what you mean, unless you misunderstood me. I was saying that either of the volume knobs affect both pickups in typical Gibson wiring regarding the middle position. If you turn down either of the volumes, both pickups are turned down...in the middle position.

on my LP, when i turn down the volume on the neck pickup, the sound becomes more and more like the bridge pickup, as if the neck pickups signal is being turned down and less effective on the sound...and vice versa......this is why i was assuming that the volumes were still independent of eachother even in the middle position....am i wrong, or just imagining this? or could it be wired that way? sure seems like it is definately the way i am hearing it.....when i am in the middle position, and turn the neck pickups volume down to 1, it sounds almost the same as the bridge pickup sounds on its own, just a little different.....when i turn the neck volume all the way to 0, the sound completely turns off. So, i was wondering if the humcancelling would still work if i were to turn the neck volume down to 1, which would give me a very close tone to the bridge pickup if it were selected on its own, except it would be humcancelling........get what i'm sayin?

You're right Flank. But it's also true that when both pickups are selected and the switch is in the middle position, even though when you turn down just the neck pickup and the bridge pickup seems to dominate, eventually when you turn the neck pickup volume down far enough it'll turn off both pickups and you'll hear no signal. Lew


Originally Posted by flankon my LP, when i turn down the volume on the neck pickup, the sound becomes more and more like the bridge pickup, as if the neck pickups signal is being turned down and less effective on the sound...and vice versa......this is why i was assuming that the volumes were still independent of eachother even in the middle position....am i wrong, or just imagining this? or could it be wired that way? sure seems like it is definately the way i am hearing it.....when i am in the middle position, and turn the neck pickups volume down to 1, it sounds almost the same as the bridge pickup sounds on its own, just a little different.....when i turn the neck volume all the way to 0, the sound completely turns off. So, i was wondering if the humcancelling would still work if i were to turn the neck volume down to 1, which would give me a very close tone to the bridge pickup if it were selected on its own, except it would be humcancelling........get what i'm sayin?Hmm, that's odd. LPs must be wired differently from SGs, that is the experience I am speaking from. On all my SGs, the volume knob affects both pickups equally.

I think SG's and Les Pauls are wired the same. If so, each pickup goes first to its own volume control and then the output of each volume control goes to the switch. When the switch is in the middle position the two volume controls are very interactive. However, the volume controls can definately be used to set the balance between the two pickups when the switch is set to the middle position...even through turning either volume control towards zero will eventually result in no volume at all from the guitar.

Lew


Originally Posted by LewguitarI think SG's and Les Pauls are wired the same. If so, each pickup goes first to its own volume control and then the output of each volume control goes to the switch. When the switch is in the middle position the two volume controls are very interactive. However, the volume controls can definately be used to set the balance between the two pickups when the switch is set to the middle position...even through turning either volume control towards zero will eventually result in no volume at all from the guitar.

Lew

I see, thanks for that little bit of info. I guess I never really listened that closely.

With production Gibson wiring, the switch is connected to the middle terminal of the pot and as you turn down a volume pot, the switch gets grounded. In the middle position the two volume pots are physically connected at the switch. It doesn't matter which pot you turn down and turning one down as the same effect on both pickups. You are opening a path to ground for both pickups at the same place at the same time. This should not allow for hum or make one pickup more audible than the other.

Fender Jazz bassas and the 50s wiring for LPs is different and in those cases you are grounding the pickup, not the output of the guitar. In this case you will hear one pickup over the other and the hum will come back almost immediately.

Grab a jazz bass and check it out.

The only gibson's I tried are equipped with just one pup so I have to ask this (I have tried an normal lp but it was too odd for me, not to mention heavy).

What if you set the bridge for a value and the neck for another value, for instance 5 and 8, when you select both pups what value will you be at?
Also, if you control your volume with the neck, would it be any different than controling it with the bridge?
And what happens if you alrenate your volume pot whlie both pups are selected.

It would probably be best for me to just borrow that lp again but it would take a long time for me to get it and I'm curious now.

i got the answer from Kent S.......he says the hum will gradually come back as i gradually roll down the volume of either pickup....so my idea won't work

my LP definately has been wired so that each volume works independently in the middle position, and when one volume is turned to 0, the sound cuts out


Originally Posted by big_blackFactually incorrect? I don't know what you mean, unless you misunderstood me. I was saying that either of the volume knobs affect both pickups in typical Gibson wiring regarding the middle position. If you turn down either of the volumes, both pickups are turned down...in the middle position.

ah, i think the thread has illuminated the disconnect - your original statement was just a bit overbroad ... while it is correct that in the middle position one can observe that the total output of the guitar can be controlled by either volume pot (when turned lal the way down), it is not the case in all positions ...

glad it got clarified

t4d


Originally Posted by tone4daysah, i think the thread has illuminated the disconnect - your original statement was just a bit overbroad ... while it is correct that in the middle position one can observe that the total output of the guitar can be controlled by either volume pot (when turned lal the way down), it is not the case in all positions ...

glad it got clarified

t4d

I had not idea that it was a gradual roll off...ya' learn something new everyday(hopefully)!

I don't have phat cats, but I can tap both humbuckers, and yes, as you turn one down the hum gets louder. Good call on the Jazz Bass, mine is the same too...