Fender | Guitar Pickup Primer
Fender | Guitar Pickup Primer
When it comes to shopping for a Fender guitar, understanding the role of pickups is essential to finding the perfect sound for your music.
Fender offers a wide range of pickup styles, each designed to shape your tone in unique ways—from the bright, crisp clarity of single-coils to the powerful, noise-reducing humbuckers. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the different types of Fender pickups, their tonal characteristics, and what to consider when choosing the right one for your style.
Whether you're into blues, rock, or shimmering clean tones, this guide will help you make an informed decision when shopping for your next Fender guitar on our website.
Introduced in the early 1950s, they became iconic through their use in Stratocaster and Telecaster models, shaping the sounds of genres like rock, blues, and country.
Tonal Profile: Fender single-coil pickups are renowned for their bright, crisp tones and exceptional clarity.
Best For: Known for their articulate, cutting sound, single-coils excel at clean tones but also shine when overdriven, delivering a rich, dynamic response. Which is to say, they work incredibly well for almost any genre and style, save for maybe metal.
Why Choose Them: Their distinctive tonal qualities have influenced generations of guitarists, from players like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to modern players like Cory Wong and John Mayer, making Fender single-coils an enduring choice for players seeking vintage tone with modern versatility.
The sound of a Fender single-coil pickup is shaped by several key specifications, each contributing to the overall tonal characteristics:
1. Magnet Type: Fender single-coils often use Alnico magnets (Alnico II, III, V), which affect the output and tonal warmth. Alnico V magnets, for example, provide a stronger, brighter tone with more output, while Alnico II and III deliver a warmer, softer sound.
2. Wire Gauge and Winding: The type of wire and the number of turns in the winding influence both the pickup’s output and tonal balance. More windings generally produce a higher output, leading to a warmer, mid-heavy sound, while fewer windings result in a brighter tone with more high-end sparkle.
3. Pole Piece Staggering: The placement and height of the individual magnets (pole pieces) beneath each string can impact how each string's vibration is captured, contributing to tonal balance across the fretboard. Staggered pole pieces are typically designed to even out volume levels between strings.
4. Pickup Position: The location of the pickup (neck, middle, or bridge) has a huge impact on tone. The neck position produces warmer, fuller tones, while the bridge pickup gives a brighter, sharper sound with more bite.
5. Pickup Cover Material: Though subtle, the material and thickness of the pickup cover can affect the high-frequency response, sometimes slightly mellowing the tone.
Designed by Seth Lover, the inventor of the humbucker in 1955 (for Gibson, it should be noted), these pickups use CuNiFe (Copper, Nickel, and Iron) magnets, which give them a brighter and more open tone than traditional humbuckers.
Tonal Profile: Fender Wide Range pickups, introduced in the 1970s, are known for their unique blend of humbucker warmth and single-coil clarity.
Best For: The Wide Range pickups deliver a rich, full sound with pronounced lows and sparkling highs, making them ideal for rock, jazz, and alternative styles.
Why Choose Them: Their distinct voice has become a favorite among players seeking a versatile, dynamic sound, cementing their legacy in guitars like the Telecaster Deluxe and Thinline. If you like the clarity of a single coil but wish they had more body and output, a wide range-equipped guitar would be an excellent choice.
Fender Wide Range humbucker pickups have several unique specifications that contribute to their distinct sound, blending the warmth of traditional humbuckers with the clarity of single-coils:
1. CuNiFe Magnets: Unlike most humbuckers, which use Alnico or ceramic magnets, Wide Range pickups use CuNiFe (Copper, Nickel, and Iron) magnets. This gives them a brighter, more open sound with better clarity and note definition, especially in the high end.
2. Larger Coil Size: The coils in Wide Range pickups are physically larger than those in typical humbuckers. This contributes to a wider frequency response, giving these pickups a more balanced sound with pronounced lows, clear mids, and sparkling highs.
