A guitar pickup is essentially a magnet that detects vibrations of your strings, turning them into electrical signals that can be amplified and amplified further. This simple device can produce some amazing tones!
Passive single-coil pickups create a natural and organic sound, and excel in all styles of music; however, they don’t handle heavy distortion well.
Single Coil
Pickups are among the most vital components in any guitar’s sound, making a significant impactful statement about who you are as an artist and player. From type to number of pickups used, many factors influence its tone and its ability to stand out in a mix; due to this fact, guitarists will often swap out pickups until they find one which sounds perfect for them.
Single coil pickups are known for their crisp, bright tone that converts string vibrations into electrical signals. You’ll often find single coils in Fender guitars like the Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Telecaster; Gibson Les Paul; however they can also be found virtually any electric guitar.
Single-coil pickups use magnets to generate the magnetic field that your strings vibrate within, which is then transformed into an electrical signal by winding copper wire around a bobbin – this process determines both how many turns, size and type of magnet are present as well as its effect on sound production. You have several insulator choices such as ceramic or alnico for optimal sound production as well as how thickly and tightly wrapped your wire is insulated – these factors all influence tone production.
Single-coil pickups’ lack of hum and noise makes them particularly useful for guitarists recording in noisy environments or using long cables; however, this does increase their susceptibility to feedback when overdriven or distorted.
Some single-coil pickups come equipped with noise-canceling features to help lessen hum and feedback, such as push/pull switches on volume controls or external toggle switches or custom wiring. You might also consider single-coil pickups which offer both options: regular single coil mode and humbucking mode for maximum flexibility.
Humbucker
A guitar pickup detects string vibrations and converts them to an electrical signal that can be amplified, using a magnet wrapped with coils of copper wire. You can alter this signal based on core material, coil count and other properties for different sounds – with single coil pickups typically being the preferred choice; some players may prefer humbucker pickups.
Humbucker pickups provide more power and thicker sound than single-coil pickups, making them ideal for rock and metal music. Their design also makes them less susceptible to unwanted hum and feedback while increasing sensitivity and output which make humbuckers great choices for overdriven and distorted tones.
There is an array of humbucker pickups on the market, ranging from vintage-style Gibson models to high-output metal models. Each guitar player will choose their pickup accordingly; many choose both for maximum sonic versatility. If you are new to electric guitar, having both types is an effective way to become acquainted with both sets of pickups.
Many humbucker guitar pickups employ two coils that are parallel, yet can also be wired in series for increased power and volume. When wired in series, signals travel through both coils before being sent directly to an amplifier, creating a fuller tone with increased volume and power output.
Seymour Duncan created one of the most coveted humbucker pickups for use on Gibson Les Paul Original PAF guitars: PAF Original PAFs are constructed using Alnico 3 magnets for a classic, vintage sound. Later, Seymour Duncan released Trembuckers which feature wider pole piece spacing designed specifically to work with Fender-style and Floyd Rose equipped instruments.
There are various ways you can customize a humbucker guitar, from changing its wiring from parallel to series, or installing an expander circuit, to various mounting options available – some designed specifically to fit in where single coil pickups would normally reside.
Distortion
Pickups are electromagnetic devices which convert string vibrations into an electrical signal for further acoustically amplification. You can find pickups installed specifically on electric guitars or acoustic guitars; single-coil, humbucker, and P90 pickups are among the most frequently seen examples of pickups used to do this work.
While numerous factors influence the sound of a guitar, picking out the appropriate pickup can have a tremendous effect on its tone. For instance, pickups located in the bridge position tend to produce brighter and more articulate tones compared to those placed at the neck position; additionally they produce greater warmth and mellowness. Other elements that affect its sound include magnet size, coil size and number of turns on coils.
An effective way of explaining how a guitar pickup operates is through electromagnetic induction. A magnet can create current in a coil of conductive wire by moving around it; as strings vibrate they disrupt its magnetic field and cause it to change shape; this triggers electric current flow within the coil which eventually is transmitted to an amplifier for further acoustical amplification before finally being transmitted through speakers for listening purposes.
Distortion refers to any unwanted change in sound waves, often used as an effect in music styles like punk or metal. Distortion can be produced via guitar pickups with high amounts of gain and distortion.
Switching out your pickups is a quick and cost-effective way to improve its tone, so why not experiment with different kinds? Find what best fits you by testing out different pickup types?
No matter your desired tone – from clean and clear to something with some crunch – there is sure to be a pickup that suits you perfectly. As there are other factors at work when it comes to guitar tone, practice will help your sound improve! Best wishes!
Switchable
Finding the ideal guitar pickup can be a difficult endeavor. From its magnetic properties and dimensions to bobbin sizes and wire turns, many different factors must be taken into account before making your selection. Your type of guitar, amplifier and playing style also plays a part; some pickups are designed specifically to cater for certain genres while others may provide versatility across styles of music.
Many electric guitars feature multiple pickups that function independently of each other, picking up string vibrations and turning them into current that travels through wire to an amplifier. A pickup selector switch allows you to choose which pickup you wish to use at any given moment – using either bridge or neck pickup will alter its sound; usually producing more treble and sharper tones with bridge being sharper while neck generally produces warmer tones.
Traditional methods for switching pickups involve adding another jack and connecting both pickups with two cords – while this does work, it adds another step that requires additional wiring, potentially altering the original tone of your guitar.
Seymour Duncan offers the HyperSwitch as the solution, which combines traditional and technological platforms for ease of rewiring passive pickups, accessing iconic tones quickly with just a flick of a switch, and easy rewire process.
Utilising the HyperSwitch is simple. Simply plug a wire into the hot output and ground (often blue on older guitars) of your current pickups, connecting it to your selector switch and connecting the wire back out when switching configurations. When ready, simply follow the color-coded chart or diagram provided by your replacement pickup manufacturer to swap out old for new.