Does A One Pickup Guitar Sound Different - Can You Hear The Difference?

In today's video Paul from The Studio Rats is seeing if one pickup guitars actually sound different. This debate of the magnetic field of a second pickup changing the sound of a guitar has been going on for years. In today's video I see if it actually does affect the sound, or in the grand scheme if it really matters at all.
The Studio Rats are core band members Paul Drew on guitar/production/mixing, drummer James Ivey and Dan Hawkins on bass. They collaborate with singers and musicians to produce radio-ready songs.

[@adhaskym.a9536]

Try no pickups. That would be very interesting.

[@jamiebriggs8277]

"There are guitarists who say..." is a dangerous way to start lol If there is a difference at all, it's not a difference that's more significant than a slightly harder or softer strum, or strumming slightly further up or down the neck, or slightly turning a knob on the guitar/pedal/amp. It did seem like there was a little more grit in a couple of those comparisons, but that could be any number of factors other than/in addition to the neck pickup. I like having single pickup guitars, because although I love the versatility of my jazzmaster, or the 5 positions on my strat, or the coil splits on my HH guitars, sometimes it's great to just plug in and play and not worry about all that :D

[@picksalot1]

When I first got my Reissue Strat long ago, I noticed the sound from Pickups that should have been "off" bleeding into the single Pickup that was selected. Certain types of Selector Switches contribute to this. An easy test to hear if this occurs on your guitar is to tap on the selected Pickup and a non-selected one with a small metallic object. If you hear the tapping on both, there is some sound bleeding, and can cause a degree of Phasing, enhancing or cancelling some frequencies. This can vary in amount and desirability. With advancements in Modeling, Capturing, Profiling, IRs, Plugins, EQ, etc., the tones from particularly types of Pickups can be emulated or replicated in the digital signal chain before the final Output. As a result, the things that matter for me in a Pickup are hum-cancelling, balance across the strings, clarity, dynamic sensitivity, and adjustable Pole Pieces. I've gone to using one Pickup, a Humbuckers in the Bridge location, and all the other heavy lifting is done by my Modeler. So much simpler and effective for me. 😎

[@gercarey3261]

In relation to the sound bleed form the "off" pickups, you would need to take the "off" pickup out of the guitar for this test, as if you tap anwhere on the guitar it will bleed into the sound ......... 🙂

[@picksalot1]

@@gercarey3261 In my tests, I removed the Pickguard from the guitar but still attached to the Jack and conducted various tap tests on the Pickup pole pieces, Pickguard plastic, and various Pickup combinations. In all scenarios, the "off" Pickup bled into the other Pickup. This happened with the Blade Switch, but not with the Toggle Switch I tested.

[@ryanchamblee2758]

Maybe I missed it but were the same pots used throughout? I saw there was a different control plate shown at one point but wasn’t clear if that changed too. Pot values can vary 10 to 20% even though they are labeled the same value and effects the highs the most.

[@colmkelly5524]

This is my issue. It’s not possible to say whether the difference is down to the presence of a neck pickup or because there is a different wiring harness. The way to truly test the impact the neck pickup magnetism is having on the bridge pickup would be to install the neck pickup but not hook it up.

[@paullund8022]

It looks like the Esquire switch was at the back. Doesn't this cut the tone pot out? The middle position would have been equivalent and that will be a little darker.

[@benweekes6700]

Oh my word… that’s my old Esquire! Nice to see it’s gone to a great home!!! If you do ever get to a point where you want to sell it, let me know because it’s one I do regret letting go a bit!

[@cyanidejunkie]

It’s so slight you couldn’t tell if you listened to random recorded bits, not knowing which was which… however the difference between red and browny is drastic. Red has a nice snarl to it where browny has more body, making it sound like a more low mid push. Both are very nice but, I don’t think I’d be able to put red down for very long. Great post as usual. Be well my friend.

