Guitar Pickups Explained - Single Coil vs P90 vs Humbucker - Which Pickup Is Best For You!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video Dagan talks you through the main differences and tonal properties between 3 of the most popular pickups on the market - the Single Coil, the Humbucker and the P-90! Also how different kinds of magnets effect the tone and how the pickups themselves are put together!
How does a P90 differ from a Single Coil when they're both technically 'Single Coils'? Is a Humbucker just 2 single coils glued together, and how does it stop that single coil hum? What on earth is up with all these different kinds of magnets?! Dagan answers all these questions and more in this short informative video!
0:00 Intro
1:00 What Will Be Mentioned In This Video & The Gear Used
3:00 What's A Single Coil Pickup, How Does It Work And Sound?
4:25 Single Coil Tones
8:05 What's A P90 Pickup, How Does It Work And Sound?
10:30 P90 Tones
14:28 What's A Humbucker, How Does It Work And Sound?
16:10 Humbucker Tones
19:44 Coil Tap & Coil Splitting Explained
20:24 What Is An Active Pickup?
21:41 Explaining Other Pickup Variations
22:50 Differences In Tonal Properties When Using Different Magnets
25:17 Final Thoughts & Outro
Shop the guitars and rig Dagan uses in this video here:
Fender Player Stratocaster MN Polar White - bit.ly/3vTajJN
Gibson Les Paul Special Vintage Cherry - bit.ly/33erg4Y
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Humbucker - bit.ly/3xIE4hT
Blackstar HT Stage 100 MkII Valve Guitar Amplifier Head at PMT Online here: bit.ly/3t6EI5k
Blackstar HT Venue HTV-412A MkII Angled Guitar Speaker Cabinet at PMT Online here: bit.ly/2RbEpsx
Two Notes Torpedo Captor X 8 Ohm Reactive Load Box at PMT Online here: bit.ly/2QFmbQu
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On behalf of internet users everywhere, we appreciate the time, effort, knowledge, skill AND good will that went into this extremely informative and entertaining video. Thank you.
As always !!
dagan inspired me to start learning guitar, 8 months later it’s my favorite thing to do thanks man:)
Still going man?
I’ve been playing my electric for like a week. I’m excited to see where I am 8 months from now
Matt Clay you won’t believe the progress you’ll make as long as you
stick with it
@@jaxsonrogie2816 Keep up the work, man. I think it's the greatest instrument in existence. I've had several guitar students of mine turn professional in under 2 years of playing. Playing the guitar isn't very hard as long as you accept the fact that it isn't very hard. I've heard so many students say something like "I'll never be able to play like that..," or "I'll never play as well as (insert famous name here,)"and my response has always been "Why not? Who told you that you're not allowed to play like that?" Most professional musicians approach their instruments no different than any other trade skill. If you can learn to lay bricks, run pipe in a kitchen, or frame a wall you can certainly learn to play professionally. I hope this takes you places.
Single coils have more treble and mids, which gives it a creamier tone. P90s are similar to single coils, however it has a bit more output and has more bass boost. Humbuckers are in a league of its own, it has a higher output than both p90 and single coils. With more bass and mids with passive, and more bass and gain on active. If you want some jazz and Country, single coils. For punk and classic rock, p90s. For hard rock and metal genre's like heavy, glam metalcore and old school thrash, passive humbuckers. For more extreme subgenres like black, death, modern thrash and doom metal. Go with active humbuckers.
I'm an engineer and worked at Delphi, a huge automotive parts supplier. The similarities between a pickup and a fuel injector is crazy. Fuel injectors have a bobbin of copper wire around a spring loaded pin with a steel ball welded on the end. It's spring loaded closed..the ball seats into a little seat to stop fuel. When you energize the FI, the bobbin acts like an electromagnet and opens up the nozzle and fuel sprays, cut power and it shuts via the spring. Easy! But the bobbin winders I'm sure are the same as for an electric guitar pickup!
Today I learned...
I just wanna add some more points about single coils because I've been so obsessed with them lately.
The number of wraps, also known as the number of turns, around a pickup coil affects the EQ in the end by altering the output level and frequency response of the pickup.
More wraps result in a higher output level and a stronger mid-range, which can make the pickup sound warmer and more powerful. On the other hand, fewer wraps result in a lower output level and a more open high-end, which can make the pickup sound brighter and more articulate.
