Why Would Anyone Buy A Single Pickup Guitar?

Single pickup guitars are incredibly versatile, however you may not think so. Only having one pickup in your guitar could seem limiting but if you know a few things about how the guitar works and how to get the most out of it, a single pickup guitar can be very rewarding to play.

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[RhettShull]

Whats your favorite single pickup guitar?

[PaulDavids]

The intro made me want do do a road trip in a cabrio so bad. Palmtrees, beaches, coffee to go, guitar in the back... Destination: UNKNOWN.
Nice guitar dude.

[TomoFujitaMusic]

As you know I am a huge fan of ONE PICKUP GUITAR!!!

[Viko]

In a two pickup guitar you compromise the settings of everything. The pickup height, the tone controls of amps and pedals, etc. When you only have one pickup you tailor all your gear and settings to be perfect for that pickup. IMO that is a big influence I haven’t seen anyone mention.

[MFKitten]

I love single pup guitars nor because of tonal stuff, but because it feels so "focused" and tidy. No switches to think about, no options, nothing to think about. It definitely makes the biggest difference!

[JustSomeGuy]

I came for the single pickup commentary. I stayed cuz my man is using a tape deck.

[MatthewScottmusic]

Unless it's a Strat, gimme a single pickup

[alexanderkernoghan]

I played a Fender Esquire with a Korina body almost exclusively for a year. I did blues gigs, jazz gigs, rock gigs and never failed to get a sound that worked. Also taking the decision not to use pedals, I just zeroed in on the band and played the guitar. It was rather liberating and I would advise anyone who has fallen out of love with the instrument to try constricting your choices like this to rediscover the joy of playing and reconnect.
Great video as always Rhett, although I am slightly envious... I got socks for Christmas.

[Somewhatdamaged]

Someone might already have posted this comment but I’ll do mine anyway: Limitation breeds creativity.

[hangaroundrecords]

I’ve played so many types of guitars over the years but my Les Paul jr is still my favorite. And it only having one pick up is a huge part of that! It’s just so fun to play!!

[RCSmiths]

While there are far more technically advanced guitars, sometimes it's just nice to be simple!

[ibalrog]

"A man with one watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches can never be sure."

[Burnt_Gerbil]

Limitations and creating something with what you have. That’s the biggest reason. Sometimes you don’t need all the pickup combinations and splits. Just play the damn thing. 😬

[mailer-daemon]

Scotti Hill of Skid Row played the iconic solo of “I remember you” on a Jackson with 2 pickups removed, leaving only a single bridge Seymour Duncan JB. In the early days without internet, many pondered on how he achieved that tone with so much harmonics and sustain…many wrongly guessed it must be some high gain or active pickup like SD Invader or EMG. No, it was just a simple JB left to shine on its own by itself.

[untitleduser]

I'm primarily a bass player, and the amount of music created on P basses is astonishing. I've owned a few P basses and I've never had the itch to install a bridge pickup. I always find myself focusing on right hand technique when I pick up a P bass.

[JB]

"When I was young and stupid, I did stupid things." - George W. Bush When I was 19, I sold a vintage Les Paul Jr. with a P90 in Sunburst finish that my Dad, bless his memory, bought for me for $150 so I could buy some weed. That was back in 1969.

[Airfire]

Personally the best single pickup player I've ever heard is Mick Taylor from That Pedal Show. His volume control, his use of effects... everything just culminate in this beautiful sound whenever he picks up his Collings or the Supro(?) He has. He may not be the most famous or the most technical, but for my ears, he is magic. Pure magic.

[StillLivinTheBlues]

Holy cow. That tone at the 11:45 mark is one of the coolest single coil tones I have ever heard.

[jamesthe-doctor]

My first thought after reading the title of this video is, “Because Mississippi Queen, that’s why.”

[matty_lam_]

I bought an Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Firebird I in Polymist Gold about 4 years ago, and it's by far the best sounding guitar I've ever owned and indeed played. It's still plenty versatile despite having only 1 pickup and taught me how to use volume and tone to variate my tone and playing. I'll never, ever let it go!