The Different Types of Guitar Pickups Explained – 2024

Curious about the different types of guitar pickups? Here, we walk you through the most common electric, bass, and acoustic guitar pickups.

Guitar pickups are components that allow your instrument to be heard. They’re just as important as the wood your guitar is made from, your strings, and your amp, and they deserve an equal amount of consideration. However, there are different kinds of pickups that serve various purposes.

For example, you’re not going to use the same pickup to play country that you use to play hard rock and metal. If you don’t get the right types of pickups for what you want to do, you’ll find it hard to achieve the tone you want.

With so many types of guitar pickups available, we’ve set out to create this resource that you can use to figure out which pickup types guitar will be the best fit for you.

We’re not going to delve into too many technicalities or try to list every conceivable pickup and the pros and cons associated with them. But by reading this article, you’ll gain the essential knowledge to make an informed purchase.

Alright, let’s dive in!

What is a Guitar Pickup?

Before we get started on the guitar pickup types, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. A guitar pickup serves as the microphone of your instrument. It captures string (and sometimes body) vibrations and converts them into an electronic signal.

The material used, and the mechanics of picking up sound differs from type to type, but the purpose remains the same. The most common electric guitar pickup types are traditional pickups that use a magnet with copper wire wrapped around it.

Electric Guitar Pickups

Electric guitars and basses are equipped with magnetic pickups. The magnetic field they produce allows them to capture string vibrations and convert them into an electrical signal.

This is then converted into the guitar tone that we hear through the guitar amplifier. Guitar pickups are categorized into three main pickup types guitar: single coil, humbucker, and P90.

Single Coil

As the name implies, single coils are pickups that use a single magnet. The neck pickup of a Fender Stratocaster is a good example of how a single coil pickup sounds and looks. Note that this type of guitar pickup is used on countless guitars, not just those from Fender!

Because of their widespread use, single coil pickups don’t have one easy-to-define tone. But as a general rule, they’re considered to be brighter than humbuckers or P90s.

The genres that famously use single coil pickups include country and surf, though they sound great in almost any style of music.

Their main weakness is that they don’t handle high levels of distortion, like what you’d hear in hard rock and metal. Single coil pickups often suffer from the infamous 60-cycle hum. This is addressed by the design of humbuckers. There are also noiseless single coil sized pickups that offer the same hum canceling design, but in the original compact size.

Humbucker

The 60-cycle hum is a phenomenon where background electrical noise is transferred to your amp along with your strings’ vibrations. The humbucker pickup is designed to “buck” hum, by having two coils that are phase canceling each other. Humbuckers are essentially two single coil pickups working together.

Humbucker tones are warmer in comparison to single coil pickups, which is why they’re the pickup of choice for jazz. Due to their higher output, they outperform single coil pickups in genres where high levels of distortion are required. The only genres humbuckers don’t do well in are country and surf. But beyond that, they perform well in any circumstance (depending on their output, of course!). You’ll often see a humbucker in the bridge pickup position.

P90

Last but not least, we have P90s. They are still single coil pickups but wound on a different bobbin. Tonally, P90 pickups are the happy medium between single coil and humbucker pickups. They have a higher output than single coil pickups but don’t reach the output of humbuckers.

Their tone has a bit more depth than standard single coil pickups but not to the extent of humbuckers. P90 pickups are best suited for blues and rock (but not hard rock), though they’re still relatively versatile.

You can see our recommendations in our guide to Electric Guitar Pickups.

Electric Bass Guitar Pickups

Bass pickups are designed the same as guitar pickups, utilizing magnets to convert string vibrations into electrical signals. However, they are grouped differently. Below are the most common types of bass pickups: J-pickups (Jazz Bass), Split-Coil pickups, Dual-Coil pickups, and Soap Bar pickups.

J-Pickups

J-pickups were first used on Fender’s Jazz Bass, and because of this, they are still associated with the instrument. These pickups have a warm and clear tonality and are commonly used by jazz musicians. However, they’re also popular in rock (Geddy Lee from Rush is a notable user).

