Last updated: January 27, 2024A guitar, in its essence, is a vessel of sound, a symphony in wood and wire. At the heart of this symphony, the guitar pickup is the element that captures and translates the vibrations into electric signals. A fundamental understanding of these ingenious devices can transform how you approach your instrument, helping you unlock its full sonic potential.
Born from the need to conquer the infamous 60-cycle hum associated with single-coil pickups, the humbucker emerged as a hero. This pickup, introduced by Gibson in the late 1950s, utilizes two coils wound in opposite directions to cancel out any electromagnetic interference that produces that unwanted hum.
The Sonic Signature of Humbuckers: Humbuckers are characterized by their rich, warm, and smooth tone. The dual-coil design eliminates the hum and boosts the signal output, producing a thicker, louder sound compared to single coils. This fuller sound profile makes them an ideal choice for genres where a dense, harmonically complex tone is sought-after – genres like rock, metal, and jazz.
Notable Humbucker Equipped Guitars: Guitars such as the Gibson Les Paul SG, and various models from PRS commonly use humbuckers, shaping the sound of countless legendary guitarists from Slash to Jimmy Page.
Alnico vs. Ceramic Magnets: Humbuckers with alnico magnets are known for their smooth, vintage tone with a sweet high end. On the other hand, ceramic magnets provide a sharper tone with a higher output, making them popular in rock and metal genres.
The Impact of Coil Windings: The number of coil windings around the pickup bobbin can also shape the pickup’s tonality. More windings typically result in higher output and a darker tone, while fewer windings yield a brighter sound with lower output.
EMG is a brand that has become synonymous with active pickups. They rose to popularity with their high-output, low-noise operation, earning a special place in the hearts of guitarists seeking precise and clear tones, especially in high-gain settings.
The Sonic Profile of EMG Pickups: EMG pickups offer a strong output, a tighter low-end response, and a pronounced mid-range with enhanced sustain. This distinct tonal quality makes them an ideal fit for rock, metal, and other heavier music genres.
The Power Within EMG Pickups: Unlike their passive counterparts, active pickups such as EMGs require an external power source, usually a 9V battery. This additional power source fuels a built-in preamp within the pickup, which boosts the signal directly at the source. As a result, EMG pickups can deliver high output levels while keeping noise and interference to a minimum.
The P-90 pickup stands tall as a perfect middle ground in the eternal debate between single-coil and humbucker pickups. It offers the best of both worlds – it retains the bright, clean character of single-coils while delivering a warmer and thicker tone, similar to humbuckers.
The Versatility of P-90s: This unique tonal blend, characterized by a fine balance of crisp articulation, creamy mids, and underlying grittiness, makes P-90s versatile across a range of genres. From the smooth tones of blues and jazz to the driven sounds of classic rock, P-90 pickups lend themselves to a myriad of musical styles.
Notable P-90 Equipped Guitars: Classic guitars such as the Gibson Les Paul Junior and the Gibson SG Special frequently sport P-90 pickups, reflecting their vintage charm and tonal versatility.
Single-coil pickups are where the electric guitar story begins. As the first type of pickup designed for guitars, they hold a special place in the pantheon of pickups. Despite their susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, which leads to a characteristic ‘hum,’ their unique tonal characteristics continue to endear them to guitarists.
The Vibrant Sound of Single-Coils: Single-coil pickups deliver a bright, clear, and sparkling tone with an airy quality that has become iconic in genres such as surf rock, country, and blues.
Single-Coil Icons: The Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster are two prime examples of guitars equipped with single-coil pickups. These models have become iconic in their own right, largely contributing to the sound of legends like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and David Gilmour.
While often overshadowed by their six-string counterparts, bass guitar pickups play a critical role in shaping the low-end foundation of any musical piece. There’s a vast array of bass guitar pickups, each adding a unique voice to the bass guitar’s overall sound. Let’s delve into the specifics of J-Pickups, split-coil, dual-coil, and soap bar pickups.
J-Pickups, often seen on Jazz Basses, are designed with two single-coil pickups, each with a unique tonal flavor. Their placement on the guitar – one closer to the bridge, the other near the neck – endows the bass with unmatched tonal versatility.
Bridge and Neck Tones: The pickup closer to the bridge delivers a tight, punchy tone, while the one near the neck offers a fuller, warmer sound. With this arrangement, you can create a perfect blend of the two or switch between them according to your needs.
Split-coil and dual-coil pickups are ingenious solutions to the eternal quest for sonic versatility: They marry the bright tone of a single-coil and the hum-canceling capabilities of a humbucker.
Split-Coil Pickups: These use two halves of a pickup coil for each set of two strings, achieving a hum-canceling effect while maintaining a single-coil’s bright and punchy character. They are standard on Precision Bass guitars.
Dual-Coil Pickups: These feature two separate coils, like a humbucker, typically configured in a single-coil-sized package. This design allows you to enjoy the fuller, warmer sound of a humbucker while retaining the physical footprint of a single-coil.
