April Kae (of IMANIGOLD) is not only an artist but also very active in causes that she’s passionate about. Recently, we got to ask April a few questions, to discuss her musical journey as a bass player as well as her first instrument, favorite album and plans for touring.

(Photo above by Tommy Rizzoli.)

1. Tell us about your current musical projects.

I’m all about community and growing my social media footprint has opened the door to so many new friends. So, right now I’m all about collaborations! Of course, I’ve loved working with Seymour Duncan and others learning and sharing about music gear–that’s a lot of fun and makes my playing more interesting and dynamic. I’m also doing my thing on several collaboration projects with phenomenal musicians; working on a few bass and vocal features with producers and vocalists and the studio, some social media bass cover collabs, and lots of rehearsals for live shows with New York City and Los Angeles based artists. My band IMANIGOLD is in the midst of releasing our EP single by single and recently dropped the second one, called “Continental Drift.”

2. What was your first musical instrument?

Does a rented double bass count? A classical guitar my aunt had when I was a kid? For the first two years I was playing bass in middle school I was on that public school instrument hustle, and then when I was about 14 my wonderful grandmother Joan who is the most supportive person ever bought me a bass guitar, and the rest was history. I was mostly playing it in jazz band, and this is the bass I picked. I’ve still never owned a double bass and I’m seriously considering purchasing one.

3. Tacos or burritos?

Tacos! (And queso!) I’m a Texas girl so I’m basically 30% taco. I grew up on taco trucks and Torcy’s (if you know, you know).

4. What’s your favorite restaurant in your hometown?

I grew up in Austin, Texas and my favorite spot there is the famous breakfast taco spot Juan in a Million. Juan is maybe the nicest man on earth, and the breakfast tacos are incredibly delicious. (I recreate them at my New York apartment with my sister Nikki several times a year.) Now I live in Harlem, and my favorite spot here is tied for a dinner cafe owned by two sisters called The Edge and a French/Senegalize place called Ponty Bistro, may as well also add on Teranga another amazing Senegalize place, and then there is also this Ethiopian place called Abyssinia, and of course there’s Harlem Shake. Okay, I live in Harlem, you can’t make me choose! I guess if I had to pick one it would be The Edge, but they’re all number one.

5. What music advice do you wish you could give yourself at 15?

One of the most challenging and fun things as a musician about going viral is that it pushed my career forward very quickly, opening lots of doors for me and opportunities to play with incredible musicians. So, I’m constantly practicing for the next big project, in addition to my own music and making videos for social media. As much as I wish “self-expression” was always the name of the game, I’m particularly focusing on my technique: playing scales all up and down the neck, keeping tempo, and working on my slap tone. It’s so rewarding because I can see how it improves my playing right away. I love it. I would have told my 15 year old self to make time for exercises and see them as more than “warm ups.” I would point out how scales and repetitive slap exercises make everything more awesome.

April on the cover of a special edition of Guitar Girl Magazine (July 2021).

6. What’s next for you in your musical journey?

I’m really thrilled about collaborations now and I see that process pretty seamlessly transitioning into a solo album. My sister and I are also in the process of writing new songs for IMANIGOLD. I’m in no rush for those projects, however. I just want to make great music with great musicians and I’m doing that now, and I love it.

7. What Seymour Duncan product is your favorite and why?

I really love my Powerstage 200. I like to crank up the mids and treble and bring down the bass to get a really bright tone that pops but sits nicely with most songs. I’ll also run a distortion pedal with it and really bring out the lows. The Powerstage is so light and easy to carry around to rehearsals, sessions, and around my apartment to make content. There is so much versatility and I’m able to get a ton of different sounds without anything sounding unnatural or overdone.

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8. Favorite album at the moment?

Lil Nas X – MONTERO is one of the most incredible albums ever. He gives us Kurt Cobain, he gives us indie rock, he gives us pop girlies and trap beats and tear-jerking ballads and Tupac-level rhymes and it’s so heartfelt and a young man’s genuine story. We’re lucky to be alive in the time of this album. It’s a good indication that the world is going in a positive direction.

9. Any plans to tour?

My band IMANIGOLD is stoked to get back to playing shows in New York in 2021 and some festivals throughout the year. But what I’m really excited about is joining other artists to tour on bass. What is making me most happy right now is jamming with other musicians on the bass, live, in the studio, and remotely. I love contributing to others’ visions. The next year or so is a great time for me to do this on a few tours. I’m excited.

10. You’ve been playing music since you were a kid – What are some of the greatest successes you’ve faced on your musical journey? What have been some of your toughest challenges?

I’ll find myself smiling thinking about the brilliant, talented, loving people I have in my life. My biggest success is all of the people who are rooting for me and who give me the chance to support them. It’s been surreal and amazing to have massive musicians and stars shout me out and share my bass playing (humble brag) but I have to be completely honest: it’s the young girls and kids and queers who message me saying I inspired them to live more genuinely that move me.

Being on the cover of Bass Player was incredible. It’s all about how the future of bass is online, and profiles four bassists blazing that path (myself included!)–the editor Joel McIver is such a brilliant storyteller, and the entire four-cover collection is something I am forever proud to be part of.

It’s so affirming to have created a life with my music that allows me time to spend hours and hours playing scales. I’m so proud of this.

April Kae’s cover for Bass Player.

11. You’re crushing it on Tik Tok with your bass covers! What are your thoughts on TikTok’s influence on the music industry?

I am always excited for more ways to connect music with people who love it. And I’m never going to say no to a chance to approach my work with a new set of materials, and TikTok is particularly good for it as it’s constantly updating, and there are tons of features and new friends to be made.

At the same time, it’s been well documented that certain perspectives and people of certain backgrounds are more likely to reach more people on TikTok. As with most technology, the ecosystem reproduces both the good and bad in society. (For the record, I count myself as one of the more fortunate ones on the platform when it comes to who does well, I’m relatively young and look similar to a good number of pop stars and celebs these days.) Sometimes it seems like social media magnifies these things, but perhaps it’s just showing us ourselves. So, there are some extraordinary benefits of TikTok–and we must think about ways to make its benefits accessible. ♚

Don’t forget to follow April on Instagram and TikTok!

For more interviews with April Kae, check out these recent interviews she’s done for Nylon, and Bass Player Magazine.

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

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Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Seymour Duncan has a handful of great guitar amps to his name along with his pickups, and the Convertible is his crown jewel. Released around 1980-81, the Convertible was an all-tube, modular preamp design so full of ground-breaking features that Jeff Beck himself made them his go-to rig. But these features made the amplifiers WAY ahead of their time. In fact, the industry is just now catching up. With this groundswell of interest in the Convertible, we thought we’d take this opportunity to tell its story. Not only will we get into the amp’s history, but we’ll explain all its futuristic features demonstrating how revolutionary the Seymour Duncan Convertible 100-watt guitar amp really was.

Tech Tips

There are several different Convertible amplifiers with different onboard options, power ratings, etc. We will focus on the earliest design and the flagship of the line, the Convertible 100.

The History of the Convertible

The Convertible was one of the most versatile amps of its day. And while many players embraced its design, the famous Convertible player was undoubtedly Jeff Beck. Rumor has it that he was the impetus behind the amp’s creation. But we’ll let Seymour tell the story via this early 1980s Convertible ad.

