I like how you maintained the same chord pattern and strumming throughout the demos. Makes for a good comparison. Nice. PS You have a very understanding family. :)
And that's even the same guitar isn't it? Definitely the best pickup comparison video I've seen. By far. The only real apples to apples comparison I've come across.
@@sethfisher6469agree. The conditions/guitar being identical makes for a direct comparison. Since he is fair about the conditions, it would be great to see him do the same with a mahogany body guitar and a hot overdriven tube amp setting.
Yeah. The much maligned tele neck pickup. Why? - I don't know. Lower output? - guitars have volume controls you know. Learn to use them rather than always stay on 10.
I agree. Very sweet sound. I was just sitting through videos like this one today to decide the setup I want to use on my new guitar build, deffinitely a single coil tele pup in the neck, but leaning toward humbucker in the bridge.
@@eurostennersThe stock tele pickups may be the overall best and the most versatile, but a common complaint is that the neck has lower output. Could this be solved with an active on board mixer?
I was a humbucker guy for 30 years, every once in a while I'd pick up a strat. About 2 years ago a tried a Tele for the first time. Tele's are what I play 90% of the time now. Sounds so good!
Agreed! I’ve got a couple dozen guitars that I’ve purchased since the 70’s including some very pricey Suhr’s and PRS models. You just can’t beat a good Tele. I was playing a Tele I bought decades ago today - as they draw me to them.
That is correct. I meant we are going in order of the the solid body guitar releases, because I do not have a hollowbody body guitar that changes pickups
Buddy this is the best video on the subject on the TH-cam. You know your stuff, brief relevant, history, well picked riff, great fast video cuts for sound comparison!
Waiting for Phil to get a second replaceable neck for his somnium so he can compare the effect of 24.75" and 25.5" scale length on multiple pickups. What a task that would be!
Hey Phil, just wanna say that your editing to make the audio and video jump straight between the pickups is the best! Many didn't do that and inserted talks et cetera in between, which makes the comparison quite deceiving especially for the untrained ears because it's not a direct audio comparison. Love it so much! Also this video makes me decided about the pickup combination for a custom-built guitar I planned to make with a luthier friend of mine! Thank you!
I just wanted to say that I watch a lot of guitar channels on YT, and compared to the others, I consistently get information and viewpoints that are highly useful from yours. Thanks!
I'd really like to hear the new Fender Wide Range with Cunife magnet pickups. Maybe hear how they compare to the alnico reissues or a typical PAF. Good video, Phil.
This really shows the unique voice each pickup offers. Which is exactly why having several guitars with each PU configuration is so important! Thanks for proving that Phil 😉🎸
@Noble Failures It was a glorious time. I got a pair of Les Pauls in ‘88 and ‘89 for under $400 because they weren’t pointy and they didn’t look like Slash’s. Mini humbuckers and P-90’s were deal breakers back then 😆
thanks for the demo of the pickups! I like the fullness of the humbuckers, but will have to say I like the tele pickup sound better. second after tele would be the p90s. In the past I thought that p90s would be hard to get a nice clean tone, but you showed that it is possible :)
That Somnium really shines for these comparisons. I still remember the one where you put the Tele bridge pup in the neck, and now I long for the Triple Tele. My current P-90 is a neck P-Rail and I love it. But more and more I miss my old Tele Thinline I sold many moons ago. Plain old Tele, nothing like it.
The 2 guitars I have are 3 single coil red strat 60's and a Gretsch double cut with filtertrons. From all guitars I have played with, I have bought and kept these 2.
To anyone who's as slow on the uptake as me, the pickup type and switch options are printed in the top left-hand corner of the screen (I didn't notice this at first - duuuh!). Great vid with everything (guitar itself, licks played) apart from the different pickups controlled so you really can focus on what he's demonstrating; this is the way to do it.
