Single Coils or Humbuckers: Why Do You Play What You Play?

[Pastasauce]

My main guitar is a Gibson SG special faded with seymour duncans. It's nice. I like it.

But for some reason, last night I felt inspired to pull out our old MIM Strat, oil the fretboard, restring it, and have a play. Maybe it's because I've been listening to Pink Floyd lately.

Anyway, I had a good play with it, and the lead tone really struck me... Just a lot smoother and fuller than my SG.

But then I went back to the SG for a bit and realised... I really am a humbuckers guy. When it comes to rhythm, the Strat felt like painting with a broom. The SG felt like a fountain pen. Just so much more "snap", so much more precise. And of course palm muting (just in general - I don't really play metal) gives such a nice, tight thump.

It made me realise, this is why I am a humbuckers guy. Maybe it's the music I grew up listening to or whatever, but it's in my blood.

So it got me thinking, why do we play guitars with the pickups we do? Am I just over thinking it? Or do you have a defined preference?

[GrantB]

I've thought about this for most of tonight and I think you are over thinking it.

BUT, being someone who feels more at home with P90's, Filtertrons or humbuckers It's true we all have our preferences. It's natural. It's aural. It's sometimes anal. But most of the time it's just a comfy good feeling that those noise we hear sound right - to us.

[Kloppsta]

i have a mixture of guitars with single coils and humbuckers and i could never settle for just one or the other. using your analogy, why "paint" with one color?

[hamo]

I play humbuckers because singles in a Les Paul would look funny?

Seriously though, hummies have just been in the guitars that I've owned, and I tend to play with a lot of gain too.

[GrantB]

i have a mixture of guitars with single coils and humbuckers and i could never settle for just one or the other. using your analogy, why "paint" with one color?

I'm working on achieving this...

[Kloppsta]

i have a mixture of guitars with single coils and humbuckers and i could never settle for just one or the other. using your analogy, why "paint" with one color?

I'm working on achieving this...

you have some guitars with P90's already dont you? i could be wrong, but they are "technically" single coils arent they? if so, you are well on your way to having a full palette!

[GrantB]

Yes indeed, a pile of P90's - I also have a Telecaster and a Strat but I guess I was thinking in terms of being regular first choices for sonic exploration. Currently the Strat = U2, the Tele country twang and raucousness. So ironic that I disliked humbuckers for so long.

[mr_sooty]

I like all sorts of pickups, but the main thing for me it's having a good balance of sustain and bite. I used to be primarily singles, but I love the mini hummies in my reverend. I love p90s but I've never owned a guitar with them. I like singles as long as they're fat sounding ones, not too thin, and I like buckers as long as they're bright ones that aren't too muddy. I don't like the lack of bottom end detail with a lot of buckers. Mini buckers and p90s seem to be the most balanced pickups to me.

[Zaulkin]

Couldn't live without both HH and HSS!

[jeremyb]

There's a single coil in the middle position on my RG, but I don't think I've ever used it, just a humbucker guy I guess

[Bg]

I like all pickups, including hex.

[Pastasauce]

There's a single coil in the middle position on my RG, but I don't think I've ever used it, just a humbucker guy I guess

THAT I can understand. All sounds the same through an HD.

[The Scarecrow]

I've jumped between single coiled Telecasters in indie/pop bands and humbuckered SG's/Explorers in heavier groups. My three main guitars (SG, Explorer, Thinline tele) are all coil tapped because I like the idea of being able to play anything on any of them in both my covers and originals band.

Personally, I love the sound of neck single coils, and bridge humbuckers if I had to pick a particular combo. But it all comes down to other factors for me, like which of my amps I'm using, or what suits the song more to my ears.

I did at one stage, own a guitar with a single bridge humbucker. I was quite surprised to find this guitar did pretty much everything with a bit of volume/tone/gain tweaking.

[willow13]

I have never owned a guitar with a single coil in the bridge so have zero idea if it useable for me or not....but I love the sound of a neck single coil and use one often. I also love the sound of a neck humbucker so am easy either way really



I too have never found the use for a middle pick up....any time I have tried to use it it tends to sound to harsh for me

[Basket Case]

I don't think Jesus cares what type of pickup you use, so long as you have a dotted 8th delay on it.