Mini Humbucker
Mini-Humbucker, Redesigned by Lindy
$180 – $360
The Fralin Mini Humbucker is cleaner and clearer than full sized humbuckers. Our Mini Humbucker sounds more “Fendery” than other Mini’s, which are darker and muddier. We have two magnet choices – Alnico 5 is bright and clear, and Alnico 6 is loud and thick.
Quick Links
Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
Mini Humbuckers, Redesigned.
Want to learn more about our Mini Humbucker? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features
Lindy’s passion for the tone of vintage 50’s humbuckers led us down the road to design our Mini Humbucker. The Lindy Fralin Mini Humbucker is one amazing-sounding pickup. Lindy modified the design of the original Mini Humbuckers, experimenting with winds and magnets. The result gives you a clean vintage tone that’s more articulate than most modern humbuckers. Our Mini Humbucker is a lower output, which is more expressive than higher-output designs.
Features:
- Modified Gibson Design – Re-designed by Lindy Fralin
- Modified Gibson® specifications with attention to increased output and clarity
- Brighter and more ‘Fender-y’ tone. Smooth, late grind and a crisp attack
- USA-made Alnico Magnets for optimal tonal balance and output
- 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
Clean, clear, and articulate. Our Mini Humbucker will stay clean as it won’t break up as early as modern humbuckers. You’ll find that it’s loud, while still remaining clear. Built with AlNicCo V or VI magnets, and 42 & 43 Gauge SPN wire, the Mini Humbuckers are a gateway to vintage tone. When playing clean, you’ll find that this pickup sings what you put into it: it’s dynamic, clear, and warm. Expect a smooth grind with distortion, with a pronounced pick attack. If you want a darker sound, choose to go with the +4% or +8% output options. More coil will thicken the midrange up more, and less will make is sound more like single coils and cleaner.
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Our Mini Humbuckers consist of USA-Made bobbins, baseplates, magnets, and wire. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time. Each pickup is wound using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. This gives the pickup a sweet, clear tone.
We assemble each pickup one at a time, by hand. This allows us to achieve unbeatable attention to detail. Finally, we wax-pot the pickup to preserve the pickup, and prevent microphonics.
Sound Samples for Mini Humbucker:
About this Sound Clip:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
This set features our Stock Output Mini Humbuckers – with an Alnico 5 neck and an Alnico 6 Bridge.
Sound Clips performed on an Ash-Bodied Telecaster with a Maple Neck, by Phil Heesen III.
Tonal Graph For Mini Humbucker:
The tonal graph below for our Mini Humbucker features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Stock Output:
Attack: Bright & Sharp
+4% Output:
Attack: Dynamic & Full
+8 Output:
Attack: Soft & Round
Videos for Mini Humbucker:
Lead Color Codes
See below for our Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.
Gibson Braided Lead
Gibson-Style instruments
Phase Reversible
Coil Splitting
2-Conductor Lead
Phase Reversible
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Mini Humbucker.
| SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
|---|---|
| Stock Ohm Reading: | 6.5K 1 |
| +4% Ohm Reading: | 10.5K 1 |
| +8% Ohm Reading: | 11.2K 1 |
| Magnet Material: | USA-Made Alnico 5 or USA-Made Alnico 6 |
| Magnet Wire Material: | USA-Made 42-Gauge / 43-Gauge Single Poly Nylon |
| Baseplate Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Cover Material: | USA-Made Nickel Silver |
| Polarity: | Reversible with 2-Conductor Lead |
| Recommended Cap Value: | 0.02mfd 2 |
Additional Technical Info:
1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.
2 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.
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
If you're buying a set from us, all pickups will work together seamlessly. If you're buying a single pickup, all you need to worry about is Coil Direction.
To ensure your pickup will work, make sure you select multiple leads (2-Conductor, 3-Conductor, or 4-Conductor if available), or the 3-Wire modification so you can reverse the coil direction, if need be.
Mini Humbucker Dimensions:
Mini Humbucker Dimensions:
If converting a Mini Humbucker to a Soapbar, check your rout to make sure the Soapbar ring (pictured above) will fit your instrument.
Mini Humbucker Dimensions:
Mini Humbucker FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Mini Humbucker have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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Will this pickup fit my instrument?
Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.
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Is your Lead Time of 2 Weeks accurate?
It depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to beat our estimated Lead Times.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Mini Humbuckers to?
Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. To measure, hold the correct side down at its highest fret. Then, measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.
Product FAQ's
People frequently ask these questions about our Mini Humbucker. If you have a question that you don't see listed here, click "Ask" in the Quick Links section above.
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What's the difference between Alnico 5 and Alnico 6?
