In this entry, I’ve elected to provide a temporary time away away from our talk so I can answer some questions asked by a few of youthful associates about electric guitars — namely, “tell me the difference between single-coils and humbuckers?”
My silly profound explanation is “not much, and greater than one can even believe.” Seriously, though, Humbuckers are in reality merely dual single-coils, with one with opposite polarity to the second to isolate (or “buck”) electrical hum (which can usually be noticed all too loudly once single-coils are amplified)
Having said that, that’s maybe not what my younger friends were wanting to know. What they may be asking about is the distinction in sound, as vast as the difference between the sound you will find out when you’re listening to it. Sometimes a distraction will permit a dirtier sound to get by you, so put down those prom dresses catalogs and focus on the sound you’re making. The homecoming queen wants the guy with the cleanest strum. And that could be you.
Humbuckers are ‘thicker’ as compared to single-coils. Comparatively more ‘twangy’, single-coils usually permit the guitar to be heard more clearly through the amplification process (as well as hum and noise), while humbuckers distort quite smoothly, but seem to integrate more easily (i.e. the sound of the guitar blends in more smoothly with the amplifier and effects).
Listen to guitarists like Eric Clapton or Stevie Ray Vaughan for the unmistakable sound of the single-coil, and for humbucker pickpus the range offers guitarists using the clean classic tones of B. B. King through the heavier sounds of 60′s and 70s rock all the way to Slash.
Maybe this will give you something to go on; I promise that next time I’ll be back to my ways. So until next time…