“I’ve always found it challenging to design pickups for [Jeff Beck’s] sound. The only way I could design an amp with the versatility he needs was with a modular preamp. He just inserts the preamp modules he wants into his Convertible amp and gets a whole new sound. There’s no need for me to ‘Hot Rod’ his amp — he does it himself in two minutes.”

As you can see, the Convertible had to do everything and be every amp for every player. That’s an extremely tall order, but Seymour had the perfect guy, engineer (now VP of Engineering New Product Development) Kevin Beller.

Beller’s modular preamp design allowed players to insert and remove pre-voiced preamp sections in any different combination, fine-tuning the Convertible to their taste. And that’s only one of the Convertible’s many pioneering features. Features that are commonplace today but revolutionary at the time. But, as with other groundbreaking inventions, the Convertible did suffer some growing pains that, after being discontinued in the early ’90s, made it one of the most under-rated tube amps out there.

That’s not just our opinion. In a 2017 article with Premier Guitar, Joe Bonamassa included the amp on his list of the top five most under-rated amps.

“Seymour made them in the ’80s, and it was the first amp to feature power scaling. It could go from 100 watts to one watt. It had different modules, like cards, that would go into the amp, and they had tubes in them with different gain stages and preamps. Mine is set up with low gain, and it sounds like a cross between a Deluxe Reverb and an early Mesa/Boogie. It’s pretty fun. I talked to Seymour about why they stopped making them, and it was just way ahead of its time.”

Let’s take a look at some of those features a little closer.

Modular Preamp Design

The Convertible could sound like any amp in any setting. In addition to its all-tube power section, there were five slots for specially designed preamp modules; a global input stage and two more for each of the amp’s two channels. You could have a vintage-voiced clean platform or a fire-breathing high-gain monster with ease by mixing and matching modules.

The Convertible 100 shipped from the factory with the following modules installed:

• 2 x Classic
• 1 x High-Gain
• 1 x Normal
• 1 x Presence

But the company offered a ton of different additional modules for purchase separately, capturing every voice from JC120-like cleans to modded-Marshall roar. These included the Classic Distortion, High-Gain Hybrid, FET, IC, and many more. We even offered versions of the modules with additional EQ onboard for tweaking every aspect of the circuit.

Always ones to lend some advice, the Convertible’s manual even came with some great-sounding combination suggestions to get players started.

Today, tube amps with modular preamps are relatively common. Everyone from Synergy, Randall, and Egnater has shown what such a flexible rig can do. But in 1980, the Convertible started it all.

Variable Power Control

Power attenuation and power scaling are other features found on tube amps all over today’s market. But, as with the modular preamp design, the Convertible was there first. We called it the Variable Power Control. It lets you take the amp’s output from a massive 100 watts down to a practice-friendly 5 watts. And the control is 100 percent variable to set it to the exact level required for your situation.

As if that weren’t enough, the control features a Variable Power Jack, which lets you control the whole thing via any passive volume pedal! Power attenuators are everywhere these days. But not many people have caught up to that one.

Most important, the Variable Power Control sounds terrific throughout its sweep. And again, we’re not honking our own horn. Bonamassa agrees. When speaking to Beller, the amp’s designer, he said, “The power attenuator alone you guys should make. It’s the coolest and most natural-sounding one.”

A Whole List of Player-friendly Features

An all-tube guitar amplifier from the 1980s with modular preamps and variable power is enough to put the Convertible on the list of all-time greats. But these amps were loaded with even more tools gigging guitarists continue to need to this day.

1. The head version can be removed from its shell and rack-mounted
2. Load Resistor Input: Included load resistor plugs optimize the amp’s input for different pickups.
3. AC Convenience Outlets: 2 x 9V outlets for plugging in additional equipment.
4. Variable Damping: Speaker output that lets you loosen or tighten the feel of your speaker response.
5. Effects Loop with level control.
6. Slave Out: Sends attenuated, line-level signal from the amp’s output stage to F.O.H., interface, etc.
7. Accutronics spring reverb
8. Custom output transformer allows for mixed/matched cabs and impedances (just like the PowerStage pedal amplifiers).
9. The power section works with EL34, 6L6, or 6550 tubes (Rebiasing required).
10. Pentode/Triode Switch selects between 100- and 60-watt max power.

A True Classic

If the Convertible amps had one drawback, it’s that all of these boundary-pushing features were hampered by the technology of their day. This led to some of the amps overheating and other less-than-desirable on-the-gig events. That’s why it’s not uncommon to find as-is versions on the used market.

Thankfully technology has improved in leaps and bounds since then, creating mods and upgrades for the old Convertibles, bringing them back better than ever. And you can still find plenty of the original preamp modules for sale. There’s never been a better time to get one of these classics for yourself. But you’ll want to move fast. Word is out on these game-changing amplifiers, and prices are on the rise.

Let’s Talk Tone

If you have any other questions about the Seymour Duncan Convertible or any other Seymour Duncan amps, don’t hesitate to reach out. And don’t forget to dig into the Seymour Duncan blog. There’s a ton of in-depth information on our different designs, how-tos, tone demonstrations, and a lot more.

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

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Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Finding the right acoustic pickup can be difficult. There are several different kinds, and each has its technical requirements to get the best performance. On top of that, you need to consider the rest of your signal chain and how it interacts. And finally, each type of acoustic guitar pickup has a unique sound with its own list of pros and cons. So how do you know which is the best acoustic pickup to buy? You read this post; that’s how.

The first step to finding the proper acoustic pickup is knowing that the majority of them fall into three categories:

• Piezo
• Magnetic
• Microphone/Blended Systems

Each of these designs has its strengths and weaknesses. Some are better at rejecting feedback, while others may sound more natural. Knowing which is suitable for you is all about knowing your application. So we’ll look at all three through the lens of our own acoustic pickup offerings, helping you narrow down the field and find the perfect pickup for your acoustic guitar.

Piezo Acoustic Pickups

Strengths: Feedback resistant, broad frequency spectrum

Piezo pickups are by far the most popular acoustic guitar pickup out there. The pickup itself is a thin strip of piezoelectric crystals that sit under your guitar’s bridge saddle. They sense your guitar top’s vibrations and convert them into an electrical signal.

Piezos have a hidden profile that protects the look of your guitar, they offer a full frequency range, and they’re among the best at rejecting feedback. This makes piezos a go-to option for players working in high-volume situations. Because of their inherent passive design, many piezo pickups benefit from an active outboard or onboard preamp.

Wavelength Solo

The Seymour Duncan Wavelength Solo is an excellent example of what a piezo pickup can do. It combines a distortion-free under-saddle pickup with a high-headroom preamp giving you the benefits of piezo amplification with a full, natural sound. The 18V preamp offers enough power to eliminate the quacky spikes of other piezo systems. And it even boasts bass and treble controls for fine-tuning the system to your liking. Add an optional Volume and Tone Module for convenient control just inside the soundhole. The Wavelength Solo does require installation inside your guitar. But once it’s there, it’s all but invisible to everyone else.

Magnetic Acoustic Pickups

Strengths: Easy to use, feedback resistant

Magnetic acoustic pickups are very similar in construction to electric guitar pickups. Crack one open, and you’ll find copper wire, a bobbin, and a magnet or two. And like electric pickups, magnetic acoustic guitar pickups are excellent at rejecting feedback. Often, you’ll find magnetic acoustic pickups mounted to a guitar’s soundhole. This arrangement gives you easy access to the pickup for any onboard controls and easier installation and removal. Magnetic acoustic pickups also come in both active and passive designs, allowing you to choose the best for your rig.

