Best Guitar Pickups & Pickup Covers of 2025
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Guitar pickups and pickup covers are essential components of any guitar. Pickups are responsible for converting the vibrations of the strings into an electrical signal, which is then amplified through the guitar's amplifier. They come in a variety of types, such as single-coil, humbucker, and P90, each with its unique sound characteristics. Pickup covers, on the other hand, are used to protect the pickups from damage and to enhance the guitar's aesthetic appeal. They come in different materials, such as plastic, metal, and wood, and can be customized to match the guitar's color and style. Overall, guitar pickups and pickup covers are crucial elements of any guitar setup, and choosing the right ones can greatly impact the instrument's sound and appearance.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Guitar Pickups & Pickup Covers
KNA UP-2 Piezo Pickup
The KNA UP-2 Pickup is a surface-mount piezo pickup designed for acoustic instruments, allowing you to amplify your sound naturally without altering your instrument. Its lightweight, wood-encased sensor housing ensures durability while maintaining an elegant look. You can easily control your volume on stage thanks to the built-in mini potentiometer, giving you the freedom to adjust your sound as needed. Additionally, it comes with a detachable 8-foot cable, making setup and teardown a breeze. The non-abrasive adhesive putty included ensures easy installation without damaging your instrument.
Seymour Duncan SA-3SC Acoustic Pickup
The Seymour Duncan Acoustic Pickup is designed to elevate your guitar playing experience. With its ability to capture bright and vibrant tones, you can enjoy clear sound whether you strum or play fingerstyle. The single coil design enhances treble brilliance, adding a beautiful chime to your music. Installation is a breeze; simply mount it in your soundhole without altering your guitar. Plus, the included 14-foot low capacitance cable allows you to connect to amps or PA systems, ensuring studio-quality sound wherever you play.
Gretsch Deltoluxe Acoustic Pickup
The Gretsch Acoustic Soundhole Pickup is a versatile single-coil option that easily installs into most acoustic guitars. With Alnico 5 magnets, it enhances your guitar's sound, delivering a warm and balanced tone. The pickup features a DC resistance of 14.6k and an inductance of 8.0 Henries, ensuring a rich sound quality that resonates beautifully. Additionally, it comes with an internal cable leading directly to a ¼" end-pin jack, making setup straightforward and convenient for players looking to amplify their acoustic performance.
TraderPlus Guitar Pickup for Acoustic Guitar
The TraderPlus 12 SoundHole Guitar Pickup is a magnetic acoustic guitar transducer that can be easily installed in any acoustic guitar with steel strings. Its tone and volume control allows for accurate pickup, and it comes with a 10 ft. amp connection cable and jack. The felt backed clip protects the guitar from any damage, and it produces a clean, quality sound with low feedback.
K&K Pure Mini Acoustic Guitar Pickup
The K&K Pure Mini Acoustic Guitar Pickup features a three transducer pickup system designed for steel string guitars. It comes pre-wired and requires no soldering, making it easy to install. Additionally, it has a high output and does not require a battery, providing convenient and reliable performance. The pickup also includes a 1/4" endpin jack.
Amumu SP60 Acoustic Guitar Pickup
The Amumu SP60 Pickup is a passive humbucker designed to enhance your acoustic guitar's sound. With its ceramic magnet, it delivers a natural and warm tone, giving you a wide dynamic range for all your musical expressions. You can easily adjust the pole pieces to find the perfect balance and tone that suits your playing style. The volume control allows you to fine-tune your sound without needing a battery, making it a hassle-free solution for musicians. This pickup fits soundholes between 3.54" and 4.33", making it versatile for many steel-string guitars.
Wireless Acoustic Guitar Pickup by SUNYIN
The SUNYIN Wireless Guitar Pickup offers a 100-foot wireless transmission distance, allowing you to perform freely without being tethered. It features a dual pickup system that combines a magnetic pickup with a built-in microphone, enhancing the clarity and detail of your guitar's sound. You’ll appreciate the independent volume controls, which let you adjust your guitar and microphone levels separately for optimal sound. Additionally, its long-lasting rechargeable battery ensures up to 8 hours of wireless use, so you can focus on your performance without worrying about power issues.
Fishman Neo-D Acoustic Pickup
The Fishman Neo-D Pickup is a passive single-coil magnetic soundhole pickup that enhances your acoustic guitar's sound. This woodgrain pickup is designed to capture the natural tone of your instrument, providing a clear and rich audio experience. You will appreciate its easy installation, allowing you to quickly set it up without any permanent modifications to your guitar. Additionally, its compact design ensures that it won't interfere with your playing style. With the Fishman Neo-D Pickup, you can enjoy more versatility in your performances, making it a great choice for both practice and live gigs.
