Big Single®
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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All Single Coil Tone, No Hum.
Want to learn more about our Big Single®? Here's all the information you'll need:
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
Overview
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.
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.
Video
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!
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)* |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 10K (42) | 15.2K (43)* |
| 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 |
Looking for humbucker wiring codes? You can find them here.
Sizing
Lead Color Codes
See below for our Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.
Gibson Braided Lead:
2-Conductor Lead:
Humbucker Lead Color Codes
See below for our Humbucker Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.
Gibson Braided Lead:
2-Conductor Lead:
3-Conductor Lead:
4-Conductor Lead
Big Single® Questions And Answers:
Have a question about our Big Single®? Leave it here! We will answer your question within 24 hours.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
27 Genuine Reviews for Big Single®
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I absolutely love this pickup, one of the best sounding humbuckers I’ve had. I’m looking forward to ordering the mini version for another project soon! I made a little video showing how it sounds with a slide… Keep up the great work guys! https://youtu.be/5Ya885ePwz8
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I’m considering these for my es-335. Mike Herman’s demo is almost precisely the tone I’m after, but I’m wondering if anyone there has put these in an es-335. What do you think?
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Hi. Does this come in a mini humbucker or firebird size? Thought it did but can’t seem to find the option. Thanks.
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You just made me the big single pickup and I am soooo happy with it. I got a luxxtone tele style with a humbucker in the neck that I love, but Jerry’s choice of pickups is not my style.
I tried sooo many pickups for the neck position and this one is an ultimate winner. Thank you very much!
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I have a Tele custom with a humbucker in the neck and single coil in the bridge. Do I order separately or is there a set option? Suggestions?
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Beautiful Pickup
The Big Single solves a perennial problem with single-coil pickups: if you go for high output you typically loose the sparkly high-end that we love about single coils. The Big Single has medium-high output but retains the sparkle. To my ear, the sound falls somewhere on a spectrum that includes Strat pickups, Firebird pickups, Filtertrons, and P-90s, depending on your amp, pedals, and touch. It’s a unique palette of sounds. Isn’t finding your own sound what it’s all about?
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I don’t think you can get better than fralin pickups
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Awesome
I love the sound of the bridge pickup for solos and the neck for rhythms. everything as it should be, neither excessive, bass, middle or treble. Punchy sound but clear, and the best hum-canceling!
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My favorite Strat pickups – Once again, Lindy and his team came through with a fantastic set of pickups. I did an HSS set up with a Big Single in the bridge.
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Les Paul w/Big Single 42 Pair
I wanted to do something totally different with a Les Paul so I fitted it with these Big Singles along with 300K pots and .22f caps. The result is AMAZING. These pickups are quiet and have the chime of a single coil with the big warm tone of a hum bucker. I feel like this is a zero compromise sound and leaves nothing on the table. Truly amazing, outstanding product.
I’m considering these for my es-335. Mike Herman’s demo is almost precisely the tone I’m after, but I’m wondering if anyone there has put these in an es-335. What do you think?
Hey CJ, Big Singles will sound fantastic in an ES-335. Expect more of a single-coil tone, but with a thicker midrange. Perfect for taming some of the brighter tones that come out of a 335.
Hi. Does this come in a mini humbucker or firebird size? Thought it did but can’t seem to find the option. Thanks.
Hey Ian, both our Mini Humbuckers and our Firebirds are the exact same size. Please check out the dimensions here.
I have a Tele custom with a humbucker in the neck and single coil in the bridge. Do I order separately or is there a set option? Suggestions?
Hey Wade, simply add each pickup separately to your cart, then proceed to checkout.