what's the difference between active and passive pickups?

[Mario-Guitar]

i think that speeks for itself. :)

[LuthierofTexas]

Active pickups require batteries where as passive use the power from the amp to complete the circuit.

[MilanV]

active pickups will give you more gain as they have a "on board" pre-amp powered by the 9 V battery usualy.

[Ali_Boulala]

it like
emg hz - passive
and
emg '81 - active
it's different from sound etc.

[mutated_riff]

you guys have no clue do you?


passive pickups use the vibrations of a string in a magnetic field to create a current in a wire wrapped around the magnet. it more coils more output, different gauges of wire different resistance...etc. they can create enough of a signal for an amp to power a speaker.

active pickups use far less wraps of wire which causes more detailed "information" to be picked up (the reason for their sensetivity), unfortunately the signal is very small and hardly audible so a pre amp is used to amplify the sound so we can hear it.



thats the difference

[GnGonzalesjoe]

check out google
http://www.elevation-music.com/guqu.html
http://www.guitartips.addr.com/tip169.html

[eddiehimself]

Active pickups require batteries where as passive use the power from the amp to complete the circuit.

Nope, passive pickups generate their own electricity by the string passing over their magents, all generators (including the ones in power stations) work by a magnet spinning round (so that the magnetic field changes in any one given spot all the time) in a coil of copper wire, same principal with a pickup but the magnet stays still and the moving string changes the magnetic feild. That's a BASIC description of how it works.
I know it's already been said that pickups generate their own electricity but i just H8 people who talk as if they know everything when they actually don't know anything about it.

[TeodosiuS]

Faraday's law of induction describes a basic law of electromagnetism, which is involved in the working of many devices such the pickups [electrical generators], transformers and more...

The induced electromotive force or EMF in any closed circuit is equal to the time rate of change of the magnetic flux through the circuit. :D

Every string E B G D A E has different frequency of trembling.
By the trembling strings - EMF is generated and induced in the pickup.

[SomeoneYouKnew]

ITT: too complicated, too stupid, or just plain wrong.

passive pickups have magnets. they magnetize the nickel in the strings.
the magnetic lines of force move through the windings of the coil(s) of the pickup inducing a current, as the string vibrates.
this signal is sent through a cable to your amplifier.
the guitar's controls and the input of the amplifier it's connected to, load the pickup.
variation of this load greatly affects the tone. (harmonic content)

active pickups are built like passive pickups. they also have a built-in preamplifier.
because of the preamp, active pickups have a much lower output impedance than passives.
this low impedance output makes the cable less susceptible to hum and noise.
actives can also use weaker magnets and fewer windings on the coil.
and the coils in the actives see a predictable load: the preamp.
this means the load and the coils can be optimized for best match.
variations in the load the preamp is connected to, has little effect on the tone.

Bottom Line:
Passive pickup = Coil + Magnet.
Active pickup = Coil + Magnet + Preamplifier (+Battery)