pickup output

[vtpcnk]

how much truth is there to the claim that lower output pickups when played at full volume sound the best - better than high output pickups?

and will a relatively weaker pickup like the fralin blues special for bridge, by itself alone (in a humbucker/single coil combo guitar) sound good enough in a single coil song/scenario?

 

[rockskate4x]

It depends on the style of music that you play. I like underwound pups for jazz and clean stuff. lightly overwound is generally good for blues. High gain and high wind should always go hand in hand for ur modern rock and metal tones.

Basically, the more gain you play with, the more winds you need in ur pups.

 

[Superlizard]

The more winds & the more output - the more compression you're introducing to your tone.  Don't forget the amp and/or stompboxes also add to the compression.  Too much compression = mud... no dynamics, definition or clarity.  i.e. welcome to uninspiring Box-Tone land.

If you do any sort of versatile (different genres) playing, or different levels of distortion and/or clean playing, the wise thing to do is get low output ("vintage" if you like) pickups, and when you need balls-to-the-wall distortion, let the stompbox/amp do the distorting/compressing.

OTOH, if all you play is balls-to-the-wall type music with everything on "11", or if you need to hide your crappy playing behind a massive wall of distortion, then the above does not apply.

 

[Superlizard]

As an example, I play different styles, so I use low-output ("vintage") pickups.  My amp is a JTM45RI modded to 60's specs hooked to a Celestion Alnico Gold speaker. 

- If I want clean (relatively clean considering it's not a Fender amp heheh), I use just the amp.
- If I want 60's-70's rock tone, I use my Fulltone OCD stomp.
- If I want 70's rock/hard rock tone, I use my MI Audio Crunchbox.
- If I want 80's hair metal tone, I use my MXR DIME.

No matter the situation or how much distortion/overdrive I'm using, my tone *always* has definition; never muddy.  If I used hi-output pickups I wouldn't be able to accomplish this wide of a range.

 

[bpmorton777]

Hey SL,

No amount of distortion or OD can hide crappy playing! :laughing7:

Brian

 

[blue313]

Hey SL,

No amount of distortion or OD can hide crappy playing! :laughing7:

Brian

I dont know man.  I had a Danelectro Fab Tone and that thing could cover up anything...including chord changes.  :laughing7:

 

[big bob]

I love my fab tone ...

 

[Patrick from Davis]

What Superlizard said is correct.  Lower wind lower output pickups are generally more versatile, and if you over compress/clip the signal it will turn into mush.  That being said, a high output pickup will sound different than a low output pick up through a pedal or an amp.  The pick up on the guitar will not clip (it shouldn't at least) or distort the sound.  It might drive the amp or pedal into a distortion range, but the pick up itself shouldn't.  This means the detail is still there, just at a higher gain level.  If you boost your signal with a pedal, most of the time some of it will get clipped.  Blah, blah, blah.  If you play high gain music, those pick ups will sound better.  If you want it to sound like a Rickenbacker, high gain is not the route to take.  So get the pick up that suits the style of music you play would be a shorter answer, but not nearly as fun to type.
Patrick

 

[blue313]

I love my fab tone ...

Don't get me wrong, it's got a decent sound.  Mine seemed to go from almost nothing to "wall of gain" in between 9 and 10 oclock.  Anything over or under that was almost negligible.  :laughing7:

 

[callaway]

High-output pickups are not nearly as versatile as normal or low-output ones. Someone might argue that they like high output pickups for lots of distortion, but I would argue that a lower output pickup and a little more amp (or stomp) gain will give you more definition.

Basically, if your signal is too muddy coming from the pickup only, there is nothing you can do about it. Sure, you can kill the mids on the amp, but I don't like that sound. It's much easier to have a more musical sound directly from the pickups---then you have the choice to keep it pure or get as crazy as you want.

When in doubt, do not buy high-output pickups.

 

[T.L.]

Higher-output pickups typically produce more lows and mids, and less highs. They sound more compressed with less "attack". The whole purpose for a high-output pickup is to overdrive the older, low-gain amplifiers. Today's modern amps have such high-gain preamps, you don't need such a hot pickup. Some guys use hot pickups because they like to "hide" behind the distortion and effortless sustain they produce. Most of my favorite guitar players use low or medium-output pickups (like in the 200-300millivolt range, and around 8k-10k DC resistance for humbuckers. Single-coils would be more in the 120mv range, and 4k-6k DC resistance)...

 

[GoDrex]

I love hiding behind my high output pickups and wall of distortion/sustain. No one can even see me when I'm playing.

 

[Mor Paul]

My wall of distortion's getting painted next week.

 

[GoDrex]

My wall is more like a pink fog around me :laughing7:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKvgxzZSvNs