Jazz Guitar, Floating vs Set Pickups Rich Severson

[@markbutcher4100]

A guitar with a set pickup usually has a thick top as it’s expected to be used amplified and a thick top reduces feedback. A guitar with a floating pu is usually expected to be played acoustically and has a thinner top.

[@JohanDePue]

Beautiful playing, thanks for clarifying the difference between a floating and a mounted pick-up

[@darwinsaye]

One of the many things I love about Jazz arch top players: They don't shy away from dialling in a nice rich bass frequency. That sounded gorgeous.

[@roba1899]

That first guitar is absolutely beautiful to look at and has the most wonderful delicate, balanced, organic tone you could possible have. Wow ..

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thanks Bob I think that as well

[@cta.autonoma]

Totally agree. I fell in love with the sound of the guitar with floating pickup and ebony bridge.

[@poguie]

Wonderful, effortless playing, fingers gliding over the fretboard... enjoyed this so much, thank you.

[@jbbnbsmith]

Came for the pick up comparison, stayed for the playing. Very helpful demo, beautiful guitars, and great music.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thanks for watching and for your comment! Glad you enjoyed it.. and hopefully it gave you some clarity on what type of pickup would suit you best!

[@jimstahlhut1917]

I like the mounted. Smoother but you are right about it being electric sounding. But it's my favorite.

[@the_sceptic]

I liked the first guitar best. Gorgeous sound.

[@johnfenner347]

A Most Excellent “Mini Seminar”. Nice Sounds And Top Sense. Enjoyable. Greetings From Scotland, John Fenner.

[@ariobintangnugraha1916]

Do I want a floating pickup, or a mounted pickup? Yes

[@carlwilson5339]

I PREFER OLIVE OIL FOR FLOATING PICKUPS it gives the tone a Godfather feel

[@eddycerb]

Always

[@gillesvaneeden3313]

God, do I hate non-polar questions?

[@chaselee86]

Why not both?

[@notyourordinaryangel_jd]

I always wondered how the floating pickup sounded compared to the mounted one. I must say that I've grown accustomed to the mounted pickup tone. The floating pickup has a raw, natural sound, but the other can be shaped accordingly, depending on what amp you're playing through. I like the sound on 4:32, sounds like butter

[@antonschmid229]

Beatiful playing , so fluid..

[@jonk.j.jeffbartz7948]

I love the sound of that guitar at the beginning of the video, and I'm finally getting used to my new Harley Benton Manhatten Standard with the floating pickup, so I couldn't have gotten your tutorial at a better time. Thanks!

[@BlackBearFilms]

Lovely guitars and playing. May I ask the string gauge on them?

[@davidaraujo927]

Great primer on tone regarding the world of electric archtops! Thanks Rich!

[@mathquir190]

Adjustment and the humbucker choice's making a huge difference at the end... I think the big difference to me is do you play it sometime acoustically ? If yes I won't put a hole into it and use the floating pickup.

[@papawx3]

The tone of the first Eagle with the floater and ebony bridge sounded much more natural and mellow to my ears. I keep saying: Some day I'm going to get a Golden Eagle, but like John Fogerty used to sing:"Some day never comes......" I can never seem to find the extra money. So I'll have to stick with my 1979 Ibanez GB-10.

[@klecoxs2]

But hey a GB10 is a dam nice guitar especially that era

[@scaramuzzoso11]

I totally agree with you. I'm just about to purchase my "first" (probably last LOL) Golden Eagle and I've found one with the floating PU. Everyone on the internet is saying so bad about it, but this video proves otherwise. Floater wins for me!

[@donmills8614]

Rich, thanks. I owned a Gibson L-5C, no pickup, for many years. I got used to the pure acoustic tone, unamplified, and loved it. I now own a Campellone with a floating pickup. By habit I did not use an amp over the last decade. BUT I decided to try it out. I was missing out on something wonderful. Thanks for the comparison of the mounted vs floating pickup. I am happy I have the floating one. BTW, beautiful Heritages! Very fine instruments.

[@gillesvaneeden3313]

The longitudinal position of the element, the leaking tone control and the metal bridge all affect the sound produced by guitar #2. IME, a solid metal bridge - very dense and heavy in comparison to the thin guitar top - completely changes the instrument's response and would account for most of the difference here.

[@acwatercolors]

You are a source of knowledge, information and curiousity. Really thanksfull for sharing your expertise with us

[@acwatercolors]

I just got an Eastman 810ce few days ago, amazing guitar! This is the previous model with floating pickup, and maybe I'd like to change it in the future. Is the floating using here a Seymour Duncan Benedetto? Great tone 👍 Amazing Eagle guitar by the way 👍

[@jimstahlhut1917]

I love them both. Great sales pitch for the Golden Eagle!

[@ryanbirabent-genone9219]

Love that mounted pickup tone. The floating pickup does sound more “acoustic”, but the mounted just has “that sound”.

[@RickMcCargar]

Couldn't go wrong with either of those if I played as well as you!

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thank you

[@RickMcCargar]

@@RichSeversonGuitar Thank you!

[@SteveBlackdog]

Thanks. Great explanation. You play beautifully!

[@numbersabcdefg]

The glove...I thought it was warmer. I love to keep my hands and wrists warm. Helps with cramps and looseness when I play.

[@Dovvik]

What a beautiful sounding guitarist, floating or set.

[@grantgre]

The Gibson L5 as played by Wes Montgomery has a unique sound especially when you’re playing chords that you have to work harder on other thinner guitars to get.

[@larrylorenzen2449]

The Music Machine was one of my favorite groups from the 60s!!!

[@briantarthur5540]

Thanks for that Rich. I like your videos. Keep 'em coming. This one was very educational. I used to have a Epiphone (Korean) Joe Pass. Very good of its type (I used draught-proofing to mute the pick up rattled) and brilliant at the price point. I part exchanged it towards a 1981 GB10 - good move. The GB10 is a half way house, I reckon -floating pickups but still quite electric sounding. I have a preference for floating pickups though because I like to play purely acoustically sometimes. I have several, including a Loar LH 650 and a 1985 Heritage Sweet 16 (now I get to the point), which really is sweet. The Loar was a bargain at the price, gives my '57 L7C a run for its money. However it was let down at final assembly. I had to remove wood from the bridge to get a modern action, the supplied strings weren't good, and I got a slight buzz when I turned up the volume. I realised that the pick-up had been wired to the volume control wrong way around at the factory. a little light soldering solved that. Now I have a lovely sounding and playing archtop that I'm not too scared of losing at a gig. The Sweet 16 has a similar pick-up to your Golden Eagle, and I prefer the smaller body for comfort. The Sweet 16 sounds lovely unplugged and pretty well the same through my AER 60, proving your point. I had thought of changing the pick up for a late 70s Ibanez super 70 floater which I have had languishing in my workshop ever since then. The Ibanez would look prettier, but the Heritage original does the job so well, so why change it. My '57 L7C (Bill Lawrence floating pickup attached) has real vintage mojo, though the Heritage is absolutely my favourite for looks and sound. Comparing them acoustically is interesting and perfectly illustrates what they say about parallel versus X brace bars - more punch from parallel, more sustain and sweetness from X.

[@AdvenJack]

At 6:59 Rich begins to talk about controlling feedback whether the guitar has a floater or a mounted pickup. THAT should be the topic of its own video! What do you say Rich? Thank you for all the information you impart!

[@MetaphysicalMusician]

I noticed you know the trick .of keeping the body from in front of speaker to prevent feed back...the neck is in front of the speaker

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

Yes is my favourite answer. Thank you for this video

[@sdantonio]

Hi Rick, Great study. As a Luthier I love to see these type of studies done by the players because it's ultimately up the the player and want he/she wants. For example Jim Hall will only play laminated tops with set in pickups because he says cuts down on the feedback and gives him the sound he wants. Martin Taylor uses only carved top guitars with suspended Benedetto s-6 pickups these days.Other players I know change with the venue their playing. Again, great study, thanks for doing it.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thanks Steve

[@ReinholdBinder-d9n]

Set pickup and tunomatic bridge. No question. Sounds much warmer.

[@MetaphysicalMusician]

Lovely sound...Nice playing..What are your feelings on the Geogre Benson GB seriesna and floating pickups

[@juangenesyjazz]

Muy bueno tu aporte Rick pero mi opinion con respecto a telecaster , esta en subir un poco volumen equalizar bien y magia y gusto personal del toque propio de cada persona!

[@johntedesco4880]

Hi Rich, hope the hand heals quickly. A room with three Eagles.... maybe one day I’ll get to play one!

[@m.vonhollen6673]

I like your style, very smooth.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thanks for watching and commenting, M. von Hollen!

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Curious if there is a mounted one that's a little more transparent/less dull or a floater that's a little less pingy on the top end and is more filled out there... kind of like a floater designed to tonally sit in between

[@Drosemusic37]

Great video Rich, thanks so much for doing it! What is the floating pickup in the first guitar? You mentioned the mounted pickup in the second guitar is a SD 59.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

If I remember correct a Bartolini or the stock Heritage

[@Drosemusic37]

@@RichSeversonGuitar thanks!

