Why Would Anyone Buy A Single Pickup Guitar?

Single pickup guitars are incredibly versatile, however you may not think so. Only having one pickup in your guitar could seem limiting but if you know a few things about how the guitar works and how to get the most out of it, a single pickup guitar can be very rewarding to play.
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[@RhettShull]

Whats your favorite single pickup guitar?

[@zummo61]

funny, I have dozens of guitars, the only ones with one pickup are lap steels.

[@martijnkooiman3282]

ofcourse malcom young's gretch guitar

[@dfoe108]

Your Solus F1

[@Gaslight.Guitar]

LP Jr

[@camm9789]

@@martijnkooiman3282 Trueeeeeeeeee

[@PaulDavids]

The intro made me want do do a road trip in a cabrio so bad. Palmtrees, beaches, coffee to go, guitar in the back... Destination: UNKNOWN. Nice guitar dude.

[@jasonpatrickdeleon4701]

paul davids 😊

[@RhettShull]

Thanks man!

[@pandaghostofficial]

You really know how to paint the picture. It's like I'm right there

[@flotenn3351]

Who else read that in this decent dutch accent?

[@davidstaton1835]

I realize now you mean any convertible, at first I thought you meant a road trip in a VW cabrio, and I was like...WHY.

[@TomoFujitaMusic]

As you know I am a huge fan of ONE PICKUP GUITAR!!!

[@gordonsmith33]

yeah the middle one ;)

[@georgemathew7182]

Ayyy

[@JohnnyGuitaristOfficial]

Definitely!

[@nazmoking3171]

My sympathies - I'll send the fat girls your direction also!

[@carlosfer461]

Hi master funkyta ♡

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

One pickup gets it done!

[@aPHYSICALretawd]

Watching this the day that fender announced a tele with a single p90 in the neck.... GAS engaged!

[@BobJones-bh9qz]

And YOU get it done also ;)

[@RhettShull]

Always

[@NoNameNo.5]

Wow Robert Baker! Jimmy page only used the bridge on his Tele. I believe the neck pickup Was busted

[@WillyMcCoy50]

The hands has more tonality than all the switches, knobs, wiggle sticks and pickups you could slap onto a plank.

[@JustSomeGuy]

I came for the single pickup commentary. I stayed cuz my man is using a tape deck.

[@Pystdammit]

Yo man that opening bit look up Heart Full of Soul - Yardbirds. Btw love your videos man, fan for over a year now.

[@antma9028]

Love it!

[@jhubsley]

Man, I've watched a ton of your videos but had no idea that you're a guitarist. Anywhere I can hear you play?

[@theghosty99]

I saw that and thought, "That portastudio probably cost less than the Chase Bliss he's playing through" lol

[@Pyrohelix_]

Did not even knew you played guitar. Cool

[@Vi1ko]

In a two pickup guitar you compromise the settings of everything. The pickup height, the tone controls of amps and pedals, etc. When you only have one pickup you tailor all your gear and settings to be perfect for that pickup. IMO that is a big influence I haven’t seen anyone mention.

[@kennethsrensen7706]

I edited this because some didnt get my point. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I Guess is just personal preference and like . yes i have tried many different guitars over past 35 years of playing guitar ,that include single pickup guitars . personally i prefer multi pickups , it give me more sound choices . single pickup guitar only have one sound . In beginning I was thinking it is just personal preference and such but now i doubt . The way people defend and attack when talking about those make me think it is more like a hype thing and people who have limited themself they defend by downing people who is not on the hype . Yes I prefer multi pickups compared to a guitar with just one single sound . End of line .....

[@marw9541]

Pretty sure you can just add a pedal or if you have multiple channels or a system like Kemper or Helix you can quickly switch to something tailored to your neck pick-up. But I don't really think most people even want a change when going to the neck for any such reason, it's a pretty small minority. I think you're reaching a bit

[@aleksandrnestrato]

​@@kennethsrensen7706 There's a logical contradiction in your words. You seem to lie to yourself and to the people who read your comment. You say you prefer multi pickup guitars, and at the same time you say you've never thought of a single pickup guitar. The latter means you do not play such a guitar on a regular basis. Which, in its turn, means you're not acquainted with single pickup guitar experience, at least profoundly enough. Thus you cannot 'prefer' one over the other. Such preference is not a choice between two experiences of yours, but it is a choice between familiar stuff and unfamiliar stuff. Such preference is typical for human beings and many other animals, so such preference is negligible. In order to prefer multi-pickup guitar, please, play thoroughly on a single pickup one for about a year. Otherwise your comment should be rephrased: "I know nothing about single pickup guitars, I'm cool with multi-pickup ones." -Which is totally okay. Wish you all the best, man!😊

[@MFKitten]

I love single pup guitars nor because of tonal stuff, but because it feels so "focused" and tidy. No switches to think about, no options, nothing to think about. It definitely makes the biggest difference!

