The most dynamic and articulate pickup you’ve ever played

[dsuigdsf]

Hi. I know there can be some confusion around what “dynamics” actually means, so just to clarify: by dynamics I mean the difference between quiet and loud—the bigger the difference, the greater the dynamics.

I’ve noticed this is something I really like in pickups. You can express more of yourself when playing, and these more dynamic pickups usually clean up very well from overdrive to clean just by rolling down the volume knob.

I’ve tried a whole bunch of pickups and quite a few guitars. I’ve found that the most dynamic ones I’ve played were P90s in an Epiphone SG, and Squier Wide Range pickups in a Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Telecaster Thinline. I haven’t had the chance to play a Gibson with P90s or real Fender Wide Range pickups, since the current versions are apparently more like standard humbuckers in construction.

Anyway—Epiphone P90s and Squier Wide Range really stood out to me. If I had to choose one, it would be the Wide Range, mainly because I don’t like hum and noise, and I mostly play with overdrive. I’m also very curious about noiseless P90 designs as well as the original Wide Range pickups. To my ears, Wide Range pickups sound fairly similar to P90s—maybe with a bit less “meat”—but I haven’t compared them side by side.

The only thing I didn’t like about those guitars was that when I dialed in a tone for the bridge pickup, the neck pickup sounded muddy. And when I switched from the neck to the bridge, the bridge sounded thin. I suspect that more professional pickup sets are better balanced tonally.

What are your experiences?

 

[Sam SG]

Gibson P90 for me

 

[marcello252]

Maybe I didn't catch the question corretctly, but to my ears P90s and wide ranges are more dynamic than almost every humbucker but way more compressed than a common tele/strat single coil: that's where dynamic is to me, especially with lower output ones.

 

[Mincer]

Generally, anything non-potted and with a vintage output would qualify.

 

[justFred]

Active pups like Fishman Fluence do those two things better than most. Very high fidelity.

 

[Chistopher]

Dimarzio Al Di Meola bridge comes to mind

 

[switchman]

Maybe I didn't catch the question corretctly, but to my ears P90s and wide ranges are more dynamic than almost every humbucker but way more compressed than a common tele/strat single coil: that's where dynamic is to me, especially with lower output ones.

+1 agree you have to compare apples to apples. To my ears a run of the mill vintage construction Strat pickup - 42 gauge wire wound on Alnico V magnets in the 5.5 -6K range has more dynamics than a great lower output PAF clone. But the PAF does things the Strat doesn't its a tradeoff.

 

[uOpt]

SSL-1 (Vintage for Stratocaster)

 

[nienturi]

For me it was Lollar that came on my Nash S-57. Guitar sounded almost like an acoustic guitar.

 

[dsuigdsf]

Aktywne szczenięta, takie jak Fishman Fluence, robią te dwie rzeczy lepiej niż większość. Bardzo wysoka wierność.

Acitve humbuckers and dynamic? I had EMG and EMGx and has worse dynamic than hot passive humbuckers. But I don't try Fishmans.

 

[Aceman]

I'm on board Wirth P-90's, and vintage output.

The amp can make a quiet pickup loud.
A loud pickup is going to be very hard to make quiet. It takes every signal that touches it and goes to 11 immediately.

 

[justFred]

Acitve humbuckers and dynamic? I had EMG and EMGx and has worse dynamic than hot passive humbuckers. But I don't try Fishmans.

Zestaw Classic charakteryzuje się dynamiką tradycyjnych humbuckerów i wyróżnia się wyjątkową artykulacją.

 

[marcello252]

I almost catched it, even without translation

 

[Coma]

I was fortunate enough to get into metal before I got into guitars. Dynamics have always been a non-issue

 

[pjd3]

I've heard over and over that Bill Lawrence Microcoils are known for being extremely articulate with great string separation and clarity and thats one of the reasons I just received the strat set for my Baritone - along with not harboring notable peaks in the mid and upper midrange.

I'll be able to say more about them and a couple of weeks when that have been installed - we will see (hear).

Best,
Phil Donovan

 

[Elmore]

WLH

 

[soulforger]

I only play humbuckers, and usually onees on the higher output side of things, but of things I have played in the past I'd probably have to say maybe a Burstbucker 1 or 2 or a PRS 57/08.

 

[Archer250]

EMG SA

 

[marcello252]

the WLHs here seem very appreciated , please remind me about them, I've seen the specs and the presentation but I'd like a more real users experience explained (I actually have a strong ear reference with APHs , '59s , Jazz , Seths for low output HB in case of comparation)

 

[GuitarStv]

Low wind strat pickups. I had some D. Allen pickups that were 5.7k in the neck and middle, with fully charged A5 rods . . . and I had trouble getting into them because they were too dynamic/articulate and bright for my tastes. Very scooped mids too.