Single-coil / humbucker switch

[DrewB]

I have built a Colorsound Overdriver clone that sounds amazing with single-coil guitars but is much less impressive with humbuckers.  I would guess that the difference is related to humbuckers pushing a stronger signal into the circuit.  I'm sure others have noticed this type of issue with other circuits.  What is a good approach to compensating for the difference so the pedal doesn't favor one pickup over another?

[Mark Hammer]

It is far from a simulation of HB vs SC pickups, but certainly the HBs will have more bottom, and by virtue of that more amplitude.  

One way to get both in one move is to simply drop the value of the input cap in the circuit to something like .047.  

Alternatively, the bypass cap on Q2 may provide a better way of adjusting the tone with more nuance.  For instance, you could use a 22uf cap in series with 390R and a 3u3 cap from the emitter to ground to provide a modest gain at the lower end and a bit more boost for the upper mids and treble.  You could defeat this by simply shunting the 390R resistor.

[R.G.]

On a different, but somewhat aligned note:

I laughed myself a little silly earlier today when I stumbled onto a validly issued patent on a single coil guitar pickup which fit into the same space as a humbucker. No, it was not a split coil switch, it was a **single coil ** wound on a bobbin that fit into the same size footprint as a humbucker. There was no second coil. It made me proud NOT to be a patent examiner.

[Paul Marossy]

On a different, but somewhat aligned note:

I laughed myself a little silly earlier today when I stumbled onto a validly issued patent on a single coil guitar pickup which fit into the same space as a humbucker. No, it was not a split coil switch, it was a **single coil ** wound on a bobbin that fit into the same size footprint as a humbucker. There was no second coil. It made me proud NOT to be a patent examiner.

Ha ha, that's funny! 

[earthtonesaudio]

What is a good approach to compensating for the difference so the pedal doesn't favor one pickup over another?

Short the input jack to ground.  Ba-dum Pssh.