[@TheJackKnite]

Exactly, you can actually focus on what matters

[@Somewhatdamaged1989]

Someone might already have posted this comment but I’ll do mine anyway: Limitation breeds creativity.

[@SuicideVan]

And analysis paralysis is definitely a realy thing too! When it's my turn to host band practice I have to fight the urge to switch guitars song to song. I'm much more focused when I'm out with one guitar. Maybe one pickup is the next logical step.

[@Frewster]

I'm a twenty-something music producer and this shit is my mantra. I don't have loads of gear, I've only got a knock off strat and four pedals, but the hardest part when you've got a daw open in front of you is thinking "if I can do anything, the fuck do I do first?" :')

[@JB19504]

"When I was young and stupid, I did stupid things." - George W. Bush When I was 19, I sold a vintage Les Paul Jr. with a P90 in Sunburst finish that my Dad, bless his memory, bought for me for $150 so I could buy some weed. That was back in 1969.

[@drmedwuast]

was the weed any good?

[@oneeyeddog6127]

Ouch

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Yes, that was very, very stupid!

[@davidg1612]

I'm absolutely flabbergasted and horrified by this story. Trade something that can last 1000 years for something you can smoke up in 30 minutes. Your dealer won that deal. Lmao

[@1ufcfanatic795]

Heartbreaking story!

[@RC32Smiths01]

While there are far more technically advanced guitars, sometimes it's just nice to be simple!

[@williambaumert7726]

Totally agree but he's playing into like 10 pedals so maybe not so simple after all 😂

[@MatthewScottmusic]

Unless it's a Strat, gimme a single pickup

[@dr_tomK]

Funny coincidence, but I just finished watching your one pickup guitar video, the 50's Esquire. I don't know what you were playing that through, but it sounded really, really good.

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

Do you really need anything else than a neck pup tho? I always use a different guitar for the other sounds as they just sound better.

[@lukeweston1234]

@@EstelonAgarwaen neck for rhythm lead, neck middle is good for rhythm and pretty sounding stuff, middle can get a good blues tone with good sustain, back middle can do funky stuff, bridge is good for lead obviously and country

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

@@lukeweston1234 Thanks for the tips man. its just that i kinda hate the strat bridge sound when its there and miss it when i dont have it available. (i had my strat modded to hss for some time). i just like other bridge pickups way more.

[@iforgotmyname2739]

Or a Les Paul with humbuckers... unless it’s only a neck pickup

[@ibalrog]

"A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches can never be sure."

[@jackbuchanan6441]

For some reason, I think this is both equally fuckin' stupid and an absolute genius way to put it [relating to single-pickup guitars]. I hate it so much I'm going to use it all the time lol

[@hangaroundrecords4761]

I’ve played so many types of guitars over the years but my Les Paul jr is still my favorite. And it only having one pick up is a huge part of that! It’s just so fun to play!!

[@jamesthe-doctor8981]

My first thought after reading the title of this video is, “Because Mississippi Queen, that’s why.”

[@RhettShull]

Damn right! RIP Leslie

[@orsivan5731]

Yeah I know what you mean, she taught me everything

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Limitations and creating something with what you have. That’s the biggest reason. Sometimes you don’t need all the pickup combinations and splits. Just play the damn thing. 😬

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

sometimes i wonder why i even have other pickups than the neck one in my strat. i almost never use them. i grab my prs or my tele for those sounds.

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

@Haeral i will ;)

[@cary3428]

Couldn’t have said it better. I feel the same way about drum kits.

[@iangenet29]

Great video Rhett. When I was in high school the bridge pickup in my strat died just as I was getting into a huge surf rock binge. Going down to two pickups really made me think a lot more about tone control and the response of the volume knob. By the time I got new pickups in the guitar, I felt that I became a lot more conscious about the dynamics of each pickup.

[@alexanderkernoghan4385]

I played a Fender Esquire with a Korina body almost exclusively for a year. I did blues gigs, jazz gigs, rock gigs and never failed to get a sound that worked. Also taking the decision not to use pedals, I just zeroed in on the band and played the guitar. It was rather liberating and I would advise anyone who has fallen out of love with the instrument to try constricting your choices like this to rediscover the joy of playing and reconnect. Great video as always Rhett, although I am slightly envious... I got socks for Christmas.

[@untitleduser666]

I'm primarily a bass player, and the amount of music created on P basses is astonishing. I've owned a few P basses and I've never had the itch to install a bridge pickup. I always find myself focusing on right hand technique when I pick up a P bass.

[@bipbipletucha]

Bingo. Thats why I will always prefer them over Js

[@EverestMystery]

PSH, dude gets a beat up guitar for Christmas and they even forgot to put the extra pickups in it....lol (Killer opening grove Rhett!)

