Are 'buckers a bit bland? Or am I just getting old?

[Twinfan]

Bear with me on this...

I've played and owned a large number of guitars over recent years, and I've mostly focussed on humbucker equipped instruments - LPs, SGs, PRS McCartys, Superstrats etc.  I've found it's really difficult to find a guitar and humbucker pickup combo that really works and has some real character.  So much so, that of the guitars I've owned there are only a few that stick out as having something a bit different tonally - and that's why I still have them:

* Epiphone SG with Riff Raffs - classic Angus bite and edge to cut through
* PRS McCarty Rosewood with Holydivers - fat lower-mid grind but still tight for chugging
* PRS McCarty with Throbak PAF replicas - warmth and clarity with no mud and a vocal quality
* PRS Modern Eagle - responds to my input like nothing else and the 'feel' is amazing

Unlike nearly all single coils or P90s, 'buckers never really seem to let my playing subtleties shine through.  I've had so many humbucker guitars that seemed to mask my playing a lot and just sound like any old humbucking guitar.

Am I just getting old?  Or am I all 'buckered out?

[FELINEGUITARS]

Oh dear .... it's finally happened

Next you'll be craving a Dumble amplifier and discovering jazz (and refusing to play AC/DC as it's all easy-peasy stupid pentatonic stuff)

[Twinfan]

Ha ha!  It's not that bad!

My music tastes haven't changed, just my tone requirements I think?

[mikeluke]

I've never seen AC/DC and "playing subtleties" in the same thread before....

[gwEm]

i agree - single coils DO sound better.. but its hard to find the right single coil. also, the coolest looking guitars usually have humbuckers fitted.

personally i can only use a 36 fret, 7 string sky guitar to express myself these days.

[_tom_]

haha I know what you mean. I much prefer p90s to humbuckers after getting a decent set. Not a huge fan of normal singlecoils yet though. I'm only 20 so I dont think you're getting old!

[gwEm]

haha I know what you mean. I much prefer p90s to humbuckers after getting a decent set. Not a huge fan of normal singlecoils yet though. I'm only 20 so I dont think you're getting old!

did you ever try a vintage hot tele pickup tom?

[_tom_]

Nope I've never owned a tele :P

[gwEm]

Nope I've never owned a tele :P

i think you might enjoy the sound

[Twinfan]

So do I.  If you like P90s Tom, Tele's have a similar level of 'beef' but some more clarity and twang  :)

[Plexi Ken]

I agree  :) I've always been a single-coil fan right from the first guitar I bought (cheapo strat copy). Single-coils sounds more 'alive' to me and have a fantastic cutting treble that humbucker just can't do.

I play mostly rhythm and IMO single-coils really stand out for cords. Humbuckers can sound muffled and muddy in comparison. However, I don't play much Rock music. If I did, I think I'd be more of a humbucker fan.

For Reference I have:-
Single Coil
2 Teles, 2 Strats, Rickenbacker 360

Humbucker
Les Paul Std, Mira

[HTH AMPS]

Single coils are very addictive when you find the right combination, I know where Dave is coming from with this.

With the right single coil, you can get them sounding almost as beefy as humbuckers - P90s do this type of thing really well and are (along with the right Tele bridge pickup) a thing of beauty.

[Twinfan]

I think getting my Custom Shop Tele was the eye-opener, I'd never played such a superb single coil gutar before.  Or since...

[Philly Q]

Yes, single-coils are much better for bringing out the subleties of your playing.  I've never heard a humbucker guitar that can produce as nice a clean sound as a Strat, Tele or even something with P-90s.

Blues, country, funk, pop, maybe even jazz.... those single-coils knock humbuckers into a c--ked hat.

If you're sitting around at home just quietly noodling, enjoying the sound of a guitar straight into an amp, it's single-coils all the way.

But hold on a moment.  Take off your Eric Johnson ears.  Just think for a moment what humbuckers can do.




THEY $%&#ING ROCK.

[shobet]

Oh dear, you've reached that age...

I like all the different kinds of pickups, I wouldn't put one over the other as they give me a whole range of tonal options based on what sound I'm trying to get. I go through cycles of preferring one over the others though depending on what I'm into at the time.

I'll tell you what does annoy me, it's that sound in my head I can never get near no matter what amp/guitar/pickup/strings/bag of tricks I try...