Alex Marucci Guitar Repair

Out of all the different pickup options and configurations available today, how does one choose which one to go with? Use this free guide to help you select the right pickip configuration for you!

So how does one choose which pickups to buy? First off, have an idea of what type of sound you would like to achieve. What style of music do you play? Is it Metal? Jazz? Fusion/Progressive? This is important to note because each style of music typically requires different sound qualities or tone. So for example, if you play Classic Rock you may want a pickup with a nice warm midrange and a medium-high output, like a P.A.F. humbucker found in old Les Pauls. You may find yourself in a situation which requires you to have more than one type of sound at your fingertips. In this case, you may want to install multiple pickups on your guitar (if you don't have them already) and/or wire up a mod to your existing configuration. Wiring modifications or 'mods' allow you to add many useful features to your guitar that may benefit your style of playing. There are almost too many mods to count but some of the more popular include: phase switches, kill switches, coil taps, and series/parallel wiring just to name a few.

So, once you've determined what style of music you will be playing and what sound you want to achieve from your current guitar (assuming you have the proper amp, effects, playing ability) you can now select the proper pickup for the job. There are many good pickup manufacturers out there who specialize in different pickups for different styles of music. DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, and EMG are just a few of the bigger companies that produce a wide array of pickup options for today's players. Most of their websites have information on the sound and tonal qualities of their pickups so it is easy to find one that is right for you. If possible, before purchasing a new pickup, go to your local music store or find a friend with the pickup(s) you want and try it out. You'll have to take in account their current setup, quality of the installation, and other concerns, but at least you can get an idea of what it will sound like.

In the next article, I will explain the technical data behind a pickup's sound and go more in depth about making the right choice when choosing this very important part of your guitar.

If you have any questions/concerns/comments, email me or send me a message on Facebook and I will be glad to help you.