And now for something completely different: the Bluesbucker looks like a standard humbucker, but sounds like a P90 and cancels 60-cycle hum as effectively as the average humbucker. This means any guitar with standard size humbuckers can now have the sound of P90s without altering the guitar in any way and without noise. Patented Virtual Vintage and Airbucker technology let the Bluesbucker “see” a narrow string window like a true single-coil, making it extremely sensitive to playing dynamics. When a pair of these pickups are on together, they achieve the open, slightly hollow sound that two single-coils produce. Splitting the pickup produces a sound similar to that of a Strat pickup, with very little drop in output.

The coil with the 6 adjustable slotted poles is the “hot” coil. The coil with the solid poles is along for the ride to cancel hum and look cool. Since one coil is doing most of the work, the direction the Bluesbucker is installed makes an obvious difference in the sound. When the hot coil is closest to the bridge, the sound is brighter; towards the neck is warmer. Even though the look is a little nontraditional, we like the sound of the bridge pickup “backwards” (with the screw coil towards the neck). With a Bluesbucker in the neck position with the screw coil towards the bridge (also “backwards”) the combined sound is Tele-like. With the neck pickup in the more traditional direction, the combination is like two P90s. The Bluesbucker comes with special wiring instructions.

Recommended For: All positions

Quick Connect: No

Wiring: 4 Conductor

Magnet: Ceramic

Resistance: 10.07 Kohm

Year of Introduction: 2001

Color: Black

Pole Pieces: Nickel

Spacing: Standard