Single Coil Pickups vs. Humbucker pickups in Electric Guitars Demo Video

[RoundCorner93]

this helped alot. been torn between getting the either the hss or the sss. now my choice is clear >:D

[soundpurestudios]

@RoundCorner93 I'm glad we could help. Play on!

[rauldelgadillo86]

Very good video! Keep it up =)

[soundpurestudios]

@rauldelgadillo86 Thank you!

[granskater]

Hello,may i ask you something please? I like guitarrists like Paul Gilbert,Joe Satriani,Steve Vai(all ibanez players) but i cant afford a good ibanez so im getting a Jackson DK2.My question is,should i get a jackson with S-S-H or one with H-S-H?Becuase all of the Ibanez guitars have a 5 way switch which makes humbuckers into single coils.

[soundpurestudios]

@granskater We highly recommend that you experiment with them both and try to determine which is the best for your particular taste and style. At the end of the day, they are really two different sets of tonal colors, and it's impossible for us to make that judgment for you, even given the artists that you've described. Both pickup setups should be somewhat versatile, however. Sorry we can't be more definitive- if we had those instruments here, we would definitely be more help!

[juanlash]

So the single coil have lower volume??, that explains why my Telecaster is quieter than my other guitar that uses humbucker, so, how should I make my Tele to sound a little bit louder?? or do I just need to increase the volume of my amp?

[soundpurestudios]

@juanlash There are a few ways to achieve this. Many amps will have two imputs, one with higher gain that you can designate for tele use. Another technique would be to use a clean boost pedal to match the higher gain of the humbuckers. We carry several different varieties of boost pedals and would be happy to help you find the perfect one. Call or email me at jared(at)soundpure(dot)com and I can help you with this issue!

[xenoforme1994]

love your vids, they are (if not the best) the best quality in playing, sound and description!

[ThePassing101]

Great Video!

[soundpurestudios]

@ThePassing101 We appreciate your support- if we can help in any way, please don't hesitate to let us know!

[z3r0sh1ft]

Wow. I think that strat pickguard is managed to make a better sounds. Those angled pickups should be possible. I just wish it's easier to find.

[MasterRolston]

do the single coil pickups have a unique tone that you cant get with the the humbuckers?

[soundpurestudios]

@MasterRolston The pickups definitely sound different... that was sort of the purpose. They are two different approaches to pickup design, and results of the designs is sonic differences. With the humbuckers, there is a built in "noise resistance" but with that comes the sonic differences we've outlined in this video. In the end, this is done at a high level (and with some pretty gross generalizations)0 there are a wealth of pickups and pickup tones out there we couldn't possibly cover here.

[SherinChibi]

Thank you I'm a newbie about this pickup thing and this is very helpful. I understand now the differences :)

[SUPitsDave]

I don't understand tho... the humbucker was designed to reduce hum, and you barely pushed the gain in any example....?

[KCJacksonMuz]

I prefer humbuckers for loud over driven stuff. Singles are best for clean IMO. With lots of variances in between. And don't forget p90s

[MatKiller1197]

play some metal not that shity funk shit we can t see the difference between them on the noise

[soundpurestudios]

@MatKiller1197 Playing every style is a little tough if we don't want people to simply bail out of the video... sorry we didn't cover metal on this one

[MatKiller1197]

@soundpurestudios ok but you can cover it now

[soundpurestudios]

@MatKiller1197 If you are interrested in a serious high-end, boutique metal guitar, we can help, and can also help pick the right one for you. We can even help get you sound clips or at least direct you towards the sound that you are after, if you are serious about purchasing. We will get to more metal footage and comparisons at some point in the future... keep in mind though, these aren't us in a closet with a $399 camcorder.

[MatKiller1197]

@soundpurestudios ok thanks but i already found which one to buy it is an esp ltd gus 600 fr this is a good looking and sounding guitar so thanks

[soundpurestudios]

@MatKiller1197 Unfortunately we don't sell ESP anyway, as we are focused on more of the high-end and boutique brands.  You are welcome

[watwillwedonext]

why are you acting all faggy in the beggining lol

[soundpurestudios]

@watwillwedonext You are an inspiration to us all!

