Pickups
Type of pickups used in electric guitar.
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Passive. Passive pickups are called pickups that do not use their own power supply. Such devices produce a weak signal, so guitars with passive pickups require an external preamp. In terms of sound, many musicians consider passive pickups to be more "natural" and dynamic, but this point is largely subjective. The unequivocal advantage of this option is the extensive features for experimenting with the technique of sound extraction. In addition, passive modules are much simpler and cheaper than active modules, and they do not require their own power supplies. On the other hand, these pickups are subject to feedback, which can be problematic in some situations. Yes, and sensitivity to pickups (and, accordingly, the likelihood of interference) they are significantly higher.
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Active. Pickups supplemented with built-in preamps to increase the level of the signal fed to the output of the instrument. Thanks to the additional amplification, many models have fewer coil turns than passive models, which reduces interference and provides a cleaner and more balanced signal. At the same time, the active module retains the upper frequencies better; this gives the effect of "brightness", "transparency" of the sound. However there is an opinion that this sound turns out to be unnatural, but this moment, again, is largely subjective. But from the unequivocal disad
...vantages of active pickups, one can note the need for their own power source. One of the most popular options for this is a 9V battery, which is installed in a special compartment in the body of the guitar.Pickup switch
A type of pickup switch used on an electric guitar.
This switch is responsible for turning individual pickups on and off, and can also control coil cutoff (see above). Accordingly, the manufacturer chooses its type primarily depending on the number of pickups (see "Pickup Diagram"). So, 3-position switches are typical mainly for models with two pickups — they usually allow you to turn on each of them separately or use both at once. The 5-position controls are common on 3-pickup models with stratocaster or superstrat bodies (see “Shape (Appearance)”). Note that the specific combinations of pickups available in such instruments may be different, this point will not hurt to clarify separately. The most advanced option — a 6-position switch — is extremely rare, mainly in expensive custom class instruments.
A separate type of switch is the balance control, used mainly in bass guitars (see "Type"). They are not responsible for turning off individual pickups (there are usually two of them), but for changing their volume relative to each other. Roughly speaking, these are two volume controls for separate pickups, combined in one knob (of course, there are also two pickups in such instruments). In fact, the balance control in this case also provides a smooth change in timbre: the pickup near the bridge picks up high frequencies better, the pickup near the fretboard picks up lower frequencies, respectively, and the colour of the sound changes depending on which of t...hem sounds louder.
Material
The material from which the body of an electric guitar is made. For models with cutouts (semi-acoustic, see "Type"), in this case, only the material of the back deck and sides can be taken into account, and data on the top deck is given separately (for more details, see "Deck Cover Material").
Now on the market there are cases of such trees:
red,
maple,
agatis,
ash,
alder.
It makes no sense to dwell on each of the materials found in modern electric guitars. Their variety is very large, however, unlike acoustic guitars, the body in this case does not play such a significant role in shaping the sound, and its material has a relatively small effect on the acoustic properties of the instrument (although the exact degree of such influence is a moot point). If you wish, you can find detailed data on a particular material in special sources, but in fact it makes sense to look primarily at the appearance of the instrument and its price category.
Through string attachment
The presence in the electric guitar of a system of through fastening of strings.
In the classic through fastening, the body of the instrument itself plays the role of a stop bar — holes are made in it, in which the strings are fixed (from the side of the bridge). The advantage of this design is the improved contact of the strings with the body, which allows you to achieve good sustain. However, in tremolo machines (see "Bridge") there is another kind of through fasteners — when the holes are located not on the body, but on the bridge; in particular, this option is typical for Vintage Tremolo machines. In such cases, the through fastening itself is only a design feature of the bridge, and the contact of the strings with the body depends on the features of the fastening of the "machine" on the body and can be different.