[@mailer-daemon2000]

Scotti Hill of Skid Row played the iconic solo of “I remember you” on a Jackson with 2 pickups removed, leaving only a single bridge Seymour Duncan JB. In the early days without internet, many pondered on how he achieved that tone with so much harmonics and sustain…many wrongly guessed it must be some high gain or active pickup like SD Invader or EMG. No, it was just a simple JB left to shine on its own by itself.

[@TheBedroomRocker1]

That intro track alone already explained everything! REALLY cool and powerful stuff! The explanations, however, were also very interesting and clear. Congrats on the new guitar. It sounds and looks spectacular

[@Airfire21]

Personally the best single pickup player I've ever heard is Mick Taylor from That Pedal Show. His volume control, his use of effects... everything just culminate in this beautiful sound whenever he picks up his Collings or the Supro(?) He has. He may not be the most famous or the most technical, but for my ears, he is magic. Pure magic.

[@ultrahighgain412]

Some guy named Edward Van Halen managed to get by with just a bridge humbucker.

[@cheenu711]

@@ultrahighgain412 never heard of him. Can he tap like Tim Henson?

[@paulgodin1166]

I enjoy the intro. Heartfull of Soul on a black guard esquire, this is the thing.

[@StillLivinTheBlues]

Holy cow. That tone at the 11:45 mark is one of the coolest single coil tones I have ever heard.

[@amberwoodstudio]

I’ve learnt so much about playing since I’ve started using one pickup guitars. Tons of sounds in the volume and tone pots. One pickup, a little reverb and a cooking amp. Let’s me focus on music and not get stressed out about pedals and switches. Great vid thanks

[@NormTre]

Great timing on this video. I just ordered a Harley Benton DC Junior that will arrive tomorrow. It will be my first single pickup guitar. I'm excited to hear the differences. Not only that, but it will be my first P90 guitar as well. I credit your influence Rhett in my choice as you have touted P90's as your favorite pickups.

[@MardiKivMusic]

I've got one, it's my only guitar. Used to have a tele and an sg and dont miss them one bit. The controls on your guitar are your friend with it.

[@nasher931]

There's also the fact that the more wiring the signal has to travel through, the more of the signal is lost. Andy Hull from The Manchester Orchestra ripped the neck pickup, the volume and tone knobs and any unnecessary wiring out of his Tele, so there's only a mini humbucker running straight to the output jack and it apparently made the guitar about 25% louder

[@jamesthe-doctor8981]

I finally got time to watch this one, and I'm glad I didn't blow it off. Not only is it good to know, but the link to Andrew Huang's video about harmonics and temperament alone was worth watching this entire video. Much like you did here, he explained it simply, but his video illustrations showed me temperament in a whole new way. Thanks again, Rhett.

[@1mdlmusic]

My favorite is one pickup with a volume control but no tone control. Forces your mind to think of the sound you want without flipping switches and turning knobs.

[@thedaver8]

my wife got me underwear for Christmas

[@goswo]

I got socks :-( from a company called Cock :-)

[@NoNameNo.5]

Awwww LUCKY! Nothing like some fresh new undies bro. That’s a good woman. It’s the tittle things

[@antma9028]

@@goswo The old Cock Sock.

[@adhaskym.a9536]

You are lucky. My wife stole my underwear.

[@baulinstruments7862]

@@adhaskym.a9536 you are lucky too. You have a wife that likes to play in your underwear. That's a good thing! Lol

[@asherhaig3265]

The biggest difference isn't the missing pickup, it's the tone pot that disappeared when the pickup went (that was contributing resistance to the whole circuit).

[@MountainHomeJerrel]

Great video. I read that same article before landing here on your video.

[@639dida]

Awesome information! Thank you Rhett for the videos, they're all amazing!!

[@Yury5576]

Two things to remember here: 1. Strings vibrate more and with a bigger amplitude towards its centre (12th fret) and smaller amplitude (brighter) towards the bridge . 2. This is easily demonstrated by comparing a LPJr and PLSp (bridge pickup), both similar guitars. On the Jr the pickup is further away from the bridge and therefore the Jr sounds "fuller".

[@legendsofabhaile]

Absolutely fantastic. I've been having an impossible time finding a 4 track cassette recorder that I can afford as it is, now Rhett has to put one in a video so they're going to be even more out of reach.

[@michaelwade9455]

Super groovy Rhett, fun to nerd out on this stuff, awesome vid and extra points for the cassette driven Porta Studio!

[@Mil_Sim_Matty]

I bought an Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Firebird I in Polymist Gold about 4 years ago, and it's by far the best sounding guitar I've ever owned and indeed played. It's still plenty versatile despite having only 1 pickup and taught me how to use volume and tone to variate my tone and playing. I'll never, ever let it go!

[@Cyb3rSynaps3]

I just built a modded guitar out of a squier strat and ended up going single pickup. It’s an all black kinda Tom DeLonge inspired guitar. The part where you say you think differently while playing single pickup guitars is what sticks out to me. When I’m playing a single pickup guitar I’m not fiddling with switches or knobs. I’m focused on playing the guitar because what you see is what you get. I like that single pickup guitars are “idiot proof”.

