Inductance

The property of a coil that opposes changes in current, which in a pickup sets its resonant frequency and therefore much of its tonal character.

Along with the cable capacitance and the volume pot's resistance, the coil's inductance forms a resonant circuit whose peak sits somewhere in the upper midrange or treble. A high-inductance pickup pushes that peak down and gives a darker, thicker sound with a strong midrange; a low-inductance one leaves the peak high and sounds brighter and more open. This is why DC resistance alone is such a poor guide, and why measuring inductance is standard among pickup makers.

Example: two pickups with the same resistance can differ appreciably in brightness because their inductance and winding geometry differ.

Inductance

See also