Common DC rating of pickups refers to the DC resistance of the coil, which is measured in ohms. The DC resistance of a pickup is an important characteristic as it directly affects the output level and tone of the pickup.
Here are the characteristics of each common DC rating of pickups:
Low DC Resistance Pickups (less than 6k ohms): These pickups typically have a bright, open sound with a clear high-end response. They are great for vintage tones and cleaner playing styles. However, they may lack the mid-range punch and sustain of higher DC resistance pickups.
Medium DC Resistance Pickups (between 6k and 12k ohms): These pickups offer a balanced tone with a moderate amount of mid-range punch and sustain. They are versatile and suitable for a wide range of playing styles and musical genres.
High DC Resistance Pickups (more than 12k ohms): These pickups typically have a strong mid-range and high-end response, which can result in a more aggressive and focused tone. They are great for heavier playing styles and can help push the amplifier into overdrive. However, they may lack the clarity and openness of lower DC resistance pickups.
It's important to note that the DC resistance rating is just one aspect of a pickup's tone, and that other factors such as magnet type and wire gauge also play a significant role in determining the overall sound of a pickup.
The wire gauge of a single coil pickup affects the tone by altering the amount of wire used to make the coil, which can affect the resistance, inductance, and capacitance of the pickup.
Thicker wire has a lower resistance but a higher inductance, which can result in a brighter, more focused tone with a strong midrange. This is because thicker wire creates a stronger magnetic field, which can increase the output level and provide more sustain.
Thinner wire, on the other hand, has a higher resistance but a lower inductance, which can result in a warmer, more vintage tone with a softer attack. This is because thinner wire creates a weaker magnetic field, which can result in a more delicate and nuanced sound.
The wire gauge also affects the capacitance of the pickup, which can influence the high-end response of the pickup. Higher capacitance can result in a smoother, warmer tone with less high-end sparkle, while lower capacitance can result in a brighter, more articulate tone with more high-end presence.
It's important to note that the wire gauge is just one of many factors that contribute to the overall tone of a single coil pickup. Other factors, such as the type and strength of the magnets, the number of turns in the coil, and the type of insulation used, also play important roles in shaping the sound of a pickup.
Ultimately, the choice of wire gauge depends on the desired tone and playing style. Thicker wire is generally better suited for heavier playing styles and brighter, more focused tones, while thinner wire is better suited for cleaner playing styles and warmer, more vintage tones.
That being said, there are many boutique single coil builders that produce high-quality pickups, but here are five that are particularly noteworthy. Here are some to lookout for -
Lollar Pickups - Based in Tacoma, Washington, Lollar Pickups offers a wide range of handmade single coil pickups for guitar and bass. Their pickups are known for their clarity, balance, and dynamic response, and they have been used by many notable guitarists.
Lindy Fralin Pickups - Lindy Fralin is a well-known name in the world of boutique pickups, and his single coil pickups are particularly popular. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Fralin's pickups are known for their clarity, warmth, and vintage vibe.
Porter Pickups - Based in Orange County, California, Porter Pickups offers a range of single coil pickups that are handmade using high-quality materials. Their pickups are known for their balance, clarity, and versatility, and they are particularly popular among blues and rock guitarists.
Jason Lollar - In addition to his work with Lollar Pickups, Jason Lollar also produces handmade pickups under his own name. Based in Seattle, Washington, Lollar's pickups are known for their clarity, warmth, and vintage character.
Klein Pickups - Based in Petaluma, California, Klein Pickups is a relatively new player in the world of boutique pickups, but they have quickly gained a reputation for their high-quality single coil pickups. Their pickups are known for their clarity, balance, and versatility, and they are particularly popular among jazz and fusion guitarists.
All of these builders use high-quality materials and traditional winding techniques to produce pickups that are renowned for their tone and quality. While their pickups can be more expensive than mass-produced pickups, many players consider them to be a worthwhile investment in their tone.
Correct approach: just have fun! So many times I've started playing a riff with an SG (humbuckers) and then tried the same with a Strat (3single coils)! Sometimes I like humbuckers, other times I'm team single coil. I need a p90 guitar!
Just picked up a Burny RLC60 P90 Les Paul Goldtop!