[@mattrickard2283]

I'm a metal guy. Almost all of my gear is "geared" (hehe) towards metal. But damn, I love this channel. Your playing, tone and energy are not just entertaining and something I look forward to, but educational and inspiring. Keep up the good work man, and thanks for all the content!

[@Joshualbatross]

I have a one-pup guitar coming in the mail next month from Eastwood. As one who started on bass, I always loved the straightforwardness of my P Basses, and I'm excited to dig in on the new guitar for that reason. I think it'll definitely force me to push my limits. Great vid, cheers!!!

[@matthewscheiper6973]

Great job Rhett!! Really enjoyed this one! Keep up the great work!

[@MrKevbo82]

I’ve experienced a lot of what you talked about here with my 62 SG junior. Idk about all the science but that guitar definitely forces me to be a different player (in a good way) and the harmonic tones you talked about I’ve definitely noticed with that guitar when using an ebow with it. Usually would be playing that near the neck pickup but with the junior I’ve started with the ebow way up near the 15th fret and worked my way back to the pickup and not only is there the obvious volume increase but how that note changes

[@TheTylerNCC]

I started building guitars this year, more for myself and to explore some ideas than anything. But one of the things Im dying to try is a tele style but with a single pickup in the next instead of the bridge. To my knowledge, that sort of thing really only happens on jazz boxes. I tend to live mostly on the next position on my Fenders, so I think it would be fun to see what that might be like....who knows, might be terrible!

[@ememe1412]

If you've built a neck only Tele, try this configuration. Mix the magnets, A3 on the low three and A5 on the rest on a Tele neck bobbin. 43 awg wire, 8.5k winds, tight scatter. Use 500k pots, tone control as bass cut rather than treble roll. (If you need to cut treble, use the volume control and amp/pedal instead to dial it I don't know of a situation that requires rolling treble of a Tele neck.) The configuration of the mixed magnet will avoid the mud when strumming and the bass cut will do the same and keep it focused on higher gain settings when picking. Clean, you can get it close to hollow body tones, it can also do a convincing mic'd acoustic. With gain,or dirt, hard to compare as the bass cut range makes for interesting tones.

[@dbutler721]

That intro was awesome, as they always are. It would be awesome to write an album with Rhett. There is no doubt he would be an awesome musician to work with for writing, recording and even producing an album.

[@DevonVanNote]

This is such a great video. Thanks Rhett! Love the new guitar!

[@flotenn3351]

I really like your philosophical approach to the whole guitar thing (and envy you for your wife buying you such an awesome guitar instead of telling you to sell one to get another one). Keep up your good work!

[@justinrayguitars6024]

I put together a Esquire awhile back and it's certainly different. The bass position is amazing with overdrive.

[@simross3914]

yeah totally! I see all these videos saying how the front position is unusable, but I highly disagree. Throw some fuzz or overdrive on there and the sounds you get are incredible. I'm a big esquire fan, I've got a couple partscaster versions (and I'm always changing one from a tele to an esquire and then back because why not)

[@CarloscFr]

I'm sorry if it's a silly question, but what does "changing position" do on an Esquire which has only one pickup? I always see the pickup selector and wonder what it does

[@justinrayguitars6024]

@@CarloscFr the back position bypasses the tone. The middle position is with the tone like a regular tele. The forward position runs through a cap that changes the tone to more of a bass sound.

[@simontemplar3359]

This video was rad. I never thought of any of the physics behind the nodes and anti-nodes, but it made total sense when you explained it. The thing that really hit hard and I would say is true as an exercise in learning to play dynamically is to use a single pickup guitar. I have a double cut LP Jr style that I love and hate. I think it's fugly and wish I got the single cut version, but every time I pick it up, it amazes me how much more aware I am in my playing, for lack of a better word.

[@71tbomb]

Nice to see the Tascam in action. I still use my 688 desk & love it + Pro Tools to remaster. Nice vid Rhett.

[@mack7235]

I just pre-ordered a single pickup Kramer Baretta Special

[@SukatoMusicChannel]

A single pickup P-bass has one playing advantage over a PJ version. It's easier to dig your fingers into the strings while plucking. Same goes for playing with a pick. With a PJ bass, there's less free open space under the strings, so your fingers have more to collide with. I think this also applies to guitar.

[@paulclark9915]

Love this version of Heart Full of Soul at the intro, sounds awesome! Nice job Rhett Shull.

[@JasonWaltonFilm]

Fascinating video. I felt like you explained everything so clearly!

[@the-LeoKnightus]

There is magic to be had with a single pickup guitar. There is something about having only one field that allows for more sonic information and transients. I wish I could explain this better.

