Originally Posted by Ronkirn
Didja know. . . a pickup, any pickup, should have no sound of it’s on…. Note the “Should”.
If all pickups were “made as well as they could be” in theory the output from any of them would be a “flat line” across the audio spectrum, thus contributing nothing to the sonic characteristics of the composite of the guitar. You would hear the sonic signature of the guitar devoid of any manipulation from the anomalies of the pickup.
That’s if it were possible to make the perfect pickup.
Therefore when any pickup displays a characteristic “tone”, what you are hearing are the “imperfections” across its audio spectrum.
If a pickup is “twangy” it typically will show a “peak” at certain frequency bands in the upper end. Say, around 2000 Hz (for sake of discussion). On that sounds like “cats fighting” may have those “peaks” at higher or slightly different higher frequencies.
Pickups with a “darker tone” will display peaks at more midrange frequencies, say, again for sake of discussion 800 Hz. With pickups that are more articulate just better able to “resolve” the harmonics, when compared to those that tend “blur” those same harmonics.
And it goes on and on… with each transducer (correct name for the class of instrument called guitar pickups) displaying a characteristic line across the audio spectrum ranging from 20 Hz to 20 KHz. It will be as “wiggly” as a mountain range, even in the best of circumstances.. but….
Lets say your guitar, is particularly resonant at say… 2000 Hz, and you have a “Twangy” pickup that “spikes” at 2000 Hz, the two working together will create a very large peak at that range and the resulting sound may be very, very grating,.. Oh unless the room, or the amp show a “valley” at 2000hz. But, what if you hearing is diminished at 2000 Hz…. You won’t hear it, but your “buddy” that has hearing particularly sensitive at 2000 Hz will be “tearing up” because the spike is so piercing to him.
What I’m saying is everything works in concert to produce a specific sound. There are NO perfect pickups.
Some of the audio anomalies recognized as characteristic of specific pickups may sound “good” . . . to SOME… and hideous to others. That does not make them good, or bad, except to the guy that owns ‘em or those that have to hear ‘em.
Achieving a “perfect” pickup requires the quantum application of applied physics. There is only one pickup manufacturer that does so that I know of. That is works out the end “sound” on paper (or computer) before ever poking a magnet through a bobbin, and … funny thing is, whatever pickup you’re playing, he almost certainly is responsible for initiating its design.
Now, credit, where credit is due…. Since there is no perfect pickup, there is only the pickups YOU like. Believe me, the audience couldn’t “give a sh**” about the pickups you choose, it’s only important to you, thus there are many pickup makers that make pickups with many sounds when analyzed on audio spectrum analyzers, and all will deliver a substantial and complete voltage to the amp. That’s all they are supposed to do.
This is why I don’t argue with people when they suggest a certain pickup, and I don’t make recommendations unless such is requested.
Anyone suggesting that their pickups sound better than some other make is possibly just ignorant of exactly what happens when you wind wire around a magnet, and wiggle a ferrous wire in the magnetic field.
Any good quality pickup is only going to sound as good as you are on the guitar. No one ever went instantly from rank amateur to guitar virtuoso in the half hour it would take to change the pickups…. So once again….. It ain’t the gear; it’s never going to be the gear. It’s the 6 inches of grey matter between your ears. Get that in shape and all the discussion about “good tone” fades to insignificance.
Ron Kirn
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