2(HH)

Not one of the best Mondays but I have these guitars to see me through:

• Kiesel DC400
• Ibanez S1625

There's always this concern that a guitar without any single coil pickup options is not a versatile instrument. The guitars depicted above have no single coils but I enjoy playing them. Here's why:

• The Kiesel is equipped with a 5-way pickup selector. In position 4, the humbuckers are split, so I get two single coils working in tandem. In position 2, the neck humbucker is tapped to generate a pickup output very close to a single coil voicing
• The Ibanez is equipped with a 3-way selector that has no coil split options so it's a humbucking experience through & through. However, the Seymour Duncan '59 is able to emulate a single coil tone (a get by tone, nothing fantastic) at lower guitar volume settings

So folks, when there're no single coils in your guitar, it's really not the end of the world. A humbucker's split coil tone hold its own. I hear people dissing the split coil tone a lot, saying it's not a real single coil voicing. When you shut off one of the humbucker's coil you effectively get a single coil at work. The issue here is whether this appeals to you or not. Yes, compared to the actual single coil, an isolated coil of the humbucker is not the same in terms of dimensions; the reason why one would appeal more than the other. Some humbuckers, the vintage voiced ones especially, get very single coil-ish when you lower the guitar's volume. This is the reduced output effect, similar to a tapped output of a single coil. What's the point of tapping a humbucker's output, you may ask. It's making the humbucker emulate a single coil without humming. 

When I play a dual humbucking guitar, not having a single coil tone is the least of my worries - I have Strats to handle just that. I let my humbuckers fulfil their potential. They shoudn't stray from their true task.

Sykes

If you know John Sykes, you're most probably a Whitesnake fan or you've been checking out the band's history. John Sykes is most often seen with his preferred Les Paul, a '70s black custom he continued using during his Thin Lizzy stint. That era saw him modding the guitar to feature chrome / silver-esque parts that became his signature feature. 

Edwards did a take on the afore-mentioned Gibson. Specs are close to the original instrument less some good tweaks; ebony fretboard, Seymour Duncan JB/59 pickups, among others. This guitar, the E-LP130CD-JS to be precise, is a good mid-priced Japanese-made instrument. I wouldn't say it's a Gibson LP Custom on a budget, that would be disrespecting this instrument of notable pedigree. It's a good Japanese singlecut guitar in terms of build, great playability with a substantial neck feel & that tried & trusted Seymour Duncan tone. It won't sound vintage-esque for sure but great tones are definitely available on tap. It's available on/off at Davis GMC, if you are interested, it's currently in stock (List: $1,450). I've been keeping track of this guitar for a while in terms of price fluctuations & must say that it's been stable from the start; it never crossed the current listing & did go for a little less in one of the previous shipments. 

Pics: Davis GMC / JS