About Humbucker Pickups

The Humbucker pickup is responsible for some of the most epic and memorable electric guitar sounds of the past half century. Its unique construction and capability for rich guitar tones have won over guitar players worldwide.

History

Seth Lover, an amplifier designer at Gibson Guitars, invented the first Humbucker pickup in 1955.

Design

Lover created the new pickup by connecting two wire coils. Each coil was electrically out of phase with a reversed magnetic polarity. The result effectively canceled any hum before it reached the amplifier, a vast difference from previous single-coil pickups.

Richer Tone

The Humbucker's double-coil structure was an enormous leap in pickup technology. In addition to its noise-canceling capabilities, the Humbucker enables a richer tone from the electric guitar.

More Output

The Humbucker's unique double-coil technology allows for more output, making it easier to overdrive an amplifier than with a guitar sporting single-coil pickups.

Types

Humbucker pickups come in two basic types. The first is a side-by-side bobbin (or spool) model, in which each bobbin consists of one or more magnets. The second is a stacked model, which features two single coils stacked on top of each other.

References

• Musician's Friend
• Seymour Duncan