Confused about whether to use a single coil or a humbucker for rock? Or perhaps you already own a single coil guitar but desire a rocky, heavier, or thicker sound? Or what if you’re not sure whether the type of pickup a single coil, a humbucker, or a P90 is better for rock? I’ll let you know what!
You should use humbuckers for rock if you want a louder, heavier tone. They produce a warmer, deeper sound in the end, which is ideal for heavier tones; (meaning tones drenched in distortion). The humbucker pickups are your best option if you want to play metal, use a lot of distortion, and want a “big” sound.
Let’s start by going over the answer to this question in detail and more in this post. Stay with me!
Also Read: 3 vs 2 Humbuckers: Why, What Do They Do & Which Is Better?
Are Humbuckers Good for Rock?
Humbuckers are very good for guitarists who play Hard Rock, Jazz, and Heavy Metal; they have long been a popular choice for metal players for good reason.
Comparing humbuckers to single coils with twice as many pickups, humbuckers have a more naturally beefy, dark, and thick sound. Remember, a tone will sound fuller with more pickups.
Players may get a broad bottom-end sound with this tone, which is perfect for chugging and playing down-tuned notes favorable to modern metal genres.
For this reason, the majority of the guitars suggested to beginning players who are interested in playing rock and metal feature humbucker pickups, which are just ideal for the above musical genres.
Which Pickup Is Good For Rock?
The best pickups for rock are humbuckers because there are twice as many coils and specifically bridge pickup as settings because the bridge pickup is best for heavier styles of music such as rock and metal
Now let’s contrast three different pickup styles to discover which is best for rock and why.
1. Single Coil
They are extremely common and provide wonderful pickup
Single coil pickups are extremely common and they provide a wonderful, bright tone that lends itself perfectly to everything from pop music to rock music, like Jimi Hendrix and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, to surf rock (the Beach Boys), for example.
Although single coil pickups can be a great choice for rock, they are not the most perfect for rock- especially if you have lots of distortion. This is why you don’t see many “metal” bands utilizing them.
Below are four key factors that make single coils being a less ideal choice for rock;
- The lack of bass response with single coil pickups.
- When you turn up the gain, you experience a humming background noise issue that makes it difficult to create rock sounds.
- Typically, single-coil pickups are passive rather than active.
- Single coils produce an unbalanced, bright tone.
2. Humbucker
Humbucker is the most greatest and suggested pickup for the rock
Humbucker is the greatest and most suggested pickup for rock – they are essentially two single-coil pickups working together in unison to produce louder and heavier sounds.
In general, humbuckers are preferable for overdriven tones because they provide a fuller sound than single coils and are made to minimize hum and interference.
Their final product has a warmer, deeper sound that is ideal for heavier tones (meaning tones drenched in distortion). This is why a lot of musicians, including Josh Homme and Melvin’s, use humbucker pickups in their guitars.
A guitar with humbucker pickups is going to be much better for you if you want to play metal, utilize a lot of distortion, and want the biggest sound and output possible.
Although single-coil pickups are excellent and have been used by legends for decades, humbuckers are simply more suitable for metal musicians.
Because of this, when Jim Root created his special Fender Telecaster, he did away with the single coil pickups and replaced them with humbuckers.
3. P90
This is a single coil electric guitar pickup with a wider design and a different magnet disposition
P90 pickups do have a place in the metal scene, although they are not often used. A guitar with P90 pickups might still do the trick if you want to play blues and rock.
And many gloom bands have employed P90 pickups to produce powerful tones with a lot of feedback.
The P90 pickups are the final choice among the major pickup manufacturers. They are a kind of happy medium that falls between a single coil pickup and a humbucker.
P90 pickups offer higher output than single coil pickups, but they don’t have the same level of raw power as humbuckers. P90 pickups produce a “fatter” sound than single coil pickups in terms of tone, although humbucker-style pickups still outperform P90s in terms of overall output and depth of tone.
Therefore, the P90 seems to be the next in line following humbuckers for the rock genre, with the single coil being the least desirable.