[@Red-lm7xo]

I'm building a single humbucker strat because i think less options can lead to make me be more creative with what i have

[@voornaam3191]

@@Red-lm7xo It's usually very easy to add a coil split switch. You must have access to the wire between both coils. Using shielded wires, I did it myself to the humbucker of my Yamaha Pacifica 112. The switch connects the first coil to either ground or the second coil. It is that simple. No expensive pot you can pull, I added a heavy duty switch to the pot cavity. Click, SC or H. And you bet it is worth the risk of damaging the coils, when removing the sticky tape. That's why you need to be pretty careful. Or buy a humbucker that has the extra wires. I put that humbucker as the middle pickup, not the bridge, in a Maya Strat. Sounds good. And if you have not considered it, you could think about adding a coil split. Anyhow, have fun, building a guitar is a good thing. I understand that other comment. What I like best in a strat, is positions two and for. That's why I simplified that Pacifica to a strat with three single coils, and it has one switch: position 2 or position 4 only. I needed the 5-switch in another FrankenTeleStrat, and haven't bought a new one, yet. What I learned by repairing and tinkering, doing things like screwing a Tele bridge on a Strat body, is that the result is often a surprise. Oops, that Squier Tele neck pickup has a huge output. Maybe I should add a preamp for the single coil bridge pickup. That costs, and it needs a battery or some power supply. Do I want that? And of course it needs some setup, balancing two pickups, getting all strings on the brink of overdrive. Yep, it's good to find out. My Maya strat has 3 different pickups now, and it's a joy to have so much choice. The Squier neck pickup is just like a spanish guitar. The humbucker is great. And a single coil bridge sounds almost like a banjo. Where you pick them is only adding more variation. Maybe that's normal, but I have just discovered it. Wow. And now it is time for a single pickup guitar. No magnetic fields pushed to a slightly different pattern, one pickup alone is not influenced by another pickup. Distance plays a role here, when magnets are just a little bit further apart, you can feel the force is a whole lot weaker. Having a middle pickup or not is important, bridge and neck are quite far apart. Add a middle one, and that can mess up the fields. Maybe you can hear it, when you are aware how the guitar sounds without that middle pickup. Polarity makes a difference. What's his name, his guitar was repaired during a concert, and in a hurry one pickup got installed the other way round, and you get that signal fase inversion, yes, different. That's a nice option on better guitars, those flip the two pickup wires, red or black. Ha, that'll be a next project for me. All you need is a double switch. So, I need to play a while, checking wether my expectations were okay. Hmmm. Lots of text.

[@thegatorgar6730]

I just put two and two together that, famously, (as you mentioned in this video) Fender was sued by Gretsch for the “Broadcaster” name... and now Fender owns Gretsch. Crazy how things work out sometimes.

[@oskarileikos]

And that's why Fender can now sell "Broadcaster" Tele-pickup sets and Broadcaster-named Teles!

[@majicboxstudios3996]

Rhett, thank you very much for this video it was very informative. Very good fact checking and pre-visualization ahead of making your video. Nova guitars! DF is very good artist of musical instruments. They are always on back order! I look forward to more of your great content. I’m sort of like you are but I’m into synthesizers I have a large collection. However I am a fan of electric guitars.

[@prairielifeguardproduction9685]

Hey, love that you are featuring that Tascam Cassette Portastudio... you still have it!! I cut my recording teeth on a Fostex Cassette 4-track. Some of those recordings STILL sound fresh and great!

[@rmccaw7]

I hardly ever use anything other than the bridge humbucker.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

you're missing out

[@CarpeDiem23]

Same..

[@diddymies]

@@iwillnevergetone5 not really, up to the player what suits their playing. You could be missing out by keep switching pickups position yet never master actual tone of you hands.

[@muddshshshark]

I raised the neck pickup on my RG560 to make it "hotter" but instead the intonation went all out of whack, Lowered it back down and was fine again...I called it "magnetic drag"

[@rodriguezelfeliz4623]

Same! I'm with you

[@cockleshellzero3893]

Great name for a band!

[@VEXARN1]

Another thing to consider when it comes to most single pickup guitars is the lack of a pickup switch. Anything that your signal goes through adds impedance which reduces treble. This is true for volume and tone pots as well which is why you see some guitars with no tone control. A couple companies even sell one pickup one volume guitars as well. And some people will mod to the extreme and wire a single pickup straight into the output jack.

[@rickvanderlingen8799]

Great in depth video, Rhett! Thanks!

[@AlexAquarius963]

I used to sell chicken incubators for Chick Master and Cumberland and Jamesway, in fact I was Senior Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Jamesway. All of the chicken you've ever eaten in your life, came from one of those brand machines. We sold toroid fan alarm switches on incubators. Each setter machine can have 109,000 eggs in it and the fans have to be on for air exchange. You've maybe seen the red wound coil toroid on a circuit board somewhere. We sold a ceramic copper wound ring that fit around the electrical cable to the 1HP fan motor. The inductive force of the current through the field would create a flux capacitation and resistance. If the resistance stops, the alarm goes off, you have a power outage. i never thought of applying that to a string wave suppression effect. Thank you. Good stuff. I have an idea for Positronic electric pickup technology, which doesn't exist yet. I can't wait to see what it sounds like in an over unity field with a Flux Pot!!!!! How Fun!! It will be a totally new sound. I just need a great guitarist with connections, ;), and a company that makes pickups, or start my own modulated positronic pickup factory. I know all small towns in Georgia like the back of my hand. Gainesville GA is the "Hollywood of chicken production" in the world.