[watwillwedonext]

@soundpurestudios so is your mother to me

[soundpurestudios]

@watwillwedonext We are a professional firm, that aim to engage with people that are serious about thei art or trade. If you don't see the value in what we do, we respectfully ask that you simply move along. There is simply no value in engaging this way on a forum for people that are interested in learning more about guitars, audio, or recording. It really just creates "noise" that detracts from our ability to support our customesr and fans. Hope you understand...

[ohjtbehaaave]

Good info.  Nicely done.

[lockpicker2k]

I've watched a ton of videos and this one did the best job of not only explaining but also clearly demoing the sound differences. You can really tell the difference, thank you!

[acefrehley813]

i have herd that a single coil makes humming sometimes and a humbucker blockes the hum. So i was wondering what if i got one of those single coiled size humbuckers,would that work on blocking the hum?

[soundpurestudios]

Respond to this video... yes, single coil-sized humbuckers do a pretty good job of blocking the hum.

[ShortFingeredShreder]

@acefrehley813 There's no such thing as eliminating ALL the hum with a standard pickup. Single coils just have a lot more hum than a humbucker, with humbuckers it's barely noticeable. What people don't realize that if you're using a regular pickup, hum is always going to be part of the tone.

[Xxshadow4430xX]

should i get a les paul style with 2 humbucker pickup, or a strat with 3 single coils?

[soundpurestudios]

@Xxshadow4430xX I can't choose one or the other. I own a Les Paul with dual humbuckers and a strat with 3 single coils. I use them for different styles.  depends on my mood! thanks for the question. hope i helped

[rockout7190]

@Xxshadow4430xX you sould try a Wayne Kramer guitar, It has a single coil in the bridge a humbucker in the middle and a single coil in the neck, very strange set up but sounds awesome!

[Xxshadow4430xX]

should i get a les paul style with 2 humbucker pickup, or a strat with 3 sigle coils?

[samastadon]

i think we know which guitar tyler likes more

[clayhorsemusic]

Good A-B comparison of sounds. Thanks for the demo!

[vincentjanse]

I prefer the humbucker sound its just cleaner but their both good

[slashnpraise]

Hey guy, I don't know about the Humbuckers being louder necassarily. i have a Fender Strat with vintage noiseless single coil that's natural output is louder than my Ibanez and PRS guitar, also distortions and overdrives seem to have a louder output/boost capability when i use my Strat.

[soundpurestudios]

@slashnpraise it depends on the output of the pickup. generally, humbuckers are set to be louder, but not in all cases. thanks for the comment! hope you enjoyed the video

[hyperpiper101]

FREE BIRD!!!

[TheEternalLeader]

How about Active Pickups?

[Spirituality1980]

Two single-coil pickups used together act as a humbucker, right? So therefore there won't be any hum, correct?

[dlheidemann]

That might be the ugliest headstock I've ever seen on that strat type thing...

[soundpurestudios]

@dlheidemann not for you, eh? We have plenty of more traditional headstocks, not to worry!

[dlheidemann]

@soundpurestudios hahah I'm sure you do. Maybe I'm a traditionalist (or something).

So riddle me this - Why did you spring for the tele with Fender wide-range humbuckers? Those are typically voice more like singles than your average humbucker. While I think this video is really a great resource for people I think a Les Paul or an ES335, or something like that, would have shown a more accurate representation of the humbucker we all know and love.

Not to say the Wide-Range don't sound great!

[soundpurestudios]

@dlheidemann It's a good question... I think because we were feeling that in terms of pickup-only factors, these were more apples-to-apples comparisons (in terms of guitar bodies), given that they were more similarly built than a Paul or semi-hollow in terms of neck, body, etc, so that the focal point would have been more on the pickups rather than other tonal factors... but not 100% entirely sure, just a guess. Maybe someone else here will chime in and say what they think!

[LordAzai]

nice video, its definately very useful for clean tones. i wouldn't mind a video that displays the differences with overdriven, crunching and distorted tones, and a comparison with a p90 too. Also, ive been trying to find a way to stop my single coils "warbling", ive been told its called "wolf tone"? How do you get rid of the annoying warbling without compromising the tone by lowering the pickups or raising the string action?

[soundpurestudios]

@LordAzai Thanks for the suggestion, those are great ideas for videos. We will keep that in mind for our next shoot. With the pickups, it would probably be best to take the guitar to a trusted repair person who can actually look at the guitar and diagnose the problem. Thanks for watching!