This is very helpful in comparing sounds. Brilliant. The way the video fades to the next clip at the beginning makes it look like you've been talking for hours. LOL
Nice demo showing how each pickup has its own distinctive tone. I wouldn't mind seeing the EQ Curves for each pickup, as that would help dialing them in on a Modeler. The distance of the pickup to the bridge makes a big difference in the tone as well. If a single coil pickup is under a string node, that harmonic will be very quiet or inaudible. My Strat neck pickup was under the node for the harmonic on the 5th fret open strings. I couldn't stand that, and moved the pickup about 3/4 inch towards the bridge. It might be interesting to demo something like that, but you'd need a guitar with a swimming pool pickup route to slide the pickup closer and farther away from the bridge to hear all the differences in tones. Thanks
The Somnium guitar can do that, actually. Phil's cartridges were all made with the pickup mount to the outside of the cartridge, but we can either move the hole farther inward or make it a large hole with slots so you can slide the pickup up and down at will. We've done both and you are right, the position can make a noticeable difference in the tone! - Mark
@@somniumguitars858 You made an extremely cool guitar, and I'm glad Phil has one to demonstrate pickups. If enough people are interested, he may do that demo. Thanks
Great comparison! I'd like to add the hum thing which disappears in humbuckers as their name says. And with crunch or even high gain the results would dramatically differ IMO.
I'm a p90 guy, but i just rewired my tele with tx/mx pups, and that 4 way switch mod (for series option) and treble bleed cap, i can't seem to put it down!! Great vid dude!
Again, I agree. I have both in one guitar. BTW, there are a lot of different kinds of both. The original HS Filtertron is my fav. Many like the TV Jones Filtertron (they make a few models) but they sound quite different from the original.
Really enjoyed hearing all the pups w/o distortion. It gave me a real sense of the differences among all the types. Last week, I brought my Hondo LP in for a et up and found out it's a partscaster with a P90 clone on the bridge and a humbucker on the neck. The only thng Hondo was the neck and neck plate . Plays great after the set up, and I know why it buzzes!
Great video Phil, Really like that you used the same chord progression so that we could hear the difference. Thanks for so much info in short amount of time, you rock!
Very cool and much needed video! My suggestion would make this a lot more complex, but it's 2021. Maybe Fishman Fluences could find their spot in history alike the traditional PUs? They are very unique in their design and very popular, too. PLUS: Coil Split vs. Single Coils vs. Coil Tap would be great as well. 🤘🤠🤙
I've got a strat with P90s, and I absolutely love it. It really is the perfect compromise between all pickups in my opinion, you can kind of do a bit of every sound.
Great video. It was helpful & informative. Lastly, loved seeing the old orange Reverend behind you. I’ve been curious about those older USA made Reverends.
Very cool and helpful demo. The modded Tele to allow quick pick up changes is also very cool...would seem to be a marketable tool on it's own. I’ve only seen that sort of thing on a very high end guitar that Daryl Braun demoed some time ago. Thanks!
Humbucker bridge with Tele neck OMG great job Phil. The P90's were underwhelming which surprised me. I bet gain would have told a different story.. : ) Next Video??? Jeez Phil you are the best.
Tele all the way and the best video about pickup comparison easily. Drop in some filtetrons in there because lately they've gained a lot of reputation, and you have an all in one tutorial about how to choose pickups
I like how you maintained the same chord pattern and strumming throughout the demos. Makes for a good comparison. Nice. PS You have a very understanding family. :)
And that's even the same guitar isn't it? Definitely the best pickup comparison video I've seen. By far. The only real apples to apples comparison I've come across.
@@sethfisher6469agree. The conditions/guitar being identical makes for a direct comparison. Since he is fair about the conditions, it would be great to see him do the same with a mahogany body guitar and a hot overdriven tube amp setting.
That Tele neck pup was the standout for me. Very sweet.
Yeah. The much maligned tele neck pickup. Why? - I don't know. Lower output? - guitars have volume controls you know. Learn to use them rather than always stay on 10.
I agree. Very sweet sound. I was just sitting through videos like this one today to decide the setup I want to use on my new guitar build, deffinitely a single coil tele pup in the neck, but leaning toward humbucker in the bridge.
Certainly for the way he's playing and amp settings.
@@eurostennersThe stock tele pickups may be the overall best and the most versatile, but a common complaint is that the neck has lower output. Could this be solved with an active on board mixer?
for my own comparison:
1:12 Tele bridge
2:22 P90 bridge
3:27 Strat bridge
5:08 Humbucker bridge
1:24 Tele neck
2:31 P90 neck
3:58 Strat neck
6:04 Humbucker neck
1:36 Tele middle
2:42 Both P90s
3:48 Strat middle
5:44 Both Humbuckers
Thanks for what you do Phill
+1 to this
I was a humbucker guy for 30 years, every once in a while I'd pick up a strat. About 2 years ago a tried a Tele for the first time. Tele's are what I play 90% of the time now. Sounds so good!
