Tight pickups

[richard]

Can someone explain what is meant by describing a pickup as 'tight' ?

[Transcend]

In my opinion it generally means it gives an almost percussive sound.

Theres no flubbiness in the bass and its generally very precise with a quick attack to the sound

[Chris Rowberry]

A tight pickup means tight bottom end with plenty of upper mids and fast attack.

[ericsabbath]

A tight pickup means tight bottom end with plenty of upper mids and fast attack.

it has nothing to do with the midrange

[oilpit]

A tight pickup means tight bottom end with plenty of upper mids and fast attack.

it has nothing to do with the midrange

+1
It's tough to explain "tight", it's something you just have to hear.  If I had to try to I'd say that it means that the low end isn't muddy at all, the lowest frequencies are attenuated so the bass is relatively bright and lean.

[ShredHeadJHJ]

To me tight is that sound that you get when you play a chord and all the notes run together. You can't hear the individual notes and power chords have a sharp percussive sound to them. The tone does not feel like for one second it will break. I don't generally associate this sound with having a lot of bass, although it can have a lot of bass.

Listen to the rhythm tone on "And Justice For All".

That's my own interpretation of it.

[dani]

i reckoned it is mostly the pickup's tracking ability. the faster the pickup track your playing (especially the low frequencies), the tighter it will be.

[richard]

Thanks for your observations. If a tight pickup can be said to track your playing more effectively who would want a 'loose' pickup that didn't ?

[Emperoff]

People who doesn't play extreme and very technical music styles don't need tightness that much. Tight pickups usually lack in the "lead playing" department.

[MDV]

To me tight is that sound that you get when you play a chord and all the notes run together. You can't hear the individual notes and power chords have a sharp percussive sound to them. The tone does not feel like for one second it will break. I don't generally associate this sound with having a lot of bass, although it can have a lot of bass.

Listen to the rhythm tone on "And Justice For All".

That's my own interpretation of it.

Its kinda the opposite of that. Its as tony said; strong percussive attack in the low end and lots of delination and between and clarity to the notes, high attack, fast decay to the transiests. This isnt in contradiction with sustain mind you, its all about the strength and attack of the transient, especially in the low end

[ShredHeadJHJ]

See I associate it with more of a sharp attack tham bassy, but it's just the way I make out the adjectives.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I was thinking the same as MDV in that is is exactly the opposite to notes running together. My main problem with the Nailbomb was that it was too tight so the notes didn't run together at all. When I play pickups from other manufacturers I keep wanting it tighter as a way of preventing the sound from turning to a non-musical mush but the Nailbomb was so tight that the notes didn't come together at all and I just didn't like it. With BKP I've come to the conclusion that 'tight' is the last thing I want. Instead I want fat and fluid, in the sure knowledge that it will never turn to mush.

[HairyChris]

People who doesn't play extreme and very technical music styles don't need tightness that much. Tight pickups usually lack in the "lead playing" department.

Clean playing is also massively affected. Tight pickups can sound "ice pick" if the attack is too fast and bass is pulled in too far.

Tightness isn't necessarily clarity, and also the level of pickup tightness that you look for may also be dependant on amp and guitar used.

[MDV]

See I associate it with more of a sharp attack tham bassy, but it's just the way I make out the adjectives.

It has nothing to do with the *magnitude* of the low end

[gwEm]

agree with MDV its about having a defined low-end. a tight pickup could achieve this by having a weaker low end response, but it doesn't have to be that way