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Big Single®
$150.00 – $300.00
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.
BIG, BOLD SINGLE COIL TONE IN A HUMBUCKER COVER.
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.
BIG SINGLE FEATURES:
- 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:
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.
FAQS:
- Which Output do I choose? The 42 Model will sound more like a traditional Fender. Cleaner, clearer, yet still with a thick midrange. The 43 Model will lean a bit towards a Humbucker by being more compressed, and darker with more output.
- What lead do I choose? It all depends on your guitar and a few other things. Gibson Lead: Go with this if installing a set into a Gibson-style instrument, where each pickup has its respective volume pot. 2-Conductor: Go with this lead if buying a Single, or installing into a Fender-style Guitar.
- What’s the String Spacing? We can accommodate up to 2-1/4″.
- What’s the tonal difference between the Twangmaster this pickup? The Twangmaster is cleaner and clearer. The Big Single will be thicker with more output.
- What Pot do I use? 250K for the 42 version, and 500K for the 43 version.
- Wiring Diagrams? Here!
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Wound with 42 & 43 Gauge Single Poly Nylon Wire and Bonded Neodymium Bar Magnet. All USA-Made Baseplates and covers.
The 42 Version will read 8.7K in the neck and 10K in the Bridge. The 43 version will read 12.2K in the Neck and 15.2K in the bridge. We count turns instead of going by ohm readings, so don’t fret if your ohm readings are slightly off. They will vary.
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Takashi Shinmura (verified owner) –
I replaced my Gibson Dickey Betts SG custom bucker to a Big Single humbucker. This pickup is the best.
Anthony Lovell (verified owner) –
Success! Beautiful creamy sound. Paired very well with a PATB-3 in the bridge.
Vicki Silbert (verified owner) –
I love the Big Single pickup, it seems to pair perfectly with my guitars. Lindy and Tyler worked with me to create a custom Big Single to fit a P90 route. All-around great pick up and customer service :-). Thanks guys!!
Richard Novick (verified owner) –
Beautiful and Harmonically Rich
The Big Single is a huge improvement over my previous Wilkinson neck pickup. It’s very clear and clean sounding, with a warm and pleasant lower midrange. It sounds great with fuzz and tube OD as well. 10/10
Kevin Anderson –
As per my discussion with Lindy, I would like a mid-focused, slightly dark pickup which is capable of breaking up a bit. This is for an electric 12-string instrument.
Dennis DelGaudio (verified owner) –
Perfection!
The perfect balance of clarity and power. Kinda reminds me of a gold-foil, but it’s really its own thing. I put this pickup in the bridge position of my PRS Vela and haven’t looked back…
Greg Baker –
I bought my set of Big Singles probably 6 years ago. I ordered them for a PRS Starla. I think of the Starla as PRS’s take on an SG with a Bigsby, except the stock pickups were horrible. I don’t know what they were going for, but they sounded grainy harsh and just bad with any kind of overdrive. I was about to sell the guitar….. but then I talked to Lindy. I told him that I really wanted the guitar to be versatile, with a big round clean sound (not harsh or too edgy) and a smooth break-up. He recommended the Big Singles with 7k/8k turns. I believe this is the 43 gauge set. These pickups really delivered. They’re super smooth and round sounding and have a really sweet overdriven tone. I’ve owned 7 or 8 PRS guitars over the years. I always love the way they look, but never really dig the sound, and I always dis-like their pickups…. too overwound / hot / harsh sounding. The Starla has been the only PRS guitar that I have held on to, and it’s because these pickups brought it to life. It sounds great acoustically, but the stock pickups were really bad, in my opinion. If you’re looking for something that’s a little bit unique in that it doesn’t sound like a PAF or a Strat Pickup, but very versatile, try the Big Singles. I’m really glad I did and I think you will be too.
J.C. Opton (verified owner) –
I put this in the neck of my telecaster. It is combined with a blues special in the bridge which was already there. I talked to Lindy at length about what a good hum bucking pick up would be in the neck. I didn’t want to over power the bridge. We opted with the big single, 42 ga, 6000 winds. It is still slightly more output than the bridge but not massively so.