Active Mag

The Active Mag is our most full-featured magnetic acoustic guitar pickup. Yet even with the tonal power onboard, it retains a sleek, soundhole-mounted design for easy mounting or removal. This makes it great for either permanent or temporary installation.

The Active Mag gets its name from its onboard, active preamp. The preamp boasts plenty of headroom and a wide-open and warm tone. It also has onboard control for both volume and tone right at your fingertips. All of this makes the Active Mag fantastic on its own or in a blended system with a microphone. But we’ll get into blended systems more in a second.

Woody Series

The Woody Series is our line of passive, magnetic acoustic pickups. We designed all three models with great tone, three attractive finishes to choose from, and ease of use. You can install all three Woody pickups in seconds, running the hardwired cable to your favorite amp, DI box, or PA with ease. You can also permanently install them in your guitar for a sleek onstage look.

Woody Single Coil

The Woody Single Coil is extremely popular for its brilliant top end that cuts through a busy mix. Internally, it is much like an electric single-coil pickup. It features a single coil of wire around magnets. So it makes sense that this Woody offers more bell-like highs and detail than its brothers.

Woody Hum Cancelling

If the Woody Single Coil is like a Strat pickup, this one is like one of our Strat stack pickups. Sitting below the top coil is a second bobbin which rejects 60-cycle hum for noise-free performance. It also has a warmer, more “woody” sound than the Single Coil, great for strumming and vocal accompaniment.

Woody XL

The Woody XL is the flagship of the Woody line. We designed it with hum-cancelling performance like the Woody HC, but the XL offers six adjustable magnetic pole pieces, so you can easily fine-tune string to string balance when used with your particular guitar.

Microphone and Blended Systems

Strengths: Natural tone, Benefits of multiple pickup designs

On their own, microphones are the most natural-sounding way to amplify an acoustic guitar. That’s why players prefer them to plugged-in tones in the studio. But live performance is a very different animal, and mics have a hard time keeping up…by themselves.

A popular way to utilize great mic tones live is via blended pickup systems. These are acoustic pickup circuits with an integrated microphone, usually a condenser. These blended acoustic guitar pickup systems give you the benefit of both styles of pickups while reducing their weaknesses.

Mag Mic

The Seymour Duncan Mag Mic is one of our most popular acoustic pickups. It uses a magnetic pickup similar to the Active Mag and adds a condenser microphone to the mix. You can lean on the magnetic pickup for volume while rolling in enough mic to introduce the woody character of your guitar’s authentic voice.

Wavelength Duo

Like the Mag Mic is to the Active Mag, the Wavelength Duo is to the Wavelength Solo. But this time, we’re talking about blending a great-sounding mic with an under-saddle piezo pickup. You have the wide frequency response and high gain before feedback of the Wavelength Solo, but now, you can also blend in an omni-directional condenser mic to taste with its soundhole-mounted volume control.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Guitar tone pot value is something most of us don’t think about unless you really like to get into the weeds of tone. But many players do like to mix and match them, optimizing their tone control and guitar to play, sound, and react just the way they want. So we’re going to take a look at the best guitar pots and caps, demonstrating how powerful mixing and matching them can be.

Mixed-pickup Guitars

If you’re playing a Strat or a Les Paul, worrying about your potentiometers and capacitors may seem unnecessary. After all, don’t you use 250K pots and .047 caps for single coils and 500K pots with .022 caps for humbuckers? Well, that’s definitely how many people do it. But what’s the correct pot value for an HSS Strat or Ibanez-style HSH setup? And what if you only have one volume and one tone knob to control it all?

If this is you, knowing how to mix and match pot values and capacitors starts to get important real quick. This article should help. But before reading on, remember, when it comes to tone, all things are subjective. The “best” practices are the ones that get you to the sound in your head.

Technical Definitions

Tone pot vs. volume pot

Volume and tone potentiometers are actually the same kind of pot. They are a variable resistor. Your volume pot sends the entire signal to ground, shutting it off . But a tone pot utilizes a capacitor that removes higher frequencies and allows specific frequencies to pass through unaffected.

Capacitor Values (Rating)

A pot’s rating is the resistance it places on your signal. It’s important to know that the lower the number, the more it restricts your tone’s frequencies.

Capacitor

A capacitor diverts the flow of specified guitar frequencies through your electronics. Depending on the cap value ratings affect different frequencies.

Guitar Tone Pot Value

Manufacturers rate every single guitar pot at a specific value. And generally, with higher-value pots, more frequencies are allowed to pass through the pot. This gives you a brighter signal with more top-end detail. The inverse is true with lower values. While this affects your tone as you roll the pot back, it also impacts your overall tone when you turn up to full volume.

The five most common pot ratings used for electric guitar are 25k, 100K, 250k, 500k, and 1Meg. Technically, each of these does work with any guitar pickups. But there are some general guidelines guitar builders follow.

• 25k or 100K pots: Active pickups
• 250k pots: Single coil pickups
• 500k pots: Humbucking pickups
• 1Meg pots: Jazzmasters, some Telecasters, and some active pickups

Keep in mind, these are not hard and fast rules. You can use a 500k pot with single-coil pickups. This will give them a brighter tone. You can also throw 250k pots on a set of humbuckers for a warmer tonality. But when you start combining different kinds of pickups, you’re forced to choose a rating that will satisfy both.

Mixing and matching

Most manufacturers use 500K pots for electric guitars with combo wiring schemes like HSS and HSH. This may seem to favor the humbucker tones, but if your single-coils are a bit bright, you can always roll back the tone knob. Passive guitar circuits won’t let you add more treble to a muddy humbucker, and a humbucker bridge pickup is also where many players spend most of their time on these guitars.

If you prefer sticking to the neck single-coil of your HSS Strat and only drop to the humbucker occasionally, 250k could be the way to go. This can give a humbucker with too much treble a warmer sound. And you can always get that treble response back with a brighter pickup. It’s all about experimenting and finding the best guitar pots and caps for your guitar and playing style.

Guitar Tone Capacitors

Guitar tone capacitors are what make your guitar’s tone knob a tone knob and not another volume control. And caps play by the same rules as potentiometers:

• Their ratings determine their performance.
• There are some accepted “standards.”
• It’s still totally up to you.

Adding a cap to a potentiometer turns the pot into a low-pass filter. The cap’s value determines how dark your guitar gets when your tone knob is all the way off. It also determines how quickly it gets there as your roll it back. It does this by sending selected high frequencies to your ground wires instead of to your output jack. That tiny electronic component is what tells your pot which frequencies to filter.

As a general rule, the higher the capacitor’s rating, the darker your tone knob will take you. There are three most commonly used ratings for tone pot wiring:

.015 µF

.015 µF capacitors offer fine control of your treble throughout the tone knob’s range, perfect for taming harsh frequencies without ever transitioning to a dark, muddy tone.

.022 µF

.022 µF caps are the perfect middle ground. They work great with both single-coils and humbucker and offer a balance of clarity and the ability to get warm and dark.

Tech Tips

Because of their versatility, we recommend starting with .022 µF when mixing and matching pots and caps. But ask yourself what you want from your tone knob and go from there.

