Pickups are slanted on electric guitars for two main reasons:
- To improve the balance of the tone across all strings. The closer a pickup is to the bridge, the brighter and thinner it sounds. This is because the string vibrates more strongly at the bridge than it does at the neck. By slanting the pickups, the bridge pickup can be placed closer to the bridge without making it too bright. This helps to create a more balanced tone across all strings.
- To compensate for the angle of the strings. The strings on an electric guitar are not perfectly parallel to the fretboard. Instead, they are angled slightly downwards. This is because the strings need to be pulled over the saddle in order to create a sound. By slanting the pickups, the strings can be aligned perpendicular to the pickup magnets, which helps to improve the signal strength and tone.
In addition to these two main reasons, there are a few other potential benefits to slanting pickups:
- It can help to reduce feedback. Feedback is a high-pitched squealing sound that can occur when an electric guitar is amplified at high volumes. By slanting the pickups, the strings are less likely to vibrate in sympathy with the amplifier, which can help to reduce feedback.
- It can give the guitar a more unique look. Some guitarists prefer the look of slanted pickups, and they may choose to slant their pickups for aesthetic reasons.
It is important to note that not all electric guitars have slanted pickups. Some guitars, such as the Fender Telecaster, have pickups that are mounted parallel to the fretboard. However, slanted pickups are very common on many other types of electric guitars, such as the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul.
Overall, there are a number of reasons why pickups are slanted on electric guitars. Slanted pickups can help to improve the balance of the tone, compensate for the angle of the strings, reduce feedback, and give the guitar a more unique look.