[@AlexAquarius963]

What ever happened to "Nicholai's Roof" on top of the Sheraton in Atlanta? Russian. I ate a seven course meal there with caribou in the spinning restaurant with my 7 Colombian guests from Cali. Stayed at the Marriott Marquis. The tab I paid on my company card was $1300 after all the wine too, just dinner. Prince Fazal was there also as a Guest of Cumberland Farms, who is now King Fazal in Saudi Arabia, I met him.

[@glennlilley8608]

Excellent! Now fkv!

[@miket.220]

My two favorite guitar sounds are the in-between settings on a Strat, and the P-90 on a Les Paul Jr.. My favorite guitar is prob the Les Paul Special (basically a 2-pickup Jr). But I had a Jr knockoff for a few years and I absolutely loved it. The only sound a single-pickup guitar can't do is the "in-between" sound. But that's it. You can easily get a 'neck pickup' sound by rolling down the tone, possibly lowering the vol a bit, and picking/strumming near the neck. Flip that tone up and the guitar gets nice and bright, ready for action. Single p'up guitars really force you to explore what you can do with the vol/tone settings, especially if you are using a P90 or Tele pickup. If you want a bit more versatility, you could always make the single bridge pickup a 4-conductor humbucker and wire it to a push/pull vol knob, with the pickup wired to do either series/parallel. That way you could get a full 'bucker, or single-y coil sound.

[@jkta97]

In the Five Watt World video on Juniors, Jeff McErlain showed that if you rolled back both the tone and volume knobs on a Junior, you get a really nice scooped, sparkly sound. I'm betting if you pick or strum close to the bridge, you can get a nice clean in-between sound for funk parts. And you can definitely get the awesome arpeggios or arpeggiated chords that I usually associate with the middle pickup on a Strat or the in-between position on a Les Paul, especially if your single pickup is a P-90.

[@telecastersRthebest]

Great intro jam and both your guitars sound amazing. Congrats on the 300k subs!

[@wegert1]

HOLY SHIT RHETT!! Brilliant vid! The intro is amazing, and could have been the whole vid. Really grabs one my the balls/soul. Then you go on to deliver some potentially very dry information in a way that would keep any guitar player engaged. I've watched ALL your vids, this may be the best. You left me wanting a single coil guitar...and a wife :- ) Thanks, as always.

[@ethanrummel7638]

When thinking of single pickup guitars, I immediately think of Jack White and his airline. The simplicity and restrictions of the thing really fit in with the Stripes.

[@KCCheez]

G&L Rampage by Leo Fender. One humbucker. Also, best neck ever.

[@AndyDion]

Love those Rampages and so did Jerry Cantrell Also love my G&L ASAT

[@KCCheez]

I have an ‘86 Rampage. I don’t know how the reissues are but I still love mine. The locking nut is bleh (Cantrell replaced his with a Floyd Rose) but I never use the whammy bar and the fine tuners really dial in the tuning. I wish they put fine tuners on all guitars (even ones without a locking nut!)

[@ak47dragunov]

That one pickup has nothing to do with the quality of neck though

[@KCCheez]

@@ak47dragunov Didn’t say that it did. That guitar isn’t super common like a strat, tele, or the like; so I threw that comment in for those not familiar with that guitar. Here, I’ll edit it slightly for you.

[@Dcat75thunder]

@Luke He still does.

[@FrankieOwls]

Great video Rhett. I just ordered a novo Solus M1. I can’t wait. April it should be ready 😎

[@potatoheadhaoy]

I used to run my les paul studio with just the bridge pickup. I put the neck pu back but I did like the creative restriction that comes from having just one pickup. It forces you to focus on the music and your guitar playing rather than futzing around with your tone, because the tone you have is already good. Plus it's one less component to fail, which is great for live applications.

[@goldenultra]

I did not know there was such crazy science behind a single coil guitar. I also have a German 19th century book On The Sensations Of Tone, this is where it all began, it even has strange equations that goes much deeper, the PhD student probably got a lot of his ideas from there. Guitars are a strange world, and why do telecasters sound so similar to les paul P90 guitars?

[@lucaborgioli3166]

I have a Squier Classic Vibe Esquier, it just rocks and rings like a bell, it's fantastic, it's kind of affordable. Perfect for who just wants to have something different that nobody has. Highly suggested

[@dr_tomK]

Cool Thanks for that. Been thinking of picking one up. Really impressed by the Classic Vibe series.

