pickups

[caption id="attachment_2468" align="alignright" width="300"] Seymour W. Duncan outside his factory in CA holding a 1950 Fender Broadcaster guitar.[/caption] Today, we want to take the time to honor the man behind one of our cherished partners, Seymour W. Duncan. As one of the top dealers of Seymour Duncan Pickups in the world, we owe a lot of our success to the outstanding products created by one of the most ingenious tone-crafters music has ever known. Although most players already know a lot about Seymour Duncan pickups, few of them know the amazing story of the company’s namesake, from his start as a guitarist and luthier to his rise as the man behind the world’s leading manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups. Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2395" align="alignright" width="311"] On staggered-pole pickups like the one above, some of the pole pieces stick out slightly, with different poles having different variations on the amount of stagger. Flat-pole pickups have the poles all laid flat, usually with no stagger beyond their plastic encasing.[/caption] Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been discussing factors that play a role in determining a pickup’s tone. In Part 1, we touched on coil size and thickness as well as how pairing two pickups with wires wound in opposing directions can be used to cancel out hum. In Part 2, we looked at high out-put, hot pickups along with magnets and the tone they deliver. Today, we’re taking a look at staggered-pole versus flat-pole pickups and pickup height as they relate to tone. Make sure you check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven’t done so already.   Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2245" align="alignright" width="300"] ProAudioLand offers a wide selection of electric guitar and bass pickups including single-coil, humbucker, soapbar, Jazz bass, P-bass and more, we've got you covered![/caption] Today we continue our feature on dissecting the factors that contribute to the tone of a pickup. Make sure to to check out Factors that Affect a Pickups Tone -- Part 1 if you haven't done so already. We previously discussed how coil size and thickness relate to the tone of a pickup as well as how pairing two pickups with wires wound in opposing directions can be used to cancel out hum. Now we're going to take a look at high-output pickups, magnets and the tone they deliver.   Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_2236" align="alignright" width="300"] Need a deal on a great set of pickups? Shoot us a message at info@proaudioland.com or call us toll free at 1-877-671-2200 and we'll make sure you get the best deal around! Click here to browse our selection of pickups.[/caption] We all know that pickups are very important to a guitar’s overall tone. While certain other factors such as the wood and body shape of a guitar most certainly play an integral role in tone shaping, the pickups are probably the single most prevalent factor in determining an overall sound – aside from effects and amps, of course. From the thickness of the wire to the type of magnet used, all play a role in the resulting tone of a pickup. Because so many components affect a pickups sound, it’s important to know exactly what causes what changes so you know what to look for when aiming for a certain tone. With that said, let’s take a closer look at some of the more important aspects that determine the sound of a pickup.     Continue reading →

[caption id="attachment_1822" align="alignright" width="300"] FENDER Active Jazz Bass Rosewood[/caption] Basslines bass pickups range from the most authentic vintage reproductions to the most modern active pickups.  Today in particular we’re going to be focusing on the installation of active bassline pickups.These include: "Phase I" soapbars (replacements for Bartolini P-2 and P-4), "Phase II" soapbars (replacements for EMG model 40 and 45), and Jazz Bass and P-Bass replacements. Of course, if you're not comfortable with instrument repair, take your instrument to a qualified tech before taking a hot soldering iron to your instrument.   Continue reading →