Single coil vs humbucker for lap ?

[Ryan Lunenfeld]

As the topic says, humbucker vs single coil for lap?

I saw the posts for pedal, but what do you think for lap steel, and different styles ?

[Noah Miller]

There's such an enormous range of sounds in each that generalizing is pretty much pointless.

[Jack Hanson]

I have retrofitted rescue guitars with both. I prefer single coils, but humbuckers often work better for playing through a dirt box. Humbuckers also get the nod for playing in buildings with electrical interference from neon signs, etc.

[Steve Lipsey]

What sound do you want?

I had an Asher Ben Harper model - a beauty, but the pickups were Les Paul guitar pickups...and it sounded like a Les Paul guitar. Fine sound, but I wanted something different. Sold it.

And an MSA Superslide, with a pedal steel pickup...and it sounded a lot like a pedal steel. That was what I wanted at the time. Now sold.

I now have an Oahu with a string-through, for a nice fat sound, thicker than any guitar pickup, and a Clinesmith Frypan, with a horseshoe pickup, holy grail of pickups, even thicker, almost 3D sound, the notes jump out at you....you can buy recreations of these pickups from Jason Lollar...

Check out Lollar's site for some interesting options...Gold Foil, Horseshoe, String through, etc.

So decide what you want...guitar sound, lap sound, etc.

[Jesse Valdez]

For me, I care more about the size of the magnets. I'm after something closer to a Fender Trapizoid, Rickenbacher Horseshoe, or Bigsby's, so I prefer something like a rail pickup, underwound. I'm willing to live with a little hum in order to get that "sizzle."

[Allan Revich]

I have both, and I like both. Sometimes I feel like this is one of those subjects that tie players up in knots, while audiences can’t hear a difference, and wouldn’t care even if they did.

Of course, being on the musician’s side of the stage, I’m curious about what others think?

[Jerry Wagner]

Hi Ryan
You can get both in 1 pickup, the EMG-707TWX-R. This is the active pickup in Alan Akaka's Asher 8-string lap steel. The volume knob has a push-pull function to switch between the 2 modes. I own several Ricks with horseshoes and a Clinesmith with the Bigsby style PU. I think the EMG compares pretty well & obviously Alan Akaka likes it. Needs a 9v battery though.
https://www.emgpickups.com/707twx-r.html

[Bill Hatcher]

you need to decide what sound YOU want, not what sounds pickups have.

having said that, the humbucker came about just for that...to buck hum. if you need a quiet pickup get a humbucker.

if you want a lot of top end get a single coil...and you will have to live with the 60cycle hum that the humbucker bucks.

if you want top end and quiet, get a humbucker that is not wound so hot. chet atkins had shot jackson UNwind the humbucker in his favorite gretsch back to less than 5K. there are also noiseless single coils on the market.

there are some active pickups that will give you plenty of top end and are still quiet, but....they sound like active pickups....EMG is a good pick for these.

one of my fav sayings by leo fender.....a humbucker sounds like you threw a blanket over the amplifier!

[Ryan Lunenfeld]

What sound do you want?

I had an Asher Ben Harper model - a beauty, but the pickups were Les Paul guitar pickups...and it sounded like a Les Paul guitar. Fine sound, but I wanted something different. Sold it.

And an MSA Superslide, with a pedal steel pickup...and it sounded a lot like a pedal steel. That was what I wanted at the time. Now sold.

I now have an Oahu with a string-through, for a nice fat sound, thicker than any guitar pickup, and a Clinesmith Frypan, with a horseshoe pickup, holy grail of pickups, even thicker, almost 3D sound, the notes jump out at you....you can buy recreations of these pickups from Jason Lollar...

Check out Lollar's site for some interesting options...Gold Foil, Horseshoe, String through, etc.

So decide what you want...guitar sound, lap sound, etc.

Thank you for the post! I really do love my Lollar Horse shoe pick up, I put it in the silver hawaiian, and it sounds amazing. above the 12th I get a lot of goosebumps! Sometimes I gotta avoid too high a volume though...

[Mike Christensen]

A person MUST have more than one guitar. Large part of the fun.

[Jack Hanson]

...humbucker vs single coil for lap?

Both.

A person MUST have more than one guitar.

Agreed. At least one with a single coil and at least one with a humbucker.

[Rob Fenton]

How about a reverse-wound-reverse-polarity set of single coils in bridge and neck positions on a 3-way switch for three sounds with the middle position being a humbucking option? Works nicely on telecasters.

[Larry Bressington]

It’s easier to mellow out a single coil than it is to sweeten up a bucker, you can apply the noise gate to help with buzz in between notes or songs, I wouldn’t go past 40% on the noise gate other wise you loose tone.

[Jeff Mead]

How about a reverse-wound-reverse-polarity set of single coils in bridge and neck positions on a 3-way switch for three sounds with the middle position being a humbucking option? Works nicely on telecasters.

This is what they did on Stringmasters too, though instead of a 3 way switch they had a blend control that gradually fadeded in the second pickup (the one nearest the bridge is always on).