Mustang pickup tone

[SuspiciousMinds]

In the bridge of my 69ri mustang i've had a seymour duncan hotrails fitted for sometime but it seems to lack treble and "bite" if that makes sense.
Now, i'm not sure if this is due to the pickup or maybe i need to replace the cap (think its a .47 ceramic cap fitted).
Can anyone suggest a suitable replacement single coil sized humbucker that would have more of an edge/bite to it.
Or is there simething i can do to the wiring to give more treble?

[ICBM]

It's the pickup - they have no top-end really. The tone cap has nothing to do with it when the control is up full.

If you want more treble and don't mind a loss of volume and the hum-cancelling, you can coil-split the pickup. You can do this by rewiring the stock selector switch for the bridge pickup, you don't have to replace any parts or lose the option of the loud/middy sound when you do want it.

If you still want a humbucker but with more bite, try a Li'l Screamin' Demon.

[Jaded]

It's the pickup - they have no top-end really.

If you want more treble and don't mind a loss of volume and the hum-cancelling, you can coil-split the pickup.

+1 did this on a friends Jaguar and the split pickup actually sounded pretty good. Had some twang to it and everything.

[SuspiciousMinds]

Ahh, thanks, time for a change methinks.

[ThatBliss]

Could it be the pots? Mustangs come with a 250k installed, which tends to roll off top end. Try switching it for a 500k or even 1Meg pot to really add sparkle.

[SuspiciousMinds]

If the unused wires for coil splitting were soldered to the existing two connected wires then what would that do to the sound?

[ICBM]

If the unused wires for coil splitting were soldered to the existing two connected wires then what would that do to the sound?

If you connect both the red and white wires to either the black or green, you have a single coil. Brighter and quieter.

If you connect the red to the black and the white to the green, you have a parallel humbucker - which sounds similar to a single coil but a little more 'notchy', and is still hum-cancelling.

Nothing to lose by trying it! No parts needed. You can wire the stock pickup switch to give one of those options as well as series, instead of phase - or even series/single/parallel if you want, and make the other switch a pickup selector.

[SuspiciousMinds]

Once again ICBM, thanks for the info, you (and the other guys) have been a great help on a few of my threads - much appreciated!
Hmm....tempted to pull it out and offer it up on the classifieds and then whack a SD junior/lil 59 in as suggested i think.

[ICBM]

Hmm....tempted to pull it out and offer it up on the classifieds and then whack a SD junior/lil 59 in as suggested i think.

Not a Li'l '59... horrible pickup. The JB Jr and Li'l Screamin' Demon are much better. The Li'l '59 somehow manages to be both muddy and thin at the same time, I don't know why! (Other than because it's an overwound ceramic-magnet pickup that bears no relation to a real '59 whatever, probably.)

I'd still try splitting or parallel-wiring the Hot Rails first, you might be surprised how different it will sound.

[SuspiciousMinds]

Hmm...wired the hotrails up tday in parallel and tbh i think it sounds better, certainly with the pups out of phase it sounds great.
I'll stick with it as this until an SD junior comes along.
What exactly does having a pup in parallel do compared to normal?
Apologies if that sounds a dumb question.