Soap Bar pickups, so-called due to their rectangular, soap-like shape, may not draw attention, but their sound does the talking. Essentially, these are a type of P-90 pickup that delivers a warm, balanced, and subtly gritty tone.
Aesthetics and Sound: The clean, sleek lines of the ‘soap bar’ can lend a vintage vibe to your guitar while maintaining a broad tonal range, making these pickups a perfect blend of form and function.
Acoustic guitar pickups are quite distinct from their electric counterparts. They work by capturing the vibrations from the guitar body and strings, enabling you to amplify your acoustic guitar while preserving its natural tone. Let’s take a closer look at transducer pickups, piezo pickups, and soundhole pickups.
Transducer pickups capture the vibrations from the guitar’s top or soundboard. They are typically mounted on the underside of the soundboard, offering a natural and warm amplified tone. However, they can be sensitive to feedback when used at high volumes.
Piezo pickups, also known as under-saddle pickups, are installed under the guitar’s saddle. They work by generating an electrical signal when pressure is applied to a piezoelectric crystal inside the pickup. This results in a bright, clear tone that effectively cuts through the mix, making it ideal for live performances.
Soundhole pickups are designed to fit into the guitar’s soundhole. They come in both single-coil and humbucker variants and offer an easy way to amplify your acoustic guitar without drilling or modifying your instrument.
In addition to the conventional pickups, there’s another method to capture the acoustic guitar’s voice – the in-body microphone. This small microphone placed inside the guitar’s body picks up the resonance and vibration of the instrument, delivering an amplified sound that is incredibly natural and true to the guitar’s acoustic tone.
With the vast selection of guitar pickups available, choosing the right one for your needs may seem daunting. However, understanding each pickup’s unique qualities and knowing what you’re looking for can simplify the process and make it enjoyable.
Here are some key factors to consider:
The first step is understanding the basics of guitar pickups and their various types. It’s essential to delve into advanced concepts and considerations to truly leverage the power of pickups. This includes the impact of pickup placement, the use of active and passive pickups, and the art of combining different pickups.
The position of a pickup on a guitar can significantly influence the tone it produces. Pickups closer to the bridge yield a bright, sharp sound, while those near the neck produce a deeper, warmer tone.
Bridge Pickups: These pickups are situated close to the bridge and emphasize higher frequencies, providing a sharp, cutting tone.
Neck Pickups: Located near the neck, these pickups offer a softer, rounder tone that brings out the bass frequencies.
Middle Pickups: These pickups, found mainly on guitars like the Fender Stratocaster, provide a balance of bridge and neck pickup tones. They are often used in combination with the bridge or neck pickup for a more diverse range of sounds.
When choosing a pickup, one important consideration is whether it’s active or passive. Each type offers distinct advantages and tonal characteristics.
Passive Pickups: The most common type, passive pickups generate a signal purely from the magnetic field disturbed by the vibrating strings. They offer a warm, dynamic tone and are often preferred for their organic sound.
Active Pickups: These pickups use an onboard preamp (usually powered by a battery) to amplify the signal before it reaches the guitar’s output. This results in a consistent, high-output signal that’s less prone to noise and interference. They are favored by many metal and hard rock players for their clarity and punch.
Using multiple pickups and selecting different combinations can significantly broaden your guitar’s tonal palette. Many guitars offer two or three pickups and come with a switch that lets you select individual pickups or use them in combination.
Humbucker-Single-Single (HSS) Configuration: This popular setup offers a humbucker at the bridge for high-output tones and single-coils at the middle and neck positions for brighter, clearer sounds.
Single-Humbucker (SH) Configuration: This simpler configuration provides a single-coil at the neck for warm, round tones and a humbucker at the bridge for high-output, aggressive sounds.
The distance between the pickup and the strings—known as the pickup height—can dramatically impact the volume and tonality of your output.
Height Adjustments: A pickup too close to the strings could result in a loud, distorted tone. Conversely, the sound could be weak and lack sustain if it’s too far. Adjusting the pickup height can help you achieve the perfect balance.
In conclusion, the world of guitar pickups is a vast and diverse sonic landscape. From the grit and bite of humbuckers to the bright sparkle of single-coils, from the richness of acoustic pickups to the thump of bass pickups, each type offers a unique voice to bring your musical expressions to life. Understanding these differences and knowing how to harness them can significantly enhance your guitar tone and elevate your performance.
The journey of exploring guitar pickups is as exciting as it is enlightening. By delving into the various types of pickups, understanding their distinct characteristics, and learning how to leverage them effectively, you can unlock a whole new dimension of tonal possibilities. Whether you’re a novice guitar player or a seasoned professional, never cease experimenting, learning, and growing in your quest for the perfect tone. After all, the beauty of music lies in its endless potential for creativity and self-expression.