.047 µF

Darker than the other two, .047 µF capacitors can be great fits for brighter guitars like Teles and Strats. But you’ll even find them in some jazz players’ humbucker-equipped guitars as they deliver the warmth and fat tone they need.

Guitar Tone Pot Wiring

HSS and HSH guitar tone pot is a bit more in-depth than other wiring schemes. This is especially true when you introduce push-pull pots and additional toggle switches to the mix. But they also offer unending ways to achieve treble bleed, split-coil, coil-tapped, series/parallel, and phase-switching options.

We have all of the wiring diagrams to help you get there.

For simplicity’s sake, we’re going to focus on our standard 5-way switch, Volume, Tone layout. You simply solder a lead wire between lug 1 of the volume pot and lug 3 of your tone pot in this wiring scheme. Then solder one lead of your capacitor to the center lug and the other to the top of the metal pot casing.

Tech Tips:

With this wiring, it’s best to think of the tone pot and capacitor as a complete circuit. It works in conjunction with the volume control to fine-tune your tone. It’s not an “in one side and out the other” affair.

Not only is this an easy way to wire a tone pot, but it makes auditioning other values and capacitors a piece of cake. If you don’t like the one you’re using, simply unsolder it, replace it with a couple of new solder connections, and you’re ready to go. If you’re handy with a soldering iron, this should only take a couple of minutes.

Tech Tips:

We also offer step-by-step guitar electronics instructions in our free online pickup course. You can find it here.

All of the numbers and ratings can be overwhelming when you first approach electric guitar pots and caps. But if you follow the basic guidelines above, we think you’ll find yourself modding your guitar in no time.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Push-pull pots can turn a regular guitar into an insanely flexible tonal solution for every occasion. Most commonly used for eliciting single-coil-like tones from humbuckers, players can sometimes underestimate what all push-pull potentiometers can do. But that’s a mistake, because they can work all kinds of magic while hiding invisibly in the routing your guitar already has. Unless your goal is to keep a guitar true-to-factory condition, keep reading. We’ll show you how great these small components really are.

The Rise of the Push-Pull Pot

With the ever-increasing number of 4-conductor humbucking pickups, push-pull pot mods have exploded around the guitar industry. Not only are players adding them to their favorite instruments, but more and more guitar makers are adding them to their factory offerings. Heck, even Gibson offers Les Pauls with these pots.

And why wouldn’t they? The pots can give an LP the soul of a Tele, an HSS Strat a vintage-correct vibe, and much more. Also, with travel restrictions and costs being what they are, touring guitarists can easily carry one or two axes on a flight for all their tones. And, of course, push-pull pots can usually be installed and removed without any permanent changes to your guitar or affecting its original tonal performance.

Tech Tips

4-conductor humbuckers are a modern way of wiring the pickups with pickup leads coming from both coils of the pickup. This lets you wire them together as a standard humbucker or any other way you can imagine. It also allows you to set up two separate wiring schemes that are selectable with your push-pull pot. While vintage-correct humbuckers only offer two conductors, most modern pickups are available in 4C configuration.

Push-Pull Possibilities

Let’s see what these powerhouse pots can do.

Tech Tips

You can find wiring diagrams for most of these schemes and more here. And check out this article for tips and tricks on performing these mods on your guitars.

Single-coil Tones from Humbuckers

Coil Splitting

The most popular use of push-pull pots is splitting the coils of a humbucking pickup for single-coil tones and operation. If you want to get country-approved twang from your SG or capture vintage Strat bridge pickup bite from your HSS setup, this is the way to do it. By shutting one of the humbucker’s coils off, the other is free to act as an actual single-coil pickup, with all of the chiming top end, twang, and noise you’d expect.

Parallel Wiring

If you want single-coil-like tones but can’t take the hum, try adding parallel wiring to your push-pull pot. Running each coil of the same humbucker separately lowers the output and results in a clearer tone. It might not be as single-coil sounding as coil-splitting, but it does still buck the hum.

Single Coil Power Control

Coil Tapping

Did you know you can get two output levels from single coil pickups if they are designed for it? You can! It’s done by “tapping” the pickup. Tapped single coils have an additional lead wire placed halfway through the coil wind, allowing you to lower the pickup’s output when the switch is engaged. The lowered output not only eases up on your amp’s front end, but it takes on a bit more top end, rolls off some lows, and is a bit more jangly. Push your potentiometer back down, and your pickup lights up with its full power and tone. It’s like having a built-in boost switch right onboard your guitar.

Blower Switch

Another great way to get a passive power boost is through a Blower Switch mod. In essence, a Blower Switch mod hardwires your pickups directly to your guitar’s output jack, bypassing the rest of your electronics. This increases the pickup’s output and adds more top-end. No battery required!

Learn more about the Blower Switch here.

Tech Tips

Many players prefer wiring their coil-tapping and Blower Switch mods to the pot’s down setting. That way, they get the output boost when they pull up. With push-pull pots, it’s up to you.

Tone Shaping

All the other wiring schemes here require the use of a 4-conductor pickup. But you can perform this tonal tweak to any electric guitar. All you need is one or two of your favorite capacitors and the push-pull pot itself.

By wiring the capacitor directly to the correct lugs of the potentiometer, you get the perfect high- or low-pass filter every time you pull the switch. Joe Satriani’s signature Ibanez JS2410 is a perfect example. By engaging the guitar’s push-pull volume control, you introduce a specifically tuned high-pass filter, rolling off some bass for more clarity and chime.

And it can go the other way too. Change up the capacitor value, and you can cut top end, warming up your signal on the fly. It’s like rolling your tone knob back the perfect amount with the flip of a switch.

Reversing Phase

When guitarists imagine the sound of out-of-phase humbuckers, early Fleetwood Mac comes to mind. Peter Green and Greenie, his 1959 Les Paul now owned by Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, seared that tone into the hearts and ears of blues and rock players for the rest of history. But he wasn’t the only player tweaking his LP’s voice. Jimmy Page’s famous “Burst” also boasted killer out-of-phase tones thanks to some inventive and hidden switching.

Today, getting out-of-phase humbuckers is easier than ever, thanks to push-pull pots. We even have wiring diagrams for getting both the Green and Page circuits without adding a single new hole to your precious guitar.

Active Control

Push-pull pots aren’t just for the passive pickup purists. They’re also a sleek and low-profile way to control the goodies active electronics afford. They’re great for activating and controlling sustainer pickups in the neck position. Or add an active boost circuit to the mix, and you can torch your amp’s front end in an instant.

On/Off Switch

Single Pickup Control

Using a push-pull pot as an on/off switch is the most straight-ahead mod on the list. But for some 3-pickup guitars, it can expand the tonal possibilities.

Wire your Stratocaster neck pickup to a push-pull. Turn it on when the 5 way switch is in position 1 to add it to the bridge pickup, for combined Tele-like tones. Leave it up in position 2 to have all three pickups active.

You’ll have 7 tones instead of the standard 5!

Killswitch

Staying with the on/off switch idea, push-pull pots also make great killswitches. Now you can have complete silence between songs in the set and your parts within the song.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

As soon as Ibanez released their AZ line of electric guitars, the web lit up with searches for Ibanez AZ wiring diagrams. Everyone wanted to know what the Ibanez AZ pickups were. And that’s no surprise. The Ibanez AZ wiring is something new, and Ibanez players are one of the most loyal and knowledgeable fan bases in the industry. So, while Best Pickups For Ibanez Guitars Part 1 was about finding suitable pups for any Ibanez, this one is all about the AZs.

