Out Of Phase Demonstration

[MikeJackal]

Hi all, I had read on several other forums what "Out Of Phase" pickups actually are and how they sound different to normal.
I am by no means an expert and my knowledge comes only from what i have read on the subject. Most people know the term from Peter Green's famous 1959 Gibson Les Paul which has one of the most instantly recognisable tones ever.
Basically the magnets in a 2 Humbucker guitar have the polarity running in the same direction, out of phase occurs when one of these magnets is rotated 180 degrees (rotated not flipped). This changes the polarity so that they are now going in opposite directions of each other cancelling each other out and the left over sound is what you hear.
Now someone else may have a much more in depth and accurate description of this but as i said, i'm just passing on what i have read.
I recorded this as a demonstration over the Peter Green soon Out Of Reach to illustrate how different out of phase sounds. Different and awesome in my opinion.
Every 30 seconds-ish i swap from the Neck>Middle (Out Of Phase)>Bridge Pickup, then back to the start in different positions on the neck. This was recorded with my Epiphone Les Paul, i made the alterations to the pickup myself and it was very easy.

Hope this gives someone a bit of knowledge or i've just wasted 15 minutes of my life!
I call it Out Of Reach (And Phase)
download/file.php?id=854

[aggiefan]

Hi lynyrd775skynyrd. Not only is Peter Green famous for the old out of phase trick but the late great Gary Moore. Gary actually bought Peters 59 les paul in 1972. Peter Green is one of Gary Moores biggest influences. R.I.P Gary

[MikeJackal]

Yes and as you know sadly sold it to a private collector who now has it in a glass case no doubt, so no more sweet music coming out of that beauty, shame.

[VikingBlues]

Interesting demo you've posted - highlights teh change in sound nicely.

As I understand it Gary Moore badly damaged his hand in an accident. The insurance company refused to pay up and the two stories I have seen either say (i) Gary Moore had to pay the cancellation costs, which were very hefty or (ii) he needed to raise money for the huge medical bills. The sale of the "Peter Green" guitar was it has been said the only way enough cash could be raised. Noted that Peter Green had sold it to Gary Moore for only the price he had originally paid for it and refused to accept any more - it appeared he was ridding himself of all things connected with his fame which he had come to be so uneasy about.

According to Martin Cellmins PG autobiography Peter Green also gave away one of his laet 50's Les Pauls to a homeless man in an elevator. It was later recovered by Mick Fleetwood from a nearby Pawn shop.

The Gary Moore album "Blues for Greeny" has Gary playing Peter Green numbers using the famous "Peter Green" guitar. Some of the sounds are uncannily close to Peter Green though the precise phrasing by virtue of the different player are noticable - so you hear Gary Moore playing Peter Green but it doesn't sound quite like Peter Green despite it being the same guitar and the same songs. I suppose it shows how major a part of a players sound the player himself is. Of course a lot of Peter Green's sound was down to his note choices which were, to put it simply, unique and wonderful - but even when someone else very skilled uses the same note choices and the same guitar there is something that is still quite different.