[@gillesgenete9598]

Thanks for demo. I prefered the floating pick up tones, with slightly more highs to my ears, seems to offer a wider range of frequencies, while the mounted PU seemed to have the highs cut. But it's really a matter of taste, like comparing a good Burgundy to a good Bordeaux.

[@bobparsonsartist564]

It always seemed to me that the floating pickup would negate the tonewoods used. So what if the top vibrates differently if the pickup is attached to the neck? Sort of like Strat pickups floating in plastic...mysteries abound.

[@gscottfuller]

Rich - Thanks for the demo. What brand is the floating pickup? I need to replace mine on my Eastman 605 and that one sounds very nice. Having a luthier mount a new pick guard and new through top control knobs rather than the wheels that came on the Eastman pick guard.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Im sorry! I really can't remember, it's been so long since I have sold it! Thanks for watching though and that sounds like a cool upgrade!

[@gscottfuller]

@@RichSeversonGuitar No problem. Going with a Bartolino floating. Thx. Love your channel and play a bunch of your chord melodies like Moonlight in Vermont and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Good stuff!

[@rickygomez2316]

Great video, Rich. Thanks for this

[@AlexBeyond100]

Thanks for sharing Rich! I prefer the sound of a mounted one which gives me, how I call it: a "dark soul" sound. I find floaters better suiting carved-top guitars where acoustic tone is a major factor. They just don't choke acoustic tone. Cheers!

[@stephencarter7098]

Really enjoyable and informative videos. All the things I've been thinking about have been explored in your presentation. One pickup or two, floating pickup or set in. I play the Joe Pass Emperor 2 which is now being set-up with D'Addario flatwounds 11/50.The Eastman 803 15 inch with 1 pickup that you featured is absolutely gorgeous in every way. I like your down to earth way of presenting these videos. Thank you.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Awesome, thank you for weighing in! Sounds like you have some awesome guitars!

[@ericsmadis]

Hell yes, I remember the Music Machine! LOL! Great demo, by the way!

[@bendesrosiers3524]

Thanks Rich!

[@mikecashmusic]

Hey Rich, I have a 1940 Gibson L7 with a McCarty floating pickup. I play thru two EV Everse 8’s using an Allen and Heath mixer. Any tips on how to get a good jazz tone with this equipment? Pedals? Thanks you!! Michael

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Sorry I'm at a lost

[@carlosreira413]

Sweet playing. and sweet rustic wall. Looks like honey locust. (?)

[@babalaughing]

Beautiful playing and sound, as always!! I've been seduced by floaters more than once, but have always ended up regretting it. For me, not only was a floater too edgy and brittle, but the lack of adjustability ends up being a problem with some amps or some rooms. The adjustability problem almost always comes down to "too much bass", and I don't like compensating by turning the bass down on the amp-- thins the overall tone too much.

[@MarkusWutte]

The answer to your video is YES! :)

[@hughcameron]

Both sounds are beautiful, but with different characters. They are like two gorgeous women. Both are beyond criticism. Listen to either in isolation and you say - lovely. I had a plain old Heritage Eagle with a floating pickup which sounded great. I also had a H575 with fixed HBs and it sounded great too.

[@garymcaleer6112]

The floating p/u is far more caressing as well as far less fatiguing. I had a Peerless w/floating p/u. There were four at the store. And one sounded much better than the others. And the spruce had tight even grain.

[@robsondiem]

Sir, you play BEAUTIFULLY!!!! Wow man...

[@nylonsteel]

any tips on how to fix a bridge pickup rattle,ugly resonance besides stuffing stuff between the pickup ring and pickup?

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Electrical tape around the pickup at the ring?

[@To.Si.Ma.]

For that Wes Montgomery sound is it better to have 2 installed humbuckers? Because I saw him playing a jazzbox like that. Someone knows if he ever did use the bridge PU?

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

I highly doubt he ever used the back pickup!

[@pinacoco2]

Great demo, great playing. Really appreciate. Both guitars sound great, they have a „Rich“ tone :-) i‘ll go for the floating pu since I love the warm and gradually more acoustic tone... golden eagles are worth every penny in the hands of a good player. Look stunning too

[@ansonrealm]

06:25 Jim Hall - The Answer is Yes

[@glynnp42]

Hi Rich, both pickups sound beautiful in your hands. I just this weekend started searching for an arch top to learn to play jazz guitar, and I played an Ibanez GB guitar with the floating pickups and they sounded louder and more bright than the other pickups on the other guitars. I liked the sound and power of these, and I assume that I can just turn down the tone knob to give me a warmer tone to sound more like a mounted pickup if I went with one of these. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thanks, Paul

[@jerrycortez2887]

Talk Talk! You sound great, as always.

