Flipping the Evolution in a socal

[Zaneus]

I'll probably be giving this a go regardless but I was just wondering what difference it makes tonally, if any at all, and if anyone's tried this?

[Soap]

I had a Evolution humbucker in old Peavy I had years ago.
It was mounted to the pick guard and sounded great.
It's an "all around" good pickup.
It wasn't muddy nor to brittle or bright.
A nice pickup that did a lot of things really well.

[Zaneus]

What i was asking is if anyone flipped it. Turning it upside down so the bottom coil is at the top and visa versa.

[zuppermuhle]

Flipping a regular humbucker usually won't do a thing. If the pick-up has assymetrical coils(that is, one coil has different windings than the other) having the hotter coil towards the bridge usually makes the pickup brighter. Some pickups might sound subtly different.

From DiMarzio.com FAQ:

Does it matter which direction I install my pickup?
Most humbuckers are symmetrical and their sound does not change at all when installed backwards, but some have a slightly different sound if you install them in the opposite direction from normal. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of taste for such a subtle difference, if you can hear the difference at all. Those models include the Air Norton™, Air Zone™, Evolution® neck, bridge and 7-string, FRED®, Humbucker from Hell™, DLX Plus™ neck and bridge models, Virtual P-90™, Blaze™ neck and bridge models and Tone Zone 7™.
The Steve’s Special™, the Bluesbucker® and the MegaDrive™ have distinctly different sounds if you turn them around, and there is no ‘right’ installation direction. The Bluesbucker® is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the bridge, while the MegaDrive™ is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the neck. The Steve’s Special™ is brighter-sounding if the coil on the pickup’s cable exit side is toward the bridge.

[Zaneus]

Yes i know all that. It states that the evolution neck does have a different sound when installed backwards. I'm asking if anyone's done it before and what tonal difference it makes. Im unsure which coil in the evolution neck is 'hotter' so i cant tell if i'll be getting a brighter or darker sound.

[Rich#6]

Yes i know all that. It states that the evolution neck does have a different sound when installed backwards. I'm asking if anyone's done it before and what tonal difference it makes. Im unsure which coil in the evolution neck is 'hotter' so i cant tell if i'll be getting a brighter or darker sound.

they're actually saying that there is almost no difference on the evo neck. I would think since both sides have the same tops that it would make even less of a difference. Even more so with only have a 3 way switch i which you are not splitting the coils.

[Zaneus]

Oh i see. i've been reading that paragraph wrong for months.

"Those models include the Air Norton™, Air Zone™, Evolution® neck, bridge and 7-string, FRED®, Humbucker from Hell™, DLX Plus™ neck and bridge models, Virtual P-90™, Blaze™ neck and bridge models and Tone Zone 7™.

The Steve’s Special™, the Bluesbucker® and the MegaDrive™ have distinctly different sounds if you turn them around, and there is no ‘right’ installation direction."

I never saw that full stop and/or took it for a comma. However i do have a coil split but as stated with symmetrical coils there probably wont be any difference.

[wilkinsi]

I've never thought of doing this before. But wouldn't you have to extend the wires or drill another hole, being that the wires only come out of one corner of the pickup?

[Newc]

No, you simply rotate the pickup. You should have enough wire to do that.

[cvansickle]

I just replaced the pickups in my So Cal with Duncans. I put a Custom 5 Trembucker in the bridge position, and I was going to put a Duncan 59 in the neck. The 59 was in the neck of a Les Paul until I replaced that set with Fralins.

The bridge pickup in that Les Paul was a Duncan Custom 5, regular spacing. When I found the old 59 in a parts drawer, the Custom 5 was in the same box with it. I decided to play "what if" and I put the Custom 5 in the So Cal's neck position instead. I rotated it with the screw poles toward the bridge, not the neck.

Here are my findings: the Custom 5 in the neck gets lots of volume and retains plenty of high end cut, yet still sounds creamy like a neck 'bucker should. Woman tone, yes, it's in there. With both pickups together, there is no mud.

I know this story doesn't help with your Evolution questions, but I thought that anybody thinking about rotating a pickup might be interested.

[Rich#6]

I just replaced the pickups in my So Cal with Duncans. I put a Custom 5 Trembucker in the bridge position, and I was going to put a Duncan 59 in the neck. The 59 was in the neck of a Les Paul until I replaced that set with Fralins.

The bridge pickup in that Les Paul was a Duncan Custom 5, regular spacing. When I found the old 59 in a parts drawer, the Custom 5 was in the same box with it. I decided to play "what if" and I put the Custom 5 in the So Cal's neck position instead. I rotated it with the screw poles toward the bridge, not the neck.

Here are my findings: the Custom 5 in the neck gets lots of volume and retains plenty of high end cut, yet still sounds creamy like a neck 'bucker should. Woman tone, yes, it's in there. With both pickups together, there is no mud.

I know this story doesn't help with your Evolution questions, but I thought that anybody thinking about rotating a pickup might be interested.

Isn't your volume from the neck pickup much louder then the bridge??

[Newc]

It shouldn't be much louder. Maybe 2dB

[cvansickle]

It's not louder because it sits lower than the bridge pickup. I've actually got them at pretty equal volume.