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 alteration in magnetic field strength resulting from string vibration and therefore causes electrical current in its coil coil to flow.
Wire Size
A bass guitar pickup serves two essential purposes: it transmits string vibrations from your instrument into its amplifier and amplifies them. Your choice of pickup can have a significant effect on its tone.
The primary differences among pickups include how they’re designed to respond to string vibrations and their total number of coil turns; plus their unique shapes and sizes which all affect tone in different ways.
Most single-coil pickups use two wires: a hot wire and ground wire. This connects directly to your bass’s volume and tone controls, with the ground wire leading back into your amplifier. A single conductor lead wire may suffice if basic functionality is desired, however if switching options such as coil splitting or in/out-of phase settings are desired it would be wiser to opt for four conductor lead wire instead.
Gauge refers to the diameter of bare magnet wire, and has a significant impact on coil capacitance. As gauge numbers increase, so too does its effect; higher gauge numbers mean thinner wire and ultimately a greater DC resistance per linear foot of wire.
Most guitar and bass pickups utilize 42 and 43 gauge magnet wire, while insulation plays an equally significant role in shaping tone. Common types include plane enamel, heavy formvar and polyurethane insulation materials.
Single-coil Precision Bass pickups deliver a broad sound with plenty of treble and moderate output, and have long been used by rock and pop musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick and Tim Commerford, Rage Against the Machine’s Tomislav Tomic and Robert Trujillo (of Rage Against the Machine/Metallica/Rage Against the Machine/Rage Against the Machine/Metallica). They work particularly well for any genre that demands strong bass response – or those wanting a distinct bass response can use these pickups!
Winding Pattern
The number and distribution of coil wraps have a dramatic effect on tone. A pickup with too few turns may sound muddy or muffled; too many turns could become microphonic and produce harsh sounds. Other factors also have an effect, including type and thickness of wire as well as scatter-winding (also known as scatterwinding).
Simply selecting between copper or silver coils can change the sound of a bass pickup significantly. Silver offers lower resistance and greater ductility compared to copper; however, over time it oxidizes more rapidly, potentially degrading the bobbin over time.
There are three primary magnetic pickup types used on electric bass guitars: single coil, split coil and humbuckers. While these may be the most prevalent options available to guitarists today, there may also be minor variations available that have an effect on overall tone of each bass pickup.
Magnets encased in fine copper wire react to vibrations of bass strings by shifting their magnetic field and producing an amplified voltage that corresponds with physical vibrations of their string, creating an electrical signal that corresponds with physical vibrations, which then converts into musical notes via bass amplifiers.
Piezoelectric pickups, which use crystals to detect string vibrations, are another common option on electric basses and may be suitable for players who prefer not using magnets or who prefer acoustic basses. These less frequent magnetic options may provide more versatile solutions when considering multiple instruments simultaneously.
Optometric bass pickups are relatively newer options that utilize light shined onto vibrating strings to convert their vibrations into an amplifiable signal. While optical pickups are less prevalent at present, they offer unique tonality that’s more organic than other pickup types. To begin making your own electric bass pickups at home, purchase a bobbin, coil wire and accurate winding counter as well as learn how to build and wind coils according to desired tonal intentions.
Winding Tension
Your choice of coil winding turns, tension and method all have an effect on the tone of your bass guitar pickups. Careful consideration must be given to these details to ensure tight coil winding that provides good magnetic saturation while also being less likely to deform or produce excess feedback. An electronic counter, simple winder or even a popsicle stick hat may all assist you in keeping track of how many winds there have been in total.
Your choice of bass guitar pickup will have an impactful influence on its tone. There are three primary styles used on basses: J, P and humbucker pickups that can be combined together for various tonal variations.
By pairing a J bass pickup with a humbucker bridge pickup, for instance, you can achieve an amplified and focused tone, yet still have plenty of bass low end. Or try swapping out dual coil for single coil for an even smoother classic bass sound.
Distance can also have an effect on a bass pickup’s sound; those situated closer will have greater ability to sense fundamental vibrations while those further from will tend to emphasize harmonic overtones more strongly.
DIY bass guitar pickups can be created at home using some neodymium magnets and wire. The total cost for this project usually falls under $5 and results can often be surprising good. Even instruments not equipped originally can benefit by creating an additional pickup cavity to house new pickups.
Build a humbucker pickup from scratch as an advanced project. These types of pickups tend to be much more powerful than single-coil models and less susceptible to noise and interference, creating more distinctive yet balanced sounding instruments. There are various kinds of humbuckers on the market including mini-humbuckers, rail humbuckers, split coil and stacked humbuckers which can be found in all sorts of bass guitar models.
Winding Counter
Bass guitars feature various pickup types designed to meet various tonal goals and player preferences, from P, J and humbucker designs – each offering distinct advantages for different genres of music.
Pickups are powered by magnets that generate signals based on vibrations from strings. These signals are transmitted over cable to an amplifier where they’re converted into the sound of your bass guitar. A faulty or damaged pickup can drastically alter its tone; so replacing it as soon as necessary.
Many electric guitar manufacturers use specialized machines to wind their pickups, although experienced luthiers can also use handwound methods. Hand-wound pickups tend to be less consistent and loose while an automated machine maintains consistent tension and density as the wire crosses across its bobbin.
Once a bobbin has been filled with coil wire, it is important to add a winding counter at one end so as to track how many turns have been made and ensure an even winding process which produces high-quality tones.
Before beginning winding, it’s essential to first prepare the bobbin by smoothing and rounding its edges. This will reduce friction between coils and eyelets during setup, creating a more seamless installation experience. In addition, the edges of eyelets should also be slightly countersunk for increased security when inserting your bobbin.
Assembling a humbucking bass pickup requires carefully selecting coil wire of appropriate thickness; otherwise, the instrument could become susceptible to buzz and hum when playing it – this is why most humbucking pickups tend to be thicker than single-coil models.
Once you have selected a coil size and placed your winding counter, it is time to begin winding. Depending on your method of choice, either clamp your pickup winder onto the bobbin or secure it using double-stick tape while working – be careful not to damage your pickup during this process and remember that adding more winds to your bobbin means more power for you pickup!