guitar electric fender image
Toby
I've noticed that some electric guitars, Fender Stratocasters most famously, have a pickup that is mounted at a slight angle to the right (or left?) of the normal mounting, instead of with the pole pieces aligned dead center with the strings. Is there any change in the tonal characteristics of pickups mounted this way, or is it just a cosmetic option?
Answer
The main thing I think it would change would be for doing pinch harmonics. Since the pickup is angled differently, and it's a singlecoil (usually, not always), you can do harmonics on different positions. Typically on a humbucker, you can get a lot of different sounds by playing above the pickup, in front, or behind. If it's angled, you can get some other sounds that wouldn't be in the range of a straight one. As minor as that may seem, it can add a difference to your soloing.
It could also possibly change how loud each string is, as if you pick straight down, the angled magnets wouldn't amplify the sound as much - probably not noticeably though. Plus you could just adjust the magnets... anyways, I'd say it's more of an aesthetic thing, not really a technical thing.
That's part me speculating and part me talking out my butt.
The main thing I think it would change would be for doing pinch harmonics. Since the pickup is angled differently, and it's a singlecoil (usually, not always), you can do harmonics on different positions. Typically on a humbucker, you can get a lot of different sounds by playing above the pickup, in front, or behind. If it's angled, you can get some other sounds that wouldn't be in the range of a straight one. As minor as that may seem, it can add a difference to your soloing.
It could also possibly change how loud each string is, as if you pick straight down, the angled magnets wouldn't amplify the sound as much - probably not noticeably though. Plus you could just adjust the magnets... anyways, I'd say it's more of an aesthetic thing, not really a technical thing.
That's part me speculating and part me talking out my butt.
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