An absolutely awesome guitar for sensible money!
Best price I found was “Steven James Guitar and Amp Centre”, check out their site!
I got a Fender Noventa Strat (2 x P90) & it's a huge preference of mine - I much prefer the sound of Fender P90s to Gibsons (and I love & own Gibson & Fender guitars). If you're considering a Gibson TV Special, you owe it to yourself to try a Fender Noventa (I almost bough the Tele with 1 P90, I actually owned the Jazzmaster with 3 P90s overnight but returned it, it was incredibly heavy). I'd get the Strat again given the choice, but the Tele is a very close 2nd.
@@BaconatorJames those noventa tele's are quite sexy
I know what you mean. There’s so much difference with the tones you can get.
Gretsch is the way to go!
This is an absolutely wonderful video. Thank you for putting it all together.
Great explanation and great sound demo! Thank you for sharing it Dagan!
I absolutely could watch your channel all day. I’m brand new and learning so much. Thank you so much for all of your time.
Dagan is so good at explaining & demonstrating this stuff
Thank you, by far the most helpful video on this topic I've seen, much appreciated.
Thank you, Dagan for always sharing all your Guitar Knowledge with A beginner guitar player like myself and still learning. "BLOODY GOOD SHOW 👍 "!
I've been playing guitar in bands since the 70s. I learned so much from you today! Thank you!
This was great, thank you!!! Well-rounded and just technical enough. Also ty for explaining the Gretsch honk. It's a peculiar element that I enjoy very much.
I love watching him! He is so enthusiastic and very entertaining! Not to mention that you can learn so much!
This is one of the very few really essential guitar videos on the 'Net.
Thanks, Dagan!
Dagan you Kick Ass! Great sounds!!
Lovely Dagan Lovely.
Always make me smile
That Firebird in the background is beatiful
Thunderbird*
Sameish thingish.
Drumkits are beatiful. Guitars are beautiful. 😉
It's a base. I know, it's bass. I spell it like that for the bass players. It drives them crazy.
Very helpful. I always love your videos. Keep them coming.
Great video! Very well thought out and presented. Great job. This is the one that made me subscribe! Thanks!
ALL pickup information went into my lovely ears. Thanks. :D
Such a great and informative video, so clever to use both Les Paul’s for comparison and although you didn’t want to emulate Les Paul himself, I was surprised and in love with the P90s clean tones you played. A guitar with P90s is now in my wish list!
I never knew what I was doing when I borrowed someone's guitar that had the pull-out, push-in coil tap feature. Now I do! Thanks. Excellent video.
Very informative! Glad I took the time to watch...
Spot On Dagan, I bet you were knackered after that video. Many Thanks. Hizdudz.
Very informative video Dagan! Love this!
Great demonstration! Love it, thanks!
I’m hopeless. I pick up one of my guitars and think «THIS IS IT. I’M GOING TO USE THIS AS MY MAIN GUITAR FROM NOW ON». Then I pick up one of my other guitars, and I’m like «WOW, THIS IS GREAT, THIS IS THE ONE». Endless cycle. Today it was my two P90 guitars that got all my love.
great info , very clear explanation, thanks Dagan.
I am a pretty hard and fast P90 and single coil user, my favorite single coil being a Telecaster bridge. I mainly play rhythm, so I am not too fussed about lead tones. That being said, I do think a humbucker in the neck is a pretty nice lead tone.
Awesome explanation. I enjoyed the whole show!
10:47 - P90 bridge strum
16:31 - Humbucker bridge strum
You know guitars flow through your veins when as you speak, you consistently go into different guitar power stances.
I'm glad he mentioned the middle position on a LP or such. More than anything, I play my 335 or my Les Paul, both humbuckers for those that don't know, and the middle position is my general tone. Bridge pickup on 6, neck on 8, but in the middle position and I rarely switch. I dig in harder or kick on a pedal if I need more gas. It's a good sound.
Dagan, You Sir are a national treasure. You always make very informative videos. Cheers!
Hi Dagan. This is awesome video. Finally there is a video explaining the difference of the pickups informatively without gibberish needed to be skipped. Thank you! You are awesome. Could you do a semi-hollow (1-sound-hole style vs 2 sound hole style) vs solid body comparison in the future?
