Big Single
Fat, Round Single Coil Tone, No Hum
$180 – $360
A Lindy Fralin original design! The Big Single is a Humbucker that has a big, round single-coil sound with no hum. It’s beefier than our Twangmaster but cleaner and more articulate than our Hum-Cancelling P-90. We offer two versions: The Big Single 42, and the Big Single 43.
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Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
All Single Coil Tone, No Hum.
Want to learn more about our Big Single? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features
The Big Single is one of Lindy Fralin’s original designs. Based on his desire to improve the tone of a Mini-Humbucker, Lindy’s innovation led to the Big Single. Lindy was pleased with this new design so much, that he worked it into a standard Humbucker cover. With this design, you’ll get a dynamic, round single-coil tone – with no hum. We pack all this fat tone by hand into a great looking No-Hole Humbucker Cover.
- Hum-Cancelling Thick Single Coil Tone, in a Humbucker Cover
- Very versatile – can cover a wide array of styles, outputs, and tones
- Lindy Fralin Original Design
- 2-Coil design with a bar magnet for silent, huge tone
- A dynamic, rich, warm tone
- Hand-carved bar magnet can accommodate up to 2 1/4 string spacing
- 10 Year Warranty against manufacturing defects
Sound & Video
The Big Single is one of our best-selling guitar pickups – for a good reason. Clean, warm and vibrant, this unique design is directly in-between the tone of our Fralin P-92 and our Fralin Twangmaster. It has a beefier, bolder tone than our Twangmaster, but cleaner and more ‘Fender-like’ than our P-92. Treble strings sound warm and fat, and wound strings sound bright and clear, like all Fender-style pickups. This design comes in two models: the Big Single 42, and the Big Single 43.
The Big Single 42 will sound cleaner and brighter, and work well with 250K Pots. The Big Single 43 will seem thicker and darker and can work well with 500K pots. In either case, each model features a bouncy, rich, and full midrange and top-end. Great for either clean playing or distortion, this pickup will break up a little earlier than our Twangmaster, and is excellent for anyone looking for beefy, rich single-coil sound, with no hum.
Sound Samples for Big Single:
Additional Outputs
We have 2 outputs of our Big Single. Compare them below.
About these Sound Clips:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Big Single:
The tonal graph below for our Big Single features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Big Single 42:
Attack: Bright & Sharp
Big Single 43:
Attack: Stiff & Percussive
Videos for Big Single:
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Big Single.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 8.7K (42) | 12.2K (43)* 1 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 10K (42) | 15.2K (43)* 1 |
| Neck Polarity: | Hum Cancelling - Use 2-Conductor Lead when Buying a Single |
| Bridge Polarity: | Hum Cancelling - Use 2-Conductor Lead when Buying a Single |
| Magnet: | Flexible Ferrite Magnet |
| Coil: | USA-Made 42 / 43 Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 250K (42) | 500K(43) |
| Cover Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Baseplate Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Recommended Cap Value: | 0.02mfd 2 |
Additional Technical Info:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
If you're buying a set from us, all pickups will work together seamlessly. If you're buying a single pickup, all you need to worry about is Coil Direction.
To ensure your pickup will work, make sure you select multiple leads (2-Conductor, 3-Conductor, or 4-Conductor if available), or the 3-Wire modification so you can reverse the coil direction, if need be.
Lead Options
See below for our Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.
Gibson Braided Lead
Gibson-Style instruments
Phase Reversible
Coil Splitting
2-Conductor Lead
Phase Reversible
Big Single Dimensions:
Pickup Pairing
Our Big Single pairs well with the following models:
Blues Special Tele - Bridge
The Big Single 42 Neck and the Blues Special Tele Bridge are a great combination
Blues Special Strat - Neck & Middle
Put the Big Single 42 in the Bridge of a HSS Strat, and the Blues Specials will pair nicely
Sunbucker Blues® - Bridge
Put a Big Single 43 in the Neck and a Sunbucker Blues in the Bridge - you'll thank us later
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
47 Genuine Reviews for Big Single
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I already had a P32 in the neck spot of a PRS Mira S2–a warm pickup I really like, but the guitar was still a bit dark with a humbucker in the bridge. After consulting with Jon at Fralin while looking for something brighter that would play well with the P32, he recommended the Big Single.
