Overwound and Underwound, Explained

You often hear tone-centric guitarists talking or blogging about over- or underwound pickups. What’s it all mean?

A critical part of any pickup’s construction is the wiring, usually copper, that’s wound around the magnetized pole pieces under each string.

An overwound pickup has relatively more windings of copper wire around those pole pieces—anywhere from 2% to 5% more wire—than a standard, stock pickup. An underwound pickup has fewer windings, in about the same proportion.

Here’s how it translates to sound: Overwound pickups are “hot.” They’re bold and powerful, with a punch that clearly distinguishes them from today’s store-bought guitars. The extra wire produces more tone, in higher ranges. Lead guitarists love hot pickups.

On the other hand, underwound pickups produce a milder, less forceful sound that many rhythm guitar players prefer.

That’s the simple version, anyway. Achieving the perfect tone requires a lot of trial and error, and can be a lifelong pursuit. In my next post I’ll talk more about how over- or underwinding your pickups can get you there faster.