I would imagine one or two sound holes won’t make much difference but a full hollow x semi hollow x solid body comparison would be much better
another excellent video, this channel deserves more views.
Basically we ALL need ALL 3!
Although you can use any pickup, I find certain styles and numbers are better suited to particularly pickups....Give it a try!
A nice intro level info vid. Cool show , nice samples.
This is the most informative video Ive ever seen on tone with pickups. I'm 58 now , I wish I knew this as a lad. Thank you for this.
Great explanation and demonstration.
definitive help, thanks !
Great man!!
13:11 “Sucker,” a deep cut by John Mayer. 👏 Thought we wouldn’t notice, but we did!
You are charismatic as hell, dude. Fantastic job!
I have the Gibson Les Paul Special with humbucker pick ups. Same Gibson Humbucker guitar in the same colour shown in this video. I love the Gibson Les Paul Special. Best guitar I've ever had and still have. It's my go to guitar
great explanation. thanks
being a metal player while only having access to single coils is such a struggle. i need to get my guitar with humbuckers fixed
That was a great demonstration
Brilliant comparison video! I’m pretty sure a Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P90 will be joining my harem in a few days after watching this.
Good info. Thanks!
Greatest contribution to all things rock has to be - Treble Boosting . Giving you essentially the best of both worlds. It almost like having
Two different guitar brands .
Just got a epiphone les paul studio love it
Great explanations and demonstrations, clear, interesting and informative. And thanks for the heads-up for Jared James Nichols, never heard him before but will defo listen more now I've dipped my toes in his water! Muchas Gracias Amigo.
The only thing I could think to add would be the new neodymium magnets that actually have more properties in common with the alnico than the ceramic and Seymour Duncan P rails pickups which are a combination P90/ single coil all-in-one... digging your hi energy, style, playing, and and honest enjoyment you from playing and talking about rock and roll and guitars... your videos are always very informative, and entertaining as well.
Thorough af appreciate it man 💪 🙏
I'd love a lecture on pickups from Mr. Dagan please.
Yes to playing different genres with any guitar!!!!
You deserve a pay rise for this one bro. Infact I think u should have a MBE and Nobel prize for most informative TH-cam video on guitar pickups.
Thanks. Informative.
great explanation for us beginners
Good lesson!
One's for sure, i'd be buying his energy drink for life! : - )
Thank you for this
5th. Love these vids. Keep'em coming Dagan.
Two types you've missed are the Piezo and the Alumatone. But good show with the three you've shown here.
Nice explanation, especially with the short technical outlines, they are perfect for someone like me who has just been introduced to the world of different Guitar PickUps! What I'm asking myself however is, when you can split the humbuckers on the majority of humbucker guitars in order to achieve that single coil sound, why should I then go for a purely single coil guitar (Like teles or Strats) in the first place? Why shouldn't I simply buy a humbucker guitar and have more tonal variety right away? Do the "pure" single coils on e.g. a telecaster sound different compared to the split humbuckers? Thx to everyone who's answering :)
Here's a pickup success story. Years ago, I fell in love with an Epiphone Les Paul Plus Top Pro/FX, a Les Paul that featured a Floyd Rose Special double-locking vibrato unit. The guitar also was loaded with Epi's Alnico Classic humbuckers, and it yielded one of the best sets of tones I've ever heard! Alas, I was broke and couldn't buy it.
Sometime later, I began to get into modifying guitars. I tend to like the looks of Strat-styled guitars, though I still love Les Pauls. I began considering the type of guitar I would most like to modify, and began looking for that guitar at pawn shops. I didn't find it, but I did find an Ibanez RG220B with a cracked neck that I eventually acquired for $25. I bought it because I thought I could repair the neck and then install a bridge I'd bought and didn't use in the guitar I bought it for and wanted to use anyway. I did both those things, replaced the worn nut, gave the guitar a fret job -- then got lucky in finding a pair of Epi Alnico Classics for about $25 on eBay. I got them into the RG and was completely surprised when the result gave me almost the exact same tone that the Les Paul had! Those two guitars have almost nothing in common. Wood recipes, neck joints, scale lengths, vibrato materials ... all were different. Nevertheless, the tone from my RG sounds just like the memory of that Epi! That's success!😎❤️️🎸‼️
Dude, niiiiiice. That's the definition of a happy accident.