Tele neck pickup is an addiction that all too many people never experience. The one guitar I would never get rid of.
Agreed! I’ve got a couple dozen guitars that I’ve purchased since the 70’s including some very pricey Suhr’s and PRS models. You just can’t beat a good Tele.
I was playing a Tele I bought decades ago today - as they draw me to them.
I was strat guy for 10 years bought a tele and have been a tele guy ever since. I own about 7 telecasters and just love them.
I've just gone the opposite way - 30 years of single coils, now playing Heritage h150 with humbuckers.
Me too! Love the options I get on my Nashville Tele. Now I want to mod the middle with on/off to get the bridge and neck only or middle only.
P-90s were really the first to hit the market; they came out in the mid-40s. They were installed in the Gibson ES guitars built in that decade.
That is correct. I meant we are going in order of the the solid body guitar releases, because I do not have a hollowbody body guitar that changes pickups
@@PhillipMcKnight Ah, gotcha! Loved the vid, by the way!
@@josearaujo8616 Yes! But the Rick horseshoe isn't in the group of pickup models being reviewed :)
@@josearaujo8616 But the P-90 was used on Gibson ES models prior to 1950. And I am quite happy with PM’s clarification 😊
@@trushack BUT BUT BUT... you're all wrong! ;oP
Best video I've seen for understanding pickups. Bang up job!
Buddy this is the best video on the subject on the TH-cam. You know your stuff, brief relevant, history, well picked riff, great fast video cuts for sound comparison!
Simple and straightforward. Well done, sir.
Waiting for Phil to get a second replaceable neck for his somnium so he can compare the effect of 24.75" and 25.5" scale length on multiple pickups. What a task that would be!
Love the sound of the P90s. Would be interesting to hear where mini-Humbuckers line up in the tone spectrum.
Hey Phil, just wanna say that your editing to make the audio and video jump straight between the pickups is the best! Many didn't do that and inserted talks et cetera in between, which makes the comparison quite deceiving especially for the untrained ears because it's not a direct audio comparison. Love it so much! Also this video makes me decided about the pickup combination for a custom-built guitar I planned to make with a luthier friend of mine! Thank you!
Thought that too. His comparison videos are really good
I just wanted to say that I watch a lot of guitar channels on YT, and compared to the others, I consistently get information and viewpoints that are highly useful from yours. Thanks!
You wind a sweet set of Tele pickups
Finally here early! Love what you do Phil. Keep it up!
I’m actually really digging those P90’s to be honest
My favorite combo is a p90 in the neck, humbucker in the bridge
I'd really like to hear the new Fender Wide Range with Cunife magnet pickups. Maybe hear how they compare to the alnico reissues or a typical PAF. Good video, Phil.
So great to hear the differences, that was really cool.
Great comparison. Really simplifies the differences, strengths and weaknesses of each type
This really shows the unique voice each pickup offers. Which is exactly why having several guitars with each PU configuration is so important! Thanks for proving that Phil 😉🎸
Must buy all the guitars. It's been proven. :-)
brilliant, no bs.you,ve gone a long way to make sure all pickups are shown in the exact same way,thank you.
Awesome demonstration. I was undecided between P-90 & Humbuckers on a new Gibson I am buying. Your demonstrations helped significantly.
Best comparison i've seen on these...awesome back and forth...nice and concise. 👍🏽
Never liked a neck Tele pickup...until I heard yours! It was my favorite of the bunch.
I agree - great sounding tele neck, though I would still pick P90s
Man I'm starting to love p90s more and more
Been my favorites for over 30 years👍 I miss the days when everyone wanted hot-rodded Super Strats, P-90 Gibson’s were easy to to score.
@Noble Failures It was a glorious time. I got a pair of Les Pauls in ‘88 and ‘89 for under $400 because they weren’t pointy and they didn’t look like Slash’s. Mini humbuckers and P-90’s were deal breakers back then 😆
thanks for the demo of the pickups! I like the fullness of the humbuckers, but will have to say I like the tele pickup sound better. second after tele would be the p90s. In the past I thought that p90s would be hard to get a nice clean tone, but you showed that it is possible :)
I have an Epiphone Blueshawk. Turning the varitone all the way clockwise gets a nice clear tone that I prefer to the full tone.