3. Higher Output: Due to their unique design and larger magnets, Wide Range pickups have a slightly higher output compared to standard Fender single-coils. This allows for a richer, fuller tone, capable of driving amplifiers harder, making them great for rock and jazz.
4. 6 Adjustable Pole Pieces: Each pickup features six threaded magnets per coil, allowing for precise adjustment of the output for each string. This gives players more control over their tonal balance, ensuring even response across all strings.
5. Wiring and Construction: The internal wiring and use of humbucker design (with two coils in phase) help reduce noise and hum while still retaining the bright, articulate qualities of a single-coil.
Introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster's wide, flat single-coil pickups set it apart from other Fender models by offering a broader frequency response with less high-end bite.
Tonal Profile: Fender Jazzmaster pickups are known for their warm, full-bodied tone and smooth clarity.
Best For: Their wider construction gives the pickups a rich, mellow sound that excels in clean settings (but can handle overdrive with warmth and depth) making them a favorite among surf, indie, and rock players.
Why Choose Them: Their unique design and tonal versatility have played a significant role in shaping the sound of alternative and experimental music, solidifying their place in guitar history. If you're into atypical overdriven tones and/or guitars that can double as excellent sound generators - think Sonic Youth - these pickups are an excellent choice.
Several key specifications impact their tone:
1. Wider Coil Design: Jazzmaster pickups have a flatter and wider coil design compared to Stratocaster or Telecaster pickups. This shape produces a warmer, fuller tone with less high-end sparkle, giving them a rich, smooth sound that retains clarity without being too sharp.
2. Magnet Type: Fender Jazzmaster pickups typically use Alnico magnets, often Alnico V, which provide a balanced output with a warm low-end and articulate high frequencies. The magnet choice influences the overall warmth and dynamics of the tone.
3. Pickup Position and Height: Jazzmaster pickups are mounted directly onto the guitar body, and their height above the strings plays a significant role in sound. A closer proximity to the strings results in more output and treble, while lower pickups offer a mellower, softer response.
4. Lower Winding Count: Jazzmaster pickups generally have fewer windings compared to other Fender single-coils, which helps maintain clarity and prevent the pickup from becoming overly hot. This contributes to their clean, open sound, especially at lower volumes.
5. Shielded Covers and Brass Plates: Jazzmaster pickups are covered by a metal shielding plate and brass grounding plate, which helps reduce noise and hum. This shielding slightly mellows the high-end response, adding to the warm, smooth tonal character.
Introduced in 1962, the Jaguar features shorter single-coil pickups with a bright, snappy response and built-in shielding to reduce noise.
Tonal Profile: Fender Jaguar pickups are celebrated for their sharp, biting tone and distinctive percussive quality.
Best For: These pickups are ideal for surf rock, punk, and alternative music.
Why Choose These: Over time, Jaguar pickups have become iconic for their role in defining the sound of underground and experimental genres, contributing to their lasting legacy in modern music. If you're into jangly pop - think Johnny Marr - or lofi indie rock overdriven tones, Jaguar pickups are an excellent alternative to the more familiar Strat and Tele single coils.
Several key specifications contribute to the unique sound of Fender Jaguar pickups, which are known for their bright, snappy tone:
1. Shorter Single-Coil Design: Jaguar pickups are smaller than typical Fender single-coils, which gives them a brighter and more focused sound. This compact design emphasizes higher frequencies, providing the sharp, cutting tone Jaguars are known for.
2. Claw Surrounds: The metal "claws" that surround the Jaguar pickups serve to focus the magnetic field and reduce noise. They also increase the overall brightness and clarity, giving the pickups a more defined, percussive response.
3. Magnet Type: Jaguar pickups typically use Alnico V magnets, which produce a strong, punchy output. Alnico V magnets contribute to the pickup's bright, articulate sound while maintaining a balanced response across the frequency range.
4. Shielding and Wiring: Jaguars feature extensive shielding and grounding, reducing hum and noise. This contributes to a cleaner, clearer signal, even at higher volumes or in noisy environments, helping maintain the pickups' bright, articulate sound.