Single Coil vs P90 vs Humbucker: What's The Difference?

Summary

This video explores the key differences between guitar pickups: Single Coils, P90s, and Humbuckers. It explains the construction, sound, and applications of each type, highlighting Single Coils' bright and clear tone, P90s' raunchy yet detailed sound, and Humbuckers' thick, smooth, and noiseless performance ideal for overdrive and distortion. The video also touches on variations such as Mini Humbuckers and Single Coil sized Humbuckers. Whether you're into pop, funk, rock, or metal, the video breaks down how each pickup suits different genres and playing styles, while also hinting at deeper dives into pickup technology in future content.

Takeaways

• 😀 Single coil pickups were the first guitar pickups, invented in the 1930s, and have remained largely unchanged.
• 😀 Single coils are made of 6 magnetic pole pieces and around 8000 turns of copper wire, offering a bright, clear, and detailed sound.
• 😀 Single coils are known for their clarity but have a tendency to hum due to their single-coil design.
• 😀 Single coil pickups are popular in genres like pop, funk, reggae, country, and also rock.
• 😀 P90 pickups, a type of single coil, have more windings (10,000 turns) and offer a thicker, raunchier sound compared to traditional single coils.
• 😀 P90 pickups are known for their gritty, aggressive tone, which is ideal for rock and punk music, but they clean up well when rolled back.
• 😀 Humbuckers were introduced to eliminate the hum from single coils and P90s, utilizing two coils connected out of phase to cancel out noise.
• 😀 Humbuckers offer a thick, smooth, and noiseless sound, making them popular in overdrive-heavy genres like hard rock and metal.
• 😀 Mini humbuckers and single coil-sized humbuckers provide a compact or retrofitted option for specific guitar models without compromising on noise cancellation.
• 😀 There are many variations and combinations of pickups, including humbucker-sized P90s, allowing players to choose different tonal experiences without altering their guitar's original setup.
• 😀 The script also mentions plans for further exploration of pickup designs, with more detailed videos and Patreon exclusives available.

Q & A

What are the three types of guitar pickups mentioned in the video?

The three types of guitar pickups mentioned are Single Coils, P90s, and Humbuckers.

How do Single Coils work to generate sound?

Single Coils work by having vibrating strings cause a change in the magnetic field generated by the pole pieces, which induces a voltage in the copper coil. This weak electric signal is amplified to produce an audio snapshot of the instrument.

What are the main characteristics of Single Coils in terms of sound?

Single Coils are known for their clear, bright, and spanky sound. They offer excellent detail but usually do not produce a very powerful signal and are prone to humming.

Why are Single Coils commonly used in pop, funk, reggae, and country music?

Single Coils are commonly used in these genres due to their bright, clear sound that works well in clean and dynamic styles of music.

How do P90 pickups differ from Single Coils?

P90s are technically Single Coils but are constructed differently, with more windings on the coil (about 10,000 turns) and a couple of powerful bar magnets, which give them a more powerful and thick sound.

What is the sonic characteristic of P90s?

P90s produce a thick, raunchy sound that gets even more distorted with higher volume but can clean up to a clearer sound when the volume is rolled back.

What made P90s popular among rockers and punks?

P90s became popular among rockers and punks because of their ability to get 'nasty' and produce a gritty, powerful sound, especially when overdriven.

How do Humbuckers eliminate the hum associated with Single Coils and P90s?

Humbuckers eliminate hum by using two coils connected out of phase, which cancels out the hum while the opposite magnetic polarity ensures that the voltage from both coils sums together to produce a sound.

What are the sonic characteristics of Humbuckers?

Humbuckers are known for their thick, smooth, precise, and noiseless sound. They are ideal for genres that require overdrive and distortion, like hard rock and metal.

What are some variations of Humbuckers mentioned in the video?

Some variations of Humbuckers include mini humbuckers, single-coil sized humbuckers, and humbucker-sized P90s. These variations offer unique features, such as size and noiseless operation while maintaining the benefits of traditional pickups.

Why are Humbucker-sized P90s useful for certain players?

Humbucker-sized P90s are useful for players who want the P90 sound but do not want to modify their guitars equipped with full-sized humbuckers, providing a convenient retrofit option.