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Pickups

4. Replacement Pickups

Just like many car enthusiasts, guitarists love to tinker and fine tune the different models they own - visually and technically enhancing them. One of the main things changed to make a guitar more personalized are the pickups. By using different combinations and wiring set-ups you can create a sound all your own. To meet this demand there are various manufacturers who offer an incredible range of 'aftermarket' pickups.

Important tips for making the right choice

Some pickups on the market are specifically aimed at those whose guitars are equipped as standard with single coil pickups but who want to install a powerful and low-noise humbucker. Normally this would be an issue since the pickup cutouts in the body must be enlarged. Additionally if the humbuckers need to be mounted in the original pick-guard, it too must be cut to fit.

But theres an easier way!

  • There are now so-called reverse wound reversed polarity pickups (RWRP) offered by almost all pickup manufactures. They were developed specifically for use in the middle position of guitars with a triple single coil set-up. The coils of RWRP pick-ups are wound, as you might imagine, the other way around and the magnets used are polarized the other way around from those on standard pickups. If you combine them with 'normal' single coils in the bridge or neck position, then you get the humbucker effect - marked by reduced noise and increased power. And the best part: When used alone a RWRP pickup behaves like an ordinary single coil.

A reverse wound, reversed polarity (RWRP) pickup.
  • The second most common method of providing a single coil guitar with the benefits of a humbucker is to stack two humbucker coils one on top of the other. This simple trick succeeds in keeping the format of a normal single coil pickup - despite presence of a second coil. These 'stacked' variants provide the same sound as normal humbuckers but fit into the single-coil spaces without the need for body work.
A stacked humbucker in single coil format.

By the way: Although this type is mostly used to create full-fledged humbucker sounds, there are also stacked pickups which deliver vintage single coil sounds. And thanks to their humbucker base, they do so without any humming noises. What more could you want!

  • The next option for a humbucker in single coil format is one with parallel mini-coils. They have the same dimensions as a normal single coil making them really easy to switch out.

So you've picked a new 'motor' for your guitar and already purchased it but what now? Will you try and switch the pickups out yourself or do you plan on taking it to a professional? In our online guide we've put together what we consider the most important information about pickup installation to help you decide. Take a look and then make your decision!

Some guitars are listed as having active pickups. Aren't all pickups active?

No they aren't. Most of them are actually passive. With an active pickup there is a built-in preamplifier installed in the guitar that ensures noise-free operation and a low-impedance signal which won't diminish regardless of the length of the signal path / cable length.

The pickups on my vintage guitar say ''airbucker'' - is that a good thing?

Depends on what you want really, these will be DiMarzio pickups with a weaker magnetic field, resulting in lower output but a more sustained and dynamic sound.

What do I need an F-spaced pickup for?

F-spaced pickups were created specifically for use with guitars that have Floyd Rose tremolo systems installed. The distance between the two poles is a bit more ample and, as with standard pickups with standard systems, this guarantees the best detection of the individual strings. Depending on the manufacturer, this design is also called a trembucker.

What is special about a MIDI-pickup?

A MIDI-pickup is needed in order to transfer analog data, such as that received from strumming a guitar, to an interface which then converts the information to MIDI data. With MIDI data a synthesizer can play any imaginable sound, this means that there is the possibility to reproduce guitar sounds on a keyboard, for example.

What are RWRP pickups used for?

Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity pickups are single coil pickups designed specifically for use in the middle position of guitars with a typical 3 single-coil set-up. The coils of RWRP pickups are, as you may imagine, wrapped in reverse and the magnet's poles are reversed in comparison to the standard pickups. This is so that they can be connected with both the bridge and neck pickups to give that typical humbucker effect.

I'm looking for a humbucker that has the same look as a standard single coil pickup - is that possible?

Yes! They even have a special name, ''stacked'' pickups. With stacked humbuckers the coils are placed one over the other, rather than side by side. This way they still have the same look as a single coil pickup.

I cannot get my tube amp to distort correctly - am I using the wrong pickups?

To give amps more power and produce better distortion you can install high distortion pickups which have an especially high output power, helping the amp along so to speak.

How can I know for sure if the pickup is switched out of phase?

Two pickups which are in phase will sound normal - full and clean. Out of phase humbuckers sound thin and nasally. The reason for this is that all the bass and mids get swallowed up in this mode.

To explain the effect better we can use an example with speakers: when a sound is simultaneously transmitted through two loudspeakers that are working "in phase", it is bold and loud. If the speakers are out of phase the membrane of one speaker moves forward while the other moves backwards. Resulting in a thin and quiet sound.

What does out of phase mean?

To create the out of phase sound two connected pickups work, in simplest terms, against one another. This causes the frequencies to cancel out, giving a thin and piercing sound.

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