It all started with the Single Coil design, with output usually lower than that of P-90 and Humbucking pickups, it doesn't push the amp quite as hard resulting in a cleaner tone. Low output and brighter edge allowed for good clean tones but somewhat "thin" distorted tone when compared to a higher output humbucker. Prone to 60 cycle hum when gain is applied or when around fluorescent lighting.
The P-90 which was Gibson's take on the single coil is a really nice, versatile pickup sitting in the sonic territory somewhere between a Single Coil and a Humbucker. Widely used in classic rock. A Fatter sounding single coil or a cleaner sounding humbucker. The lows are low but tight and the highs are there but not piercing, an almost piano like quality. Still single coil by design so it is also prone to 60 cycle hum.
The Humbucker found on many of Gibson's guitars such as the Les Paul, Explorer, Flying V... is exactly what its name applies. Two single coils side by side wired with opposite windings and polarities resulting in a quieter signal, resisting the 60 cycle hum the single coils fell prey to, it "bucks" the hum. This lead to hotter windings to push an amp harder. Sacrificing clean tones for overdriven tones leading the way in the advancement of Rock n Roll.
Labels: Guitar Pickups
2 comments:
Hi, sorry to be a bearer of bad news, but the P90 section is incorrect. The P90 was actually the first attempt at a humbucker. There are two pickups on top of each other. Later, the P100 came allong (its much taller) and was the first "true" humbucker.
Ibenez has a lot of different names for the pickups on thier line (such as their S-Prestige guitar) but I have a hard time figuring out what one name of the pickup is as it relates to another pick-up name. all their pickups are listed in their "specs" tab for each guitar. ANyway to make sense of all this?
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