[@BrandOdyssey]

No. There is no need for a test. In fact I’m quickly finding out that most of the KZbin stuff being demoed is almost irrelevant in a typical band or live situation where NONE of these nuances are relevant. Cant use lush reverb cause it gets washed away in the mx. Can’t use much delay Same reason. Drive nuances disappear. Can’t turn up much cause the other band members can’t hear themselves. All wobbly effects sound very similar in a band setting. The biggest issue with guitar in a band is getting mid range cut through without disturbing the other sounds

[@vaughan7835]

Have you tried putting the neck P'up, no cover, Under the Pickguard", so it's invisible? I'm building a "Partscaster Tele" & hiding the neck p'up under the scratch plate. Same Tele body getting a carved belly cut & armrest. If it turns out alright, I'll buy an Esquire Pup & wiring harness. Massive difference! ❤

[@vincenttam8642]

So it does, it has more lower end when the neck pickup is installed and sounds less spiky, I actually like the original single Esquire setup tone much more, it sound more aggressive and big. I am not sure the tone change is from adding the neck pickup or it has to do with the control plate wiring/pot tolerance tho.

[@lynyrddeville]

The biggest thing i can take from this comparison, is that the red Esquire is an absolute beast!! Dont ever sell that guitar because toy will regret losing it for a long time afterward and not that itt matters, the new owner will laugh at you as soon as they realize what you let go from your own guitar stable. It really is exceptional!

[@Adventuresingearland]

The MXR sounds tasty as well!

[@TheStudioRats]

Yeah it’s alright isn’t it for a mini pedal!

[@colmkelly5524]

I might have missed it, but did you use a different wiring harness (pots and caps) for both iterations?

[@uniqdzign2]

Hi Paul, always when you're putting one sound against the other, I listen with my pro studio headphones. Between your other tele and the 'esquire' the mid range is noticeably upped. Between the 'conversion' and the 'esquire', the only real appreciable difference, is that the mid is up only when you add the MXR Sugar Drive. Prior to that the difference was really minimal. Personally, I preferred the 'esquire' with it's single pickup, much more forward, cleaner, and i would imagine in a live performance it would cut through the mix better too. JMO.

[@commanderveecock3985]

Frankly, with that particular guitar it doesn’t matter whether there is 1 pick up or 2 - it just sounds FANTASTIC!

[@stevehughes_5733]

Been looking forward to this... great vid, mate. Difference or not it's a fantastic sounding guitar, and the drive from the little MXR is awesome! Cheers

[@evanmiller2579]

Very subtle difference. And both tones in the comparison sound great. I think the inbetween position on a tele is the best clean sound ever so totally worth adding it in my opinion.

[@TheStudioRats]

Agreed

[@MonkeyKing887]

I'm listening trhough proper Neumann monitor and a reall great convertor and I can hear a difference for sure. The 2 pickup version is a tad mellower and slightly compressed. Prefer the single pick upo for def.

[@lostinpa-dadenduro7555]

I’ve grown up now. I’m ready for a telecaster. 😀👍

[@NickGranville]

The one pickup did sound different - it had more sustain. But I’d 100% go with the 2 pickups on a tele. The one guitar where it really makes a difference is the Les Paul Jr. not due to the pickup but rather due to the fact it now has a solid neck joint as opposed to being routed for a pickup which weakens that neck joint area on a guitar which needs it there. Interest in comparison, thanks for that

[@Utube-g3g]

I like the double pup better. Plus, I like the color and although I prefer rosewood fretboards you never know. I recommend keeping it. I like the color too.

[@heavymetal6910]

There certainly is a tone shift, single pickup has more attack

[@jackymarc4801]

This is a great test, thank you. I often wondered what the purpose of a guitar with only one pickup was ? With your test I realize that the difference in clarity and punch is hearable in clean sound. But, with the MXR pedal engaged, I don't hear the difference. However, i understand your choice to add a second microphone, in order to have a more versatile guitar. But isn't this the opportunity to have a different guitar with this one micro ?

[@senorphilipe4242]

You should always BACK SCREW before screwing in screws to find and pickup the existing thread

[@10sassafras]

What a great video. Thanks! The magnetism difference, if any, wasn’t perceptible by me but the wiring change was, only just. Does your DAW show a slight EQ shift towards the mids?

[@user-mi4du9rd1j]

Would a hotter neck pickup with a stronger magnet make more difference? My guess is it probably still wouldn't be worth pulling a good neck pickup out. I only use the neck pickup maybe 20 percent of the time, but it sure is nice to have handy.

[@Chucksguitargeekery]

It’s such a negligible difference. I actually converted a tele partscaster to an “Esquire” just to have something different. But I wired it with an “Eldred Mod,” which in the 3rd position puts a passive filter that reduces treble and bass, which effectively gives it a cocked-wah type of tone. It’s a fun guitar, and I have other tele’s with neck pickups if I want that sound.

