Neck Vs Bridge pickups are a common debate among electric guitarists. There seems to be some confusion about when and where to use these two pickups. Some people will say that you should use both, others will tell you to use one and then the other. In this article I will explain what the differences are and why you should only use one. By the end of this article, you will know exactly when to use a neck or bridge pickup in your electric guitar.
The way a pickup works is pretty simple. The electronic signal from your guitar goes through the pickup, which then converts it into an analog signal. The neck of the pickup acts as a pickup switch, picking up the signal and storing it. The bridge picks up the signal and filters it. Basically the bridge is just used to offset one sound with another.
So why do people argue the difference? It’s actually quite simple. When you use one, you’re basically just sending one signal to a single destination. However, when you use a neck or bridge, you send two signals (the electrical signal AND the acoustic signal), this is important because you want to make sure that the sounds are separated and heard distinctly.
There are pros and cons for each type of pickup, but here are the main benefits of having one. When you have a neck pickup, you’re basically sending two signals (one to the neck, one to the bridge) at the same time. This makes for a much clearer tone. On the downside, a neck can produce a bit more feedback as well, meaning that if you don’t get the tone you were hoping for, you may have to take another guitar out and start again. With a bridge, on the other hand, you’re simply pushing the pickup closer to the sound you want, without actually touching it yet.
So what’s the difference when it comes to when to use a neck or bridge? To figure this out, you have to look at the anatomy of the guitar. A bridge picks up one signal and sends it to the amplifier. A neck picks up two signals, one going to the pickup and one going to the amplifier. It all depends on which way the pickup is angled.
When you get down to it, when you’re playing and you need a good solid guitar tone, a neck or bridge is almost always the better choice. The main reason behind this is that it eliminates all the feedback that a bridge can cause. However, with that said, you still may need to experiment with your guitar a bit if you haven’t already. If you have experience with the hum present in a neck pickup, you can simply remove the hum by pushing the pick a little harder, or by using a whammy bar to reduce its pitch.
On the other hand, when you’re playing clean with a nylon string guitar, a bridge is more recommended since it gets you closer to the note you’re playing for maximum tonal impact. Most electric guitars have some type of bridge already built in; they’re just on the head of the pickup. When you use a bridge, it gives you a slightly higher pitch so you can add distortion. When using it cleanly, you’re basically just doing the same thing as you would with a neck pick-up.
There are also a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to switching from neck to bridge. First off, your speed control needs to be increased. If you’re used to changing neck pickups to bridge ones, it may take a little while for you to transition. Also, change your intonation. With a heavy strumming pattern, you’ll get more tone from a neck pick-up than with a bridge.