Big Singles or Big Splits: What’s Right For You?

Resident Tone Concierge Stew McKinsey handles the Q & A about these pickup rivals.

On paper these designs look very similar, but there are differences that set them apart and here are some ways to find what’s a better fit for you between these two models.

I am a performing musician and really don’t record. What should I choose?

Both the Big Single and the Big Split are excellent for live music. The Big Singles have a more open sound with less compression, while the Big Splits have a slightly muted top end by comparison with less information in the midrange. But if you play venues that don’t have great wiring and you absolutely need the best hum cancellation in your bass, you want the Big Splits. 

Which is best in the studio?

This is definitely a matter of taste. Big Singles will give you more in terms of note detail and openness, with incredible articulation and expressiveness. Big Splits have a slightly chunkier sound and are a better choice if you want to blend across the set and favor or solo one pickup. But both designs have a great track record in the studio world. 

I just want edge and growl. My sound needs to be menacing.

You want Big Singles, no question. The single coil design means you will get the best tone and fastest note response. When you combine that with the tall magnets of the Big Single and the aggressive coil wind, and you will not be disappointed. They also push pedals beautifully.

I work in several different styles, so I need something with can cover a lot of sonic ground.

This is another case of taste being the primary deciding factor. Both designs respond beautifully to where you’re playing along the scale length and to what kind of attack you use, so you can get a lush tone or a more aggressive sound that punches through a mix. If you plan to bias toward or solo one pickup, the Big Split is probably the better choice. If hum cancellation is your primary concern, get Big Splits.

I prefer single coils, but I want a warmer, more mellow sound. 

In this case you can order Big Singles with AlNiCo III (A3) poles. This is a $0 option and the different grade of magnet material really changes the bottom end quality from focused and present to expansive and airy, filling a mix without choking it, while delivering a more classic and vintage character overall. A3 is not available in the Big Split.

Since the Big Split was developed from the Big Single, why aren’t the tone charts the same?

Any time you split a coil, it produces certain sonic qualities. You will lose some top end response and detail in the midrange, and these will make a pickup sound fatter and more bass-y, but if you put them both on an oscilloscope they are far more similar than what your ear tells you. What it means is that the Big Single will sound more open and detailed, but you will feel its muscle. The Big Split gives you the muscle first. 

I’ve heard that the Big Split is like a P crossed with a J. Is this true?

Kind of but not exactly. They are both authoritative, detailed and versatile pickups, but the way we made the Big Split hum canceling is similar to what you find in a P-pickup. With both pickups wide open you won’t really hear this, but if you bias toward the neck pickup and roll back your passive tone or treble, you will absolutely get response much more like a P-pickup. 

I really like the P/J sound. Can I combine a Big Single and a Big Split for this?

You can combine any pickups you like, but we don’t recommend using a single coil and a hum canceling pickup in the same set. This pairing will give you noise anytime you use the single coil. The only thing that will really give you the sound of a P/J is a P/J set. But if you get a set of Big Splits and bias toward your neck pickup, you will get more of those qualities. 

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