If you have a humbucker in the bridge of your strat and want to get a traditional mid/bridge position sound, this mod is for you.
Hello and welcome back to āMod Garage." The auto-split mod can help you avoid a common problem when using a humbucker together with the typical single-coil pickups in a Stratocaster. As you know, the H-S-S configuration (humbucker in the bridge position and two traditional single coils in the middle and neck positions) was introduced in the '80s with the superstrats, and is still very popular today. You can also find Strats with a H-S-H or even H-H-H configuration, but the H-S-S is still the most common.
Humbuckers usually have a lot more output compared to traditional Strat single-coil pickupsāin other words, they're louder. As long as you use the bridge humbucker or the two single coils alone, everything is fine. The humbucker provides a hot output signal to easily drive your amp into saturation (which is exactly why it's there) and the middle and neck positions give you the traditional Strat sounds we all love so much, as well as the in-between position of middle and neck pickup together. The problem occurs when you use the bridge humbucker together with the middle pickup. Instead of the famous in-between sound we all know from our Dire Straits, Chris Rea and Eric Clapton records, you'll receive a loud tone, not much different from the bridge humbucker alone.
The solution for this is very simple: split the bridge humbucker to make it a single-coil pickup. For this, you need a humbucker with a four-conductor cable, so you have unlimited access to both coils, giving you the ability to shut one of them down. You can use a push/ pull or push/push pot for this, but a little 2PDT toggle switch works well, too. I'll stick with the basics for now, since I don“t want to turn this into a column about coil splitting. We'll do that in a future installment.
Wiring diagram courtesy of Seymour Duncan Pickups and used by permission. Seymour Duncan and the stylized S are registered trademarks of Seymour Duncan Pickups, with which Premier Guitar magazine is not affiliated. |
A lot of humbuckers sound great when used as full humbuckers, but not very good when shutting down one of the coils. On the other hand, there are some that sound great when split (e.g. Seymour Duncan SH-3 āStagMag"), but not so powerful when used as a full humbucker. ItĀ“s always a compromise, and many players donĀ“t need coil splitting, since the single-coil sounds are often not worth it. So, this is the point where the āauto-split" mod can help you.
Auto-split just means that when you have the 5-way switch in the middle/bridge position, you'll only be getting one coil of the bridge pickup, rather than the full humbucker. It's supposed to be closer to the traditional Strat ānotch tone" than having the full bridge humbucker active. In the bridge position, you still have the full humbucker active, so this mod can give you the best of both worlds.
Let's Get Started
To start, you can download the standard Strat wiring scheme directly from the Seymour Duncan website to get a better understanding of the differences compared to the autosplit mod. Here's the Strat wiring with the auto-split mod performed:
As you can see, the black wire from the humbucker goes to the normal input lug for the bridge pickup, the red and white wires are soldered together to the lug of the output stage and green together with the bare wire are going to ground. Keep in mind that these are the colors Seymour Duncan uses for their humbuckers. Other companies use different colors, and you need a chart to translate those colors. For an overview, you can use the chart from Seymour Duncan: seymourduncan.com/support
For a deeper look, I highly recommend this one: guitarelectronics.com
If you're more experienced, you can also use a DMM to verify the colors, but a color chart is always a good starting point. For a better understanding, it's crucial to know what the colors mean and what they correspond to. Humbuckers have two coils, looking like two single-coil pickups in one package. The bottom coil is always the coil with the adjustable screws, and it's named āSouth." The coil on top is the one with the non-adjustable slugs and is called āNorth." Each coil has a start and an end. So, using the Seymour Duncan colors, we have:
Black = North Start (hot output) / White = North Finish / Red = South Start / Green = South Finish / bare wire = Ground
With this knowledge and the color charts above, it should be easy to do the autosplit mod with any given humbucker. We'll talk about this subject again, and of course dip in deeper, when we switch over to Les Paul, 335 and SG mods. That's it! I hope you find this mod useful, giving you the best of both worlds: powerful humbucker sounds from the bridge position side by side with the traditional Strat ānotch tone" with the bridge and middle pickup together (aka the āin-between" position). Stay tuned for more Strat mods coming next month. Until then, keep on modding!
Dirk Wacker
Dirk Wacker lives in Germany and has been addicted to all kinds of guitars since the age of five. He is fascinated by anything that has something to do with old Fender guitars and amps. He hates short scales and Telecaster neck pickups, but loves twang. In his spare time he plays country, rockabilly, surf and Nashville styles in two bands, works as a studio musician for a local studio and writes for several guitar mags. He is also a hardcore DIY guy for guitars, amps and stompboxes and runs an extensive webpage (singlecoil.com) about these things.
In a career defined by evolution, Joe Bonamassa is ready to turn the page once again. The blues-rock virtuoso has just announced Breakthrough, his most adventurous and genre-blending studio album to date, out July 18th via his own J&R Adventures.
At the heart of the announcement is the release of the albumās powerful title trackāāBreakthrough' āa soulful, hard-hitting anthem about letting go, moving forward, and finding your fire again, available today on all streaming platforms.
