Though guitar and bass pickups may appear similar, there is actually quite a bit of distinction between them. Their size and string spacing differences differ drastically; larger pickups tend to be used on basses. Picking out the ideal pickup can have a dramatic impact on your bass tone, from its magnet type and coil wind […]
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Many guitarists and gear heads agree that pickups on an electric guitar are one of the key factors in terms of tone. You will likely encounter this viewpoint in books and websites dedicated to pickups. No doubt many factors contribute to your tone; beyond just pickups themselves. So do they really matter? Choosing the Right
Do Guitar Pickups Really Matter? Read More »
Some bassists believe that picking is not the true way to play bass; these people are wrong. Decisions on whether or not to utilize a pick are highly subjective and depend on both your style and genre of music. There may be instances in which using one would be advantageous over fingerstyle. David Ellefson of
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A bass guitar pickup circuit converts mechanical energy from metalized strings into an electronic signal for transmission to a bass amplifier, where sound waves are then transformed into rich tones. The height of its pickups plays an essential role in creating its distinctive soundscape. Quality potentiometers (commonly referred to as “pots”) can preserve a bass’
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Pickups on a bass are key components of its sound, and there are multiple varieties: single coil, split coil and humbucker. At its core, a bass guitar pickup consists of a magnet and copper wire coil. When vibrating strings cause changes to their magnetic fields, small electrical current is generated within the wire coil by
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Sweetwater offers Bartolini pickups to upgrade your bass guitar with passive designs that eliminate hum and produce powerful tone that stands out in any mix. Bartolini provides an impressive variety of pickup shapes, ranging from specific retrofits for Fender(r), MusicMan(r), Washburn(r), soapbars and humbuckers – as well as their B-axis design with Alnico V exposed
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Positioning your bass pickups correctly is essential to creating the optimal sound from your instrument. Low pickup settings produce muddy tones that reduce overall effectiveness of tone production. Most body-mount pickups include a dense foam piece to push them upward when secured to your guitar body. Use a feeler gauge to depress strings at the
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There are multiple methods for creating a bass guitar pickup. These include magnetic, piezoelectric, and optical approaches. Magnetic pickups are the most widely used type. These pickups work by sensing vibrations of steel strings and translating those vibrations into an audible signal that can then be amplified acoustically. Coiled wire, magnets, and pole pieces all
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Pickups are the invisible force behind amplifying sound from strings to make a bass’s final sound as distinct as possible. Their influence can have a significant effect on its final tone. The two primary pickup styles are single-coil and double-coil (also referred to as “humbuckers”) models. With the latter model using two separate coils to
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Selecting the appropriate bass pickups can make all the difference in your tone. From jazz-like sounds to deep rock riffs, incorporating quality pickups can take your bass playing to new heights. Bass guitar pickups typically fall into two main categories: single-coil and humbucker. Learn more about each option to help decide which will best meet
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