Introduction
A humbucker pickup is a type of electric guitar pickup that is designed to cancel out hum or unwanted noise. It was invented by Seth Lover in the 1950s and has since become a popular choice for guitarists looking for a clean and noise-free sound. In this blog post, we will explore the science behind humbucker pickups and answer the question: Can a humbucker pickup really cancel out hum?
What is a humbucker pickup?
Before we dive into the science behind humbucker pickups, let’s first understand what a pickup is. A pickup is an electromagnetic device that converts the vibrations of guitar strings into an electric signal. It consists of a magnet, a coil of wire, and a pole piece.
A humbucker pickup is essentially two single-coil pickups placed side by side and wired in series. The two coils are wound in opposite directions and have opposite magnetic polarities. When the guitar string vibrates, it creates an electromagnetic field that induces a current in both coils. The two coils are then combined to produce a single output signal.
How does a humbucker pickup cancel out hum?
Now that we have a basic understanding of what a humbucker pickup is, let’s explore how it cancels out hum. Hum is a 60Hz electric noise that is produced by the alternating current (AC) in our homes and other electrical devices. It can be picked up by the guitar’s pickups and amplified along with the guitar signal, resulting in an undesirable noise.
A humbucker pickup cancels out hum by using a technique called phase cancellation. As we mentioned earlier, the two coils in a humbucker pickup are wound in opposite directions and have opposite magnetic polarities. This means that each coil produces a signal that is 180 degrees out of phase with the other coil.
When the two signals are combined, the out-of-phase signals cancel each other out, effectively eliminating any hum. The result is a cleaner, noise-free sound that is highly desirable for electric guitarists.
The difference between single-coil and humbucker pickups
Now that we understand how a humbucker pickup works and how it cancels out hum, let’s compare it to a single-coil pickup. A single-coil pickup is a simpler design that consists of a single coil of wire wrapped around a magnet. Unlike a humbucker pickup, it is not designed to cancel out hum.
In fact, single-coil pickups are notorious for producing hum. This is because the single-coil pickup only has one coil, so it is more susceptible to picking up unwanted noise. To make matters worse, the coil in a single-coil pickup is wound in a way that creates a weaker magnetic field, which makes it less effective at cancelling out noise.
The benefits of using a humbucker pickup
Now that we have compared humbucker and single-coil pickups and understand how a humbucker pickup works, let’s explore the benefits of using a humbucker pickup.
The primary benefit of using a humbucker pickup is that it cancels out hum, resulting in a cleaner, noise-free sound. This is highly desirable for guitarists who play in environments with a lot of electrical interference or who use high-gain settings on their amplifiers.
In addition to cancelling out hum, humbucker pickups also have a thicker, more powerful tone compared to single-coil pickups. This is due to the two coils in a humbucker pickup working together to produce a stronger magnetic field, which results in more output and a thicker sound.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a humbucker pickup is a highly effective tool for guitarists looking to eliminate hum and produce a clean, noise-free sound. It works by using phase cancellation to cancel out unwanted noise and has several benefits over single-coil pickups, including a thicker, more powerful tone.
If you are a guitarist looking to upgrade your sound and reduce unwanted noise, we highly recommend trying out a humbucker pickup. It may just be the missing piece to take your playing to the next level.
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