Can you get by with a single bridge humbucker?

[snowdog]

l can for about 15 minutes

 

[memberzonly]

In a LP Jr with a single P90, yup.

 

[Steinmetzify]

Yup, most of my guitars are one hum in the bridge.

That being said, for doom/sludgy stuff I use a LP with the pickup selector in the middle position, just sounds/feels better to me that way.

Metal tho, one humbucker no problem.

 

[Rock Bodom]

It just depends on what I'm playing. Classic Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt...single bridge humbucker all the way, would not want to play the leads on a neck pickup. Cleans I just roll back the volume.

Hendrix leads, love that neck pickup. Neoclassical shred, love that neck pickup. Thrash pretty much stays on the bridge. Old Sabbath, I like some middle or neck position sometimes to get that sludgy rhythm tone. Funk is like, what, 2 and 4 position traditionally when using a strat? Surf is a mixed bag, prefer the neck with Jazzmaster, strat I don't mind the bridge as much.

But that said, 90% of my playing or more sticks to 80's hard rock, so bridge pickup is mostly where I live.

 

[Rock Bodom]

I guess as I think about my answer more, it's less about having a neck pickup for versatility, and more of having a few versatile guitars in the herd for when the mood strikes. Single hum Charvels and the like are perfect for most of my playing. Having a strat or 2, LP or 2, and a metal guitar with a neck pickup covers all that extra ground for me.

 

[stephen sawall]

You can get four voices from a single humbucker. North single coil, south single coil, parallel humbucker, series humbucker.

 

[jsp]

You can get four voices from a single humbucker. North single coil, south single coil, parallel humbucker, series humbucker.

And none of those cover the neck pickup tones I need for cleans and leads

 

[stephen sawall]

You can get four voices from a single humbucker. North single coil, south single coil, parallel humbucker, series humbucker.

And none of those cover the neck pickup tones I need for cleans and leads

I set up my Les Paul a few months ago so I can 40 different pickup combinations. Single coil, humbucker, P90....and out of phase options.
I like having a lot of control from the guitar.
Probably saved me from getting a DWI....I have to stay sober enough to control the rig.