Pickup Output Defined
Guitarists can be defined by their tone. Whether sparkling clean or desirably dirty, a blend of wire, science and electricity join to form tone, as well as an electric guitar's pickup output.
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Pickup Output By Definition
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Output is determined in part by the number of wire windings turned around a magnet, which is the core of any pickup. More windings, along with a larger magnet, create higher output. Design details such as type and length of wire, as well as magnet strength, also help define pickup output.
Single, you say?
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Output from single-coil pickups stems from six magnetic poles set in an oval shaped plastic base--a bobbin--in which wire wraps the coil. What single-coils have in treble, tone and simplicity, they lack in output.
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Make it a Double
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Double-coil pickups, or humbuckers, solve the output issues of their predecessors by running two single-coils side by side. Magnets at the pickup base and adjustable pole pieces also help. Physics and electricity come into play, as magnetism and phasing help boost the humbucker output while also creating a 'fatter' tone.
Taking a Little Off The Top
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With high pickup output comes tonal sacrifice. However, with an assist from electricity, pickups can be wired to mimic sounds through coil splitting, which allows a humbucker to act like a single-coil with half the output.
Actively Seeking Output
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Active pickups, which employ a battery-powered preamp to create flexible gain options, require less of a signal with which to create pickup output.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kitten Fleming
