[Mahogany Martin]

Again bare in mind that I'm a new guitarist. When a guitar is advertized with traditional magnetic pickups (humbuckers), what does it mean?

Furthermore, when you look at humbuckers with a plate on top of it, you see a line of 6 dots (can't remember what they're called right now) as if looking at a single coil under that plate. But the plate is large enough for 2 single coils underneath. Are there 2 single coils under the plate but only one of the single coils's *dot*/*pins* pick up the sounds from the strings and the other coil picks up the vibration of the guitar (that half covered with the plate)?

Edit: 6 pickup posts? poles? rods?

Edit: the 2nd coil under the plate also picks up strings but why having the plate? To cut some treble? 1 large coil = P90? There are loads of websites explaining PUs but if anyone could point me to one that illustrates (shows) either with pictures or drawings and explains the purpose of the cover plate, that'd be great. From what I've seen so far, the poles of the PU under the cover plate doesn't stick up above the PU (as if riveted)?

 

[Yerffej]

sounds like an odd way to describe it, magnetic pickups are the traditional norm in electric guitars.

you're right. humbuckers have 2 single coils in them. one is called the screw coil(the six nobs you see) the other is called the slug coil, and it has non adjustablke pole pieces under the cover. they are wired with reverse polarity both electrically and magnetically so they cancel most of the 60 cycle ground hum you hear with single coils. they "buck" the hum, hence the name.

p-90's are a big fat single coil, yeah. try the wikipedia entry for pickup

 

[Jeff Flowerday]

Traditional = Non Active

I least that's how I'd interpret it.

 

[Mahogany Martin]

I understood the concept of the humbucker type of PUs but I hadn't realized that only one of the coil has adjustable pole pieces. Sometimes there is a plate covering the slug coil and sometimes not.

I guess what makes it "traditional" is it's resemblance to the original *standard* PAF type; the advertizement just say "traditional magnetic" PUs and so the number of turns of wire (5000?) and magnet type (alnico) is the assumption to be made here and according to wikipedia, will pproduce a "relatively low output and soft, mellow tone".

 

[ENDITOL]

It could be referring to Alnico vs. more modern Ceramic magnets.