Pickup Sensitivity Explained

Written by Kenny Prochazka

If you have done research on guitar pickups, you have probably found the term "sensitivity" used. But perhaps you are not quite sure what that means or how it will affect your sound. Read on for more insight on what pickup sensitivity is, how it can change your guitar tone and response, and how to make adjustments to get more or less of it.

What is pickup sensitivity?

Sensitivity describes how a pickup responds to your touch on the strings. Higher sensitivity means that your pickup translates more of what you are doing, although this can be a good or bad thing depending on how precisely you play. You can get more expression and dynamics out of a more sensitive pickup, but every player has a different level of response that best fits them.

What contributes to pickup sensitivity?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, single-coil pickups tend to be more sensitive than humbuckers, especially in higher treble frequencies. Active (battery powered) pickups will also tend to be more sensitive than passive pickups, because of the extra power supplied to the coils..

From a pickup builder's standpoint, you can easily increase sensitivity by using stronger magnets. However, there is a balance where more powerful magnets can lead to less clarity or a harsher tone. This is just one of the many narrow lines that pickup builders walk when designing a new pickup for a particular sound and output level.

Another fundamental element that can seem to increase or decrease sensitivity is the number of winds around the coil. More winds will usually lead to a stronger electrical field and more output, but that increased output also comes with a lowered "resonant peak". This often results in a loss of treble, and the perception that the pickup is less sensitive.

Wax potting is a process that permeates the coil with paraffin and/or beeswax, preventing any loose wires from vibrating and becoming microphonic noise. This can also lead to a more compressed or less responsive tone. Many early "holy grail" pickups, like PAFs, were not wax potted, which gave them a very 'airy' tone and sensitive response. These pickups, though, could sometimes be too sensitive and prone to squealing, especially with higher gain, overdrive or distortion. Many builders will use a lighter wax potting to find a sweet spot with sensitivity and control, as with our '59 Modern humbuckers. For high gain applications, a full wax potting is almost always recommended.

How can I adjust the sensitivity of my pickups?

Before buying new pickups, or altering the ones you have, a simple way to make changes to sensitivity is by adjusting pickup height. Bringing the magnetic field closer to the strings can induce more responsiveness, while moving it farther away will typically have the opposite effect. If you find yourself needing more or less sensitivity, this is the most straightforward way to dial in your existing pickups and get as much or as little response as they will allow.

With a better understanding of pickup sensitivity, you should now have a good idea why even similar-looking pickups resonate and respond differently. There are a number of factors that combine to determine the feel and tone of your pickups, and sensitivity should definitely not go overlooked in the quest for exactly what you want. So get out there, find your sound and love your tone!