Unbucker
The Lindy Fralin Unbucker gives you great split-coil and humbucking tones – all in one. The unbalanced Unbucker’s coils give you a stronger single coil tone when split.
Quick Links:
Jump to Sound Clips and Product Info:
Unique Humbucker Design For Coil Splitting
Want to learn more about our Unbucker? Here's all the information you'll need:
Unbucker FEATURES:
The Lindy Fralin Unbucker is one of our best-selling pickups. We’re known all over the world for incredible-sounding Single-Coil and Humbucker pickups. Why not combine them both and get the best of both worlds? The Unbucker provides fantastic Humbucker tones as well as Single-Coil tones. We purposely unbalance the coils to give you a stronger coil when the Unbucker is Split.
Our Stock Set includes a 7.5K Neck and 8.5K Bridge.
Features:
- Unbalanced coil turns for a stronger single-coil tone (Screw Coil)
- Scooped midrange with an emphasis on top-end clarity
- AlNiCo IV Magnets for a smooth, rich sound
- Fits any Standard Humbucker or F-Spaced Humbucker routing
- Assembled by hand, one at a time, for impeccable attention to detail
- Compensated Overwound Bridge for even volume across all pickups
- Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
- Hand-built for unrivaled quality control
- 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects
Sound
Bright and clear, with just the right amount of chime and an open midrange. Our Unbucker features a stronger wound screw coil that gives this pickup a unique tone. Our Unbucker has a similar vibe to our Pure P.A.F. with a more open and airy midrange and top end. Expect outstanding clarity and articulation. When you tap the slug coil, you still achieve a robust single-coil tone. When playing dirty, you’ll get a nice, sharp pick attack and excellent clarity, and a tight and punchy low end. Due to the unbalanced coils, Unbuckers won’t be 100% hum-canceling.
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time. Each pickup is wound using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. Doing this gives the pickup a sweet, clear tone. Finally, we assemble each pickup one at a time, by hand. Hand assembling pickups allows us to achieve unbeatable attention to detail. After assembly, we wax-pot the pickup to preserve the pickup and prevent microphonics.
Tonal Graph for Unbucker:
The tone graph below for our Unbucker features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Tech Specs
The Neck pickup is comprised of a 4.5K and 3K coil, and the Bridge pickup is comprised of 5K and 3.5K coils. The outputs are compensated and all sets have matched volume.
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Unbucker.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Neck Ohm Reading: | 7.5K |
| Bridge Ohm Reading: | 8.5K |
| Neck Polarity: | Reversible with 3-Conductor Lead |
| Bridge Polarity: | Reversible with 3-Conductor Lead |
| Magnet: | USA-Made Alnico 4 |
| Wire: | USA-Made 42-Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Baseplate Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Cover Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Pole Piece Material: | USA-Made Steel |
| Bobbin Material: | ABS Plastic |
| Baseplate Leg Depth: | 6mm |
| Recommended Pot Value: | 500K |
| Recommended Cap Value**: | 0.02mfd |
**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.
Sizing
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:
Select This Lead If...
- You are wiring a set of pickups to a Gibson® Style Instrument, like a Les Paul or 335.
Avoid This Lead If...
- You need Coil Splitting
- You are purchasing a Single Pickup
- You need to Reverse the Phase
3-Conductor Lead:
Select This Lead If...
- You need Coil Splitting
- You are purchasing a Single Pickup (You can reverse the phase)
- You are wiring pickup(s) to a Blade Switch, like a Fender-Style instrument.
4-Conductor Lead
Select This Lead If...
- You need Series / Parallel Wiring
Avoid This Lead If...
- You have limited space in the wiring cavity (wire can be bulky).
Unbucker Questions And Answers:
Notice:
Have a question about our Unbucker? Ask it here. Your Question will be publically visible. If you want to ask a Private Question, please contact us through our Contact Us Form.
If you have multiple questions, please call us at (804) 358-2699.
-
Is it possible to get the set in cream only…All the mounting rings are cream/94 PRS CE 22…Best spacing for this guitar? I’m the test monkey for Jim Hill and refitted a Suhr Classic a few years ago when Jim and I visited your shop and had lunch with you…Great pickups and service!
-
Q Is it possible to get the set in cream only…All the mounting rings are cream/94 PRS CE 22…Best sp...... Read moreA Hey Jim, as it turns out, we cannot make a set in cream only due to DiMarzio's trademark on "double cream" bobbins. We really wish we could!