[@peterweltweit]

unplugged a floater does not affect the sound, top swings better. right?

[@BarneysBullit]

i found i could NOT deal with floating pup. the top of the guitar was WAY TOO LIVELY. if you even breathed on the strings it would ring out. so, i traded my eastman ar610ce (violin finish--stunning archtop!) for an ibanez pm2aa... even swap!! LOVE the pm2aa!!

[@gitanhoro1017]

The first One is stunning and sounds so creamy! Would buy on spot!

[@john-paulsullivan5543]

It sounds good no matter what when this dude is playing.

[@epf1961]

I think the point that was NOT made in this video is perhaps the most important one: The floating pickup does not touch the guitar's top (unlike the top-mounted pickup that is obviously screwed into the top.) The purpose of this is to allow the top to vibrate freely and thus achieve amplification of the guitar's full acoustic tone. So the real benefit of a floater is achieved with a carved-top guitar. A floater on a laminate top guitar almost makes no sense at all. My guess would be that the Eagle with the floater is carved and the one with the top-mount pup is laminate? That would make sense, at least to me. Why would someone go to the trouble and expense of hand-carving a guitar top and then go and drill holes into it? Seems crazy. You also have the volume and tone bolted to the top as well, which further dampens its ability to vibrate.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Excellent point! Thanks for weighing in on that epf1961. I appreciate that!

[@marcaskew61]

Great demo - luckily I have guitars with both types of pickups.

[@whimpypatrol5503]

After a long held bias against set pickups, I decided it was all malarkey and that set pickups are better sounding. But if I could get a floating pickup with the larger magnet of a set, I would change my mind again and prefer a floating. In the end, though, I can't imagine someone having the nerve to cut into a Trenier, Ribbecke, D'aquisto or even a laminate Gibson Crest even if the sound attributes were better. So, the question is almost pointless.

[@77pearcearrow]

The mounted pickup sounds so good on that Heritage, both are fantastic. I play close to the bridge and usually remove the pickguard, so I think floating pickups could be a problem for me.

[@metalindo-curry7547]

I think the floating pickup is attached to neck since the pickguard doesn't show the screws for mounting the pickup. It's possible that it's glued to the pickguard, though.

[@MarkJoel1960]

Thanks for the video. What glove is that you are wearing?

[@clgmafnas]

Appreciate your demo of the different types of pickups. My concern towards floating pickups is the tendency for them to feedback at stage volume (never played them, just based on the feedback from others on jazz forums). I prefer the tone of the floating pickup more. Your thoughts, sir?

[@MarkRhodesSongs]

Thanks for this demonstration, Rich. I prefer the sound of the first Golden Eagle, the one with the floating pickup. I've never had a guitar with one. That may be in my future.... ;o)

[@drewderuiter4131]

yes thanks. I prefer the set pickup sound myself

[@bbowjazz]

Both …. It is possible to have a floating pick up with pole pieces however.

[@nealmycin7783]

Or the same guitar with a Charlie Christian pickup?

[@nealmycin7783]

I like floater best it has a more Barney Kessel sound .

[@carlcurtis]

The other age-old question: one or two pickups?

[@chrispile3878]

Rich - Have you ever played any carved top Eastman archtops?

[@RastaLlama]

Everything you play is so beatiful🙏🏾👌🏽👌🏽

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thank you!

[@jocknarn3225]

Ya dog ate ur pick up; but seriously, thx, I learnt the difference between set & floating pup sounds. I have a Gibbo L5 acoustic I wanna play acoustically on one hand but full electric on the other .. without carving a hole into guitar top. I was mostly an electric 335 player but my tastes r maturing & preferring acoustic. Now, if I can somehow switch between full electric & acoustic on the same guitar .. my fav acoustic L5 I’d b stoked. Inspired by Bill Evans acoustic/electric experiments of the early-mid 70s .. easy 4 the likes of him & say, Zawinul as they’d just pivot .. literally .. between keyboards. My top priority is 2 have that proper acoustic vibe. Probably gonna hafta settle 4 a floating pup tuned dark @ the amp. Anyways, mulling .. nice playing btw

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Interesting that you mention switching between full electric and acoustic! Have you seen this guitar? prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_hollowbody_ii_piezo_2021 It has two inputs that give you a full acoustic sound and a full electric sound. A friend of mine just bought one and I am hoping he will let me do a video on it soon! It has a great acoustic sound from what I have heard. Anyway, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@ImOnlyFakingIt]

Great video, thanks!!!

