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Is this EMG a soapbar or a humbucker?
- Thread starter fretless19
- Start date
The term "soap bar" refers to a particular pickup housing geometry that is derived from the appearance of the Gibson P-90. (And it has nothing to do with configuration of the coils inside.) A notable feature of all soap bar shapes (There are many.) is direct-to-wood mounting. This pickup has a trapeze style mount, and a shape very similar to a standard guitar humbucker, rather than a soap bar.
Because of the resemblance to a guitar humbucker, it is very likely that it is a humbucking pickup. I can't imagine that there would only be a single coil inside, but it is possible, nonetheless. If you want to be certain, there are two ways to check. Firstly, look at the underside of the pickup. You may be able to see the coil(s). If you cannot see them because of epoxy potting, then wire the pickup up and have a listen. If there is no 60Hz hum, it is a dual or quad-coil pickup. (Humbucking.) If there is 60Hz hum, it is a single coil or a tri-coil. (Not humbucking.)
Another option that may be useful to you is to purchase magnetic viewing film, and lay it over the pickup. Magnetic viewing film will not allow you to determine if there are stacked coils, but it will show you how many coils are right under the strings, and give you a picture of the shape of the magnetic field and pole piece configuration.
Because of the resemblance to a guitar humbucker, it is very likely that it is a humbucking pickup. I can't imagine that there would only be a single coil inside, but it is possible, nonetheless. If you want to be certain, there are two ways to check. Firstly, look at the underside of the pickup. You may be able to see the coil(s). If you cannot see them because of epoxy potting, then wire the pickup up and have a listen. If there is no 60Hz hum, it is a dual or quad-coil pickup. (Humbucking.) If there is 60Hz hum, it is a single coil or a tri-coil. (Not humbucking.)
Another option that may be useful to you is to purchase magnetic viewing film, and lay it over the pickup. Magnetic viewing film will not allow you to determine if there are stacked coils, but it will show you how many coils are right under the strings, and give you a picture of the shape of the magnetic field and pole piece configuration.
like line6man said, "soapbar" is about the external shape of the pickup, not the internal coil structure, electrical properties, tonal properties or output. For bass, "sopbar" == "rectangular housing"
It looks like an EMG based on the text on the pickup there, and sized like a guitar humbucker. It's either an active pickup (pickup requires a battery) or a passive pickup (pickup does not require a battery) , but one thing I'm pretty sure of is that EMG's bass pickups in guitar size shells are all split humbucking P-bass style coils on the inside.
It looks like an EMG based on the text on the pickup there, and sized like a guitar humbucker. It's either an active pickup (pickup requires a battery) or a passive pickup (pickup does not require a battery) , but one thing I'm pretty sure of is that EMG's bass pickups in guitar size shells are all split humbucking P-bass style coils on the inside.
Well, to clarify, we do know it is an Emg select, and passive. Line6, what do you mean about wiring the pUp up to listen for hum? Are you saying that if it was not humbucking it would buzz when my bass was plugged in? Because that is not the case. It is dead silent. Or do your mean to check it with a multimeter or something?
The very definition of a humbucker is that it bucks hum. That's where the name comes from.
In any case, yes. If there is no 60Hz hum, then it is a humbucker, and if there is 60Hz hum, then it is not a humbucker.
"Select by EMG" is an inexpensive Asian version of a pickup used OEM on different manufacturers' models in the past. It is more like the current HZ series. It is passive, and it is a two-coil bass pickup, although it is in the form of a Gibson-shaped-and-sized humbucker.
As set forth above, the original use of the word "soapbar" was used with Gibson's oblong P-90 pickup, as was in the first 1952-56 Les Paul guitars. With the cream colored cover it looked, like, well, a bar of soap.
The term "soapbar" is now used for just about anything that has that general shape, such as the EMG 35, 40, and 45 series pickups, to distinguish pickups of this shape and mounting system from the other proprietary shapes, like P-bass and J-bass pickups.
As set forth above, the original use of the word "soapbar" was used with Gibson's oblong P-90 pickup, as was in the first 1952-56 Les Paul guitars. With the cream colored cover it looked, like, well, a bar of soap.
The term "soapbar" is now used for just about anything that has that general shape, such as the EMG 35, 40, and 45 series pickups, to distinguish pickups of this shape and mounting system from the other proprietary shapes, like P-bass and J-bass pickups.
Looks like the same size factor as the guitar sized HB's they put in Steinburgers (the EMG-HB). Cheaper Spirits also had the same size. As I recall, they were reverse P-bass type pickups,
not two parallel coils. Always looking for a replacement for this pickup, most folks only wind on the 35-sized soapbar or up
not two parallel coils. Always looking for a replacement for this pickup, most folks only wind on the 35-sized soapbar or up