Split-coil Pickup

Split-coil pickups are two halves of a single pickup, with one half resting slightly higher (more towards the neck) than the other. These pickups are generally used by rock and punk musicians due to their punchy tone.

Dual-coil Pickup

Dual-coil pickups are humbucking pickups, though they aren’t as common as J or split-coil pickups. Dual-coil bass pickups, like humbuckers on a guitar, have a significantly warmer tone than single coil alternatives. They’re great if you’re looking for a more vintage bass tone, though do know that they don’t have the clarity of the pickups above.

Soap bar Pickups

Soap bar pickups are essentially J-bass pickups with wider housing. A notable difference is that these pickups are sealed, which helps protect them from degradation. They also have pins that protrude from the bottom of the pickup to facilitate different wiring combinations.

Acoustic Guitar Pickups

Compared to electric guitars, acoustic guitars have their own distinct sound. This acoustic sound requires specialized pickups. The most commonly used acoustic guitar pickup systems can be divided into three categories: transducer, piezo, and soundhole.

Transducer Pickups

These pickups are known for their lifelike representation of an acoustic instrument’s tone. They work by adhering to your instrument’s soundboard and then translating its response into an electric signal.

Because these pickups “hear” how your soundboard reacts to the vibration of your strings, the sound they produce is more reflective of that. The only downside to transducer pickups is that they tend to be more sensitive to feedback than piezo or soundhole pickups.

Piezo Pickups

These are a type of transducer, but instead of being under the soundboard, they’re under the saddle (where your strings pass over). A piezo pickup “hears” your strings more than your guitar, resulting in a different voicing compared to a soundboard transducer. Piezo pickups also have a strong mid-range hump, generally described as “piezo quack.” Piezo pickups are resistant to feedback, making them great for bigger venues with higher volumes.

Soundhole Pickups

These are essentially electric guitar pickups that fit in the soundhole of an acoustic guitar. They have a definite “electric” quality to their tone. Cheaper soundhole pickups are just single coil pickups with a mount. Higher-end soundhole pickups actually sound really lifelike. Nicer soundhole pickups implement technology similar to a microphone, offering a response without being as sensitive to feedback.

The cool thing about these pickups is that they’re generally pretty feedback-resistant and can still pump out a lifelike tone. They are the happy medium between soundboard transducers and piezo pickups. Many of these systems are also affordable and non-invasive, requiring no permanent modification to your instrument.

In-Body Microphones

Many companies combine a pickup with an in-body microphone. These systems offer the most realistic acoustic tone, but they come with a couple of downsides.

Microphones are significantly more feedback-prone, and systems that use microphones tend to be more expensive than other options. However, if you want genuine acoustic tone, there is definitely enough of a difference between a microphone (or a system that uses a microphone and pickup simultaneously) and a pickup to justify the increase in price.

Acoustic guitar pickups are often more controversial than electric guitar pickups because acoustic players typically seek a reproduction of a tone that already exists. Accuracy in reproduction is generally prized over the pickups’ intrinsic qualities. However, our perception of how accurately a pickup reproduces our unplugged tone is subjective, leading to different opinions on the performance of various different guitar pickups.

The best advice you can ever get when it comes to acoustic pickups is to keep an open mind and make your decisions based on your ear rather than preconceived notions. There are pickups that, through careful design and implementation, manage to avoid the pitfalls that plague other pickups of the same type. There are also advancements in pickup technology being made all the time. So, just because you don’t like the tone of a certain pickup now doesn’t mean that will always be the case.

To see which acoustic pickup systems we recommend, take a look at our guide to The Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups.

Active and Passive Pickups

All of the pickups above fall under two classifications: Active and Passive Pickups. An active pickup operates differently from a passive pickup. The two types can have very different tones, so knowing the difference is crucial to achieving the tone you’re looking for.

Passive Pickups

These were the first pickups invented. They’re called passive because they don’t boost the signal. These pickups have a warm and organic tone, and as a general rule, they’re versatile enough to handle just about everything. The main thing they don’t excel at is high levels of distortion. Since passive pickups are common, replacing guitar pickups of this type is easier, and you have more replacement options.