[@lucaborgioli3166]

@@dr_tomK they have so much more volue compared on what you pay. I suggest you to try the 50's series, whith the maple fretboard. The "rosewood" ones don't feel good as the maple ones.

[@Justarandomspacemonkey]

CV tele’s are amazing

[@FinalBaton]

Classic Vibes are killer guitars.

[@aaronperrotta7055]

I have an older CV 60's Tele when they first came out maybe 2011 when real rosewood was still being used. It's one my favorite guitars and I've had a ton. Upgraded the pickups and it's set. Never goes out of tune.

[@andyk9735]

As Rhett discusses in the video, I was always lead to believe that having multiple pickups can dilute the signal to whichever one you happen to be utilising. This is because even when the other pickup(s) are not in use they are still creating a magnetic field that subtlety alters the tone.

[@phl03m55]

Attempting to build my own single pickup guitar. Sometimes less is more and the tonal control you gain is so worth it

[@boshi9]

The quote you’ve used for this video does not explain why a guitar with multiple pickups would sound different. It only states that pickup position affects the tone. Nobody disputes that, in fact it's the main reason why most guitars have multiple pickups to begin with. What a waste of time. Also, keep in mind that the position of nodes/anti-nodes isn’t constant - fret a string and everything is shifted. This is why the position of harmonics is different for every fret, e.g. open string octave harmonic is at the 12th fret, but if you put a capo on the 1st fret it's going to be around the 13th.

[@JoelyPera]

"What a waste of time.." I get your point, but that little remark was unnecessary and rude. I mean... why say that? lol

[@boshi9]

​@@JoelyPera I get that it sounds mean, in fact I had mixed feelings about adding that remark and I'm still thinking if I should edit it out. To better explain myself, I've decided to unsubscribed from Rhett (and a few other popular guitar KZbinrs) because I'm seeing a very clear pattern that essentially amounts to clickbait, i.e. unnecessarily long videos with inviting titles that ultimately fail to deliver on the promised subject. I think that Rhett is a great player and his videos are beautifully filmed, however the volume of content and quality of videography seem to take precedence over substance / quality of underlying research. His "What is X Sound?" video series is another example of this - hours of talk, yet the amount of concrete information is vanishingly small. In my opinion this is quite disrespectful to the viewers.

[@JoelyPera]

@@boshi9 Okay. That makes complete sense. Thanks for the clarity and keeping things cool 🙏🏽

[@pqwho]

You are completely right, he uses the quote in a wrong way. A different point of picking excites different modes i.e. overtones of the string. However, a bridge pickup will always pick up more harmonic content and in a neck pickup the fundamental mode will always be more present and if you fret higher, the fundamentals' maximum will shift towards the neck PU.

[@catalinvoronca689]

@@boshi9 So well said in such a beautiful manner ! As for every subject, there is multiple layers of subtility and this applies to clickbait titles : you might find the obvious "Pentatonic scales are NOT useful" (usually the youtuber will teach pentatonics but talking about squares/triangles) but famous other youtubers are much more subtle, their title is a clickbait without being it, as it does not reitarate the obvious strategy. So it is hard to accuse them and protects them from having a bad buzz. But honestly, 15 minutes videos that can be shortened in 5 minutes are frustrating. As you, I don't point Brett or anyone's guitar playing, it is just frustrating to get into a 15 min video, take time to concentrate, understand (if english is not one's primary language) and to get a mixed feeling at the end... But that's the game and everything started when YT monetized the videos, asking for longer videos in order to get more commercial slots etc.

[@HughManatea]

The bridge pickup is always the right pickup. Well for me any way. I just use the tone knob in conjunction with the selection. All up to the player. Also it is aesthetically pleasing to see only one pickup. Gives a guitar a very modest look.

[@markleach4]

Rhett, you knocked it out of the park with this video. Great job!

[@Andrea_Manconi]

Congrats on the 300k mark, Rhett! Totally deserved!

[@aaronrivas7237]

After the blue Solus he was like a kid in a candy shop wanting one

[@darwinsaye]

Here's the thing for me; when people generally talk about the cool things about one pickup guitars, they are typically only ever referring to guitars that have one bridge pickup. But I play neck pickup and both pickup positions more than I ever play just the bridge pickup on any of my guitars. So for me personally, I think the topic would be more interesting if it was expanded to talk about single neck pickup guitars, and even the more rare single middle pickup guitars.

[@jnuhjnuh]

The "Wes Paul" special run hollow body Les Paul is the only neck only single pick up guitar I know of.

[@darwinsaye]

@@jnuhjnuh There have been of quite a few neck-pup only guitars. It was most common on Jazz archtops, but a lot of old Japanese guitars did it as well. Kay, Silvertone, Danelectro, Harmony… There were also a number of guitars with only one pickup, but in the middle position.

