What Is An Active Guitar Pickup

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Guitar pickups are the heart of your electric guitar’s tone. I know many people believe and actively argue that "tonewood" is what makes the difference, but they are wrong. There, phew, I said it, and now that THAT'S out of the way, we can move on. Alright, tonewood isn't inconsequential; it does have impact, but the overall difference it makes is nothing compared to the guitar pickups. 

There are two main types of pickups, active and passive, and knowing the difference between an active and a passive pickup is important, because though the end results are largely the same, the process by which those results are made is very different and requires different approaches, techniques, and maintenance. (Pickups also come in different designs like single coils vs humbuckers; check out our humbucker vs single coil guide for more on that.)

Active pickups are common these days, not just for metal or high gain shredders but in all kinds of music. Even David Gilmour has used active pickups for his signature tone! In this post, we’ll explain what an active guitar pickup is, how it works, why you might want one, and how to set up your guitar with active electronics.

Image Credit: Mortymore

What Is an Active Guitar Pickup

An active guitar pickup is a type of electric guitar pickup that includes an onboard electronic preamp and runs on a battery. It still uses the same magnet-and-coil setup as a regular passive pickup to sense the strings, but it includes active circuitry that boosts the output and shapes the tone. Because of this, active pickups generally have a higher output and lower noise floor than passive pickups (at the cost of needing a battery). It’s a powered pickup. If the battery dies, it won’t produce hardly any sound. 

Active pickups initially gained popularity in hard rock and metal for their powerful tone. However, they’re not only for heavy music. The bottom line: an active pickup uses a battery-powered preamp to deliver a strong, clean signal, as long as you keep the battery fresh!

How Do Active Guitar Pickups Work

It Still Uses Magnets and Coils

Compared to passive pickups, when you strum the strings, your pickup windings and magnets create a tiny voltage that your amp amplifies into the tone we hear. Active pickups perform the same function, but utilize very small coils and weaker magnets. This is the basic signal that all pickups rely on. Active models can be made in both single coil and humbuckers configurations.

It Has an Internal Preamp Circuit

Using a battery-powered preamp, the circuitry inside the guitar boosts the tiny signal into something that can travel the capacitance of your guitar cable to your pedalboard and then into your amp to be amplified. The results produce "cleaner" and more articulate sonic frequencies than passive pickups do. Having active circuitry inside the guitar to boost a signal also allows the pickup manufacturer to modify the signal, thereby affecting the EQ curve as well. This means that in general, the overall tone-shaping is happening digitally instead of dynamically by the raw materials of the pickup itself.  The active electronics amplify your sound and keep it clear, which is why active models can have a higher output with less hiss or hum than many passive pickups.

It Needs a Battery to Work

Because there’s an active amplifier in the pickup, it requires a battery for power. Most active pickups run on a single 9V battery tucked into your guitar. When you plug in your instrument cable, the battery circuit switches on; unplugging the cable turns it off to save power. A typical 9V battery can last hundreds of hours, but if it dies, your pickup won’t produce an output signal loud enough to use. (So if you have actives, always keep a spare battery handy just in case!)

Image Credit: Mortymore

Why Use Active Guitar Pickups

So, what are the benefits of active pickups? Here are a few of the biggest reasons why players choose active pickups vs passive ones:

High Output for More Gain

Active pickups are known for their high output, meaning they send a stronger signal to your amp. That translates to more gain on tap, great for thick distortion and screaming lead tones. If you play with a lot of overdrive or high gain, an active pickup will push your amp nicely. In fact, many active models have even higher output than the hottest passive pickups, which is one reason metal and hard rock players love them.

Low Noise, No Hum

Another big advantage is the virtually noise-free operation. Active designs cut out the ground hum and buzz that often plagues passive circuits (especially in single coil pickups without proper shielding). Not to be confused, single coils, even active ones, still have 60-cycle hum, but the ground noise (the one that goes away when you touch a metal part on your guitar) is not present with active pickups. If you are having trouble with ground noise, whether it's with a single coil setup or a humbucker guitar, check out our blog post and complete guide on making it silent here! Thanks to the preamp design, you won’t be fighting that unwanted noise. Even with high gain, there’s far less hiss.

Clear Tone and Definition

Active pickups deliver a very clear, articulate tone. Even with heavy distortion, they keep your notes defined and the frequency response balanced. You’ll notice a tight low end and crisp highs, instead of the muddiness that some overwound passive pickups can feature. Complex chords remain intelligible with actives, and they also sound pristine on clean settings. But that can come across as "too clean" or "sterile" to players, so it all depends on what your tone goals are. 

How To Set Up a Guitar With Active Pickups

If you’re installing active pickups in your guitar, there are a few special steps to keep in mind. Swapping passive pickups for actives isn’t impossible, but it involves more than just dropping in new pickups. Here are some tips:

Make Room for the Battery

Active pickups need a battery, so you’ll have to make space for a 9V battery inside your guitar. Some guitars have a battery compartment; if not, you can usually fit the 9V in the control cavity with the other electronics. Make sure the battery is secure and doesn’t rattle around. Figuring out where the battery will go is the first step before installing the pickups.

Use the Right Pots and Wiring

Active pickups typically require different electronic components than passive setups. In most cases, you’ll swap the volume and tone pots for low-value ones (around 25kΩ (ohms) instead of 250k or 500k). Using the correct pots prevents your tone from turning muddy. The good news is that most active pickup kits include the necessary pots and wires. Follow the manufacturer’s wiring diagram. Many modern sets use solderless connectors, making it pretty plug-and-play.

Install a Stereo Output Jack

Most active pickup kits also include a stereo output jack to replace the standard jack. This special jack features an additional prong that serves as an on/off switch for the battery. In simple terms, the battery only drains when a cable is plugged in. Wire up the new jack as instructed (connecting ground, output, and battery negative to the correct lugs). This ensures your battery isn’t draining whenever you’re not playing.

Unplug When Not Playing

Always unplug your guitar cable when you’re done playing. If a cable is left in, the battery remains connected and will continue to drain.

Can You Put Active Guitar Pickups in Passive Guitars

Absolutely, any electric guitar that has passive pickups can be modified to use active pickups. You’ll just need to add the battery and swap out some electronics as mentioned above. Should you? That's a different question. Based on your tone context, it might make perfect sense to get the cleanest possible signal available to keep everything "together". Some players believe that active pickups versus passive are a similar comparison from tube amp to digital, and there's a loss of feel or lack of movement. Ultimately, this is up to you, and active pickups continue to improve with advancing technology. If you have the resources to give it a try or the time to explore active pickups at a local guitar shop, we highly encourage you to do so.

If you're a diehard passive pickup player, then consider Lambertones Pickups for your guitar. We have devoted our entire lives to guitar tone and consider our niche in dynamic, articulate, and present electric guitar tone. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, check out our best sellers here.