[@leomilani_gtr]

I guess I liked the set pickup sound better, but that's because I really prefer the electric sounding guitars.

[@ricardoslhenriques]

Hey there Rich. As a mainly blues/rock guitar player, I always loved those chord progressions for jazz music. As for pups, i tend to like the darker sound, hence the fixed. But I would ask you this: a all-the-way down tone knob with a floating pup would sound similar to the fixed one? If so, the dynamics would be better imho. Thanks man 👍😎

[@grantgre]

I think the two tune o matic makes a big difference .,,so the comparison should’ve been with that but the heritage floating pick up sounded better. But I’m sorry that Herb Ellis guitar sounded better than all of those guys and also the Eastman with the flatwounds on it played a couple months back I think it was 503 something

[@jansteinbach2598]

"Should you have a Strat or a Tele - the answer is: yes !" --> so funny ! And I do appreciate it a lot that you do care so much about the (jazz) tone of the different guitars. Yours is for me the most interesting channel on youtube. Thank you !!

[@AlOwens]

Beautiful as always Rich. What strings? Rich, you could make barbed wire sound good.

[@charleshuguley9323]

I would prefer the floating pick-up. Can't imagine buying such an exquisite arch top and then screwing a pick up in.

[@Guitar6ty]

The PAF pick up sounds richer and more full than the floater.

[@PJ-hn4cg]

Which amp are you using please ?

[@cliffgulliver4626]

Thanks

[@jamesjoyner1665]

What pick are you using?

[@kenster865]

I had a Heritage Super Eagle in the early 2000's and sold it for probably stoopid reasons. The Heritage headstock just turns me off. The design doesn't impress. Yet the guitar was an amazing player. We all do regrettable things and selling my Super Eagle was one of them. Damn shame which I hope to correct in the near-term.

[@ghettobrown1121]

thats why we need 14 guitars...please explain this to all of our wives...hahah!!!!

[@johndaypulse]

Good stuff Rich. that's helpful. However can you please elaborate on the first guitar model you have playe? I do have a Godin 5th avenue Jazz and would like to replace my current pickup. I'd like to get a warmer tone. which one would you recommend please? thanks!

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Heritage golden eagle with a after market Bennedetto pickup

[@murrayatuptown353]

I have always been curious about the Shadow Attila Zoller SH AZ-48 as an experiment, but don't need to pursue it at the moment.

[@steverolfeca]

Rich, what amp is that in the background? BTW, I was my dad's bassist for many years. He got a marvelous tone from his ES-175 and Fender Pro Reverb, but we were both deeply disappointed when he moved up to a Gibson Johnny Smith. Hugely expensive guitar, incredible craftsmanship, but the pickup sounded awful. Not acoustic vs electric, as in your demo- just awful. Also, zero gain before feedback!

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

The amp Is a Quilter Mircopro200 with an 8" speaker. Email me direct if you want one. [e-mail]. A JS through a Fender amp is really prone to feedback

[@scaramuzzoso11]

Floater! No doubt!

[@dmoorefsmfn]

What amp are you playing these guitars through? When I played jazz I rarely messed with my tone or volume knobs anyway. I personally like the floating sound. You mentioned all the parts of the rig that affect tone. Well, the player affects tone too and you have a great, clean articulate tone. I’m quite jealous:)

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

A Quilter MicroPro 200 8" thanks for your kind words

[@redrock1963]

Honey suddenly flowing from my speakers.

[@stevec.1802]

Love your demos and presentations.. The sound of the Eagle with the tom bridge and the humbucker reminds me of Tony Motolla’s recording from the 60’s. Very nice sounding archtop. Thank you.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Just bought several of Tony' albums

[@shaft9000]

Wow, what a difference! The first would sound good in just about any mix, while the second perhaps could work in a small combo ok. The floater sounds lovely and balanced, like one might hope a guitar ~that is merely being made louder~ SHOULD sound. Whereas the PAF in the second guitar&setup sounds 'electrified'. It emphasizes a massive 'hump' from around 120Hz-250Hz, seemingly close to the edge of the dreaded Gibson "Woolly-Mammoth effect" wherein the low-end overpowers and craps-out the entire timbre. A bit like a dreadnought that's too big and resonant for it's own good. Thanks, Rich :)