12 Types of Electric Guitar Pickups – Full Guide

Pros

• Bright sound with a rhythmic jangle
• Very clear sound

Cons

• Susceptible to electromagnetic interference called “60Hz hum.” Aka. hum

Brands Using Normal Single-Coil Pickups

• Fender
• Squier
• Paul Reed Smith
• Sire Larry Carlton
• Ibanez
• Yamaha

Notable Normal Single-Coil Models

• Fender Texas Special
• Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound
• Mojo Tone ‘58
• DiMarzio Area 58

Genres for Single-Coils

• Blues
• Rock (especially 1970s)
• Jazz
• Country

Famous Players Using Single-Coils

• Jimi Hendrix
• Stevie Ray Vaughn
• Eric Clapton
• Yvette Young
• John Mayer
• Josh Smith
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Nick Johnston
• Brian May

Humbucker Pickup

Humbucker pickups are double-coil pickups. They were essentially designed to eliminate the hum and noise that plagued single-coil pickups in the early days. They are made by wiring one coil around magnets with their North polarity pointing up to a second coil wound around magnets with their South polarity pointing up. 

This out-of-phase wiring greatly reduces noise and contributes to a much thicker sound. 

Pros

• Much less noisy than single coils
• Warm, full sound works great for many types of music.

Cons

• Lack the “bite” of single coil pickups.

Here is a video of Kirk Hammett playing EMG humbuckers live:

Here is a video of BB King playing some blues through his Gibson humbuckers:

Brands Using Humbucker Pickups

• Gibson
• Fender
• Ibanez
• Jackson
• PRS
• Schecter
• ESP
• Strandberg

Find cream of the crop electric guitars with humbucker pickups here.

Notable Normal Humbucker Models

• Seymour Duncan JB model
• Seymour Duncan Invader
• DiMarzio Evolution
• Gibson Dirty Fingers
• EMG HZ H4/H4A

Genres for Humbuckers

• Metal
• Rock
• Blues
• Jazz 

Famous Players Using Humbuckers

• BB King
• George Benson
• Eddie Van Halen
• Steve Vai
• Joe Satriani
• Albert King
• Kirk Hammett
• Dimebag Darrell

Humbucker vs Single Coil pickup, check our deep dive on what works for you.

What about P90s vs Humbuckers? What is best for your tone?

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P90 Pickup

P90 pickups are single-coil pickups. They were first designed in 1946 by Gibson and were the pickups found in the first Les Paul models. They are larger than the Fender designs in terms of width but are actually shorter. The windings are closer to the individual pole pieces giving them a different tone. 

Check a head to head comparison of P90 vs humbucker pickups here.

Pros

• Brighter than a humbucker but not as snappy as a regular single-coil
• Great treble response without excessive brightness
• Middle-ground between normal single coil and humbucker

Cons

• Still susceptible to 60 Hz hum and feedback

Brands Using P90s Pickups

• Gibson
• Epiphone
• Gretsch
• Fender
• Guild
• D’Angelico

Find our picks for the best guitars with P90s here.

Notable P90 Models

• Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90
• Seymour Duncan Hot P90
• Gibson P90

Genres for P90s

• Rock (1960s and 1970s)
• Punk Rock
• Country
• Older metal (Black Sabbath for example)

Famous Players Using P90s

• Johnny Thunders
• Pete Townsend
• Carlos Santana
• Billie Joe Armstrong
• Steve Jones
• Mick Jones

Mini Humbucker Pickup

The mini-humbucker pickup was invented by Epiphone. It is similar to the Gibson PAF humbucker but is narrower. The mini-humbucker design was acquired by Gibson when they bought Epiphone in the late 1950s. They use a single bar magnet under the coils.

How Do Mini Humbucker Pickups Sound?

Like the P90, the mini humbucker fits right in between a regular single coil and a humbucker. However, they tend to be a bit brighter than a P90 and take on more of a single-coil sound. 

Pros

• Bright tone with a rounder high end
• Noise-canceling

Cons

• Can be a bit too bright if you’re a fan of full-sized humbuckers.

Brands Using Mini Humbucker Pickups

• Gibson
• Epiphone
• Ibanez

Notable Mini Humbucker Models

• Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Mini-humbuckers
• Gibson Original Mini humbuckers
• DiMarzio PG-13 Mini-humbuckers

Genres for Mini Humbuckers

• Rock
• Jazz

Famous Players Using Mini Humbuckers

• Pete Townsend
• Scott Gorham
• Paul Gilbert
• Neil Young
• George Benson

Firebird Humbucker Pickup

The Gibson Firebird pickup is a mini humbucker with a major design change. Regular mini humbuckers use a single bar magnet under the coils along with screws on one side and a blade slug on the other side. 

Firebird pickups use two blade-shaped Alnico (Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt) magnets instead of slugs or screws. This makes them sound completely different than regular mini-humbuckers.