What Is a Humbucker Pickup Used For?
In particular, humbucking pickups excel at the following two tasks: reducing outside noise in contrast to the bright, snappy sound of many single-coil pickups; and producing a big, powerful, and warm sound.
Humbuckers are excellent for heavier genres like metal, hard rock, and classic rock, and they can even give blues some Raunch and toughness.
Humbuckers are also excellent for jazz, especially when used at the neck position on a large hollow-body guitar, because of their softer, smoother tone.
Also Read: Muddy Humbuckers: 5 Tips To Make Humbuckers Sound Clear!
Recommended Pickups For Rock
1. Pearly Gates Humbucker Set
This Pearly Gates humbucker pickup replicates the original neck pickup from Billy Gibbons’ 1959 Les Paul. It is a PAF with a distinctive tonal signature that is more midrange-focused than the standard humbuckers of the era.
As a result, the neck pickup still has the open and airy treble attack of the alnico 2 bar magnet, but it cuts through with a more tuned middle.
Even better, they were wound using Seymour’s original Leesona winding machine from the Kalamazoo, Michigan, early Gibson plant. The first PAF passive pickups, which are regarded as the best in rock history, were created on this winding machine.
You can understand why the Pearly Gates Set made this list of the best vintage rock pickups when you consider the voice of those PAF humbuckers and the indisputable ZZ Top tone.
Features & Details:
- Billy’s bridge pickup, which Seymour discovered had a little bit more output than other PAFs and contributed to giving it the extra drive that makes this pickup so remarkable.
- The Pearly Gates humbuckers in this tuned combination deliver plenty of concentrated midrange attitude and raw Texas sizzle.
- Any Les Paul-style guitar may be transformed into a classic rock outlaw with the country-fried Pearly Gates Set.
2. Whole Lotta Humbucker
The Whole Lota Humbucker pickups‘ ability to drive your amp while adding a very slight natural compression and sustain to your sound sets them apart acoustically.
They are handcrafted in Santa Barbara, California, and feature a rough cast alnico 5 bar magnet, nickel silver bottom plate, 4-conductor lead wire for flexible wiring, and wax potting for noiseless operation.
This pickup captures a player’s vintage rock tone and has a hotter output than most pickups from that time. You can credit these classic rock pickups if you enjoy the sound of the “Hammer of the Gods.”
Seymour worked in London for Fender Sound House before starting his own company. When The Yard Birds were at their peak, Seymour made friends with some of his favorite players and rewound pickups for them as needed.
Due to Seymour’s thorough record keeping, one of these unique rewind formulations went to a very particular player and is still in use today.
Features & Details
- Seymour’s early 70s London PAF rewind recipe that graced the guitars of some of the most important British artists of the time
- 4-conductor cable for custom wiring
- Rocking PAF tones
FAQs
Q: Can a single coil play rock?
Single coils can play rock but are not suggested for hard rock or metal tones. This is because they have a bright, snappy sound that works well with clean, low-gain tones but becomes extremely prone to feedback when used with higher-gain tones as they pick up more electromagnetic interference.
This explains why players who are accustomed to lighter sounding genres like blues, country, jazz, pop, and many others like single coils.
When using single coils for metal, use your amp’s EQ to increase the bass and decrease the treble and use the neck pickup. Purchasing a distortion or noise-gate pedal can also be worthwhile.
Q: Why are humbuckers used in rock?
Humbuckers are used in rock because they offer additional sensitivity and output for rock musicians, which makes them ideal for overdriven and distorted tones.
They were designed to more readily push a tube amp to that special “break up” since they have a higher output.
Rock musicians utilize humbuckers because they produce a richer tone than single coils. A guitar with a set of humbuckers will almost probably sound better to your ear than one with single coil pickups if you want to tune your guitar down, run distortion, and get a thick, hefty tone.
Humbucker pickups are typically used by metal guitarists to give their instruments that rich, warm, and beefy tone that sounds fantastic when the gain is cranked up. No wonder 98% of metal bands on the planet stick to it.
