The Pickup Library is a builder-focused resource hub for understanding, designing, and comparing electric guitar pickups. Whether you’re a player dialing in tone, a builder developing new designs, or a shop working with clients, this library gives you practical tools and real-world data to make informed pickup decisions.
Inside the Pickup Library you’ll find an interactive pickup calculator, a guided pickup design interview, and a growing pickup database covering construction details, magnet types, winding approaches, and tonal characteristics across classic and modern designs.
This library is designed to support hands-on pickup building, custom design work, and tone education, all grounded in real pickup construction practices—not marketing hype.
Pickup Calculator
Use the pickup calculator to explore how wire gauge, turn count, magnet type, and geometry influence output, inductance, and overall tone. This tool is ideal for builders modeling new designs or players trying to understand why certain pickups sound the way they do.
Pickup Design Interview
The pickup design interview walks you through the same questions professional builders ask when designing custom pickups. It helps clarify tone goals, pickup balance, magnet choices, and musical context—making it useful both for personal projects and client consultations.
Pickup Database
The pickup database is a growing reference of pickup designs and specifications, allowing builders and players to compare construction styles, materials, and tonal intent across different pickup families.
How Pickup Design Choices Shape Tone
Different paths can reach similar specs (resistance / inductance) — but they won’t sound the same. Below are the practical “levers” builders use and what players actually hear.
Wire Gauge vs Number of Turns
Resistance (kΩ) is not “output.” It mostly tells you how much wire is in the coil. You can hit similar resistance with different wire gauges and end up with different feel, EQ, and attack.
Two pickups can both measure “8kΩ” and still sound very different because wire gauge, coil geometry, and magnet system change where the resonant peak sits and how the pickup compresses.
- Thicker wire (42) tends to keep things more open/dynamic at a given kΩ.
- Thinner wire (44) often reaches kΩ with more turns and can feel more compressed/darker.
- 43 is a common middle ground for classic recipes.
Visual
relative (not measurements)| Gauge | Typical Behavior | What Players Hear |
|---|---|---|
| 42 AWG | Lower coil density at a given kΩ; often lower capacitance | Open, punchy, dynamic |
| 43 AWG | Common middle ground for classic recipes | Focused mids, familiar balance |
| 44 AWG | Often more turns to reach kΩ; higher capacitance tendency | Hotter feel, more compression, darker top |
Coil Height & Shape
Coil geometry changes the pickup’s aperture — what portion of the vibrating string it samples. Two pickups can share similar kΩ and still voice very differently due to coil shape.
Tall/narrow coils often feel clearer and more articulate. Short/wide coils often feel thicker and smoother.
- Tall + Narrow → focused sampling → clarity & separation.
- Short + Wide → wider sampling → thickness & smoothness.
Visual
aperture / sampling width| Coil Shape | What it Emphasizes | Common Impression |
|---|---|---|
| Tall & narrow | Clarity, separation, tighter low end | Articulate, detailed |
| Short & wide | Body, low mids, smoother top | Thicker, warmer |
Resistance (kΩ) vs Inductance (H)
kΩ mostly reflects wire amount (and wire gauge). Inductance reflects how strongly the coil interacts with the magnetic system — and it heavily influences where the resonant peak lands.
Two pickups can share the same kΩ yet feel brighter or darker because inductance & resonance differ.
- Higher inductance often shifts the resonant peak lower → thicker/darker voice.
- Higher kΩ can correlate with output/compression, but it’s not a complete tone descriptor.
Visual
what tends to change| Spec | What it Represents | What You Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance (kΩ) | Wire length + gauge interaction | Often correlates with output feel, not a full tone map |
| Inductance (H) | Coil + magnetic interaction | Strong influence on resonant peak position and perceived brightness |
Magnet Choice (Alnico vs Ceramic)
Magnets shape attack, string feel, and compression as much as volume. The final result depends on the whole system: coil + poles + nearby steel + magnet.
Alnico tends to feel more dynamic/touch-sensitive. Ceramic tends to feel more aggressive/controlled.
- A2 → softer attack, sweet top.
- A3 → airy/clear, reduced pull vibe.
- A5 → tighter lows, crisper highs.
- Ceramic → strong field, tight, aggressive feel.
Visual
relative strength / control| Magnet | Typical Feel | Typical Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Alnico 2 | More “give,” softer attack | Warm, sweet top, vintage lean |
| Alnico 3 | Low pull / open feel | Clear, airy, less bass weight |
| Alnico 5 | Faster attack, tighter response | Tight lows, crisp highs |
| Ceramic | Stiffer, more controlled | Aggressive, tight, higher-output impression |
In one sentence
Pickup tone comes from the whole system — wire gauge, turns, coil geometry, magnet choice, and nearby steel — so two pickups can share similar “specs” and still feel totally different.
Pickup Styles & Magnet Choices (Alnico vs Ceramic)
Pickup type defines the shape of the magnetic field. Magnet material (Alnico vs Ceramic) defines the force and “feel” of that field. You don’t hear Alnico or Ceramic in isolation—you hear how they behave inside a specific pickup architecture.
Single-Coil
Focused fieldOne coil around individual pole magnets (often Alnico rods). Creates a narrow, fast, detailed sensing window.
Alnico in Single-Coils
- Feel: softer, elastic response
- Bias: chime, shimmer, airy highs
- Best for: clean, edge-of-breakup, classic Strat/Tele
Ceramic in Single-Coils
- Feel: tighter, stiffer field
- Bias: sharper attack, tighter bass
- Watch for: can feel “hard” or “spiky” in a narrow field
P-90 / Soapbar
Wide single-coilA wide coil energized by two bar magnets under steel pole screws. Produces a broader, thicker field than Fender singles.
Alnico in P-90s
- Feel: open, dynamic
- Bias: warm/woody attack, sweet grind
- Best for: blues, roots rock, vintage breakup
Ceramic in P-90s
- Feel: controlled, punchy
- Bias: aggressive mids, tighter lows
- Best for: punk/garage/heavier rock without flub
Humbucker
Wide + hum-cancellingTwo coils wired to cancel hum, sensing a wider/deeper section of string motion. Naturally smoother transients.
Alnico in Humbuckers
- Feel: blooming, touch-sensitive
- Bias: warm mids, open highs
- Best for: PAF-style blues/rock/jazz
Ceramic in Humbuckers
- Feel: powerful, immediate
- Bias: tight bass, aggressive attack
- Best for: modern rock/metal, drop tunings, precision