pickups are mythical | The Joy of Cheap Guitars

Tony Ravenscroft
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When I survive the pandemic, I'm gonna be a MUCH better musician!

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pickups are mythical Sept 16, 2023 1:19:34 GMT -6

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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Sept 16, 2023 1:19:34 GMT -6

{Some notes after watching YouTube videos about "finding your ideal pickup" -- something apparently much more difficult than "finding your soul mate." }

IME, most guitar owners (1) have no idea what's coming out of their speakers, (2) are suckers for fads and gimmicks, (3) have more handy cash than common sense. 😁

Given a guitar with decent pickups, the first thing they'll do is crank the HBs as high as possible -- some even own a feeler gauge just for this purpose!! -- with their second act being to complain about how "these cheap pickups" are all muddy and muffled... then they proclaim all they need is a nice fresh set of Kirk Hammett 18-Volt EMG (costing more than their guitar).

If you've got a HSS, you definitely need to back the HB down. Though not as dramatic, this is true for singles as well.

And in any case, if the first stage in your pedals is a clean boost, then your goal for the pickups should always be balance, not power.

Tony Ravenscroft
Administrator

Head Honcho

When I survive the pandemic, I'm gonna be a MUCH better musician!

Posts: 377

pickups are mythical Sept 16, 2023 1:32:13 GMT -6

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Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Sept 16, 2023 1:32:13 GMT -6

{Further notes, of course. Responding to dude wondering why his Fender singles have random-looking poles.}

That was done intentionally, hoping to balance the energy output from each string - not necessarily to make them even, but so they'd sit together well overall. IME, if one string (or two, really) is coming out too hot on a single, just back the pickup off a little.

Also, if your pickups are actual '50s spec, the G poles will be low, because the G string back then was wound. And the strings back then were also flatwounds. When lighter sets, roundwounds, and naked G became more common, the legacy pickups put a distinctive color on some classic solos recorded in the '60s.

Last Edit: Sept 16, 2023 1:33:23 GMT -6 by Tony Ravenscroft

Rex
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Posts: 44

pickups are mythical Sept 16, 2023 1:43:02 GMT -6

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Post by Rex on Sept 16, 2023 1:43:02 GMT -6

Yes and yes!

Most guitarists are a cautious and conservative lot, constantly glancing over their shoulders at each other, trying to figure out what's cool and what they should like. Mythology runs rampant, because you don't want to look dumb next to that other guy who really sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

To any guitarist who wants to get out of that quagmire:

Play as many different guitars as you can, at every opportunity. And listen to all the guitar folklore you can, without blindly accepting any of it. In the process, give yourself permission to look dumb once in a while. Over time, you'll start to form confident opinions about what is good and what isn't — what's true and what's not. Then, when you see a Nameless Joe guitar hanging in the shop, you won't have to jump on forums to ask, "Are Nameless Joe guitars any good?" Instead, you can ask yourself, "Is this particular Nameless Joe guitar good?"