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| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04/02/2008 21:51:08
Posts: 2, Visits: 5 |
| hi
I have been looking at the forum and i wou ld like help choosing a guitar and my concern is pick ups. I've read that a Dr Spacehog is the person to ask by reading danvlp and uk man. buit i am grateful for any other advice.
what is the difference between a single coil and a double coil pickup? is one better than the other and why do som e guitars have 3 instead of 2?
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Forum Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 25/07/2008 05:16:51
Posts: 188, Visits: 560 |
| Dr Spacehog hears the call... 
Right, a single-coil pickup (as popularised by Fender in the Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars) is the most simple of all pickups. It's basically a magnet with wire wrapped round it (and usually little metal bars called pole-pieces sticking out of the top to align with the strings). They tend to have a bright, snappy sound, but a relatively low output level, and are succeptible to hum and electromagnetic interference. There are hum-cancelling single-coil pickups, but what they tend to be are two coils stacked on top of each other.
A double coil pickup (initially popularised by Gibson in the Les Paul, SG etc) is usually called a humbucker, and is literally two single-coil pickups stuck together, but they can be wired in a number of ways. Typically they'll be wired in series, with one coil inverted relative to the other, which means that almost all interference and hum will cancel out (hence the name - they "buck" hum...). Because of this, you will get higher output, but they sound less trebly, and often more meaty, which is why a lot of rock and metal guitarists use them. A more recent innovation is something known as 4-conductor wiring, which means you can tap the signal of each coil individually, so with the right switches you can get the coils in series as normal, in parallel (gives a different sound entirely) or just a single coil (almost, but not quite, the same sound as a true single coil)
In terms of how many pickups a guitar has, and where they are, that's a matter of manufacturer's choice. A pickup close to the bridge will sound much more trebly but have a lower output than the same pickup closer to the neck (this is a matter of simple physics due to the oscillations of the string). You'll often find pickups being sold specifically as "bridge" or "neck" models. Some guitars have a pickup in between as well to offer another sound... and the MusicMan Steve Morse guitar has four pickups, two single coils and two humbuckers, for an amazing amount of tonal variety (albeit with a slightly complicated switching system!).
I can't say that a humbucker is better than a single coil or vice versa - they have different uses and different sounds, and the best bet is to try both and decide which sounds best to you. Jimi Hendrix rocked with single coils (and Yngwie Malmsteen still does, kind of), so you can't even say "humbuckers are for rock". My personal preference is a 2 humbucker guitar with coil taps, which offers me the best of both worlds in terms of flexibility of sound, plus I don't like a middle pickup because it gets in the way of my plectrum. I like pickups with a medium-high output level, as very high output pickups overdrive an amp too quickly for my taste, but low output pickups don't have quite the umph I need.
Of course, you can always (fairly easily if you know how to solder) fit new pickups into a guitar anyway, which can dramatically improve the sound of a guitar - the feel of a guitar is far more important when you buy it than the sound, as it's a lot more difficult to improve the feel of a guitar! Get one that weighs the right amount for you, and balances well, with a neck that fits your hand comfortably. If it sounds great, then wonderful... but if it only sounds OK, think about getting it anyway but maybe upgrading the pickups in a short while. It can be a lot cheaper than buying a new guitar!
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 13/03/2008 22:53:38
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| Wow! what a comprehensive answer Doctor. Underneath you'll see how everybody's not suited to teaching ...
Carl, can I suggest you buy a guitar with a similar pick-up selector, volume and tone controls to a Fender Stratocaster. It is easeir for the novice to operate a single volume control covering the total sound of all selected pick-ups rather than volume controls covering two individual pickups - as used by Gibson.
How about the Yamaha Pacifica 412 range? The best of both worlds (single and humbucking pick-ups and single rotary tone and volume controls) plus it's very comfy to play, Carl.
There's a review of the Yamaha Pacifica 412 on the User Gear Reviews. Have a look at Ibanez too.
Here's wishing you many years of fun with your new guitar and the inevitable upgrades.
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Uke Man - "Man Overboard!" |
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| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04/02/2008 21:51:08
Posts: 2, Visits: 5 |
| thanks for the help in understanding pickups. the Yamaha Pacifica
looks a good bet. I found the review helpful and the pictures . |
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