The Ibanez AZ Guitars

At first glance, Ibanez AZs look like traditional dual-humbucking and HSS-style electric guitars. The mini-toggle (Alter Switch) between the volume and tone pots is the only giveaway that there’s something more under the hood. And what a powerful mini-toggle the Alter Switch is! From traditional pickup tones to brand new combinations, it’s the secret to the Ibanez AZ wiring magic.

Long-time Ibanez players immediately wanted to know how Ibanez did it. They wanted to know how to wire their guitars like it. And they wanted to know where to find the Ibanez AZ wiring diagram.

Seeing as we made the Ibanez AZ pickups, we figure we’re the perfect people to answer those questions. And we’ll do it by breaking down the switching positions of both the AZ’s HH and HSS pickup combinations.

But first, a little about the Ibanez AZs’ incredible Seymour Duncan Hyperion pickups.

Ibanez AZ Pickups

The first thing to know about the Ibanez AZ guitars is that they’re designed for great tone across a wide variety of styles. They demand custom-designed pickups for the job.

Seymour Duncan got the call, and we are proud to say that nearly every Ibanez AZ electric guitar features Seymour Duncan Hyperion humbucking and single-coil pickups.

The Seymour Duncan Hyperions

Keeping the demand for versatility in mind, we craft the Hyperion single-coils and humbuckers for detail and balance in any sonic situation. Their Alnico 5 magnets deliver beautiful clean sounds and offer the right balance of warmth and cut when driven. They also work wonderfully with your favorite pedals.

We knew we hit a home run with the Hyperions. But once we saw the Ibanez AZ wiring diagram, we realized these pickups were part of something even greater! We couldn’t wait to hear them in action.

Let’s take a deeper look into those wiring schemes.

AZ HH

We’ll start with a look at the Ibanez AZ HH with the Alter Switch in the off position. Already, these guitars offer an inspiring blend of Gibson-esque humbucking character with the added versatility of a Fender-style 5-way switch.

Alter Switch Off

Positions 1 & 5 – On either end of the switch’s travel, you’ll find full humbucking tones courtesy of the Seymour Duncan Hyperions.

Position 2 – The outside coils of both humbuckers engage for a funky, middle-position, Tele-like experience.

Position 3 – It’s like a great LP with both humbuckers engaged.

Position 4 – Combines both humbuckers’ inner coils for something much like the out-of-phase Strat sound.

Alter Switch On

Positions 1, 3, 5 – Power Tapping applies to switching positions 1, 3, and 5. Think of it as turning your Ibanez AZ into a T-style guitar without the 60-cycle hum.

Positions 2 & 4 – These two switch positions offer more traditional split-coil voices. Position 2 turns the bridge humbucker’s outer coil on for twangy, country bite. Position 4 is the inner coil of the neck humbucker. Think bluesy Strat neck pickup tones.

Tech Tips

Power Tap adds five completely unique tones to the guitar’s sonic palette. It treats each coil of the two humbuckers like independent single coils. By significantly reducing the output of one of the coils, it creates a voice that has that single-coil character while retaining the pickups’ hum-free performance.

All of that from a guitar with two humbuckers. Not bad!

AZ HSS

HSS-style guitars are some of the most flexible guitars out there and favorites among session players. So it’s not surprising that, with the Alter Switch turned off, the Ibanez AZ HSS guitars perform in much the same way as a standard “Super Strat.”

Alter Switch Off

Position 1 – Glorious Hyperion bridge humbucker tone.

Position 2 – Utilizes the inside coil of the humbucker and the middle pickup for that “Sultans of Swing” voice.

Position 3 – The middle setting solos the middle single-coil pickup.

Position 4 – Pairs the middle and neck single-coils together.

Position 5  – 5 is all about that tubular and clear neck single-coil sound.

Many guitarists play their whole lives with the standard HSS wiring with no problem. But hit that Alter Switch, and these AZs become very unique instruments.

Alter Switch On

Position 1 – Engages the bridge humbucker and is the only tone found in both the on and off settings.

Position 2 – The bridge pickup’s inner coil all by itself. Want T-style tones for your best Brad Paisley licks? This is where you’ll find them.

Position 3 – 3 is its own animal entirely. Not only does it engage all three pickups, but it runs the neck and middle single-coils in series. It adds more punch to an already unique sound.

Position 4 – 4 marries the bridge humbucker’s outer coil with the neck single-coil. It’s excellent for the middle-position, Prince-like Tele funk.

Position 5 – 5 is very similar to 3. But by removing the bridge humbucker from the equation, you get a surprisingly realistic “neck humbucker” sound.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

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Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

The effect of an electric guitar killswitch has been around a long time. For decades players like Tom Morello achieved a unique chopped-up tone like Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” solo. And of course, Van Halen fanatics tried to replicate the staccato effect with which Eddie ended his “You Really Got Me” solo. But the effect wasn’t contained in its own circuit until relatively recently. And it isn’t a pedal you put on your pedalboard. It’s a switch you install directly on your guitar. Let’s take a closer look at guitar killswitches to discover where they came from, how to use them, and how to put one on your guitar.

History of the Staccato Effect

In the beginning, and in both examples above, players achieved this stuttering effect via the controls already on their guitars.

The way they got the effect was by rolling one of their pickup’s volume controls off while keeping the other full up. Then they would either sustain a note or play using hammer-ons and pull-offs while flicking their pickup selector between the pickups. Whenever the muted pickup was selected, it would “kill” the signal and silence the guitar. Add a bit of rhythmic flair to your switching, and you get that cool staccato effect.

Many players with Gibson-type electronics in their guitars still use the toggle switch trick. Along with Van Halen and Tom Morello, Zakk Wylde used it to kick off Black Label Society’s “Phoney Smile & Fake Hellos.” And what do all of these tones have in common? They are all driven sounds with the sustenance necessary to keep the note ringing as long as they need.

But there was a problem. This technique only worked on electric guitars with independent volume controls for each pickup.

Enter the Killswitch

What do you do if your guitar only has one volume knob, but you want that classic effect? You install a guitar killswitch.

Killswitches are usually buttons installed in a guitar that, when depressed, send your signal to ground instead of your output jack. They give you the same effect of the toggle switch technique but in an easier to manipulate format. Best of all, you can install them on any electric guitar!

There are two main types of killswitches generally associated with electric guitar; momentary and latching. Though they both do the same thing, they do it differently and excel at different uses. We’ll break both of them down here.

Momentary

A momentary switch is any switch engaged or disengaged, in this instance, while the button is depressed. When used as a killswitch, your sound cuts out when you press it in and returns as soon as you let go. This switch style is the way to get the stuttering effect we’ve discussed, hence its other name, the stutter switch.

You’ll find a ton of guitarists utilizing these momentary killswitches in some pretty creative ways. Check out this live Buckethead solo, and you’ll hear what we mean. Working the killswitch on his signature Gibson Les Paul, he turns a high-gain guitar tone into something more like a DJ in outer space.

Latching

Latching switches are similar to the light switch in your home. When switched one way, you have a signal. Switch them the other, and it turns the signal off. You must physically hit the switch to select between the two settings.

