Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

[Simon_F]

This has probably been done before, but anyway...

I know lots of us play both single coils and humbuckers, or have guitars that feature both, but if you HAVE to choose between one or the other which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

I enjoy single coils from time to time, but humbuckers are home for me :burnout:

Hmmmmm..... someone's gonna say P90s, reckon those be single coils :scratchch

 

[theodie]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Buckers!!!!!!

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Humbuckers for me.. I've always had them.. at least one. Kind of hard to give up on them. I did just listen to Ritchie Blackmore, though..I really should buy s/s/s strat some day, but I can only fit 2 guitars in this year's budget..

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Since i am a fan of high but not insane amounts of distortion, i feel that humbuckers are the end all. The higher output without sacrificing tonal range is why they seem better to me.

 

[BS123]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

I grew up with humbuckers. As a young player, I hated Strats and their "thin" tone. Then I got my first Tele. I then realized what single coils were about. A great player can do anything with anything... It doesn't matter what they use. I however, like single coils better now because of their hollowness and punch. I can back them down with the volume or tone controls or my right hand technique and give them a little more humbucker-type warmth. Yes, I like mini-humbuckers in the neck position of my Teles; but to me, nothing sounds like a good Strat pickup in the neck position...

 

[Artie]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

If I absolutely had to pick one or the other, I'd have to go with 'buckers. You can always split a 'bucker . . . You can't wire a single into a double. :laugh2:

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

If I absolutely had to pick one or the other, I'd have to go with 'buckers. You can always split a 'bucker . . .

That's cheating! :nono:

 

[aleclee]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Definitely humbuckers. I have a Squier Strat for those very rare occasions where I want single coil tones. All my other guitars have dual humbuckers (and trems).

 

[daveyboy37]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Each have their uses... but I definitely like humbuckers more. I like playing with a lot of overdrive and you just can't get that fat sound from a single coil.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

One of the things that drew me away from buckers at one time was feeling that they lacked brightness and they sounded dull when you turned the volume down. That was before I discovered 500k audio taper pots. With 500k audio pots and good caps you can set your amp tone so it's bright enough for the neck humbucker to sing clearly, then adjust your bridge tone down so the bridge bucker doesn't sound too bright. Great balance for rock and blues playing, and you've still got some top end bite in hand on the bridge pickup if you need it. Green Onions

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

i have both and lately i have been playing my antiquity humbucker loaded guitar more, but i voted for the singles cause i know i will go back to my teles and soon p90s, that is where my sound is.

 

[Artie]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

That's cheating!

Heh - heh . . . ok, to stay within the spirit of the poll, definitely humbuckers.

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Humbuckers, mainly because of their versatilly nowadays (splittable like ArtieToo mentioned earlier). My dream sound has always been warm responsive clean ups with a thick wall of harmonically rich distortion, attack and punch, which to me is a medium-hot output humbucker (like the JB) all the way

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Humbuckers. Single coil pickups are like effects to me, almost a novelty item. If I pick up a Strat w/o 'buckers, all I do is play "Funk 49"

 

[jimmy]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

I can't choose because I think they both have their strength.
I love the sound of single coils on a strat; I think they have such a great twang, and just kill for leads.
Humbuckers, on the other hand, just give you a thick, chrunchy, warm tone that single coils don't really have to my ears.

so i can't really choose.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

i guess its all about what kind of music you play. classic rock with clean tones and just a little overdrive, maybe id pick single coils. Playing lead on classic rock, as long as its not real fast insane style, id go for singles. Blues? singles on a solid body but buckers on a semi-hollow. Punk rock? humbuckers. Metal? Buckers. Its all about what kind of music you play.

 

[NT02]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

I like the in-between neck and mid pickups on a strat-like guitar for finger picking and clean rhythm, neck single coil for bluesy leads, and humbucker for rock to metal. If I have to choose one, it's humbucker all the way. My antiquity neck humbucker in the Les Paul does quite well for those things I like single coils for.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Man I would hate to have to make that choice... but in the end I would have to say humbuckers as i can get more personalities out of humbuckers than i can singles...

 

[Armotron]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Single Coils definetely. I love the 4th position sounds for twangy poppy quacky cleans, and then the middle or neck for solos. Im not to keen on bridge single coils tho, but they're good for a certain sound.

 

[Jag513]

Re: Which do you prefer - single coils or humbuckers?

Humbuckers for me. I like the added versatility, and 'buckers just sound nicer to my ears.