[pbommes]

How effective would you say lace sensor pickups are? Do you get the same sound as single coils minus the hum, or a bit of a thicker sound like the humbucker? Is that thicker sound due to the elimination of the hum?

[soundpurestudios]

@pbommes Lace sensor pickups come in a variety of winds and output levels that can sound like a strat pickup or more like a humbucker. Technically they are single coils, though. The shields around the pickup are what eliminates the hum, but this doesn't really have much to do with the thickness of tone.

[Guitarvirtuoso666]

@pbommes

lace sensors are noiseless single coil pickups. They come indeed in a variety. Gold: a classic strat pickup, silver: a more texas special vibe. etc... etc...

Apart from being hum cancelling, they have a very peculiar magnetic field, which allows weaker magnets to be used for the same amount of output. This makes for less string pull (the magnetic force eliminating the vibration of the string), so your sound will sustain longer;)

[Guitarvirtuoso666]

@pbommes

I highly recommend them, although a vintage purist might not like them. If you are however open to modern refinements, you'll love them;)

[chriscross611]

hello wanted to ask if there are any differences between the guitars with the single coil and the humbuckers themselves? cause i was testing few days ago a few guitars with humbuckers like the one that is shown in the video and a gibson les paul and there where some slight differences. the same was with the single coils. i dont know if there are really some but yeah i just wanted to ask ^^

[soundpurestudios]

@chriscross611 Yes, there are definitely going to be differences when using different guitars.  Les Pauls typically provide a stronger mid-range and overall thicker tone than a strat or tele. Totally valid question, and I hope that info helps. Take care!

[chriscross611]

@soundpurestudios thank you !!

[soundpurestudios]

@chriscross611 You bet!

[JaeYunLee1117]

what music is he playing?

[soundpurestudios]

@JaeYunLee1117 I was just noodling around for the most part. original music I guess. Thanks for watching the video!

[acvieluf]

this narrator sounds just like Tom Haberford from Parks & Recreation.

[soundpurestudios]

@acvieluf That guy is hilarious! I'll take that as a compliment. Let me know if you have any questions about Sound Pure Guitars

[DliteXiong]

thanks this help out alot!

[soundpurestudios]

@DliteXiong You're welcome, I'm glad this helped! Feel free to contact our guitar department if you have any questions!

[EMGlespaulMESA]

@soundpurestudios hey quick question. i know the diffrences btw sc vs humbucker. but what about in acoustic guitars. i want to add a pup to my martin acoustic. i know the sc is much better for cleans, but for some unexplainable reason i think humbuckers might give it a fuller sound, and a little less bright. Which should i go with.

[soundpurestudios]

@EMGlespaulMESA Single coils are much more common in acoustic guitars, however there is a wide variety of types to choose from. Some brands I would suggest looking into are LR Baggs, Fishman, and K&K. If you have any more questions please contact us and we would be more than happy to help!

[vaibanez17]

I have a Squier Stratocaster Satin Deluxe HH and I really like the way it sounds. I'm a bigger fan of a fuller sound than what I feel is just a trebled out whiny sound you get from single coil.

[soundpurestudios]

@vaibanez17 thanks for the comment! while everyone has a different favorite, I just wanted to point out that ou can get a variety of thick tones from a single coil with proper setting on the guitar, amp and some pedals. It's true that characteristically they are thinner, but believe me, any pickup can get thick or thin depending on settings. always worth experimenting! let us know if you have questions about our gear! take care

[AleifrLeifrson]

Although I'm a big fan of treble, I think the single coils sound really dull by comparison to the other guitar. But I think I would go for a blend. Single coil at the neck, and a humbucker at the bridge or something.

[soundpurestudios]

@AleifrLeifrson It's definitely a personal preference. Also depends on the amp and guitar. That humbucker tele through a Rivera would sound amazing in the low output jack while that tyler through a victoria 20112 would absolutely rock in the high gain input with volume cranked. Thanks for keeping the discussion going and let us know if you have any questions in relation to the video demo

[SONGSTICKS]

Hello,

I'm in the process of building a toilet seat guitar, using a nice old Fender strat neck.

I've already sourced a Wilkinson Gold Single coil pup and thought about possibly having a Humbucker too. Either that or using my Boss GT-3 pedal, Eq-ing a touch of bass to the single coil when I want it. Would this just increase the hum?