Thanks for this one Phil! I'm a new guitar player and I've heard of all these pickups, but wasn't sure of the differences. Perfect vid!
This is the BEST video on this topic of all that I've watched!
EXACTLY the comparison I wanted to hear. Thank you!
That Somnium really shines for these comparisons. I still remember the one where you put the Tele bridge pup in the neck, and now I long for the Triple Tele. My current P-90 is a neck P-Rail and I love it. But more and more I miss my old Tele Thinline I sold many moons ago. Plain old Tele, nothing like it.
The 2 guitars I have are 3 single coil red strat 60's and a Gretsch double cut with filtertrons. From all guitars I have played with, I have bought and kept these 2.
P90 AND TELE pickups are my favorites for sure.
Great comparisons, Phil. If you do a follow up video I'd also like to hear Filtertron and Jazz master pickups as well.
Phillip... that was one of the best comparisons I've seen yet! Great job!
This video comparison is absolutely perfect! Thank you!
Thanks for playing through all the Pickups.
I hear the Stratocaster Pickups are the most pleasing to the ears. Well wishings o 👍🏻
This was really interesting and very well done. It was a great comparison back to back. Thanks!
Bridge:
- Humbucker - 5:08
- Strat - 5:23
- p90 - 5:33
- Tele - 5:39
Neck:
- Humbucker - 6:04
- p90 - 6:14
- Strat - 6:19
- Tele - 6:29
5:43 Bridge & Neck
Phil, great video. I really liked your back and forth comparison, really made it easy to hear the differences- good job 👏.
Best pick up comparison video yet. Thank you!
Very handy comparison that tells the story well. Thank you!
THANK YOU! This was straight to the point, informative and entertaining. Looking forward to seeing more
Please compare single coils vs coil split humbuckers
Maybe a Pro II Tele Deluxe with the push-push pots vs a traditional Tele? (I've been lusting over the new Pro II deluxe in dark knight).
What a really well-done demo. Outstanding! Thx.
Nice demo. Really clear on the sound differences. Seen others but yours very smooth even to show friends when chatting about selection.. thank you
Phillip this is a great demonstration! Thank you so much!
That was cool - really clear to see the differences! Thanks Phil!
To anyone who's as slow on the uptake as me, the pickup type and switch options are printed in the top left-hand corner of the screen (I didn't notice this at first - duuuh!). Great vid with everything (guitar itself, licks played) apart from the different pickups controlled so you really can focus on what he's demonstrating; this is the way to do it.
Please do an episode on HSS configuration with this approach. Seems to be quite dificult for many to get it rigth.
This is very helpful in comparing sounds. Brilliant.
The way the video fades to the next clip at the beginning makes it look like you've been talking for hours. LOL
EXCELLENT video. Wish it had been around 40+ years ago when I started playing!
By far the best comparison of the different pickup styles! Thanks a lot for this great comparison where only the PU changed and nothing else! :-D
Holy smokes! Your pickups sound absolutely fantastic!
Well done comparison and excellent video and information by Philip - AS USUAL. Old time suscriber here, hope to see you get millions of subscribers.
P90’s have always been my favorite pick up! And after Phil’s presentation....I’m even more convinced! Thanks Phil for setting me straight on this!
Nice demo showing how each pickup has its own distinctive tone. I wouldn't mind seeing the EQ Curves for each pickup, as that would help dialing them in on a Modeler.
The distance of the pickup to the bridge makes a big difference in the tone as well. If a single coil pickup is under a string node, that harmonic will be very quiet or inaudible. My Strat neck pickup was under the node for the harmonic on the 5th fret open strings. I couldn't stand that, and moved the pickup about 3/4 inch towards the bridge. It might be interesting to demo something like that, but you'd need a guitar with a swimming pool pickup route to slide the pickup closer and farther away from the bridge to hear all the differences in tones. Thanks
The Somnium guitar can do that, actually. Phil's cartridges were all made with the pickup mount to the outside of the cartridge, but we can either move the hole farther inward or make it a large hole with slots so you can slide the pickup up and down at will. We've done both and you are right, the position can make a noticeable difference in the tone! - Mark
@@somniumguitars858 You made an extremely cool guitar, and I'm glad Phil has one to demonstrate pickups. If enough people are interested, he may do that demo. Thanks
Great comparison! I'd like to add the hum thing which disappears in humbuckers as their name says. And with crunch or even high gain the results would dramatically differ IMO.