[@justinpaquette224]

I would like to know what the ohm reading on the pots were in the old and new control plates. Because that by it's self could make a difference in tone. If you got a master volume pot reading at 280K and the other one at 225k... the one with the 280k pot is going to be brighter.

[@christoguichard4311]

That Esquire almost sounds like the snarl of an SG. I'm sure you could do a convincing "Angus" with it. 😎

[@willythinker8255]

One pickup more bright and sharp.

[@Dogdickdale]

Just stop

[@bernout63]

The neck pickup muddies the signal a bit. Less definition. Not bad, just slightly different

[@jricoc3475]

They did sound different, but could the sounds be matched by adjusting the volume or tone settings? Either way, the difference in sound is not going to matter when played on a track with other instruments or vocals ...

[@jltrem]

Heard a difference. Johan Segeborn did this a few years ago with an Epiphone LP Special II. Heard difference with that as well.

[@MarioMicheliAZ]

What's the pick-up in the Esquire? Sounds amazing! Please so a video comparing the Esquire with a Les Paul Jr single P90 double cut - Fender rock machine vs Gibson rock machine :-)

[@2tubeguitar]

Shouldn't affect the tone, should affect the sustain however. But in a tele who cares for sustain... Nice test!

[@Funkybassuk]

I can’t tell what sounded better - but both ways sounded damn good!

[@nomadwd]

I have both and prefer my Esquires!!

[@Adventuresingearland]

Possibly a sniff less clarity in the clean notes once it’s wired in? I may well be doing that guitarist thing of listening with my eyes though! 😂 Either way, it sounds like the sort of guitar most of us would like to own!

[@gercarey3261]

In relation to the value? I disagree that the neck pickup adds value. Esquires are are now very hard to get and very expensive. It is now cheaper to buy a Telecaster, remove neck pickup and put an Esquire pick guard on it.

[@TheRodge2112]

It’s very subtle. Very subtle. Maybe it’s more noticeable in the room. Maybe there’s a difference in feel. I just like one pickup guitars because simple is often better.

[@RedRose4711]

What is that bridge pickup? Does anybody know?

[@svetoslavslavov7215]

Yeah, there's a difference, but the Tele configuration it's sound more pleasant to me!

[@gymowner1232]

Honestly, I can't tell a difference. It depends on whether your ears were cleaned that day. It sounds a bit more powerful that's all I really noticed.

[@antonyyuryev9750]

Hi) doesn`t it when you on 1st position on esquire you're bypassing the tone pot and make a sound a bit brighter? so to have the same thing as on a 1st position on a normal telecaster (bridge pickup + volume pot + tone pot) you should be on 2nd position on esquire, isn't it? 🙃

[@tiki_trash]

I'm also wondering how he has it wired. There have been several different wiring schemes for Teles throughout the years. Some of them have the tone pot disconnected in the back position some don't. I didn't see him swap control plates and if he mentioned it, I must have missed it. I'm totally confused, and this video leaves me with more questions than answers.

[@tiki_trash]

Some vintage Tele wiring cannot have both pickups on at the same time.

[@foolhardymcpain]

Thanks Paul. I’m interested in knowing what you used for the drive sound throughout - please could you share?

[@TheStudioRats]

The cleaner tone is the Overdrive Reverb amp and the more drive tone is an mxr sugar drive

[@efx245precor3]

Good sustain, more open

[@allanflippin2453]

Paul, Well yes... what the world needs is a Tele with a brighter bridge pickup, right? Like the other folks, I did hear a subtle difference when the second pickup was added. It was still quite bright, but the sound seemed slightly more "complex". Now we need to think about why your other Tele with "identical" pickup sounds so much different? Ya think maybe it's a matter of "identical" pickups being less than identical? I sure don't wanna go down the rabbit hole of "well the roseword fingerboard imparts a dark sound" HAHA Rock on my man!

[@craigryallful]

Just love the mojo of the esquire, if you ever want to sell it in the future please im interested, great vid ,lot of work to make this vid ,appreciate that 👍

[@TheStudioRats]

Hi Craig It’s going up for sale later today, if you’re interested get in touch via our website.

[@dougckelly]

The sound and feel of a guitar is most important to the player. If it sounds and feels amazing to you then you may be inspired to play something new, different or better or otherwise...