You’ve discovered that the tone is almost all in the pickups!
@@aitken1965 On the contrary, I learned that pickups have a bigger influence than I thought, but the greatest influence still came from the fret job and subsequent setup. I don't disparage the role of the pickups - that role is pivotal - but it is not the only pivotal factor involved. I may also have evidence that the pickups in question may simply be overbearing and overriding all other tonal influences, and that I might just like the results. S'all good. I just say the pickups are much more important than I thought. It's a good lesson.
Best comparison. I can hear the difference in the intro
Thank you for all explaination . Kiss from belgium
My initial and only electric is a Yamaha with humbuckers. The lack of high frequency sound of humbuckers just bugs me so much that I’m inspired to play more rock n roll stuff than the more funky and country stuffs I love. I’ll definitely would try single-coil for my next guitar.
Love all of them..
Dagan --- the orignial wide-range humbuckers were "special"-- the offset configuration of the pole screws doesn't mean anything, but they were made from CuNiFe (copper-nickel-iron) magnets, not AlNiCo or ceramic. Fender has reintroduced the CuNiFe pickups and sells them individually. They have a wide dynamic range and a particular unmistakable sound.
"And nothing quite beats the neck pickup of a strat" ❤
P90 is the perfect blend of single coil and humbucker
If I were a good enough guitarist to have my own signature model, it would have just one pickup. It would be in a Strat style body for the ergonomics, pickup in the middle position, and it would be a stacked staple humbucker. Two position switch - rhythm position would be series, lead would be parallel. (Maybe a middle position that would be just the single coil.) Separate volume controls or a fixed voltage divider on the switch to match the levels. There's so much tone available in that middle pickup position that it seems, to me, almost criminal that it is so frequently overlooked.
I have a lp junior with humbucker... And I was thinking of upgrading to a p90 because it seems like it's the thing to do.. After watching this I think I just love all three coils... Maybe I should rather get a strat and a special.. Then I can have all three.. Thanx man
Love humbuckers and P90, but, in this case, i prefer P90s. Great video, as always.. thanx Dagan!
Pickups are KEWL !
One thing I don't have in my small guitar arsenal is one with P90s. I know a guy that put one in his Grote hollow body. WOW it's radical in a good way.
GREAT presentation... "Magical playing", "articulate" explanation, and always, ALWAYS > presented to us all with a great presence. Thanks for sharing Hero. Give me a Gibson Les Paul and I will rock my world. Give me a Strat single coil for a "GREAT" change.
Great idea to use two identical Lespauls to illustrate the sound difference provided by the pickups.
I was failing 10th grade Physics till I applied the concepts to my (very limited at the time) practical pickup "knowledge".
nice post
Love the way you run the riffs right to the edge of the copyright cliff!
I always think Aldous Snow when I see Dagan.
I love this guy.
My first decent guitar was a telecaster now got an SG with p90s
nice thunderbird you have there
You got it good enough, only thing maybe to cover would be splitters
My first point I guess would be. How can yo u get a true comparison from different guitar wiring. Pots and caps make a huge difference as well as I have learned while learning to be a luthier. I have guitars that are identical but sound different because of the Caps and pots I put in them.
The main thing to understand is that raw pickups need to work into high impedance electrical loads - 250k-1M ohm. If you force a passive pickup to work into a low impedance load (such as a line-level direct box), the high end will be rolled off, much like turning down a treble control. This will not happen with active pickups, because the guitar contains built-in high impedance preamps that protect the pickups from low impedance loads.
A difficult question for you . How can someone combine Humbackers with the Iommy's pedal ? (bcc booster) Can you tame that ? Anxious for your respond .
You had me at P90
When I grew up, soap bars where only the white or cream covered P-90s. But I am old.
Jeez, mate. I needed a long cold one after that. I can only imagine you had to go for a pint. ;D Thanks heaps, brother. Oh, and cheers from the land Downundah. \m/ 0_o \m/
Classic 57s are my favorite
I played an Epiphone nighthawk at "guitar center" my first time playing P90s and it seemed like the sound was all over the place, OR maybe it was the guitar? IDK, I think I'm a Humbucker person. and my Schecter has coil tap so i have all I need
I love all three sounds for different reasons. Can't just pick one lol