Legendary guitar tones often come by breaking the rules. A perfect example was when a 1960s guitarist – with an incorrectly installed magnet in the neck humbucker – stumbled upon a genre-changing, hollow, mid-forward sound. That sound is still iconic, and we captured it in the Seymour Duncan Green Magic humbucking pickup set.

At their core, Green Magic pickups are vintage PAF replicas. Not just any PAFs, they’re crafted around some of the best-sounding examples in history. That alone is worth the price of admission. But it’s their hidden in-between sounds that give them the name “Magic.”

Here, we’ll investigate the Green Magic pickups. We’ll discover the secret of their signature sound and why they may be the perfect humbucker set for you. So grab your guitar, put your pickup selector in the middle, crank up your amp, and let’s get into it.

Tech Tips

The Green Magic set works best in dual humbucking guitars with independent volume controls for each pickup.

Table of Contents

• The History Of The Green Magic Humbucker Set
• How We Make The Pickups
• What Does The Green Magic Set Sound Like?
• Premium PAF tone
• Out-of-phase fun
• Who Is The Green Magic Humbucker Set For?
• The blues rock purist
• The sonic adventurer
• Customizable Options
• How To Get The Out-Of-Phase Tone
• Winding It Up

The History Of The Green Magic Humbucker Set

Players go to great lengths to get the out-of-phase humbucker sound. Many modify their existing pickups or try complicated switching and wiring. But to truly nail the essence of the original tones, you have to get the pickups right to begin with.

To do that, we turned to one of the most respected names in pickup winding, the Tone Queen herself, Maricela “MJ” Juarez. When any of our top-tier artists want something specific, they go to MJ. When players need the most tonally accurate PAF-style humbuckers, they go to MJ. She was the one for the job.

Originally, MJ hand-wound the Green Magics in the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop. But today, we’re proud to say the humbucker set is available as part of our comprehensive product line. And each one still carries MJ’s magic formula.

How We Make The Pickups

While the formula is magic, Green Magics’ construction is surprisingly straightforward. Their PAF origin means low output, sweet-sounding Alnico 2 magnets, etc. It’s how we install the magnets that make the difference.

Flipping over the neck pickup’s magnet and turning it 180°, the neck pickup becomes out of phase with the bridge pickup, hence the tone’s name. This doesn’t affect the tone when using the pickups individually. But you know what happens, of course, when you run them together.

What Does The Green Magic Set Sound Like?

Throw on any ’60s blues rock playlist, and the Green Magic tone is sure to pop up within a few songs. Its honking midrange is as recognizable as any tone before or since. The reason comes down to two distinct elements.

Premium PAF tone

Green Magics are outstanding PAF-style pickups, even without their “magic” sound. But achieving that is not as easy as you might think. Vintage PAFs are notoriously different from one example to another. So we crafted ours around one of the most respected pairs in rock ‘n’ roll history.

Because of this, both the Green Magic neck and bridge sing with addicting chime, clarity, and warmth. Many players call old PAFs “Tele pickups on steroids.” These humbuckers demonstrate why that is.

Out-of-phase fun

The neck humbucker is the secret to the set’s in-between tonality. With the twist of its magnet, the pickups become out of phase. This phase relationship cancels specific frequencies resulting in that nasally (in a good way) honking midrange. It also makes your guitar volume controls highly interactive. You’re left with a tone that cuts through a mix with precision while always remaining full.

Who Is The Green Magic Humbucker Set For?

The Green Magic set does the Green Magic thing. It doesn’t claim to be all things to all players. It is what it is. But that ‘thing’ is one of the most sought-after tones in history, and it’s far more flexible than you might imagine. Therefore, we can think of two guitarist camps that will love them.

The blues rock purist

If you want the most authentic version of this revolutionary guitar tone, the Green Magics are what you’ve been waiting for. From their individual winds to how they interact, we don’t think there’s a better, more accurate option on the market.

The sonic adventurer

These pickups will also expand your tonal palette. Their mid-forward character projects through overdrives, fuzzes, and time-based effects. And they do it much better than standard humbuckers.

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Customizable Options

We crafted the Green Magics around a specific vibe. From their standard nickel covers to their classic construction, their looks and voice nail the ’60s style. Though the voicing is classic ‘60s, the Green Magics come with our standard short mounting legs, and 4 conductor lead wire for more sophisticated wiring schemes. Green Magics are also available in various cover options to suit your instrument and style. So if you prefer your pickups uncovered, or in gold, we have you covered.

No pun intended.

Tech Tips

Check out our Wiring Diagram Library for a ton of 4-conductor wiring possibilities.

How To Get The Out-Of-Phase Tone

Ok, you got yourself a set of Green Magics. Congrats! Now let’s dig into how to get that tone.

First of all, you’ll want to install them in a dual humbucking guitar with independent volume controls. With this guitar style, getting the sound is as simple as selecting the middle toggle setting and engaging both humbuckers.

Now, you’ll want to dial the sound to your preferences. For example, you’ll hear little effect with both volume controls on full. It’s when you roll the neck pickup back that the fun begins. Start experimenting with different settings on each pickup. You’ll find that even minor adjustments offer massive tonal benefits.

Winding It Up

Modern guitarists often come in two categories; the traditionalists and the boundary-pushers. And yes, the Green Magic humbuckers are made for the former. But they also make killer platforms for the latter. So if you live for your vintage Les Paul or strive for something your own, flip these pickups into the middle position and have fun.

Want to know even more about the Seymour Duncan Green Magic humbucker set? Then don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us here. And check out the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog to get deep on our products, artists, news, and new releases.

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