Alnico 5 features more of a Fender Sparkle, and Alnico 6 sounds more like a Humbucker – softer, warmer, and thicker, but with more output. If you’re looking for a Fender tone out of your Mini, opt for Alnico 5. If you’re looking for more of a PAF tone, opt for Alnico 6.
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What is a "Stock" set of Mini Humbuckers?
There are a lot of options with this pickup. The Stock Set is close to how Gibson made them in the ’50s. It’s a Stock Neck (6.5K) and a Stock Bridge (6.5K). This set will feature a clean, fender-like Neck and a bright, spanky Bridge. If you’re looking for something with more balance, you can opt for a +4% Neck (Alnico 5), or a Stock Neck with Alnico 6. Alnico 6 gives the pickup a louder output with more of a “Gibson” feel – more midrange, less highs – more like a traditional PAF.
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Can you wire the Mini Humbucker for Coil Splitting?
We can, but we don’t recommend it – the output is very low.
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
48 Genuine Reviews for Mini Humbucker
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My mini humbukers on my es Les paul just kill. Can you say sparkle ?
I just love them. Thanks LindyEQ
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Excellent bridge minihumbucker for my firebird. I had to set it really close to the strings for full power.
Fralin pickups custom made it to my specs and did a fine job. Great service,great products, fast shipping. -
absolutely love the difference this minihumbucker set made in my gadow american classic. direct drop in replacement for the stock gfs p90’s, but the sound is now over the top. i opted for standard wind alnico5 in the neck and alnico 6 in the bridge in nickel and the look is perfect and the sound is even perfecter :).
after receiving and installing the set, my tech discovered that they were manufactured out of phase. one quick phone call with Lindy and the bridge pu was on it’s way back. turn around was literally 1 day as it arrived in the morning and shipped that afternoon. back in the guitar the next morning and BOOM!!!
i am certainly reminded of a ’72 las paul deluxe i owned in the 80’s and now have that sound again without the weight.
great job y’all -
I put these pickups in my ’65 Gibson Melody Maker. They fit perfectly without modding the guitar. ( I did need to get a repro pickguard)
The pickups sound so great! I feel like I found the Holy Grail!
Couldn’t be happier! -
Excellent! They were exactly what I was looking for in a mini-humbucker.
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I am a return customer! I have p-90 equipped guitars loaded with Fralin! I am trying to fall in love with my Firebird! Stock pickups just didn’t cut it. Ordered this pup actually to go in my Epiphone Les Paul 55. Decided to install in my Firebird instead. I have found it sounds best cranked! I ordered on 8% over stock. Came out to around 10k. Quality built, excellent customer service. You can call and actually talk to Lindy. He was a great help in deciding. It’s still a little bright sounding unless it’s wide open. Now I realize Mini humbuckers are brighter by nature. volume pot and cap value change might do the trick! Volume rolls of really quick on the Bird! Nothing to do with the pup! It’s clean and clear. I can crank the volume on my Marshall and get that early Johnny Winter tone! I love the Mini and will be a return customer! I can highly recommend Fralin Pickups!
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I love the feel and balance of the Gibson Firebird, but never cared for the stock pickups. Sound tinny and require a lot of amp/pedal tweaking to get a tone I liked (I play doom/black metal type stuff, FWIW). Came across Fralin pickups during my search for a replacement, and boy am I glad I did. Lindy’s mini-HBs completely nail that warm, “hollow” PAF sound that makes old Gibsons such a tonal delight. I chose the overwound options for both bridge and neck, and they provide an absolutely perfect balance of punch and presence. I play through various Friedman amps, and the Firebird with the Fralins doesn’t need anything additional in terms of boost or distortion – they deliver a perfect tone right out of the box, and it would be a shame to put anything between the guitar and the amps.
Other reasons I was glad I bought the Fralins: great web site with tons of helpful instructional videos (I like to tinker with things so these are great), prompt response from to questions, and their being based in Richmond, Virginia, where a lot of my people from my great great grandfather on down are buried. I always “buy South” when I can, and I am proud to spend my hard-earned dollars on a true Southern craftsman. I’ll be ordering a set of P90s for a Gibson SG later this year. Thanks, y’alll!
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My first go with a mini-humbucker and this little beauty has set the bar impossibly high for others. Just a terrific sounding, balanced pickup.
I dropped it in the neck position of my PRS Vela — ordered an A5 alnico, stock wind. Excellent balance and dynamics, and has the perfect amount of humbucker body without being boomy or woofy. Nice top end like a P90 without being shrill, yet not quite bell-like in strat neck pickups. Sounds particularly great with finger style soul licks and country picking. Threw all kinds of drives at it and still retains clarity and punch. So stoked!
+100 for the sexy matte black cover option, well worth the extra couple of bucks.