Crafted across multiple continents and infused with a worldās worth of inspiration, Breakthrough marks a bold new chapter for Bonamassaāone that leans on fiery solos, emotionally rich storytelling, groove-driven arrangements, and stylistic exploration. Produced by longtime creative partner Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, The Black Crowes, Journey), the album was shaped by sessions in Greece, Egypt, Nashville, and Los Angeles, resulting in a vibrant sonic tapestry that shifts effortlessly from funky blues and Texas swing to acoustic ballads and swaggering hard rock.
Joe Bonamassa āBreakthroughā - Official Lyric Video
Watch the official lyric video for "Breakthrough" by Joe Bonamassa
āI think this album, Breakthrough, marks a shift in the styling of Joe Bonamassaās recording output,ā says Shirley. āWhile there are plenty of guitar solos on this record, his emphasis has been on songs primarily. Each time Joe undertakes a new recording project, he seems to access a different part of his vast library of music genre from the jukebox-in-his-head! This album is a round-the-world musical tripāfrom Little Feat funkiness to Texas swing, from hard rock power to acoustic singer/songwriter-style songs.ā
The newly released single āBreakthrough,ā co-written with longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd), captures the emotional core of the recordāan uplifting anthem about transformation, persistence, and letting go of the weight that holds us back. With gritty vocals, melodic guitar lines, and lush instrumentation, the track embodies Bonamassaās signature blend of power and finesse while ushering in a bold new direction.
āBreakthroughā follows the success of Bonamassaās recent singles āStill Walking With Meā and āShake This Ground,ā both of which hinted at the adventurous spirit behind the full album. āShake This Groundā delivered a moody, introspective edge, while āStill Walking With Meā leaned into warmth, gratitude, and classic soul. Each track reflects a different facet of Bonamassaās evolving songwriting approach, rooted in emotional honesty and anchored by his unmistakable guitar work.
The album announcement caps a stretch of extraordinary momentum for Bonamassa. Next up, Bonamassa recently began his extensive *European Spring Tour, followed by a June run with his powerhouse supergroup Black Country Communion* (featuring Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian). After another round of summer dates across Europeāincluding sold-out shows in Irelandāheāll return stateside for his just-announced* 2025 U.S. Summer Tour*, a limited amphitheater run featuring stops at The Greek Theatre, Red Rocks, and more iconic venues.
With over 50 albums, 28 #1 Billboard Blues albums, and a lifelong commitment to evolving the genre, Bonamassa shows no signs of slowing down. Whether headlining iconic venues, mentoring rising artists through Journeyman Records, or supporting music education via his Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa continues to shape the future of blues-rock with every note.
For more information on Breakthrough, tour dates, and VIP packages, visit jbonamassa.com.
Why is Tommyās take on āDay Tripperā so hard? And what song would Adam Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adamās list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
We call guitarist Adam Miller in the middle of the night in Newcastle, Australia, to find out what itās like to play with Certified Guitar Player, Tommy Emmanuel. Miller tells us just how famous Tommy is in Australia, and what it was like hearing him play from a formative age. Eventually, Adam got to open for Emmanuel, and theyāve since shared the stage, so we get the firsthand scoop: Why is Tommyās take on āDay Tripperā so hard? And what song would Miller never play with him? Plus, we get Adamās list of favorite Tommy Emmanuel records.
Adamās newly released trio album, Timing, is out now.
Plus, weāre talking about new recordings from Billy Strings and Bryan Sutton, as well as Brooklyn Mediterranean surf party band Habbina Habbina.
Patterns can be viewed as boring or trite, but a little bit of creativity can turn them into bits of inspiration.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediater Lesson Overview: ⢠Learn different ways to arrange scales. ⢠Combine various sequences to create more intersting lines. ⢠Solidify your technique by practicing unusual groupings of notes. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation. |
I want to offer some food for thought on making sequences musical. Using sequences in our playing helps develop our musicianship in various ways. It can help us tune into the fretboard, develop melodic ideas all around the neck, and further our improvisation and compositional skills. So, spending time with sequences is certainly not time wasted. Please note that I sometimes use the word ārule" in this column, this is only a pointer to keeping on track of our exploration of these concepts. The intellect is very useful, but intuition is where the creativity comes from. When in balance lots of great things can be done. Let's get stuck in!
It's simple to play a scale from bottom to top, or top to bottom, but we can develop a sequence by shuffling these notes around. In Ex. 1 we have a C Major scale (CāDāEāFāGāAāB) played in thirds followed by a sequence highlighting the diatonic triads of the major scale. By following a ārule" we can develop many different sequences. The options are endless and a little overwhelming.
Click here for Ex. 1
Lets start by simply combining an interval sequence with an arpeggio sequence. In Ex. 2, the first two beats of the first measure feature ascending thirds. This is then followed by a triad arpeggio starting from the third note on the string. The next set of thirds then starts on the āand" of beat 4. The entire sequence is a seven-note pattern that is created by combining two thirds and a triad. It gives us a nice bit of rhythmic displacement as the phrase is now starting in a different place in the measure.
