Pickup Output - What Does It Mean? How Do You Measure It?

Written By Kenny Prochazka

What is Pickup Output?

In your quest for the perfect tone, you can quickly become confused by just the standard offerings of one good pickup builder. If the pickups look the same, use the same components, and are made by the same company, then how are you supposed to choose?

There are countless angles to comparing guitar pickups, and it is tough to keep all of the options straight, but one of the most common ways to simplify the differences between similar-looking pickups is to measure their output.

The output of a guitar pickup is the voltage generated by strings vibrating within its magnetic field. Higher output will send a more powerful signal to your amplifier or interface, while lower output will send a weaker signal.

Measuring Pickup Output

One of the most straightforward ways to measure a pickup's output, and overall health, is by reading its DCR (Direct Current Resistance) in ohms. Ohms are a unit of resistance, so a reading from the pickup leads will give you a good sense of the length and thickness of the wire around its coils. A higher ohm rating generally means more wire, which usually results in higher output.

The testing process itself is pretty simple:

1. Use a multimeter with the Ohm (Ω) setting engaged (You may need to set the meter to 20KΩ if it does not have an automatic range feature.)

2. Attach the red probe from the multimeter to the lead or ‘hot’ wire of your pickup

3. Attach the black probe to the negative wire from your pickup

4. The meter’s screen will tell you the DCR of the pickup coil, or both coils if you have a linked humbucker.

Of course, there are still variables at play, including magnet strength, winding patterns and inductance, so the rabbit hole can go as deep as you want to follow it. Most pickup manufacturers rate their offerings by the DC resistance, though, since it is one of the simplest and most reliable ways to compare pickups of the same style.

What is a Low Output Pickup?

A low output pickup will typically have a DCR of 5K to 6.5K ohms for a standard single-coil, or 7K to 7.5K ohms for a humbucker. This generally implies fewer winds than average around the coil, and a weaker magnetic field.

For instance, our '59 Clone PAF Style Low Output Humbuckers have a neck pickup that reads 7K ohms, and a bridge pickup that reads 7.8K ohms.

By having fewer winds to effectively filter the signal, and sending that “less filtered” signal to the amplifier, low output pickups usually allow for a clearer, brighter and more dynamic tone.

What is a Medium Output Pickup?

A medium output pickup will usually have a DCR of 6K to 7.5K ohms for a regular single-coil, or 8K to 12K ohms for a humbucker.

Our Black Magic Humbuckers walk the line on this one, with a neck pickup that reads 8K ohms and a bridge pickup with a slightly overpowered 15K ohms.

These pickups are sought after for their versatility, since they generally provide well-balanced sustain, punch and clarity for fitting into most playing and musical styles.

What is a High Output Pickup?

A high output pickup will generally have a DCR of 8K to 15K ohms for a traditional single coil, or 13K to 18K+ ohms for a humbucker. This typically means a longer coil wire with more winds than average, and a stronger magnetic field.

This increase in wire length sends a stronger signal to your amplifier, which can induce more natural saturation or distortion. The trade-off is that more winds around the coil will also tend to filter out some high frequencies, which can lead to a darker and more compressed overall sound - unless the builder takes other steps to mitigate that.

As a great example, our 44 Magnum Humbuckers are the highest output passive humbuckers that we build, at 15.5K ohms on the neck pickup and 21K ohms on the bridge pickup. With these, we were not happy with the tone until we developed a special winding technique to broaden their frequency response. This makes them sound far more “open” and punchy than the number of winds would suggest, without sacrificing raw power.

A note: There are some builders who achieve higher output by introducing active electronics, effectively boosting the signal without adding any more coil wire. These pickups typically require a guitar with enough room in the body to house those added electronics, plus a battery or two.

Which is right for me?

This is where it gets personal. If you are seeking clarity and dynamics, then you may want to explore low output pickups. If you want more compression and breakup, then high output pickups may be more your speed. If you are not sure, or want the best of both worlds, it may be best to use medium output pickups. You may have a different answer for each of your guitars or for different playing styles.

The most important thing is to get out there, find your sound and love your tone.