Because latching killswitches don’t automatically reintroduce your signal when you let go, they’re great on/off controls. Think of them as a faster, easier way to silence your guitar than rolling your volume knob off. This makes them perfect for players who keep all their controls on 10, especially if they prefer guitars with only a single pickup. Just hit the killswitch and your guitar is off. Hit it again, and you’re off to the races.

Installing a Killswitch

Button vs. Toggle vs. Push-Pull Pot

If there is any drawback to installing a momentary killswitch, it’s that it can require some extra routing in your guitar top or pickguard. If you’re replacing one of your pots with the killswitch button, you may need to widen the hole in which you’ll install it. The other option is to route a brand new hole in your guitar or pickguard for the switch. This allows you to keep your current electronics unchanged.

Latching killswitches, on the other hand, generally aren’t used for sonic effect. That’s why they’re often found as toggle switches or hidden in a push-pull pot. These form factors make installation a breeze as they require less routing and permanent changes to your guitar.

Wiring

Once you have your killswitch installed in your guitar, wiring is a piece of cake. Soldering two wires are all it takes!

Utilizing the correct terminals on the switch itself, you solder one wire to your output jack’s ground lug and the other to its hot lug. That’s it!

Tech Tips

Make sure you wire your killswitch after your volume control. Placing it in the circuit before the volume will result in a popping sound when you engage the switch, much like pulling a cable from a guitar without turning off the amp.

It is a bit more complicated if installing a killswitch with a built-in LED. But they look great and are well worth the effort. LED killswitches are a trademark of the GuitarGuts YouTube channel. Check out their tutorial on installing them.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

When you think of Seymour Duncan pickups, you often think of Mr. Seymour Duncan himself. Makes sense. His name is on the building, after all.

But did you know that there’s someone who’s been at Seymour’s right hand as long as the company has existed? Did you know that this man is directly related to nearly every pickup, pedal, and amplifier that the company has ever released?

That man is Seymour Duncan’s VP of Engineering and New Product Development Kevin Beller. From the history of Duncan’s most successful products to the nitty-gritty of the company’s production process, he knows it all.

And he was kind enough to sit down for a Q&A session to shed some light on his esteemed career, voicing pickups with the artists that built it, and what goes on behind the Seymour Duncan curtain.

How did you come to work for Seymour Duncan?

That was quite a long time ago, in 1979. I met Seymour when he was a repairman at a local music store. I was always taking my bass back there and struck up a friendship with him. Then at some point, he left and started his own business.

At the time, I had a job in the computer industry doing engineering work. But I had an opportunity to join an original band with a little bit of money behind it and some really excellent songwriting. So I decided to quit and become a rock star. But, of course, it took about three months before that totally unraveled. [Laughs]

I was there telling Seymour about all my woes, and Cathy asked, “Do you think you’d ever want to work for us?” I thought it over for a couple of weeks and was running out of money. So I said, “Sure, why not?” I was their first full-time guy.

I started right in doing the design work for the humbucker line, which was still in the concept stage then. They were only building single coils and doing everything by hand. I came in and made Engineering drawings for everything and set up a regular assembly line operation. It was a lot of reverse engineering of old PAFs and old Fender pickups. It’s all just grown from there.

What’s kept you at Seymour Duncan all these years?

I like the work that I’m doing. I like pickup design, amplifier design, electronics, tooling and automation; it’s all interesting to me. I’ve gotten to do a lot of different aspects of design. It’s that variety of design work that has kept me interested.

And it’s a challenge. If it weren’t a challenge, I probably would have quit a long time ago. [Laughs]

What makes Seymour Duncan different from other pickup manufacturers?

It really started back in the early days when we were first setting up the production line. We wanted to have consistently good quality. We never sent out anything that was bad. The product always worked, we use good quality materials, and we weren’t cheap about anything. It was all about using good materials and building it right, every time.

We are also able to deliver a consistently good product on time and at the quantity required. The number of people out there making pickups has really increased over the past 15 years. It’s tough for many of them to deliver on time and maintain consistently high quality.

But we’ve always held our production to a high standard. We deliver a quality product. We do it consistently and on time.

Describe a new product’s production cycle.

Every new design starts off with a concept. That includes knowing who the customer is and understanding the style of music they play. This is important. Otherwise, you can end up floundering around and hoping to get lucky. You need to know the framework that you’re going to be working in.

Then, suppose we’re designing something more innovative or going after a different pickup type. In those cases, we also have to design a complete suite of mechanical components that will be incorporated into that pickup. We’ve been doing this so long, we have quite an inventory of wire, magnets, bobbins, and such. We typically have what we need for most designs; still, we regularly add new components.

Once the basic mechanical design is complete, we build prototypes and do quite a bit of in-house listening. We’ve always had a lot of guitar players here at Seymour Duncan, so we call on our in-house players to help with auditioning our preliminary designs. Based on the feedback from the players, we’ll make adjustments and repeat the process as needed until we feel we have a solid design.

When we agree internally, we bring in what we call “Friends of the Family.” There are a number of pro-level musicians that we send the designs to and get feedback from. Then it becomes a process of refining the design based on their feedback.

In the next stages, a lot of coordination is required between the different departments internal to the organization., the individuals that are responsible for getting a product into production, and out the door to the customer. Engineering needs to be able to interface with the production group to make sure we have the tools, materials, and processes to produce the new design efficiently and to the level of quality we expect of ourselves.

Designing the product isn’t good enough. It has to be manufacturable; we have to be able to build to quantity, deliver it on time. The marketing department has to support it by reaching out to our customers and making them aware of the benefits the product brings. There is quite a bit of activity behind the scenes for any new product release.

That’s a massive process. Do products ever get close but not make it in the end?

That happens! One example, we had a great tremolo pedal that we were designing. As we were nearing the completion of the design, a competitor came out with one that was somewhat similar but had tap tempo. This was many years ago before everyone had tap tempo. It was like, “Well, that just put our product down in the has-been pile.” [Laughs] And we only had a month before we were planning to release it! We had already gone through nearly the entire process. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to go back and redesign it, incorporating tap tempo. That was a major upheaval.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on there?

Oh, man! There are so many. I’ve had my hands in nearly every pickup that we’ve ever made. The Stack Plus was a pretty challenging design. There was some innovative thinking there. We were able to get a patent on that design. And I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the pedals we make. They’re a little more challenging in terms of design work.

Artist pickups can be fun. We worked with Mark Holcomb (Periphery), and he was just a great guy to work with. You know, sometimes you get to work with certain artists who really have great ears. Jerry Donahue was another guy who just has one of the best sets of ears. I mean, he could hear things that ordinary people couldn’t get even close to.

Guys like that can help elevate you to the next level. They can guide you on some of the finer points. Pickups aren’t really complicated from a technological standpoint. But there are a lot of subtleties to them. So, when you get to work with an artist with really good ears, it helps you develop those subtleties in your designs.

Working on artists’ projects have always been among my favorites. But it’s all fun. Each pickup is interesting in its own way.

What’s the future of electric guitar and bass pickup design?

I see both new technology and traditional designs. There will always be innovations and emerging technologies. The electronics industry is constantly advancing, and at a rapid rate. This creates many opportunities for innovation. There’s always going to be people, including us, trying new things. We’ve been discussing some new ideas and new technologies.

