Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

[solspirit]

Aren't we past this yet?

[Mincer]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

Some people use it as a built-in 'boost' for solos. But the output difference, generally, is there so the bridge position, which has less string activity, can 'boost' the sound there.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

Depends on the pickups. If you pick up a guitar made before the 80s, both pickups were exactly the same. They still are on Strats.

The neck pickup is naturally louder because the excursion of the strings is greater at that location, and have more low frequency content.

Hotter bridge pickups came about for people wanting to drive their amp into distortion, because there wasn’t master volume amps and all the pedals we have now.

I generally like my neck pickup to be slightly lower in output because I’ll use for for slightly cleaner tones. But on some of my guitars they are fairly matched in output.

So you can either pick pickups for their tone characteristics, and hope they match up, or pick them to have the same output. Just keep in mind that hotter pickups generally sound darker than lower output pickups, unless they are active.


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[Chistopher]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

With no more than a screw driver you can fix this for yourself with most pickup sets.

[GuitarStv]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

I don't understand the question. It's possible to balance output levels on most pickup sets by adjusting height. What set are you having trouble with?

[beaubrummels]

Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

I find matched sets with slightly hotter bridge generally have the same perceptible level when switching pickups so the switch becomes more of a tone control than a lead boost. If the bridge is significantly mismatched, then it’s like having a lead channel on the guitar. I don’t see a reason to ‘get past it’ when it’s useful either way.

[solspirit]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

Couldn't this be cured with a 1 Meg tone pot & preferred cap?

[ItsaBass]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

I don't like calibrated sets, myself. It makes bridge pickups too beefy sounding and/or neck pickups too weak. I want my bridge pickups to be very bright and my neck pickups to be warm yet articulate when needed. Output matching is not as much of an issue to me, and imbalanced outputs can be mostly dealt with by adjusting pickup heights, or by just learning to use it and play around it. The balanced output thing that has become the norm alters tone in a bad way IMO. It takes away too much treble from bridge pickups and gives them too much bottom end for what I want from a guitar.

I have often used two pickups that were intended for the neck position in order to have what I consider a guitar that sounds "right." I do this with the P Rails (two low output models) and with the Parallel Axis (two neck models), and in the past I've done it with '59s, PGs, and SNSs (in which case you get something a lot like T Tops).

IME, using a stronger bridge pickup magnet and a weaker neck pickup magnet, without over or under winding in one position or the other, is a better approach to balanced output, because it doesn't screw with the tone nearly as much as under or overwinding.

[Lewguitar]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

All of my guitars have calibrated sets. No way would I want to go back to 50 years ago when the neck pickup was 30% louder than the bridge pickup.

Just screwing the neck pickup further into the body and further away from the strings does reduce the volume but it also sounds like dog doo doo.

[Clint 55]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

It's because it changes the sound of the bridge pup to overwind it to be the same output as the neck comparatively. It's a compromise. Some guys like the sound of vintage output then drop the neck and raise the bridge. Some guys go for overwound bridge pups which balance better volume wise. I think a solution to make say a PAF set balance volume wise would be to leave the mag the same in the neck but stick a double thick mag in the bridge AND double thick spacers. I think that would friggin work. I want to try it with a Ant Humb set but that's on the back burner since I'm working on my jazz guitars.

[solspirit]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

Wouldn't linear taper pots both, volume and tone, cure all of this?

[Mincer]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

Some people just work differently than others. If you don't like calibrated sets, don't buy them. If you do, just enjoy. I am happy we have choices these days.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Why do we still have an output difference between neck and bridge pups?

With no more than a screw driver you can fix this for yourself with most pickup sets.

To an extent. The sensitivity of the pickup drops off with the square of the distance. The output is reduced, but the tone of the pickup suffers.

And you can’t make a pickup’s output any stronger than it is.

I wind my pickups to get the tone I want from each position while trying to maintain the volume balance between them.

I like an over wound (from vintage standards) bridge pickup, but I like it to also be bright. Then I make the neck to match that, without it being too tubby or thin sounding.

Pickups were never made in sets, except the Tele, and we do have calibrated sets these days, but that’s mostly for volume and not tone.


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