Pickups: what's the difference between--

[keeperofthegood]

I have been lurking around, reading and such, many sites and sellers of guitars and parts. One part that seems to get the attention the worst is the pickups and associated electronics. Either it is grade school primer information, or engineering student with pocket protector level.

Is there, or can anyone, really simply compare the different styles and types of pickups out there? In a way that I don't feel I'm being talked down to, or that I need a degree in advanced electro magnetics to understand.

The goal of asking this would be being able to say: "In building my guitar, I considered... fill in makes/styles here ...and chose... make/style ...because it offered me... fill in what it offered"

At this time I really do not know what is better/poorer or why. I also am not sure what the difference between bar pickups, rail pickups, and rod pickups are, when to use or not use them, and also when to use a humbucker or not, and for me building a 4 string 1/4 size "very little" guitar, whats the difference between bass guitar pickups and 6 string pickups in terms of their function, would a bass pickup give a signal for a 0.010 string? And simply looking at what is mass produced for guidance is quite confusing because virtually every combination of pickups is available out there!

Thank you,
Keeps

[zontar]

There's no simple answer--other than what's best is what sounds the best to your ears. We all have our own ideas of good sound--and so we may be searching for different sounds and using a lot of the same words.

Sorry, but it's hard to say anything meaningful that isn't the basic humbuckers vs single coil stuff. And the technical stuff isn't my cup of tea. And it isn't always helpful anyway.

Maybe somebody else can try.

All I'd say is try a lot of guitars and see what works for them--but since the guitars they're in and the amps they're played through affect the tone as well. SOmethings you just have to figure out for yourself.

[fraser]

All I'd say is try a lot of guitars and see what works for them--but since the guitars they're in and the amps they're played through affect the tone as well. SOmethings you just have to figure out for yourself.


yup there are way too many variables- i learned early on that i like the articulate attack of a single coil, and to make things simple and cheap, i just started mixing and matching single coils. but one single coil in one strat will sound very different in another strat. and one set of ears will percieve this differently from another. you can either dig in and study the engineering, or you can just roll with it. i like a medium to low output alnico, through a small but cranked amp. other than that, itll take another 30 years to figure out why. if i was an engineer id be getting rich driving trains. if i was a pickup maker, id be getting rich helping guitar players try to get theyre tone right.
:food-smiley-004:
if you know what tone you want tho, and what kind of guitar, and the woods used in said guitar, then itd be easier- as it is, its too big a question for me-

[rhh7]

my ears are like yours, Fraser...over the years I ruined my guitars with hot pickups...now that I am older, I really don't enjoy overdriven sound...I like the vintage wind Alnico II's, or Alnico V's...

[keeperofthegood]

Ok ... then let be post this question in a more direct fashion.

I am trying to decide which of these four pickups would be the better choice. These are links to the sale page on eBay because this is what I am specifically looking at considering purchasing for myself (not wanting to look like I am spamming links here!)

In descending order:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190187106028&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190187101189&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190097296200&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190026379043&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

I am considering specifically these four for these reasons:

1. They are cost sensible (I have the feeling there is name brand price markups with no discernible benefit BUT I may be wrong, yes, that is part of what I am asking when I say "whats the difference")
2. I like and trust the supplier having dealt with him before.
3. These are all solid bars, not posts. Im building a 4 string, so 6 posts would look weired I think. I also do not know what is under the covers of soapbars or lipstick pickups, if the cover is a decoration for 6 posts underneath or what :) (Also part of asking what the difference was).

I hope that makes my question more focused, though I am really not wanting to constrain my question.

Keeps

[shoretyus]

Just go for it.... for the price of them SOMEBODY here has to try them.We all chicken out and pay more money. But $40 delivered is worth a try or about 1/3 of what others are paying.

[bagpipe]

Kinda confusing, really. I dont have a clue what would sound good in a "4 string, 1/4 size, very little guitar". Unless you can find someone who has built such a guitar, it'd be hard for anyone to recommend pickups for it. Also, I dont see a namebrand for the ones you have listed, so it might be tough to find on-line reviews of them. A lot of people like the GuitarFetish (GFS) pickups, and they are cheaper than other "name brand" pickups. But I have no idea which ones you should use for the guitar you are building:


http://store.guitarfetish.com/pickups.html


I also am not sure what the difference between bar pickups, rail pickups, and rod pickups are, when to use or not use them, and also when to use a humbucker or not, and for me building a 4 string 1/4 size "very little" guitar, whats the difference between bass guitar pickups and 6 string pickups in terms of their function, would a bass pickup give a signal for a 0.010 string?