[@Adventuresingearland]

04:22 - appears to have more output/gain before it’s even been wired in!

[@shaharbar]

There's a difference, but its so subtle. I'd hardly consider it considerable. When looking at the waveforms, can you see it?

[@TheStudioRats]

I agree it’s not worth worrying about.

[@Benjohns89]

I don’t even hear a difference to be honest. Not looking at the screen it’s nearly impossible for me at least to tell them apart.

[@FranciscoRodriguez-ug8gc]

Sounded pretty much the same to me. I have a lot of one pickup guitars and I like them, but the difference isn't that big.

[@smokyFAB]

There is a slight “compression” happening with the kit installed as well as a little touch of low mids but, it could be due to the fact that the Esquire’s first position on the selector switch means “no load” (the brightest) but with the kit, bridge position means it will run through the 250K tone control which will “warm up” the tone ever so slightly.

[@davidhamilton7780]

A difference does not necessarily mean something positive... the versatility of a Tele over an Esquire would be a huge plus for me in any case.

[@slimsantilli4476]

The magnetic pull from a neck pickup might effect things. Who knows.

[@2002ChrisK]

You might have a point. Like many others I've always thought that the Tele bridge p/u sound is because it's a slanting single coil set in the ashtray bridge, which could affect the p/u magnetic field. To my ears the same p/u in the new type of bridge doesn't sound the same, neither does a non-slanting split humbucker in the new type of bridge. While we're on the subject I'd always go for a second lipstick p/u on a Tele. Just wondering how the third p/u on a Nashville or a humbucker in the neck affects the sound of the bridge p/u? I'll shut up now!

[@georgevangordon9728]

If there’s a difference it’s hardly noticeable but that might be how the amp is set too sounds like the gain is turned up

[@danlawson3986]

Single pup guitars are awsome. I have 3. Esquiers are amazing. Dont think, just play.

[@bmckee5430]

The biggest difference was between your other tele & the one you modded. Dunno if it's the wood or what, but they definitely sounded different regardless of your mod.

[@andrewlindsay8851]

I couldn't hear any difference. I liked everything here.

[@ericmmiller]

There is a sonic difference, albeit a slight one. And in the mix, you cannot tell.

[@ey870]

You really should swap out the pickups to double check :)

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

Very subtle difference. That said … your Esquire really sounds nice & looks bad-ass. Do you think they’d make me a candy-green Esquire? Because I have to have one now. 😂

[@TheStudioRats]

I’m sure they would, that would look awesome

[@ryanmct1892]

So I recently converted my MIM Telecaster to an Esquire. I had already put in the brass saddle ashtray bridge and the 51 Nocaster custom shop pickups, which really did sound incredible. I decided to remove the neck pickup and do the Eldred mod on the guitar, so it is no a single Nocaster bridge pickup. I thought the guitar sounded good in isolation, and obviously more treble. However, when I gigged the guitar, I found I could not get anywhere near the same mid and low frequencies I was getting. I play country rock and roll and the depth of my sound in the mix was completely gone. It was really surprising and kind of disappointing as I was very excited to perform the mod. I think I'm going to convert it back to the Telecaster setup as it simply sounded so much better and fatter, in all positions.

[@MariJu1ce]

I listwned blind and everytime i thought it sounded better i looked and there was the esquire

[@senorphilipe4242]

This is erroneous and lax. There’s going to be a difference because in the single pickup vid, you had the selector switch in position 1, which bypasses the tone pot and means that the pickup is only seeing the volume pot with less capacitance / load acting on it. With the 2 pickup configuration and associated wiring harness, the pickups are always seeing the tone pot. 🙄 I can demonstrate these exact differences on my Esquire by simply switching between positions 1 and 2, whereby I go from just volume to volume and tone.

[@VenancioPortalatin]

I can for sure hear a difference. It's very subtle but there is slight loss in higher frequency sparkle that it has as a single pickup. It's so subtle though so it's not likely in a mix you would be able to hear any real difference at all.

[@TAZnator]

Sounded better with one pickup to me.

[@diggerd6489]

From my surround sound speakers it sounds the same tbh

[@CorNigrum]

Too small a difference to care about. Not too small to be interesting, though. All for science.

[@kenphillips3282]

Nope… no difference.

[@BUY_YT_Views_858]

what camera are you using?

[@centraliafuckcorruption]

Just have both and stop arguing with yourself lol