I like the combination! With only the Big Single engaged, I flipped on a compressor and one of my band mates exclaimed “it sounds like at Tele!”
It’s versatile, adjustable with the tone control, and mixes well with the P32 for a range of tones. My goal was to have one guitar to cover multiple sounds and styles–and it now does that.Thanks!
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I installed a Big Single in the bridge position of an Esquire, and I love it. To my ear, the tone is big and complete. This does not sound like a single pickup guitar. The way the Big Single responds to volume and tone adjustments is remarkable. To call it perfect would be an exaggeration. Let’s call it almost perfect! Highly, highly recommended.
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Jon recommended a bridge Big Single for something different to go with the P92 in the neck in my PRS Mira S2. It can sound like a Tele pickup, especially with a compressor, for country twang, but also has sweet jangle for other styles. I was hoping to have a versatile sound in one guitar, and this is just what I was hoping for.
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The Big Single 43 set (stock) is the fattest roundest pickups, while still retaining a chime appeal, I’ve personally ever played.
I mean, they’re not a Swiss Army knife, they don’t do metal very well 😉
But what they do well, they do it in spades. If you’re looking for a single coil sound, but bigger, the name really says it all and it’s not lying. Big Singles are your hum free solution to a bigger more versatile single coil tone! I love mine and now I’m wanting more of it. -
This pickup made me fall in love with my G&L ASAT Bluesboy. The stock neck humbucker never seemed that usable and was pretty dark in contrast with the bright but full bridge pickup. Adding the big single gave this guitar an articulate but driven neck pickup sound that balances well with the bridge and creates a sweet middle position jangle. Also plays extremely well with pedals.
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In this user’s opinion, the Big Single is the ultimate upgrade for musicians looking for a more articulate alternative to a humbucker. I can’t say enough about it.
I contacted Fralin before purchasing this along with an 8-ohm Pure P.A.F., which I installed in the neck and bridge of a Les Paul. I was very fortunate to get to speak with Lindy directly. That alone says it all – if I can call a well-known company and get the owner on the phone even some of the time, it tells me the company is true to its mission. Lindy suggested that using the higher output 43-gauge version of the Big Single would be best if paired with the stock-wind Pure P.A.F. He actually advised I be aware that even the 43-gauge version might still have lower output than the Pure P.A.F. At least for me, however, it has proven to be an excellent match. I’m able to set the bridge height for ideal response without having to worry whether this will yield a weaker signal in relation to the neck. Moreover, I find that the pair complement each other very well within a wide range of height adjustments for each.
Moreover, they each sound absolutely terrific individually, and they work incredibly well as a pair. I have them wired with just the three-way toggle and a single volume knob, with the tone controls eliminated from the circuit. With these pickups, nothing else is necessary.
Best of all, it’s QUIET, and it sounds EXACTLY like a Big Single – because that’s what it is! If my aim were specifically to get an authentic hum-free P90 tone, I’d have every reason to believe the Fralin hum-free P90 would work just fine, as every Fralin pickup I have tried has been excellent. However, for musicians that are faithful to the vibe of the humbucker variety Les Paul design and want to expand the tonal palette in the neck in a way that retains the character of instrument, the Big Single is ideal.
This pickup in the neck position is as satisfyingly tonally as a humbucker, and more useful in every way. I have every reason to believe the Big Single would work just as well as a bridge pickup, with any instrument. In my view, it’s a key addition to the essential set of classic pickup designs most widely identified with the electric guitar.
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Bridge position, with .044 cap. Meaty and full, but not too hairy. Cleans up nicely for Tele sound. Very versatile. Good stuff.
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