Click here for Ex. 2
Ex. 3 is a descending idea in A minor that basically flips the sequence we looked at in Ex. 2. Here, we are starting with two descending thirds before the triad. I'm using pull-offs and economy picking to articulate the triads. This one works well over D minor as well if you want a D Dorian (DāEāFāGāAāBāC) flavor.
Click here for Ex. 3
You can see the effectiveness of combining different sequences and groupings of notes to create interesting runs. It's also really effective for making phrases. In Ex. 4 we take a small fragment from Ex. 3 and change the rhythm. In the sound example I repeat this a few times over some implied chords in my bass line: Am, F, and Dm. It's great to get more from one line by seeing the different chord types you can play it over.
Click here for Ex. 4
In Ex. 5 we're going to start using fourths and fifths. It starts with an ascending A minor triad (AāCāE) before leaping to the 9 (B) and then hitting a G major triad (GāBāD). A similar pattern leads into the C major triad (CāEāG). Throwing in these wider intervals alongside triads is very effective for creating a dramatic sounding runs.
Click here for Ex. 5
For our next example (Ex. 6), we will take fragments from Ex. 5 and space them out a bit. I wanted once again to show how these sequence ideas can also be helpful for developing melodic phrases. Once we have a cool sequence or fragment, all we need to do is be creative with how we play it. We can change the rhythm, harmonic context, dynamic, and much more.
Click here for Ex. 6
Before we move on, it's important to remember that we can add colorful notes to our triads. Let's begin with some seventh-chord arpeggios. Ex 7 features are diatonic seventh arpeggios in G minor (functioning as a IIm chord) to get a Dorian sound.
Click here for Ex. 7
Ex. 8 is a little gratuitous of me. It begins with an idea made of several different concepts. First, we start with an Am7 arpeggio (AāCāEāG), then descend down an A5 arpeggio. I follow that up with diatonic thirds and end with a pedal-point sequence. If that's not enough, we then take this bigger idea and fit it around a chord progression. I move it to G7, Dm7 and then I break my ārule" slightly and outline notes of a C6 arpeggio (CāEāGāA). However, it does keep the same melodic contour of the initial idea. I used my ear and fretboard to guide me. It's always healthy to have a fine balance between intellect and intuition.
Click here for Ex. 8
We dig into C harmonic minor (CāDāEbāGāAbāB-C) for Ex. 9's monster two-measure lick. It sounds evil! In composing this phrase, I kept to the basic concept of finding seventh-chord arpeggios within C harmonic minor in the 8th position. I followed my ear as well as my slowly developing intellect. However, if you look closely you can see I was following a mini chord progression through this line. We start out with a CmMaj9 arpeggio (CāEbāGāBāD) in the first beat, followed by a G7b9 arpeggio (GĀāBāDāFāAb). Here we have a very strong Im-V7 movement in C minor. I then move back to our CmMaj9 arpeggio and in the second measure we start descending down an Eb augmented triad (EbāGāB). This is then followed by more CmMaj9 goodness.
Click here for Ex. 9
Ex. 10 is now taking Ex. 9 and extending it into a cool flamenco-inspired melody. The rhythms in this were inspired by the incredible Paco De Lucia. I follow the sequence from the previous example almost exactly, but I use a bit of artistic license to repeat certain fragments to fit into a ātop line" or āhead"-style melody.
Click here for Ex. 10
My aim here isn't to give you one rule to follow but instead to encourage you to take the sequences you know and love and start getting more out of them. Enjoy and stay safe!
MayFly Le Habanero Review
Great versatility in combined EQ controls. Tasty low-gain boost voice. Muscular Fuzz Face-like fuzz voice.
Can be noisy without a lot of treble attenuation. Boost and fuzz order can only be reversed with the internal DIP switch.
$171
May Fly Le Habanero
A fuzz/boost combo thatās as hot as the name suggests, but which offers plenty of smoky, subdued gain shades, too.
Generally speaking, I avoid combo effects. If I fall out of love with one thing, I donāt want to have to ditch another thatās working fine. But recent fixations with spatial economy find me rethinking that relationship. MayFlyās Le Habanero (yes, the Franco/Spanish article/noun mash-up is deliberate) consolidates boost and fuzz in a single pedal. Thatās far from an original concept. But the characteristics of both effects make it a particularly effective one here, and the relative flexibility and utility of each gives this combination a lot more potential staying power for the fickle.
āLe Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof.ā
The fuzz section has a familiar Fuzz Face-like tone profileāa little bit boomy and very present in that buzzy mid-ā60s, midrangey kind of way. But Le Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof (especially with humbuckers) and an effective filter switch that enhances the fuzzās flexibilityāespecially when used with the boost. The boost is a fairly low-gain affair. Even at maximum settings, it really seems to excite desirable high-mid harmonics more than it churns out dirt. Thatās a good thing, particularly when you introduce hotter settings from the boostās treble and bass controls, which extend the boostās voice from thick and smoky to lacerating. Together, the boost and fuzz can be pushed to screaming extremes. But the interactivity between the tone and filter controls means you can cook up many nuanced fuzz shades spanning Jimi scorch and Sabbath chug with tons of cool overtone and feedback colors.