Active Electric
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US $140.00
Pickups that are designed for electric guitars and bass guitars are typically of the magnetic inductance style. Magnetic pickups usually contain alnico magnets, which are surrounded by a bobbin wrapped in very fine copper wire. The vibration of the strings make the magnetic flux oscillate, and induces an A/C voltage through the coils. The current is then carried to the amp or recording equipment, resulting in the sound that you hear when you strike the strings.
One misconception is that there is something inherently different between active and passive pickups. In reality, ALL pickups are passive. Active pickups simply have a built-in preamplication circuit that provides on-board control over tone and volume, instead of having to make the adjustments at the amplifier or on a pedal or processor.
The advantage to going with actives is that your tone is much less affected by the length of cable between the guitar and amp. It also has a relatively flat frequency response because of the lower inductance exhibited by the preamplification circuit. The lower inductance also allows for the desired "sound" when connecting directly to a mixer, in cases where using an amp is not desired.
Passive pickups are usually preferred by players who gravitate towards rock, blues, and country, as most of the revered players of those genres created a "sound" centered around a specific guitar. Since active pickups didn't become popular until the early 1990s, these guitars usually carried passive electronics.
Because of a simplification in execution, passive pickups are significantly less prone to issues. However, they are more susceptible to noise, especially in inexpensive models with low noise rejection and inadequate shielding. They also can lose tone over long runs of cables. However, with modern effects pedals, the inductance is matched so this issue becomes minimized once the audio leaves the pedal.
Depending on the style of music you play, active pickups may or may not work out well for you. It's really a personal preference. The easiest way to make this choice is to visit a reputable guitar shop and play a number of different models to get a feel for how each type of pickup works, and then go with one that most easily gets you the sound you want.
Christopher W. Smith is the lead contributor to a major indie music publication.
Articles about Active Pickups are featured frequently along with reviews at ActivePickups.net.
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Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Classic Black $169.99 Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Classic Black |
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Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Metallic Red $169.99 Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Metallic Red |
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Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass With Active Electronics Metallic Red $169.99 Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Metallic Red |
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Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass With Active Electronics Classic Black $169.99 Dean Edge 10 Active Electric Bass with Active Electronics Classic Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen-7 Active Electric Guitar Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen-7 Active Electric Guitar Black |
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Laguna LB200 Electric Bass with Dual Active EQ Transparent Red $199.99 Laguna LB200 Electric Bass with Dual Active EQ Transparent Red |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen-6 Active Electric Guitar Black $399 Schecter Guitar Research Omen-6 Active Electric Guitar Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen-6 Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $399 Schecter Guitar Research Omen-6 Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
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Dean Hillsboro 5 5-String Active Electric Bass Guitar Silverburst $349 Dean Hillsboro 5 5-String Active Electric Bass Guitar Silverburst |
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Dean Hillsboro 5 5-String Active Electric Bass Guitar Classic Black $349 Dean Hillsboro 5 5-String Active Electric Bass Guitar Classic Black |
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Sterling by Music Man Ray34 Classic Active Electric Bass Guitar Black $699 Sterling by Music Man Ray34 Classic Active Electric Bass Guitar Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen-7 Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen-7 Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen Fr Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
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Laguna Lb200 Electric Bass With Dual Active Eq Transparent Red $199.99 Laguna LB200 Electric Bass with Dual Active EQ Transparent Red |
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Laguna Lb200 Electric Bass With Dual Active Eq Gloss Black $199.99 Laguna LB200 Electric Bass with Dual Active EQ Gloss Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Omen Fr Active Electric Guitar Black $449 Schecter Guitar Research Omen FR Active Electric Guitar Black |
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Sterling By Music Man Ray34 Classic Active Electric Bass Guitar Black $699 Sterling by Music Man Ray34 Classic Active Electric Bass Guitar Black |
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Schecter Omen Active 7 7-String Electric Guitar - Satin Black $449.99 This Schecter Omen Active 7 2108 7-string electric guitar combines Duncan Designed HB-7B and HB-7N pickups and a Tune-o-Matic bridge with a through-body design to deliver resonant, sustained guitar riffs. |
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Schecter Omen Active FR 6-String Electric Guitar - Satin Black $449.99 Take advantage of this Schecter Omen Active FR 2107 6-string electric guitar's Floyd Rose Special bridge and Schecter tuning machines to help keep the guitar reliably in tune while delivering riffs with resonant, sustained tone. |
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Schecter Omen Active FR 6-String Electric Guitar - Black $449.99 Take advantage of this Schecter Omen Active FR 2101 6-string electric guitar's Floyd Rose Special bridge and Schecter tuning machines to help keep the guitar reliably in tune while delivering riffs with resonant, sustained tone. |
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Schecter Omen Active 7 7-String Electric Guitar - Black $449.99 This Schecter Omen Active 7 2102 7-string electric guitar combines Duncan Designed HB-7B and HB-7N pickups and a Tune-o-Matic bridge with a through-body design to deliver resonant, sustained guitar riffs. |
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Retro Active $13.99 Track Listing: 1. Desert Song, 2. Fractured Love, 3. Action, 4. Two Steps Behind - (acoustic version), 5. She's Too Tough, 6. Miss You in a Heartbeat, 7. Only After Dark, 8. Ride Into the Sun, 9. From the Inside, 10. Ring of Fire, 11. I Wanna Be Your Hero, 12. Miss You in a Heartbeat - (electric version), 13. Two Steps Behind - (electric version) |
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Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS C-1 FR Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $899 Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS C-1 FR Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
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Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS C-1 Active Electric Guitar See-Thru BlueBurst $799 Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS C-1 Active Electric Guitar See-Thru BlueBurst |
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Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS SOLO Active Electric Guitar Satin Black $799 Schecter Guitar Research Blackjack SLS SOLO Active Electric Guitar Satin Black |
