There are many things that give a pickup a particular sound. The most general are: The shape of the coil or bobbin, the number of turns of a particular gauge magnet wire, the magnet wire insulation and thickness, the tension of each turn around the coil, the layering of the magnet wire by either hand winding or automatic winding, the magnetic material and strength, the magnetic field within the pickup, the position of the pickup at the neck or bridge, the distance between the strings and the pickup, the position of adjustable pole pieces or pole piece alignment, the value and quality of the volume and tone controls, the gauge strings, the bridge and mounting, the body and neck materials, the hardware, the neck scale to name a few and probably the most important are the hands and picking technique of the player.
WRITTEN ON JUNE 12, 2015, BY