[marcwormjim]

Short version is the title. long version:

A guitar I bought came with Suhr Aldrich pups, HSH with an FS-1. Though they're the best high-output, hot-rodded PAF set I've tried, I've always preferred lower-output PAFs; more in the Air Classic or Carvin H22 vein - I always find myself sticking with Alnico 5 in the bridge.

My issue is that, in the past, I felt that humbuckers hot-enough to split into decent single-coils tended to just be too hot to be the kind of humbucker I like. After trying a Dimarzio GH5 and Kiesel KH12B Holdsworth in the bridge, I've come around to the fact that you can wind hotter humbuckers with a compensating EQ to make them behave more like a low-output pickup with a boost in front of it, and less like the compressed, clacky, chugga-chugga thing I find a lot of higher-output pups geared more toward metal players have. And these can be split into usable single-coils.

So, the last winning combo I found was a Kiesel Holdsworth in the bridge, with a Satch Track in the neck. I adjusted the height of the Satch Track to where it sounded like a PAF in series, a noiseless strat pup in parallel, and a more genuine version of the same when just split. The Kiesel pup wasn't as versatile, though; with the split tone showing itself as a bit on the weak side when switching between pups.

I want to try something slightly hotter in the bridge, with the outside coil hot and fat-enough when split to not seem wimpy when compared to the Satch Track parallel/split tones. I've always been fond of Dimarzios; and wonder if the PAF Joe is the obvious full-sized alternative to get close to the Satch Track to replace the Suhr with; or if there's a better option for what I want (Gibson jazz tones in series, stratty when split).

[thrill74]

I love the Norton in the bridge of my strat.  Just over 12K D.C. Resistance, it splits very well into the 6k range.  It's not hot in single coil mode but appropriate.  The only other pickup that sounded hotrodded when split was a JB.  It's split tone was almost P90-like.

[jazzfromhell]

Try an Air Zone. It splits beautifully.

[marcwormjim]

Thanks for the recommendations, guys.

Two guitars of mine are Parker Flys, each with an Air Norton in the neck and air-modded Tone Zone in the bridge (stock, the TZ is too hot and bass-heavy for me). To set the guitars apart, one's wired to split to inner coils, and the other to outer. I've also owned a Mojo Fly with splittable JB/Jazz set - So I'm well-acquainted with how these combos sound as single-coils.

While I may end up going with those winning combos, I'd be willing to go with something weaker than the Air Zone - Maybe 14k, in the area of 300mv?

[KH Guitar Freak]

Mo' Joe

[darkbluemurder]

My favorite humbucker for the neck position when I also want split tones out of it is the Bluesbucker. I have also found that the Bare Knuckle Abraxas neck does excellent split tones.

For the bridge position I have had good results with various medium output pickups. DiMarzio AT-1, Duncan C-5, Bare Knuckle Abraxas bridge, Crawler bridge all come to mind.

Cheers Stephan

[DarthPhineas]

My favorite humbucker for the neck position when I also want split tones out of it is the Bluesbucker.

Good call

[slugworth]

One of my favorite guitars has an Air Zone and Bluesbucker, both set up for split switching. They both split incredibly. Particularly the Air Zone. Probably the best split sound Dimarzio has.