But we also find that players continue to love the traditional designs. There will always be people out there who want a traditional Strat pickup or a traditional PAF. And we’ve even found that players of all styles and genres tend to gravitate toward that passive pickup design. It gives them the kind of response, pick attack, and articulation that they want. They’re not really looking for something just because it’s new and different.

There will continue to be emerging technologies and advancements on the more familiar technologies. It is all fascinating and can stimulate new ideas. It can be challenging just to keep informed, but it is well worth the effort. I’m always looking for new ways to enrich the lives and creativity of musicians.

As a long-time bassist, what are your favorite Seymour Duncan products, and which ones do you use?

I’ve used a lot of Seymour Duncan pickups over the years, as you would expect. For the longest time, I gravitated toward active pickups. I had what we were calling Live Wires at the time. They sounded great. They had some of the character of traditional Jazz Bass pickups, which all bass players love. But they also had the advantages of active pickups. The output was a bit higher, they had a bit more extension in the frequency response. They had micro switches on the top of the pickup that allowed you to enhance the low frequencies, change the resonant frequency and alter the frequency response. Those were my favorite for years.

I’ve never been a fan of high-output bass pickups. But when I play P-Bass, I like a Quarter Pounder. They’re relatively high output. But they can transform the sound of a P Bass. For a single-pickup bass, they do a lot for it.

I also have a Fodera 5-string that has the single-coil pickups we make for Fodera. They’re custom 5-string Jazz Bass pickups. They’re oriented toward a vintage, ‘60s Jazz Bass sound. Right now, that’s my current favorite. I love the way they sound and feel.

How have you kept ahead of the changing musical styles, changes in the industry, and changing gear demands through the years?

It’s all artist-based. It’s seeing what’s being done artistically and what people are listening to and not locking yourself into one particular style of music. We have a lot of products geared toward the metal market. But we also serve the country market, R&B, and blues players, and of course rock ‘n’ roll. So being able to service many different musical markets and having relationships with many different musicians from different styles puts your thumb on the pulse of what’s going on out there.

You don’t want to get tunnel vision about any one style. A lot is going on in music these days with the way people are distributing their music. And the pandemic really changed a lot. So the industry is changing as a whole, from both the artist and the manufacturer’s standpoints.

We need to be looking beyond the easy pickings. We need to look a little further out to see what’s going on out there and what’s interesting. I mean, it’s not all Strats and Les Pauls out there anymore. There are a lot of new guitar designs, as well as pickups, effects and other electronics. To me, that’s pretty interesting.

Let’s Talk Tone

Still searching for your perfect tone? Check out our blog for tips and tricks to help you dial in the sound in your head.

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

Remember to sign up for Seymour Duncan’s free Pickup Installation 101 online course for more in-depth information, tips, and tricks.

SIGN ME UP!

Any other product questions, comments or feedback? Let us know!

We get asked a ton of questions about lipstick single-coil pickups. We’re asked everything from what they sound like to “Will they fit in my guitar?” and more. We understand the questions. They’re unique pickups, different from a Tele neck pickup, different from a Stratocaster single-coil pickup. They’re their own thing.

So what are they? To answer that question, we’ll have to dig into their history, lipstick pickup construction, and their relationship to Danelectro guitars.

1. The Danelectro Story
2. Danelectro Players and Songs
3. Lipstick Pickup Construction
4. The Lipstick Pickup Tone
5. Lipstick Wiring
6. The Present and Future of Lipstick Pickups
7. Modern Lipstick Pickups

The Danelectro Story

In the 1940s, Nathan Daniel found success with his budget line of electric instrument amplifiers, Silvertone and Danelectro. Sold through big-box retailers like Sears Roebuck, they offered budding players decent amps at bargain prices. But during the electric guitar boom in the 1950s, he added the original Danelectro and Silvertone guitar to his lineup, again with the starter-budget guitarist in mind.

While scores of guitarists got started on these plywood powerhouses, most would move on to something more reliable as their playing progressed. But not everyone. Danelectros had a unique sound that no other guitar could capture. So while many ended up collecting dust in basements, others found themselves on the world’s biggest stages and recording timeless rock ‘n’ roll.

Danelectro Players and Songs

Perhaps the most famous use of vintage Danelectro tone is the surprisingly clean-yet-crushing riffs on Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” Jimmy Page proved that a Danelectro could punch way above its weight class when paired with a mammoth bass tone. Along with Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, Page also found his Dano perfect for electrified blues slide. Check out any vintage Zep live footage, and you’ll see what we mean.

Lipstick Pickup Construction

Among its other design factors, Danelectro’s magic can be traced straight to the highly unique pickups that Nathan Daniel designed. One look at them, and it’s easy to see why they quickly took the name lipstick pickups. But the name is much more accurate than many players realize.

When searching for the right single-coils for his guitars, Daniel knew they would have to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture. That meant that the bobbins and custom-machined pole pieces Fender and Gibson used were out. Instead, they used a relatively crude Alnico V bar magnet with the copper wire wrapped directly around it. That assembly was then wrapped in cellophane tape, vacuum wax potted, and inserted straight into the trademark lipstick tube covers…actual lipstick tubes!

Daniel found he could source lipstick tubes from wholesalers for much less than standard pickup covers. And not only did these metal tubes give his pickups a unique look, but the metal cover helps shield the electronics and mellowed the otherwise ice-picky sound of his design.

The legend was born.

The Lipstick Pickup Tone

The lipstick pickup construction not only achieved Daniel’s goal of being easy and cheap to make, but it also delivered a unique tone. Due to their size limitations and other considerations, lipstick pickups provided a low output and DC resistance that excelled at clean tones.

“Jangly, chiming, clear, and detailed” are often used to describe their singular voice. While some might call it a brittle sound, others love the faster response and better note definition. Perhaps Ryan Burke of the 60-cycle Hum Podcast described it best, saying, “they basically sound the way they look”:

Despite their penchant for clean sounds, they’re also a ton of fun with a cranked amp exuding a snarly breakup and a loose low end. Players love how they teeter between tone and chaos.

Lipstick Wiring

But the pickups aren’t the only reason Danelectro guitars sound the way they do. Their relatively hollow, plywood-composite construction also plays a significant role. Lipstick wiring is also a contributor. Danos usually feature a 3-way toggle switch. Down solos the bridge pickup. Up solos the neck pickup. But the in-between setting runs both pickups in series wiring. This wiring results in an output boost with a woolier midrange punch than you might expect from lipsticks.

The Present and Future of Lipstick Pickups

Today, lipstick pickups and their tone are still synonymous with the Danelectro sound. Like Filter’Trons to Gretsch, PAFs to Gibson, and Strat single-coils to Fender, they essentially define the soul of the brand.

But then Danelectros are no longer the only place you’ll find lipsticks. Pickups like our Lipstick Tube Strat pickup drop comfortably into most Fender-style pickup routes. And Strat Players like SRV retrofitted lipsticks into their Fenders years ago. Fender has even offered several lipstick-equipped Strats right from the factory floor. And while these guitars might be missing the tonal contributions of a plywood Dano, they still bring that beautiful twang to every guitar they’re in.

Modern Lipstick Pickups

Hit the internet today, and you’ll find many companies making lipstick pickup replicas. These modern designs are much more reliable and standardized than vintage lipsticks while retaining most quirks that make old ones special.

