So you basically have 3 options to choose from here:Īnd then there’s “ vintage-style” pickups which have the lowest output of all, and designed to mimic the weakened magnets found in old classic guitars. With passive pickups…you can actually increase the output, simply by adding more winds of copper wire.Īt least that’s true up to a certain point…īecause beyond that, more winding results in a dull, flat sound. And it may be for no other reason than it’s the sound we’ve become accustomed to over the years.Īnd so again…there’s no clear-cut winner here.Īlthough still not quite as “hot” as active pickups… Ironically though…the majority of the guitar-playing world STILL prefers the sound of passive pickups. Objectively, they win in almost every comparison.
One notable problem with passive pickups is they require stronger magnets to generate a sufficient voltage, potentially causing a condition known as “ string pull“, which negatively impacts both tone and sustain.Īctive pickups solve this problem using weaker magnets, and boosting the signal later with the preamp.Īs you can see, the benefits of active pickups go on and on.
more tonal consistency at different volumesīass players especially, like them for their:. Until several companies began designing active pickups back in the 70’s…and the two designs have been competing ever since. active – (with magnets, and boosted by a preamp). Pickups generate a voltage using 1 of 2 methods: And this same truth applies to everything else we’ll cover in this post. You can still get twangy sounds from humbuckersīecause the final guitar sound depends on so many other factors besides just the pickups. You can still get dark heavy sounds from single coils. Single-coils have more note definition between strings, while humbuckers have lessīut despite all these “tendencies”…understand that almost any sound can be achieved with almost any pickup. 
Single-coils work better with clean sounds, while humbuckers work better with distorted sounds. Single-coils are brighter and crisper, while humbuckers are warmer and darker. In terms of performance, humbuckers have:Īnd while it may seem that humbuckers are superior to single-coils from a technical standpoint…what really matters is how they compare in tone. While Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters are most known for single-coils. Over the past many decades, the Gibson Les Paul is the guitar style most closely associated with humbuckers… Originally known as PAF ( Patent Applied For) pickups…this new dual-coil design eventually came to be known simply as humbuckers. The noise cancelled out, while the useful signal remained intact. When Seth Lover at Gibson, discovered that by joining two single-coils together, wired with opposite polarities… While all guitar pickups were originally single coils… Guitar pickups come in two basic designs: So right now, let’s look at the different design options to see how they affect both tone and performance. And eventually leaves your amp as sound.Īnd while the tone of that sound is determined by MANY factors along your signal chain…it all begins with the pickup design. Which travels through your cables and gear…. Which then generates a voltage when the strings vibrate…. Which generates a magnetic field around the strings…. WESTONE GUITAR PICKUPS SERIES
If you’re one of the brave few who dare to explore this aspect of the instrument, you’re at a huge advantage.īecause…at the front of the signal chain, pickups generate that initial “tonal foundation”…upon which everything else is built.Īnd so…for today’s post I’ve created a detailed introduction to the world of guitar pickups to help you guys get started on this in-depth topic.Ī guitar pickup is essentially a series of magnets wrapped thousands of times in insulated copper wire coils… We try different strings, amps, pedals, etc…īut one thing that most us dare not mess with is pickups.īecause quite frankly, they’re intimidating.Īnd the mere thought of tearing out the guts of your beautiful electric guitar can be sickening… As guitar players, we’re always on the never-ending quest for better tone.
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