AMUMU SP30 Woody Magnetic Soundhole Pickup
The AMUMU SP30 Woody Magnetic Soundhole Pickup is a passive pickup designed for steel-string acoustic guitars. It is compatible with soundholes ranging from 3.88” to 3.94” in diameter. The pickup features a rare earth neodymium magnet and handwound copper coil, enclosed in a solid beechwood housing, which delivers better transmission of acoustic vibrations with super string balance and pure acoustic clarity. It comes with a studio-grade audio cable that ensures a lossless transmission. The installation is quick and easy, with no drilling required. However, it is not compatible with nylon guitar strings or 3/4-size guitars like Taylor Baby or Little Martin series.
AMUMU SP30WN Walnut Soundhole Pickup
The AMUMU Soundhole Pickup offers a clear and balanced sound, enhancing your acoustic guitar's natural tone. With a custom neodymium magnet and oxygen-free copper coil, you can enjoy low noise and bright audio, perfect for performances or recordings. This pickup is designed for steel-string acoustic guitars with specific soundhole sizes, ensuring compatibility. Its walnut housing improves vibration transmission, providing a rich, authentic acoustic sound. Additionally, you can easily install it without any drilling, and the battery-free design allows for simple plug-and-play use, making it convenient for musicians on the go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do guitar pickup covers affect sound?
Yes, guitar pickup covers can have a minor impact on your tone. They can reduce extra noise and dampen some high-end frequencies. For some people, this can be considered beneficial, but overall, the effect on sound is trivial and not a major concern.
2. Should I cover my pickups?
The main purpose of pickup covers is protection. They help prevent damage to the coils of the magnet. Damaging the coil can be expensive to repair, so it's recommended to cover your pickups to ensure their longevity and avoid potential repair costs.
3. What is the benefit of pickup covers?
One of the benefits of pickup covers is protection from environmental damage. They also provide some electromagnetic interference (EMI) rejection for single-coil pickups. Whether you're playing in the garage or on stage, pickup covers can help protect your pickups from harm.
4. Can I put covers on my humbuckers?
Yes, you can put covers on your humbuckers. Make sure you have the right size cover that fits snugly over the pickup and allows the pole pieces to fit through the holes. It's important to ensure a good fit before proceeding.
5. Do humbuckers sound better without covers?
Uncovered humbuckers tend to sound brighter and more open compared to covered humbuckers. The presence of plastic or wood covers can have a minor effect on tonal properties. However, the difference in sound is relatively subtle and may not be a significant factor for everyone.
6. Should I take the covers off my humbuckers?
Removing the covers from humbuckers can make your guitar sound brighter and more lively. However, it's important to note that doing so may void your warranty if you have one, so consider this before making any modifications.
7. Do pickups get weaker over time?
Guitar pickups generally last around five years before the sound quality starts to deteriorate. Single coil pickups age slower than humbucker pickups. Active pickups, which have a higher output, tend to deteriorate faster. Older pickups may sound weaker, quieter, and flatter compared to when they were new.
8. Should pickups be close to strings?
The distance between the pickups and the strings affects the signal strength sent to the amplifier. The closer the pickup is to the strings, the stronger the signal. However, bringing the pickup closer also brings the magnetic field closer, which can have an impact on the tone and overall sound.
9. What is the difference between covered and not covered pickups?
The main difference between covered and uncovered pickups is the tonal properties. Uncovered pickups tend to sound brighter and more open, while covered pickups can have a slightly different tonal character due to the presence of plastic or wood covers. However, the impact on sound is relatively minor, and other factors such as the magnet, coil, and physical properties also play a role in the overall tone.
During our guitar pickups & pickup cover research, we found 24 guitar pickups & pickup cover products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 15,481 customer reviews through our big data system to write the guitar pickups & pickup covers list. We found that most customers choose guitar pickups & pickup covers with an average price of $29.82.
The guitar pickups & pickup covers are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of guitar pickups & pickup covers, including KNA, Seymour Duncan, Gretsch, traderplus, K&K Sound.
Joseph Hubbard is a music producer and runs a musical instrument store in Chicago. Joseph is happy to help others choose the instrument that best suits their needs. He loves everything related to music and often publishes articles related to music on key websites.