Single Coil Voiced Wide Range Humbucker Style Pickups

Jaime Campbell, who makes custom guitars & handwound pickups from 'The Creamery', his workshop in Manchester has launched his new design of pickup, single coil voiced humbuckers (nicknamed "Wide-O's").

Jaime says that they are “based on an old Wide Range Humbucker trick where 3 of the threaded magnets were removed from each bobbin leaving a hum cancelling single coil tone from the remaining pickup.”

Here is what the has to say:

“While not a vintage recreation of the Wide Range Humbucker & its modification, I’ve tried to create a pickup close to the tone that will fit into a standard humbucker rout. Essentially a single coil but with more presence and fatter tone. Like the standard single coil, each string has its own magnet for clarity & string definition.”

“The magnets in the original WR Humbuckers can now be as low as 30% of their original capacity. This can mean a warmer, clean single coil tone with less output. I’ve tried to create a pickup close to this voicing that will fit into a standard humbucker rout. The magnets I use are Alnico 2 and not charged to their maximum which does lower the output but gives that warm, clear single coil sound. The higher number of winds, 43 AWG gauge wire and Alnico 2 magnets help to keep the balance of output, highs & mids.”

“I also offer a version with fully charged magnets for a more modern sounding pickup with more attack and edge to the tone.”

Please note that these pickups fit standard humbucker cavities – they’re a direct replacement.