One common upgrade is the pickup covers. Today they’re specifically designed for the pickups. No more actual lipstick tubes! These custom-made covers allow them to be manufactured in many different sizes and fit the most popular pickup routes like Strat pickups.

Inside the pickup, the improvements continue. The copper wire coil is now wound around a custom-sized plastic bobbin that features an Alnico bar magnet right down the center. These pickups still deliver the same tone but are much more reliable and easier to manufacture.

Finally, modern lipstick single-coil pickups offer a variety of wiring improvements. For reference, let’s take a look at our (retired) Danelectro Lipstick Tube pickup.

The neck model was built Reverse Wound / Reverse Polarity from the bridge model for hum-canceling operation when using both pickups. Also, the bridge model had slightly increased output to better balance with the neck position pickup.

All of these modern updates have done nothing to quell demand for lipstick pickups, new and old. In fact, modern guitarists such as Phoebe Bridgers still swing Danelectros over their shoulders quite often. And Danelectro continues to build the reissue Danelectros around the lipstick pickup platform.

Thanks to their popularity, finding vintage, original lipstick pickups is next to impossible. And if you do find them, you’re going to pay a premium. Though arguably, modern improvements have made lipstick pickup design better, some players live and die by the originals.

So if you are in the market for these old-school models, we recommend finding a broken-down Dano from the ’50s or ’60s and pulling the pickups out yourself. More than likely, the pickups are worth way more than the rest of the guitar anyway. Happy hunting!

If you have any other questions about lipstick pickups, lipstick pickup construction, or lipstick wiring, don’t hesitate to get in touch! Also, don’t forget to dig into the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog. There’s a ton of in-depth information on all of our different designs, how-tos, tone demonstrations, and a whole lot more.

Seymour Duncan Strat Sized Lipstick Pickup

Seymour Duncan Danelectro Lipstick Pickup

After selling his namesake company roughly ten years earlier, Leo Fender was back in the instrument business. And even with such iconoclast instrument designs like the Stratocaster, Telecasters, Precision, and Jazz Basses to his name, he wanted to make something greater. It was a tall order considering all of those instruments are still considered the standard today. But we’re glad he did. Because without Leo’s passion for progress, we wouldn’t have the legendary Music Man Stingray Bass today.

Today The Music Man Stingray is considered a go-to instrument for any serious bassist. But many still don’t fully grasp how game-changing the Stingray was upon its release. They just knew that it’s silky smooth neck and full-yet-scooped voice was perfect for the blossoming slap, funk, and hard rock scenes.

But the Stingray was the first of its kind becoming the very first production bass with active electronics. For the first time ever, players had precise control over their tone, able to boost and cut their bass and treble frequencies independently.

The Stingray also boasted a revolutionary new, humbucking pickup design that, when combined with its seemingly odd placement under the strings, created an incredible power and cut. It was a bass tone like no other.

The Music Man bass pickups wiring was also unique. But more on that in a bit.

The Stingray’s tone would immediately go on to fuel countless hit records and become the sonic trademark of many top-tier bands. From Flea’s iconic “Give It Away” bassline and Cliff Williams’ rock-steady AC/DC rhythms to Tony Levin and Thunder Thumbs himself, Louis Johnson, the Stingray and the Music Man pickup defined the next generation of groove.

Though the Stingray’s players are diverse, they love the bass for the same reason. They love how it blends Hi-Fi detail with massive low end while placing tonal control at their fingertips. Today, we call this the “active bass sound.” But the Stingray invented it.

The Music Man Pickup

The core of the Stingray tone is the mammoth, dual-coil humbucking pickup found in the bridge position. Leo obviously threw out the rule book (that he created) when engineering this pickup. It couldn’t have been any more different from his P-Bass single-coil if he had tried.

The Music Man pickup’s design—which is actually very similar to an electric guitar humbucker—splits from its predecessors in a few different ways. It features gigantic magnetic pole pieces, a ton of copper wire, and, if you look at a Music Man wiring diagram, you’ll see it was one of the first pickups to offer 4 conductor wiring. Speaking of wiring…

Music Man bass pickup wiring

Unlike almost every other humbucking pickup on the market, The Music Man Stingray humbucker is traditionally wired in parallel. This means that each coil of the humbucker sends its signal to the bass’s electronics independently. Nearly all other humbucking pickups, whether bass or guitar, are wired in series where the electronics receive the combined power of both coils at once.

In many ways, parallel wiring is the tonal secret to that classic Stingray sound. The sound is so iconic, that when The Music Man released the first Stingray 5-string with a blade switch for multiple wiring options, some saw it as heresy. Regardless, the parallel-wired sound is still the bass’s defining tone.

Design revisions

The Music Man pickup has gone through numerous design revisions over the years. For instance, they originally featured Alnico magnets and, when compared to other 1970s basses, they were aggressive sounding. But years later Music Man would switch to ceramic magnets, adding even more top-end detail and output. The size of the magnets also changed throughout the years. This imparted further tonal differences to each of the Music Man Stingray’s generations.

Pickup placement

Pickup placement is another important consideration about the Stingray’s humbucker. When Leo Fender designed the Precision bass, he famously placed its pickup further up the body near the neck. There’s no arguing with the tone he achieved. But the Stingray places its pickup way back toward the bridge. For most pickups this would make it much too trebley and sacrifice low end. But not with this humbucker. It adds even more punch.

The world’s first active bass

As previously mentioned, the Music Man Stingray is the world’s first production, active bass guitar. With the addition of its onboard, battery-powered preamp bassists could fine-tune their sound without extra outboard gear. This was especially useful when recording direct in the studios.

Today’s Stingrays usually have a 3-band EQ setup. There are knobs for bass, middle, and treble, all capable of boosting and cutting said frequency. But the first Stingrays offered a streamlined bass and treble layout. You might think that most players prefer the expanded control of today’s design. But both preamps have their own voice and built their own followings.

You can find the standard 4-string Music Man wiring diagram here.

The Music Man Stingray evolves

The expanded preamp control is only one modern update to this classic bass. The mid-2000s witnessed the very first dual-pickup stingrays to come off the production line. They were available with neck and bridge humbuckers, as well as a bridge humbucker and a J-style single-coil in the neck position. Accompanying the expanded pickup offerings was a 5-way selector switch, greatly expanding the Stingray’s sonic options.

Switching positions

Stingray 5

1. Parallel
2. Single-coil (filtered)
3. Series

Stingray HH

1. Neck humbucker in parallel
2. Inside coils in parallel
3. Both humbuckers in parallel
4. Outside coils in parallel
5. Bridge humbucker in parallel

Stingray HS

1. Bridge Humbucker in Parallel
2. Bridge humbucker in single-coil operation
3. Bridge humbucker and neck pickup
4. Both pickups with bridge humbucker in single-coil mode
5. Neck pickup

As with any classic instrument, pickups, or electronics, the Stingray’s success spawned thousands of recreations and different takes on its famous designs. Here at Seymour Duncan, we offer 4- and 5-string versions of both the ‘70s- and ‘90s-style Stingray humbuckers. And we even have our own twist on both versions of its preamp!

So if you have any other questions about Music Man bass pickup wiring or deciding on which Music Man pickup is right for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch! Also, don’t forget to dig into the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog. There’s a ton of in-depth information on all of our different designs, how-tos, tone demonstrations, and a whole lot more.

Check Out Seymour Duncan’s Music Man Pickups