Pros

• Noise-canceling
• Offers single-coil-like tones without the hum

Cons

• Sounds thin compared to regular humbuckers.

Brands Using Firebird Humbucker Pickups

• Gibson 
• Epiphone

Notable Firebird Humbucker Models

• Gibson Firebird pickups

Genres for Firebird Humbuckers

• Rock
• Blues

Famous Players Using Firebird Humbuckers

• Johnny Winter
• Eric Clapton
• Tom Petty
• Paul Stanley

Active Pickup

Active pickups can be single-coils or humbuckers. They are different from passive pickups in the sense that they require an external source of power in the form of a 9-volt battery. Essentially, active pickups are simply very low-output passive pickups with a preamp circuit built in to boost the volume. They allow a higher output without boosting noise. 

Pros

• Great note articulation at high volume/high gain
• Great for boosting volume without boosting noise.

Cons

• Weak and easily distorting cleans.
• Not as versatile as passive pickups
• Might sound too compressed for some players

Brands Using Active Pickups

• Ibanez
• ESP
• Fender
• Epiphone
• Gibson
• Schecter
• Jackson

Find cream of the crop electric guitars with active pickups here.

Notable Active Pickup Models

• EMG 81/85
• Seymour Duncan Blackouts
• EMG 707X

Genres for Active Pickups

• Metal
• Hard Rock

Famous Players Using Active Pickups

• James Hetfield
• Kirk Hammett
• Kerry King
• Jeff Loomis
• Gary Holt

Fishman Fluence Pickup

Fishman has been a name that most relate to acoustic guitar pickups. They do make some of the best acoustic pickups on the market. However, they reimagined the electric guitar pickup in 2013 when they introduced the world to their Fluence line of pickups.

Instead of using coils as traditional pickups do, Fishman Fluence pickups use two multilayer circuit boards which they refer to as the “Fluence Core”. This design makes them completely noise and interference-free while providing crisp sound and extreme versatility. 

Pros

• Can give you a ton of different tones in one guitar (voicings).
• Completely noise and interference-free

Cons

• Not the most visually appealing pickups out there (subjective)

Brands Using Fishman Fluence Pickups

• Epiphone
• ESP
• Ibanez
• Dean
• Schecter

Find cream of the crop electric guitars with Fishman Fluence pickups here.

Notable Fishman Fluence Models

• Fishman Fluence Classic
• Fishman Fluence Modern

Genres for Fishman Fluence Pickups

• Metal
• Rock
• Jazz
• Blues
• Country

Famous Players Using Fishman Fluence Pickups

• Greg Koch
• Will Adler
• Stephen Carpenter
• Matt Heafy
• Tosin Abasi
• Tim Henson

Lipstick Pickup

What might seem like just a funny name is actually based on truth!? The first lipstick pickups were designed by Danelectro in the early 1950s, and yes, they were made from real lipstick tubes. A simple single coil was placed inside of them and the rest is history. 

Pros

• More bass than regular single coils
• Sound amazing on baritone guitars.

Cons

• Susceptible to hum and noise.

Brands Using Lipstick Pickups

• Danelectro
• Silvertone
• Harley Benton
• Fender

Find cream of the crop electric guitars with Lipstick pickups here.

Notable Lipstick Pickup Models

• Seymour Duncan SLS 1B/1N
• Danelectro models

Genres for Lipstick Pickups

• Surf rock
• Country
• Blues
• Classic rock

Famous Players Using Lipstick Pickups

• Mike Henderson
• Mark Knopfler

Noiseless Single-Coil Pickup

When you look at a noiseless single-coil pickup, they appear to be the same as regular single-coil pickups on the outside. However, they are actually two separate coils stacked on top of each other. One is wound forward while the other is wound in reverse. This cancels out the 60-cycle hum that plagues regular single-coil pickups. 

Pros

• Most noise is eliminated. 
• Newer models sound spot on with regular single-coils

Cons

• Older models sound thin and brittle

Brands Using Normal Noiseless Single-Coil Pickups

• Fender 

Notable Noiseless Single-Coil Models

• Fender Vintage Noiseless
• Fender Gen 4
• Fender Ultra Noiseless
• Fender Hot Noiseless

Genres for Noiseless Single-Coil

• Blues
• Rock
• Country
• Jazz
• Funk

Famous Players Using Noiseless Single-Coil

• Eric Clapton
• Mark Knopfler
• Jeff Beck

Jazzmaster Single-Coil Pickup

The Fender Jazzmaster employs the use of wide single coils that many might spot as P90s. However, it is important to remember that the P90s were invented by Gibson. Fender’s design uses magnets as the pole pieces instead of placing a magnet under the poles like P90 pickups. They are also wound flatter and wider than a P90. 

