Pickup Properties #
- Dimension and product group – see chapter Puckup Routing
- Wiring: 1, 2, 3 or 4-Conductor (4-Conductor allowing most flexible wiring)*
- Position: Bridge, Neck, Middle
- Symmetrical vs asymmetrical connection type
- Output: low(vintage), medium, high (vintage used often for jazz and blues)
- Passive vs. Active (Active often used for distortion sound)
- D.C. Resistance: indication how much output a pickup will have
- E.Q. chat: A general idea as to the Bass, Mids and Treble.
seymourduncan.com – pickup selector
dimarzio.com – pickup picker
Classic humbuckers are asymmetrical. They are internally wired in series (i.e. serial – brings more power) in opposite phase (less noise). The current multi-Conductor PUs offer the option of switching the coils differently using push / pull pots, mini switches, toggles, mega switches and rotary switches, and allow broad control over the sound directly on the guitar.
| Conductors | Connection Type | Coil Split | Seriell/Parallel | Phase Switch | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | Asymmetrical | Humbucker Mode | Seriell | No | Shadow AZ48 |
| 2x | Symmetrical | Humbucker Mode | Seriell | Yes | Fender Wide Range (Mexico) |
| 2x | Asymmetrical | Humbucker & Single Coil Mode | Seriell | No | Benedetto B6 |
| 3x | Symmetrical | Humbucker & Single Coil Mode | Seriell | Yes | viele aktive PUs |
| 3x | Asymmetrical | Humbucker & Single Coil Mode | Seriell and Parallel | No | PRS 59 |
| 4x | Symmetrical | Humbucker & Single Coil Mode | Seriell and Parallel | Yes | all 4-Conductor PUs |