I'm a p90 guy, but i just rewired my tele with tx/mx pups, and that 4 way switch mod (for series option) and treble bleed cap, i can't seem to put it down!! Great vid dude!
I thought the tele neck pup sounded surprisingly good and the best of the group. Great video thanks.
Your tele pickups sound immaculate.
THANK YOU for this video. This was needed.
Great video. The best comparison video I've seen. Confirms my preference for single coils and stratocasters.
Awesome work fitting that into 7 minutes. Many thanks!
Now THIS is the way to do a comparison!! Thx!
best video I've ever seen on this subject, great !!
I would love to see a PAF comparison with Gibson, DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan
It really is a trip to see the pickups change but not the guitar.
Excellently done video, Phil. Thanks for doing that!
hey phillip , thx for your work , this helps us all
i never got the side by side sound test
i get it now , really good job dude
Great video, perfectly explains the difference between pickups, great reference material
Very informative video. Thanks for putting this up on YT.
Hi Phil! One of your best vids! Thx.
Excellent work and excellent editing. Very impressive!!
I would love to see a p-90 vs Filtertron video. People say that they’re both right between single coils and humbuckers.
Again, I agree. I have both in one guitar. BTW, there are a lot of different kinds of both. The original HS Filtertron is my fav. Many like the TV Jones Filtertron (they make a few models) but they sound quite different from the original.
it was great information and history of the pickups. Thank you.
Really enjoyed hearing all the pups w/o distortion. It gave me a real sense of the differences among all the types. Last week, I brought my Hondo LP in for a et up and found out it's a partscaster with a P90 clone on the bridge and a humbucker on the neck. The only thng Hondo was the neck and neck plate . Plays great after the set up, and I know why it buzzes!
Great video Phil, Really like that you used the same chord progression so that we could hear the difference. Thanks for so much info in short amount of time, you rock!
I appreciate the vid, Phil! I've been spending the past year learning my preferred configurations and stuff, and this definitely helps!
You are the best phil.....thank you so much for explaining in detail about the pick up....you are amazing 👏
Congratulations on 300K subs!!!
I was always curious about this exact thing. Thanks.
Very cool and much needed video! My suggestion would make this a lot more complex, but it's 2021. Maybe Fishman Fluences could find their spot in history alike the traditional PUs? They are very unique in their design and very popular, too.
PLUS: Coil Split vs. Single Coils vs. Coil Tap would be great as well. 🤘🤠🤙
Great vid Phil, thanks for this!
Amazing editting for a comparison video!
Super Demo, I loved it...thanks my friend Bill in FL
Love all your videos! Always informative and educational! Thanks for the work you do!
I've got a strat with P90s, and I absolutely love it. It really is the perfect compromise between all pickups in my opinion, you can kind of do a bit of every sound.
P90 in the bridge?
Great video. It was helpful & informative. Lastly, loved seeing the old orange Reverend behind you. I’ve been curious about those older USA made Reverends.
Bardens vs Fralins vs Lollars vs Lace vs DiMarzio vs SD's - strat vs tele, both a vintage group and a noiseless group shoot out
i’ll second that ;)
Awesome channel Phil. Always learn something.
Great demo and very informative video Phil!
This is super helpful. Thanks for doing these comparisons. For the next one, please compare Mini Humbuckers vs standard Humbuckers.
Very cool and helpful demo. The modded Tele to allow quick pick up changes is also very cool...would seem to be a marketable tool on it's own. I’ve only seen that sort of thing on a very high end guitar that Daryl Braun demoed some time ago. Thanks!
Humbucker bridge with Tele neck OMG great job Phil. The P90's were underwhelming which surprised me. I bet gain would have told a different story.. : ) Next Video??? Jeez Phil you are the best.
I appreciate this. I just put Phat Cat P-90's in strat a week ago.
Great demo Phil!
Tele all the way and the best video about pickup comparison easily. Drop in some filtetrons in there because lately they've gained a lot of reputation, and you have an all in one tutorial about how to choose pickups
Mini-Humbuckers, Broadtrons, Filtertrons, Charlie Christian and Gold Foil all missing in action. Great video - thanks.
Great video. I liked the Tele pickups the most. Would love a comparison with those, filtertrons and mini humbucker.
I love your channel Phil.
Very interesting. Thanks! I’d like to see the fullertrons vs single coil comparison too!