Electric guitars with single pickup and magnetic pull
- Thread starter Wayne27
- Start date
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I once put a bridge humbucker into a Les Paul Jr. that was a 1/2" Neodymium bar magnet and while it did effect the sustain, it was negligible for how powerful the magnet was. Standard sized alnico magnets will have no where near that amount of string pull.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
I believe adding a neck pickup makes some difference even with humbuckers.
The thing is, a neck pickup is closer to the center of the string.
Magnetic pull there has a much stronger damping effect on the vibrating string than it does near the bridge.
I know on the old P90 guitars the effect was noticeable: P90s have twice the pull of a humbucker, after all.
The thing is, a neck pickup is closer to the center of the string.
Magnetic pull there has a much stronger damping effect on the vibrating string than it does near the bridge.
I know on the old P90 guitars the effect was noticeable: P90s have twice the pull of a humbucker, after all.
I have read that a hot humbucker can attenutate presence in the string. That was one of the selling points of EMG pickups, that they use a very weak magnet, the pickup can get very close to the string, and its part of the reason there is so much "air".
I believe I experimented with this when I had a Super3 many years ago. Put it closer to the strings and wondered if it was influencing the vibration of the string. The Super3 didn't do the EMG81 thing nearly as well, but I don't know if its because it influences the string.
I believe I experimented with this when I had a Super3 many years ago. Put it closer to the strings and wondered if it was influencing the vibration of the string. The Super3 didn't do the EMG81 thing nearly as well, but I don't know if its because it influences the string.
Just set the neck pickup super super low first, like flush with a flat ring
then start cranking the bridge pickup up to the point where it starts to affect the string's vibration, and then lower it just barely enough to eliminate any wavering when playing at the 24th fret on each string individually
now that your bridge pup is set optimally, start raising the neck up while still on the bridge-only pickup selection, keep checking your tone every time you raise it barely
eventually it will get high enough to interfere, when it does just lower it slightly
If you play mostly on the neck pickup, then do not listen to my advice, but I like my method for bridge-mostly playing like metal, where the neck is just an option for leads or occasional cleans.
then start cranking the bridge pickup up to the point where it starts to affect the string's vibration, and then lower it just barely enough to eliminate any wavering when playing at the 24th fret on each string individually
now that your bridge pup is set optimally, start raising the neck up while still on the bridge-only pickup selection, keep checking your tone every time you raise it barely
eventually it will get high enough to interfere, when it does just lower it slightly
If you play mostly on the neck pickup, then do not listen to my advice, but I like my method for bridge-mostly playing like metal, where the neck is just an option for leads or occasional cleans.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
IME having a neck anything vs bridge-only is different. Surprisingly, I found that I could get neck tones by changing my hand position. If you are good at adapting your playing, you might not even miss having a neck pickup.
eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Single-pickup guitars really are different; they force us to get the most out of the one option.
I feel every player should become familiar with at least one at some point in their career.
I could do it with just a neck pickup, but if it was just a bridge pickup, I wouldn't play guitar.
Agreed 100%, but I think we are a rare breed...
solspirit
Ultimate Post Liker
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Pretty common on 80's Charvels.
ErikH
Well-known member
I love single-pickup guitars. I like having neck pickups too so my only single-pickup guitars are my PGK Junior builds with a P90. I will say, IME with my Frankenstrat, going from HH to HSS to HS and to a single H, there is a feel difference. Not so much the sound, but how the guitar feels, the response back, the sustain, and just the overall vibe, it changes. And this is from doing it all with the same guitar, even 2 guitars that I have. Did the same with my 2019 Warmoth build and had the same experience with it. It’s HSS now and I love it that way.
I don't mind that at all.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Even if with humbuckers the magnetic pull is less, it is still there. So yes, there is a benefit to using single pickup guitars. Is it a lot? Honestly, no, I don't think so. But it is there, and if you never use anything but one pickup, or, like me, only use the neck pickup 0.1% of the time, I think it's nice to keep a single pickup guitar around just because it looks super cool, LOL.