I absolutely love the sound of this pickup. It is fat and warm like a traditional humbucker but still has that single coil clarity. I love it for blues and jazzy chords. I still get all the tele twang and snap with by bridge pickup. Also, when I combine them in the middle position I get a nice warm, complex sound. Very nice. Also, dead quiet. (it is actually dead quiet in all positions. The bridge of the blues special has a base plate which really quiets it down. When I had the humbucker installed I also shielded the guitar. So that combination of shielding and pickups makes the guitar quiet in all pickup positions)
This combination gives the guitar a tremendous amount of versatility. I have two pretty nice Strats in addition to this guitar. A Jeff Beck with Kinman pickups and a Roadhouse with Texas Specials. Both are very wonderful sounding guitars. But I find myself reaching for this guitar first most of the time.
Jose Manuel Prius Kullik (verified owner) –
Neck Big Single, Installed in my Tele. Very satisfied.
Better than expectations (were already high), clear, bold, round, warm, soft, not as conventional Gibson type humbucker nor shrill; would say a very personal and sophisticated sound. Have a solid state amp, so the impressions are basically in the clean mode.
Lawrence Thomson (verified owner) –
The right sound! I have a project guitar that just didn’t quite have the “right” sound. I had used the Big Single in another project a couple of years ago and was impressed with it. After listening to all the YouTube videos, I decided to give it a try in this project. It is the right sound. Think if it as clean with body. No mud, articulate and strong!
Tim Colligan (verified owner) –
Customer added no additional comments
Jeffrey Whitehead (verified owner) –
This pickup has become a standard on my guitars. Players looking for sensitivity, responsiveness, and expression fall in love with it.
Bob (verified owner) –
The guys worked with me to find a pickup that would help get my PRS S2 Starla in more of the Americana/country vibe. I got the 42 gauge standard 6800/6000 wind set with Raw Nickel covers. I’m completely satisfied with the results. Clarity & snap increased. I’ve used the guitar live & for recording since the change and it works great for Americana, blues & country. I put together a quick demo of the original sounds & then the big singles: https://youtu.be/buS3Z1RgTi8
Rick Rutkowski (verified owner) –
I put a set of Lindy Fralin Big Singles in my Ibanez AS73 Tobacco Burst guitar about 6 months ago. The stock pickups were ok, but not amazing. The Big Singles brought it to life. I’ve always liked single coils better than humbuckers, but single coil noise has always driven me crazy. It was always been worth dealing with the noise, but still annoying. Mr. Fralin had rewound a dead 1969 Telecaster neck pickup for me about 20 years ago and that has been my favorite all along. I have other Fralin’s in a Strat and like them as well. When I heard about the Big Singles I knew they would be worth a try.
I got the 42 gauge standard 6800/6000 wind set with Gibson braided shield and Raw Nickel covers. They look great and sound incredible!
I had previously modded the 500k pots in the Ibanez with a treble bleed cap and resistor to try to retain the highs as I rolled off the volume. I was going to remove these and put in 250k pots as recommended but, I figured there was no point changing something that may not need it. I’m glad I didn’t. I love the 500k with these pickups. For the first time ever, I have full control over my tone! Super bright to full mud if I want it and everything on between. Tonal possibilities are endless with just the three way switch, tone, and volume controls on the guitar. Forget about a bunch of pedals when all you need is a decent guitar good amp and these pickups.
USE YOUR TONE AND VOLUME CONTROLS!!!
Without a doubt, these are hands down my FAVORITE pickups.
All of the tone of single coils and NONE OF THE NOISE! Lindy Fralin is THE Best Pickup Winder on the planet!!!!
For those who care, I’ve been playing for over 40 years. I have many guitars, amps, pedals, etc. from vintage to modern. Enjoy and play most types of music. And I RARELY write reviews, especially long ones. I have no affiliation with Fralin Pickups or any other company.