Can One Generalize... (Headroom vs. Pickups)

[Silence Kid]

Assume you could select some idealized lower headroom amp, or a higher headroom version of the same amp. Now say you have the goal of achieving some given level of distortion in your tone. Can one generalize the tonal differences between using a lower output pickup through the amp with overall lower headroom, vs. a higher output pickup driving a higher headroom amp to achieve the same level of volume and clipping? Understood there may need to be wattage or other differences between the two make-believe amps by nature.

Not asking whether high output or low output pickups work better with high gain (or calling one or the other 'better' at all,) trying to keep this away from that usual high/low output question where someone always says "you can always add gain with a boost etc." vs. another saying "it's not quite the same..." More like, whether anyone can advise what behavior to expect from higher/lower output pickups specifically in combination with higher/lower headroom amps, with the goal of a specific level of gain (which is why I put this in the amp room and not Pickups.)

Hope that's not too abstract, but I just keep trying to hear things and make generalizations myself.

[Derpottsie]

Re: Can One Generalize... (Headroom vs. Pickups)

I use high output pickups with my lower headroom amp simply to add more texture and body I guess to the tone. At lower volumes it doesnt really add too much more gain or anything but adds some crispness and true body to it. Hopefully this helps a little? Sorry if I didnt

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[Dave Locher]

Re: Can One Generalize... (Headroom vs. Pickups)

I think I understand your question, and I think the answer might ge "there are too many other variables involved to even generalize," but I will ALSO say that I think there IS a general difference if everything else is as equal as possible. I think the low-headroom amp will reveal less difference between high- and low-output pickups. With a higher- headroom amp the difference between low output and higher output pickups is much more noticable.
I even suspect this accounts for those of us who swear by highish output pickups (high headroom amps) vs. those who don't think pickup output matters as much (lower headroom amps).

I also think someone will now jump in and say I am totally wrong. Hopefully they will be polite about it, since my belief is based on 30-some years of playing with a wide variety of humbucker guitars through a variety of amps, often changing those pickups along the way.

[jeremy]

Re: Can One Generalize... (Headroom vs. Pickups)

I think I understand your question, and I think the answer might ge "there are too many other variables involved to even generalize," but I will ALSO say that I think there IS a general difference if everything else is as equal as possible. I think the low-headroom amp will reveal less difference between high- and low-output pickups. With a higher- headroom amp the difference between low output and higher output pickups is much more noticable.
I even suspect this accounts for those of us who swear by highish output pickups (high headroom amps) vs. those who don't think pickup output matters as much (lower headroom amps).

I also think someone will now jump in and say I am totally wrong. Hopefully they will be polite about it, since my belief is based on 30-some years of playing with a wide variety of humbucker guitars through a variety of amps, often changing those pickups along the way.

YOURE WRONG MAN!! well not totally. i agree with your answer that there are too many variables to try and generalize. i agree that a low headroom amp will reveal less difference between high and low output pups compared to a high headroom amp but i think there would still be a very noticeable difference. i think the biggest factor here is the level of distortion. a little distortion will reveal much more of the pups character regardless of headroom, if you have a ton of gain many of the differences between pups get lost in the mush

[Mincer]

Re: Can One Generalize... (Headroom vs. Pickups)

I just assumed there were many paths to the tone you want. I never really thought about it that way, but for years I was using a clean-ish non-master volume amp, and getting dirt from pedals, anyway.