Active Pickups

As the name implies, active pickups utilize active circuitry that requires a power source. This is usually a 9V battery embedded in guitars. These pickups boost your signal, resulting in high output and high gain quality. Active pickups can also enhance frequencies (like treble, bass, or both) from your instrument, which is a feature commonly found on most acoustic-electric guitars. Further tone shaping can be done on PA Mixing Consoles.

On electric guitars, active pickups are generally used for genres like metal and hard rock, producing tones that require high output and significant distortion. EMG is one of the most notable manufacturers of active pickups, with models like the EMG 81, known for its suitability for metal, and the EMG 85, which is great for clean tones. Other artists who favor EMG include Zakk Wylde and David Gilmour.

Active Bass Pickups

Active bass pickups differ slightly. They’re prized more for their tone-sculpting capabilities than their higher output, making them popular across various genres. This contrasts with active electric guitar pickups, which are seldom used outside of hard rock and heavy metal.

Guitar Pickup Brands

Now, let’s look at some of the most well-known guitar pickup brands that produce these various types of guitar pickups. These brands have won the hearts of many guitarists thanks to their characteristic tones and unique designs.

Seymour Duncan

Seymour Duncan is one of the biggest aftermarket guitar pickup brands. They are known for their attention to detail and high-quality construction. Their pickups are used by guitarists in a wide range of music styles. Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Nuno Bettencourt and Dave Mustaine are just a few of the many big name artists that are known for using their pickups. Some of their most popular pickups include the Seymour Duncan JB (for rock and metal), the Seymour Duncan Jazz (great for jazz and blues), and the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (great for classic rock).

EMG

EMG specializes in active humbucker pickups, utilizing circuitry that allows for high output, making them perfect for high-gain tones. This feature makes them especially appealing to rock and metal guitarists. Popular models include the EMG 81 and the Het Set, co-designed by Metallica’s James Hetfield. They also have the EMG 85, favored for its clean tones, and are used by artists like Kerry King and Steve Lukather.

DiMarzio

DiMarzio is synonymous with elite guitar virtuosos, with artists like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani endorsing their pickups. They are recognized for making versatile pickups that can accommodate various tones and playing styles. Their adjustable pole pieces allow for fine-tuning of string-to-string volume balance.

This brand is also known for their different guitar parts and accessories, as well as their unique pickup designs. The most notable of these are adjustable pole pieces for fine-tuning string to string volume balance. Aside from the signature pickups of the above-mentioned guitar heroes, other popular DiMarzio pickups include the Tone Zone (for rock and metal), the Air Norton (for clean tones), and the Gravity Storm (co-designed by Steve Vai).

Gibson

Gibson is renowned for premium high-quality guitars and also manufactures top-notch pickups. They offer classic tones that appeal to fans of older styles of music, like blues and classic rock. Popular Gibson models include the Burstbucker (for classic rock), the ’57 Classic (for blues), and the Dirty Fingers (for hard rock). Artists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page have crafted unique sounds using Gibson pickups.

Fender

Fender is another brand known mostly for many different types of electric guitars and amps. They offer exceptional single-coil pickups, known for their bright, twangy sound. These pickups are ideal for Fender-style guitars like the Strat and Tele, covering a wide range of genres, including pop, country, and modern rock. Just make sure you set the pickups to the correct Tele or Strat pickup height levels. Legendary players like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan have used Fender pickups to shape their iconic tones.

Conclusion

With all the different types of guitar pickups, types of guitars, and brands to consider, choosing compatible pickups can feel daunting, especially for those new to pickup upgrades. A safe route is to look at the brand and type of pickup used by your favorite guitarist. This way, you’re more likely to achieve the feel and sound you’re accustomed to.

You can then experiment with different guitar pickup types as you gain experience. Ultimately, the decision of which pickup to get is yours. The information provided here will help you make more informed choices when selecting from the different kinds of pickups available. With patience and some luck, you’ll find the guitar pickups that are perfect for you.