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I put these into my Stratocaster in neck and bridge, with a hum-cancelling single coil in the middle, using all 500k pots. The wind is stock neck with 4% overwound bridge. I chose both with A5 magnets. These are brighter and lower output than other mini-humbuckers I used. There is not too much top end, although they have good bite in upper mids. After adjusting the height of the pickups, the balance between neck and bridge is exactly what I wanted. The bridge pickup is fantastic as a fusion lead or blues tone, played though a Marshall style amp. Both pickups work well with a good range of gain settings. They are the most versatile pickups I have used in a Strat. The clean and low-gain tones are vastly improved over the “Fast track” and “Cruiser” blade style pickups from another manufacturer.
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I saw Aaron Currie play lead at a Josh Turner concert and asked him what kind of pickup he had in his white tele. He said it was a Fralin mini hum, so I decided to buy one myself and see how it would sound. I paired it with vintage 52/59 pickups in the bridge/strat position of an American Professional Fender Nashville tele. My luthier said he was very impressed with the sound after he got it installed. I am completely happy with it, and everybody who has played my new setup has really loved the tone. I am no longer looking for the “best” after finding this. I do believe I have found the ultimate country sound for my personal taste.
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Amazing in the neck position of a Telecaster. I’ve never used a neck pickup so much. The clarity of it while still being smooth is to die for. I tune down to D standard ( try it if you haven’t it’s awesome!) and it is like a ringing bell. Gorgeous tones. I paired mine with a blues special bridge pickup and it’s such an amazing combination. It growls and snarls with overdrive but also does the best clean sounds. Well worth the money.
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What an amazing set of pickups, my SG has literally never sounded better! These pickups have the exact clean tone I feel I’ve always had in my head, single coil jangle and clarity with no hum and just a bit of humbucker-y fullness. I will say there were some issues installing the pickups with the soapbar rings that was easily fixed by a bit of sanding (I’m positive this is an issue on Gibson’s part as even the original pickups were nearly impossible to remove/reinstall). On top of all this, customer service throughout the process was exceptional, with Lindy personally calling me to ensure my pickups would come with the proper mounting hardware.
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Great pickup!
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Great upgrade
Much richer tonal spectrum than I expected. The customer I installed it for was delighted as was I. Great work Lindy.
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Mini Humbucker with Split Blade Blues
I put split blade blues pickups in my Strat. Absolutely love the middle and bridge but the neck was a bit dull and weak. Replaced it with a std wound mini Humbucker. Awesome. Love it. Truthfully, the neck middle blend is unusual and I haven’t quite figured out how to use it yet but that’s a position I don’t use much. Note: since I had split blade blues I already had 500K pots that the mini hum needed.
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I have had the mini now for a few months. I don’t play any gigs anymore so took a while to take this pu through the routine.
First off I love the size – I’ve always loved that nickel covered front pu on the Tele…size, looks and sound. This mini retained that understated look and had twice the highs the Seymour Duncan (Seymour makes great pick ups too) had – even though
it was a single coil fender replacement. The mini went into my homemade 1 piece swamp ash/rosewood Tele. This guitar sounds like a Tele even not plugged in. I’ve matched it with a late 60’s Fender bridge pu that is clear and rings forever. What a match! Also installed a Fralin 4 way hook up using the 500k resister to allow using 500k’s for both pick ups. What a marriage!
The mini sounds great by itself…I have 3 great traditional sounding tones…and, the ‘series’ sound is crystal clear with a Gibson kick. I always thought Leo Fender got it right – right from the start with the Tele, and he did. And I have to say it sure is
fun building on his work. Fralin pickups does a great job! (I also have a Strat with split blade singles) oh, by the way, the mini I chose was with stock winding. -
Customer added no additional comments
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Mini-Humbucker
Great. Just like the Fralin: Firebird, Mini-Humbucker, and Standard Humbuckers I already use. -
I wanted the Brent Mason vibe without the middle pickup on my Fender CS McVay Bender tele. My original neck pickup was weak and uninspiring so it was time to take the plunge. I didn’t want a full size Keef HB mod, too dark. The mini hum is the perfect choice. (Tip: route the guitar with the pickguard installed) I stayed with the 250k pots, still plenty of highs for my ash body- maple neck. My bridge pickup is the hotter (9.7k) Twisted Tele so the 4% overwind mini was recommended by Jon. Very pleased, volume balance is perfect between the two pickups. The middle position is now very usable and by itself it has the volume and clarity the mini hum’s are known for. Couldn’t be happier, thanks for the great customer support!
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Mini humbucker
I’m a session picker in eastern Ky, I’ve always wanted a mini humbucker in one of my telecasters I’ve had many of them and they would never match up to the bridge until I got this Fralin mini HB and it is killer I play on many projects and like any guitar player the tone has got to be there and this pickup delivers thank you’all !!!!
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