Pros

• Warmer, thicker sound than regular single-coils

Cons

• Susceptible to noise 

Brands Using Jazzmaster Pickups

• Fender
• Squier

Genres for Jazzmaster Single-Coil 

• Alternative rock
• Classic rock
• Jazz
• Country
• Blues

Famous Players Using Jazzmaster Single-Coil 

• J Mascis
• Troy Van Leeuwen
• Thurston Moore
• Elvis Costello
• Ric Ocasek

Hot Rail Pickup

Have you ever wanted to put a humbucker in a single coil slot? You need to get a Hot Rail pickup! The name “Hot Rail” was coined by the pickup’s inventor, Seymour Duncan. It gets its name because of the twin rails that it uses instead of pole pieces. 

Pros

• Fits in a single-coil spot without modification.
• Big sound for a little pickup

Cons

• Doesn’t quite nail a true humbucker tone, but it is close enough

Brands Using Hot Rail Pickups

• Fender
• ESP

Notable Hot Rail Pickup Models

• Seymour Duncan SHR-1
• Seymour Duncan STHR-1

Genres for Hot Rails

• Rock
• Hard Rock
• Metal
• Blues
• Jazz

Famous Players Using Hot Rails

• Janick Gers
• Dave Murray

Sustainer Pickup

The sustainer pickup is a little different than your average pickup.

Ok. It’s actually a lot different. 

It is more of a system than just a pickup. It uses a pickup (either a humbucker or single coil) as a “driver” and small circuit boards which mount inside the guitar. It is controlled by switches. The sustainer pickup provides you with endless sustain when engaged (well, as long as the battery will last). 

Lead players will love sustainer pickups!

Pros

• Comes in single-coil or humbucker sizes.
• Sustain really is endless.

Cons

• Not very useful unless you’re a lead player

Brands Using Sustainer Pickups

• Schecter
• Jackson
• Ibanez

Find cream of the crop electric guitars with Sustainiac pickups here.

Genres for Sustainer

• Metal
• Progressive Rock
• Progressive Metal

Famous Players Using Sustainer 

• Steve Vai
• Joe Satriani
• Phil Collen

Different Types Of Electric Guitar Pickup Magnets

• Alnico III – Weakest of all Alnico magnets. Clear, warm, full mids, soft highs
• Alnico II – Loose lows, enhanced mids, sweet highs
• Alnico IV – Between a V and II in magnetism, tighter than Alnico II on lows, more mids than an Alnico II, sweeter highs than Alnico V
• Alnico V – Tight lows, cutting mids, and glassy highs.
• Alnico VIII – Loudest, strongest Alnico magnet with smooth mids and treble response
• Ceramic – Bright with enhanced upper mids, punchy bass, aggressive harmonics, and compressed dynamics.

List of Electric Guitar Pickup Brands

• Seymour Duncan – Single coils, humbuckers, P90, Active, Jazzmaster, Lipstick, Hot Rails, Noiseless Single coils, mini-humbuckers
• DiMarzio – single coils, humbuckers, mini humbuckers
• Gibson – P90, Firebird, humbuckers, mini-humbuckers
• Fender – Single coils, noiseless single coils, Jazzmaster, humbucker
• Sustainiac – sustain pickups.
• EMG – Active, humbuckers, single coils
• Fishman – Fluence pickups

How To Choose The Right Type Of Electric Guitar Pickup for You?

It depends on what type of tone you’re shooting for.

• For example, if you like a heavy tone with a lot of distortion for metal, then you’ll probably want to go with a humbucker setup or even an active humbucker setup. 
• If you’re wanting a bluesy tone similar to that of Stevie Ray Vaughan, you’ll want to go with a set of regular single coils or noiseless single coils (Texas Specials are the pickups that he used specifically). 

I suggest that you research some of your favorite artists on YouTube to see what they are using. This will help you pinpoint which setup you’ll want to go with. 

In addition, you may look at what your guitar has already. If it is equipped with humbuckers, then you’ll want to stick with a humbucker-sized pickup set (if you are happy with your tone). You can achieve a single-coil tone by wiring them up for coil split (more on that later). If your guitar is set up for single coils, then you can achieve a humbucker tone by using a rail-type (Hot Rails) humbucker. 

The options are nearly endless when it comes to creating your tone. Experimenting is part of the fun!

You find our full acoustic guitar pickup types article here.

FAQ

Find top-notch guitars with coil split here.

Conclusion

This was the most exhaustive article that I have written so far (thanks, Teemu), but that is because there are so many options available for guitar pickups. This article is just a primer – we didn’t even get into wiring which is a completely different topic altogether! 

Pickups come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Each pickup can produce its own palette of tones, and combining pickups can introduce another palette of tones. It is easy to see where this can be overwhelming.

One thing that helped me find my favorite pickups (EMG-HZ H4/H4A humbuckers and EMG-HZ S4 single-coils) was listening to my favorite artists and figuring out what type of tone I really wanted to achieve. I experimented with a ton of pickups before finding the set that I like the best. They work with my playing style as well as my amplifier to achieve the tone I want. 

If you do this, you’ll be well on your way to finding your tone. Good luck, and happy picking from all of us here at guitaristnextdoor.com!