Different types of pickups

deefstes · 2013-02-11T15:23:16+00:00

OK so it seems like single coils and humbuckers account for something like 99% of all guitar pickups but what are the other flavours out there. I know of P90's which, if I understand correctly, are basically excessively wound single coils. What else? Also, I believe single coils are generally better for clean tones while humbuckers perform well when overdriven. What are the characteristics of the other types of pups? What are the characteristics and typical uses of P90's? What are those pups that I often see on Gretsch guitars? Like this: Are they just humbuckers that look different? What about these? Are they just single coils that look different? TIA

Psean

Cool beans ?

Chabenda

Regarding the QP, I had a neck pick up in the bridge position and I play a lot of commercial, bar music and C&W (the old toppies have all the money). I am into blues and Southern States guitar music. Mine was not twice the volume of the standard '72 pick up. I would say it was about 25% louder. The tone did not have the same highs as the original (I liked that) and was definitely thicker (warmer Vic). In conjunction with the front or middle pick up it seemed to blend perfectly and didn't seem to overpower its neighbours. I'm a fan.

Psean

Sounds like a cool pickup ?

Stoner-Riff

I LOVE the TV Jones in my AG75 8)

Apart from TV Jones, we have the 'unique' Jazzmaster pick ups.
They are not P90s, but not traditional style single coils either.

Then there are the Lace Alumitones

http://www.lacemusic.com/Alumitone_Humbucker.php

After that,we can move onto pedal steel pick ups that you can also retro fit to a guitar, like so :

And you also het the guitar-dedicated Q-Tuner pick ups.

http://www.q-tuner.com/gl-6/

There is also diff shades of grey, so to speak.
Here we have one hell of a sexy guitar, with . . .

. . . humbuckers, believe it or not.

These are not single coils !

Stoner-Riff

ez wrote You can use them all for every style, don't get fooled into thinking humbuckers are for drive and single coils are for clean and P90s for mild overdrive and Filtertrons for rockabilly etc etc. That's all rubbish (or an excuse to get another guitar if you will)

P90s are great. They have a really fat sound but they have that nice sharp attack sound that single coils has (you can hear the pick/fingers on the string clearly). They only have one disadvantage and that is the same as other single coils, they hum, depending on the orientation of your guitar and where the closest transformer (usually an amp) is. I want a LP with p90s :-'(

I'll let others tell you about Filtertrons cuz I don't know anything about them, except that they have pretty low output in general (the classic versions anyway).

All 100% true.

You CAN use any pick up for any genre - FACT !

Oh, some of the young ones on certain american forums will tell you, "if you want to be brootal, you NEED actives". . . . ermmmm, NO you don't son !

The band UNSANE uses stock Tele pick ups straight into a Recto, with awesome results.

And you can use Filter 'Trons & TV Jones pick ups for hard rock and metal too.

http://tvjones.com/

http://tvjones.com/artists/

Chris Cornell is using LollarTrons in that matt black 335 of his :

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LGP&Product_Code=272&Category_Code=humbucker-pickups

singemonkey

Well said, and well covered, Stoner Riff.

Stoner-Riff

singemonkey wrote Well said, and well covered, Stoner Riff.

Thank you very much Sir.

Chocklit_Thunda

There is also diff shades of grey, so to speak.

Would you say about 50 or so?

Stoner-Riff

Chocklit_Thunda wrote
There is also diff shades of grey, so to speak.
Would you say about 50 or so?

It's hard to say mate.
To be very honest, i never really did an accurate count, but 50-ish sounds about right.

?

slyd

Well, our main man, Dave Gilmore, slips in a Gretsch 6128T in "Live in Concert", . . .

Quote Wiki . .. . ."Gretsch G6128T - Bigsby and Filtertron pickups"

He rocks most of his classics, in style, with this guitar, ... . .one can tell that he really enjoys playing this baby.

MY POINT
: just about any guitar, pup configuration, and all, can be used for multiple purposes. Dave G shows this well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretsch_Duo_Jet

Wizard

slyd wrote

I want a guitar like that when I grow up ...

Stoner-Riff

Wizard wrote
slyd wrote
I want a guitar like that when I grow up ...

Leave that Electromatic alone mate, and get the 'real' Gretsch :

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