How to Pickup a Good Bass Guitar Pickups
Bass guitar pickups are devices that are primarily used for the purpose of trapping vibrations that are made by guitar strings. The vibrations are captured and these get changed into electronic signals that can be recorded and amplified. So how does the entire process work? The pickups consist of a magnet and a copper wire is coiled abound it. When the vibrations that are caused from the bass strings disturb the magnetic field, which is present in the magnet very small fluctuations start in the copper coil. The fluctuations that are so generated are then transmitted, amplified and translated into the sound that we all to hear. Good bass guitar pickups will make all the difference in the kind of music you play on the guitar.
The pickups come in passive which is also known as multi transducer or magnetic and the other type is passive or piezoelectric and optical. Let us look at each of these bass guitar pickups in detail in order to get a better understanding. The magnetic guitar pickups are from magnet that is permanently enclosed within the thin coils of copper wire and these are ideally placed in the neck or the pickguard where they are connected.
As an alternative to magnetic pickups the piezoelectric pickups are used and these are fitted with buffer amplifiers so that full frequency responses are not lost. The biggest advantage of this pickup is that they do not pick unnecessary fields like hums and feedback. And due to this the sound that is produced when you play the guitar is truly unique.
When you use the multi transducer pickup you are assured of a different output emanating from each guitar string. The optical guitar pickups use LED light sources that give off light beams and these are intercepted by the strings and you will get the desired sound. If you are looking at a wide range of sounds then it would be better if you opt for a piezoelectric pickup in comparison to the others.
A good bass guitar pickup is very vital for the sound of the guitar and if you choose a sub standard pickup it is bound to get reflected in the music coming from the guitar. Both beginners and professionals are aware of the fact and are normally very careful while choosing the pickups.
The two good pickup designs that are available based on the number of coils is single coil pickups and double coil hum buckers. In the single coil pickups there is just one coil that is attached to the magnet and this enables you to get a clear sound. A major disadvantage of using the single coil is that any kind of external noise that is generated usually in the form of radio waves, computer monitors and fluorescent lighting can result in a buzzing sound and is picked up by the guitar while playing. The double coil hum buckers are good when compared to the single coil pickups. As stated earlier a good bass guitar pickups will enhance your playing skills.
