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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Pickups...

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...What are they? I'm sure this question may sound dumb to plenty of you guys, but I've never had an electric guitar and so I'm gonna exploit the "101" aspect of this site. I hear a lot of talk about " the pickup on the of the guitar and the sound will be more " So what are pickups and what do they do exactly? Or how do you apply them to surf?

Shocked Pickups are those little metal studs at either end of the guitar that attach to your strap and allow you to "pickup" the guitar. Wether or not they affect tone is subjective.

In the case that this is a serious post, I apologize it's just hard to believe. Pickups are the "microphones" (not actually microphones) under the strings that "pickup" the vibration of the strings via electromagnetivity thus making them an electric instrument. They can alter the tone of the guitar. If you wan't more info I'll be happy to provide it just let me know.

3rd Edit: Oh wait your probably a drummer, huh? Smile

<img src="klzzwxh:0000"></img>

The pickup is the part of an electric guitar that turns string oscillation into an electrical signal.

Here's an article at wikipedia: pickups

That explains it better than I could. Be sure to check out the links to the different types of pickups. For surf, you're primarily interested in the single coil types.

Don

Pickups convert the vibrating energy of the guitar strings into an electrical signal. Basically the metal strings move through a magnetic field which causes an electric current to flow.

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so, why are they called 'pups'? Rolling Eyes Twisted Evil

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

DannySnyder
so, why are they called 'pups'? Rolling Eyes Twisted Evil

because their sound is sometimes described as "these pickups bark"...

WR

PS wooza, dont worry about sounding stupid. I spent years playing before I found out that that cool raunchy sound that rock guitars made was a matter of overdrive pedal, an electronic devise, rather then a playing technique. I actually spent time playing a spanish accoustic wondering why AC/DC got that sound form their guitars and I couldn't. there you have it, we all gotto start somewhere.

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