At larger venues or even simply coffee shops, amplification is essential to being heard. Unfortunately, finding an appropriate sound may prove challenging at high volumes.
One solution to feedback problems can be achieved with an equalizer; however, doing this may alter your tone as well.
Single-coil
Single-coil pickups are one of the most widely-used types of guitar and bass pickups, being used across genres. Consisting of a magnet surrounded by coil wire coils coiled around it, when strings vibrate they generate an electrical signal that travels to an amp and send an amp signal; single coil pickups tend to produce noisier sound but still offer clear and sweet tones.
These pickups also tend to possess a prominent mid-range, making them suitable for rock, metal and other heavier styles, but can even work well for clean tones such as funk or indie music. Unfortunately, their exposed pole pieces make them susceptible to feedback, causing the pickups to squeal when played at higher volumes or with greater gain levels.
Install a shield such as a metal grille to your guitar to minimize this problem and consider purchasing one with insulation between it and its body for even further relief.
When selecting a single-coil pickup, take into account what kind of music you wish to perform. If your goal is to emulate Prince or Nile Rodgers’ tight funk rhythm playing, single-coil pickups may provide the ideal sound. On the other hand, for doomier sounds such as Mastodon or Tony Iommi’s doom-laden riffs a humbucker is better suited. Once you know which pickup type best meets your needs, compare various available models; some models may provide multiple voice settings to altering your bass guitar’s sound instantly!
Double-coil
Your choice of pickup for your bass can have a dramatic effect on its sound. There are various kinds of pickups, including single-coil, split-coil and double-coil (commonly referred to as humbuckers), piezoelectric pickups (which react to pressure instead of changing magnetic fields) and optical models which use light waves to convert string vibrations into amplifiable signals.
Magnetic pickups are one of the most commonly used acoustic bass guitar pickups, located directly under each string to pick up energy produced by string vibrations and convert it into an electrical signal for your amplifier to use to generate sound. They tend to produce bright and clear tones on electric basses as well. Unfortunately, however, magnetic pickups may also pick up ambient noise such as radio waves, computer monitors or fluorescent lighting that causes an audible humming sound that detracts from overall tone quality.
Split-coil pickups use two coils of copper wire separated by a magnet, connected together with four conductor wiring that allows users to select which coil configuration they desire by switching on their instrument’s switch. When string vibration alters magnet’s magnetic field and causes copper wire vibration as well. This generates an alternating current which travels along polepiece screws creating an audible audio signal. Most split-coil acoustic bass guitar pickups feature four conductor wiring which enables users to select their coil configuration by simply switching on/off your instrument’s switch.
A double-coil bass acoustic pickup works similarly to its split counterpart, except its coils are closer together. This creates a more powerful and balanced sound compared to single coil pickups while helping reduce interference from string vibrations. Some double-coil acoustic guitar pickups also include an option that lets you select between full humbucker or pure single coil sound by shorting one of its windings out temporarily.
Split-coil
Split-coil bass guitar pickups are an appealing choice for bassists seeking to add variety to their tone. This type of pickup utilizes two coils with opposite polarities and reverse winding that work together to produce an audible hum that cancels out each string’s sound; often found on humbucker basses but sometimes applied even to single-coil models.
Fender first released the P-style bass pickup in 1957, making it one of the most commonly used models today. Featuring two magnetized pole pieces per string and capable of picking up various tones, this pickup has long been used by jazz bassists such as Larry Graham and funk players like William Clarke to create distinctive basses sounds; but can also be utilized by slap bassists such as Tim Commerford from Rage Against the Machine as well as Robert Trujillo of Metallica for more prominent basslines.
These models may also be combined with J bass pickups to form a P/J hybrid bass guitar that offers both powerful and versatile playability, enabling users to switch between its two sounds with just the push of a button.
Coil splitting and coil tapping should not be seen as synonymous terms; each offers something unique to create the sound you’re after. Coil tapping reduces the number of windings in a humbucker to create vintage tones, while coil splitting disconnects one series of the coils for lower output close to single coil sound – typically found on Les Paul bass guitars but sometimes applied elsewhere due to increased complexity.
Piezo
Piezo pickups utilize century-old piezoelectric crystal technology that generates small amounts of electric energy when vibrated, dating back to the 1960s. Most piezo pickups are integrated into an instrument’s bridge; however, aftermarket versions can also be added for improved acoustic-electric guitar sound quality. Piezo pickups offer another advantage over magnetic pick ups: no additional electronics are needed for their operation compared to magnetic models.
Piezo pickups provide a full, natural tone when used for fingerpicking or light strumming, but are unable to replicate the sound of hard strumming an acoustic rhythm guitar. Furthermore, they may produce harsh or quacky frequencies at higher frequencies that must be reduced with a preamp that cuts those frequencies out.
Piezo transducers don’t pick up the sounds from a guitar’s soundboard, which are essential in capturing its authentic voice. Additionally, these transducers tend to create unbalanced volumes with some strings being louder than others; therefore most acoustic-electric guitars feature preamps built into their design.
One effective strategy to create a fuller tone from your acoustic guitar is using different pickup types in combination. From piezo and microphone pickups to mic and magnetic pickups, using these systems allows you to amplify each pickup’s strengths while mitigating any flaws they might possess.
Some acoustic-electric guitars feature built-in preamps that make it easy to shape the sound of your instrument. You have control over EQ, dynamic and feedback control. Furthermore, piezo and magnetic pickups can be routed directly into separate amplifiers if preferred.
Optical
Many bassists opt for an acoustic guitar to broaden their sound on stage, which enables them to perform unplugged without relying on full drum kits and concert backlines. Still, amplifying an acoustic bass may be necessary in order to raise it above campfire levels; that is why most acoustic basses come equipped with contact pickups for this purpose.
There are various light-sensitive pickups for acoustic bass guitars available as aftermarket accessories, including passive Lace Sensor and active oPik pickups. Both fit standard humbucker-sized pickup slots and offer unique features like digital control; however, only oPik can analyze string shadow dance on photoresistor to detect vibrations.
The oPik stands out from other optical pickups by using multiple photodetectors per string instead of using just a single photoresistor per string, increasing sensitivity while making the system less vulnerable to feedback and reading the vibration over its entirety rather than for only fraction of seconds. It allows strings to sustain naturally, increasing overall sustain.
Both active and passive systems offer the option of adding a preamp for fingertip control, improving sound quality while protecting it from high-gain amplifiers. Some preamps even come equipped with built-in tuners. Passive systems typically connect directly to an instrument’s endpin jack while some include a dedicated DI (direct input) box to allow long cable runs without degradation in signal quality – some manufacturers even offer bass guitars with preamps compatible with oPik preamps already built-in for maximum tonal flexibility!