Steel Guitar Buyer's Guide

Guideline #6

Insist on Quiet Electronics.

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The pick-ups on steel guitars must be shielded as well as possible from extraneous sound (such as humming and buzzing) and encapsulated to prevent microphonic feedback. Sometimes feedback is desired -- however when it is unintentional, it's a nuisance. Hum and buzz are always objectionable.

Humbucking-type pickups are the quietest. Humbucking pickups have 2 coils with reverse polarities wired out-of-phase for virtually no extraneous noise. The signal, however, is actually "beefed-up" for a fatter tone.

Some players prefer the single-coil sound because different pickup configurations have different resonant frequencies. Generally speaking, single coil pickups peak in the high midrange and are bright sounding. Double-Coil Humbuckers peak in the low midrange and have a richer sound. Single-Coil pickups may also be preferable in applications where a very quick attack is needed.

Split-Coil (tapped coil) pickups have not been popular with steel guitarists and have not been used in quite awhile.

Further Reading:

• "Ask Bud!" Articles:
  • "Pickups: Differences between"
  • "Pickups: Mounting Variations and Effects"
  • "Pickups: Wound to Certain Resistances"

• Carter Steel Guitars'
  • Standard and Optional Pickups with Descriptions/Comparisons

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