Also.. I'm no electrician, this is my first guitar project.. can a single coil and a humbucker be daisy chained together? I't'd be set to both all the time.but hey

[soundpurestudios]

@SONGSTICKS Excuse my lack of understanding, but are you saying you're making a guitar from a toilet seat? Im regards to pickups, if you can't decide between single and humbucker, I would look into humbuckers that can be set up for coil tap to get both tones with a pull of a knob.

[SONGSTICKS]

@SONGSTICKS

Correct.. guitar from toilet seat. Unused.. I hasten to add.

I got the strat neck for £2 and a new mahogany seat for £1.50 at the bootfair.

I just tried to post a link to a picture but youtube won't have none of it.

Thanks for the ideas..much appreciated

[soundpurestudios]

@SONGSTICKS That's hilarious! send any pictures, comments or questions to the email address provided in the video. I hope my suggestions helped! rock on!

[TheBalls17]

I'm really diggin the single coil. I find the Humbuckers are just too bassy for me. I like my sound a little lighter. So I play single coil

[soundpurestudios]

@TheBalls17 Cool, thanks for the comment, there is certainly no right or wrong to the question of which one is better, it sort of depends on your musical sensibilities. We have an incredibly array of single coil guitars at the Sound Pure boutique, so please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have, or if you ever want to just talk shop- we are here for you!

[rwillett651]

I have a gretsch electromatic pro jet that has 2 mini dual coil pickups on it. A friend of mine just got a Samick UM-3 with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers on it. What would be the reason that his guitar greatly overpowers mine in volume?

[soundpurestudios]

@rwillett651 Thanks for your question!! the size of the pickup and the output level are major factors. Generally, there are 3 output levels for humbuckers- low, medium and high. The lowest have a little less volume, but more vintage tone quality and crunch. High output humbuckers have a ton of sparkle and treble definition, making them shine with overdriven tone. and you guessed it, medium is someone inbetween those. Hope that info helps. I can discuss more detail if you would like

[soundpurestudios]

@Stefandurr haha! no blemishes on this dude! let us know if you have any questions about anything we carry

[hachaduryan]

I find most (if not all) videos by sound pure very interesting and educational. Keep up the great work. I will shop from you as soon as opportunity arises.

[soundpurestudios]

@hachaduryan Thanks so much! We really appreciate your support! Call or Email us any time. We're here to help you find ideal boutique gear

[soundpurestudios]

@kokirigreen I'll have to check the specs, but I'm pretty sure the tyler pickups are not hum-canceling. thanks for checking out the video! call or email us with any questions. take care!

[zeppelinfan182]

The "Guitar Chains" labels are backwards....

[ATNicolini]

I'm facing some troubles on using FUZZ effects with humbuckers pickups of my Les Paul Someone ssuggest to use EQ pedal to arrange a good sound to send then to FUZZ pedal. What do you think about this solution?

[soundpurestudios]

@ATNicolini sometimes humbuckers can sound muddy with fuzz. Single coils take better to fuzz. I suggest experimenting with the EQ settings on your amp and backing off on some of the fuzz on your pedal and boosting the "tone" on the pedal if it has that function. let me know if that helps!

[ZachDRUMMOND]

Wouldn't most people watching a SoundPure vid know all this junk anyway?

I thought you guys were going to post a vid of the new Lollar Wide Range HBs?

[soundpurestudios]

@ZachDRUMMOND The purpose of this video is to educate those considering buying a new guitar, thus, gaining new interest in Sound Pure Guitars. Thanks for watching!

[RAYGproductions]

Nice.

[soundpurestudios]

@RAYGproductions Thank you for the comment!

Let us know if you have any questions regarding

our guitars and/or gear.

[DuskY1991]

What would you recommend for a HB/SC combined pick-up and/or guitar equipped with those? That is, humbuckers with coiltap/coilsplit.

Nice video.

[soundpurestudios]

@DuskY1991 we're big fans of the DiMarzio Air Norton and Bluesbucker pickups that Nash has been installing in the Nash Aged LPs. especially the single coil sound of the bluesbucker. it's like a P90!

[maxauto44e]

what wouldbe a good elec guitar (thats well built) for a beginner ?

[DuskY1991]

@maxauto44e I think they usually say Yamaha Pacifica to that.

[soundpurestudios]

@maxauto44e there are many choices for beginners. it depends on how much you are looking to spend and what styles you are looking to learn.  call or email us for more info