In an HSS Strat, which middle single coil would have balanced output with the split mode of the Unbucker, disregarding how it balances with the humbucker sound? I'm looking for classic early 60's Strat sounds, and then a PAF ish sound to be used by itself.
-
Q In an HSS Strat, which middle single coil would have balanced output with the split mode of the U...... Read moreA
Hey Kirk, I'd recommend something like our Blues Special, and a partial split resistor.
Is the single coil mode ceramic or alnico? Would this be better matched to ceramic mid and bridge pickups, or with alnico mid and bridge pickups?
-
Q Is the single coil mode ceramic or alnico? Would this be better matched to ceramic mid and bridge...... Read moreA
Hey Andrew, our Unbucker uses Alnico 4 - so the single coil mode will feature the Alnico 4 bar magnet charging the screw side. Regarding matching to either ceramic or Alnico, it's tough to say. I'd lean towards ceramic, personally as you'll get a touch of P90 tone out of the single coil as it uses screw pole pieces. - Tyler
Hi. Does 50mm Bridge and a 49.2mm Neck size work for the SE version of the PRS Custom 24? or should I go for different size?
-
Q Hi. Does 50mm Bridge and a 49.2mm Neck size work for the SE version of the PRS Custom 24? or shou...... Read moreA
Hey Todd, most PRS guitars are 50mm in the Bridge and 49.2mm in the Neck. - Tyler
I am planning to install a set of Unbuckers in my Epiphone ES-339, with coil splitting. I know they are designed for this, but I am considering adding a partial split resistor as well. What would be the effects of the partial split resistor with Unbuckers? Do you have a recommendation one way or the other?
-
Q I am planning to install a set of Unbuckers in my Epiphone ES-339, with coil splitting. I know th...... Read moreA
Hey Dave, if you were going that route, we'd actually recommend going for the Pure P.A.F. or Modern P.A.F. and using the Partial Split Resistor instead of the Unbuckers. You'll get the following benefits:
- 100% hum-canceling (The Unbucker is about 80% hum-canceling) and
- Compensated tone when you split the humbucker (the split single coils sound best on 500K pots with the partial split resistor).
That said, if...
Read more
Note:
Asking a question here will be public to all users of this siteHey!
Did you already ask a question on our Contact Us Form? Don't ask it again here. Please be patient while we get back to you.-
- 1
- 2
-
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
54 Genuine Reviews for Unbucker
More Reviews:
Add a review
Leave a review for our Unbucker
STAY IN TOUCH
I ordered an Unbucker set for my Fender Lead 3 and it absolutely blew my mind!
Neck or bridge position, full or split, clean or dirty, they sound amazing in all configurations.
Fralin also carefully checked that they would fit with the Fender Lead 3 and found out that a custom pickguard would be needed. They even offered to have it delivered at their place first so that they could check everything again, which also spared me the fees of a second oversees shipment. Thanks!
Obviously, both the customer service and the pickups themselves get a well deserved 5 stars rating.
The Unbuckers are great! Thank you Lindy and crew. It was wonderful working with you guys.
Wow!! The pickup I’ve been looking for forever. The unbucker has the most clarity of any modern humbucker I’ve tried. No muddiness at all. But the real reason I gave it a try was to see if I could get a little more of a strat “quack” tone in position 4 on an HHS guitar with the coils split. I’ve tried everything from different pickups to obsessing over pickup height and nothing was really close. But as soon as I installed this and plugged in it was exactly what I was hoping! It’s amazing! The single coil and humbucker tones are fantastic. And the output between humbucker and split is so consistent. Almost no volume difference when switching between the two, just a tone change. I installed this in an old PRS EGII (with the old Fralin Domino single coils in the neck and middle) and it sounds incredible. Now I may need to buy a couple more for my other guitars!
Installed these in a new LP Standard 60s specifically to complement the infamous Jimmy Page wiring ‘nest’. The humbuckers are noticeably higher in output than the stock PAFs, neck is nice and warm while bridge has plenty of brightness and bite. The split tones are excellent, though the volume drop is slightly more noticeable with the 500K pots. While I was not surprised by the exceptional quality of the pickups (also have a beautiful high output split blade bridge pup in my tele), I was pleasantly surprised by the extremely fast turnaround of my order (ordered 12/13 and received 12/22).