[@markushorn]

Great video! I have a Fender Esquire MIM myself. It is the "cheapest" of my guitars, but I absolutely love it and play it a lot, for pretty much the same reasons you mention.

[@dejavoodoo7204]

Top shelf scientific approach of explaining harmonic series and overtones,...or put simply, sweet tone man;)

[@stockholmsyndrome3218]

Tom delonge fans unite.

[@noahpauley]

I'd say that the LP Jr is my favorite single pickup guitar

[@shadowspectrum]

Double cut TV yellow junior is the ultimate rock n roll machine.

[@kthomasaus]

My first electric was a 1959 Les Paul Jr. Senior year in high school in the mid 70’s, found it for $50 with the GA5 amp at a flea market. Still have that awesome guitar, it’s still my fave. When it’s the right guitar and the right pickup, you don’t need more than one.

[@phatmanoflove]

That was very interesting. Nice video. I have LP Jr. copy with a single P90 in the bridge. I LOVE that guitar.

[@sneifert1968]

Was that a Tascam cassette 4-track recorder?Analog baby.

[@Teebone-lw6yb]

Lmao, I have 5 electrics and 4 of them only have one humbucker. It’s the only way to go!

[@rondelio8562]

Great video on a way too cool topic, Rhett! I have been building guitars (from kits) for a little over a year now, and my fav, go to guitar is a custom built Les Paul. I love humbuckers! Anyway, I wanted to learn how to remove glue spots off veneer, and found a LP Jr kit (actually, it was s standard LP kit cut for 1 bridge pup) that was sold cheap due to glue stains. I snagged it, learned how to deal with glue, and wired it up with a Planet Tone customized pickup and wired it with a switch for series/parallel. In parallel mode (standard wiring), it most def sounds different than a 2 pup electric. I have also tried a stock Jr with a P90, and it sounds nothing like a gold top with P90's! Anyway, again it was a great video and now I know it's not just me being OCD! LOL Everything you said about harmonics is spot on and helped confirm what I knew academically, and felt while playing. Huge Kudos to you! BTW, since my little 1 shot wonder was not a stock Junior, I typed it as a Les Paul Junior Deluxe. I don't know if you name your axes, but I haven't figured a name for this little guy yet.

[@teresathomley3703]

"Heart Full of Soul" sounds great, almost darker than the original as goes your treatment of it, Rhett.👍

[@stanislavmigra]

I dont own any, but I think Jared James Nichols black Old glory is badass.

[@slimkickens]

It looks like they might add a goldtop and I need it

[@nick.raptis]

Aaaand Fender just announced a single bridge P90 telecaster 🤣🤣

[@bipbipletucha]

They WHAT

[@qwertpoiuy430]

Yeah tf you talking about

[@gmwien]

Look for Noventa Telecaster

[@nick.raptis]

Noventa series. Single P90 tele, 2 P90 strat, 3 P90 jazzmaster 😉

[@RadRumblings]

Yes been waiting for this one!!

[@reelbyrnemedia4637]

Hell Yeah!! Great tip of the hat to the Yardbirds at the top of the video!

[@jamesmarkham7489]

P-bass exists as the most popular recorded electric bass of all time. Sometimes that one pickup is right for nearly everything.

[@esposoman]

The last bass I bought was a used Fernandes with only a Musican style pick up and after a cleaning and a set-up it became my main gigging bass. One pickup, one volume and one tone knobs and that's all. Yesterday the guy who sold me hinted me to sell him the bass back.

[@fluffytoaster427]

Rhett: *Researches and breaks down a relatively complex but incredibly interesting concept* Me, a dumb Drop D ape: "I understand but I'll probably need to be retold a dozen times to remember."

[@jamesanthony7994]

"a dumb Drop D ape" hilarious description. No offense either, I love Drop D!!

[@zoso3745]

No use to us hominids

[@Guitar9235]

Don't feel bad dude! Use that replay button ;)

[@ImreRides]

Thx for this video! Great sound, great guitars as always. Especially this Novo is a beauty! You inspiered me to make an "Esquire" partscaster out of my cheap HB Tele :)

[@darenanderson1960]

Good grief, that intro was excellent. Rhett thanks for all your great videos!

[@LukVonTrug]

It’s just like riding a single speed bicycle.

[@gobigrey9352]

Heart full of Soul can be a kickass song even today.

[@Guitar9235]

Great video! One thing I don't hear people mention enough is the fact there is less load on the guitar signal with one or two knob guitars (i.e. LP jr vs LP special). When Rhett mentioned single PU guitars are "brighter, more presents and more powerful" that's because there is less load on the overall signal from one or two knobs therefore you get more dynamic range when using the vol knob. Even double PU guitars with just master vol /& tone have more output compared to four knob guitars. This is a mod I suggest when someone likes there PUs but want more output from their guitar before buying and installing a hotter Pu. Also it can be reversed easily ;) Also my fav single PU guitar is LP jr! Thanks Rhett for the great content!!