Best Single Coil Pickups 2025

Top-rated single coil pickups 2025 - expert picks for every budget and skill level

Last updated: November 5, 2025 • Next update: November 12, 2025

Seymour Duncan STK-S10S WH Pickguard YJM Fury - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#1

Seymour Duncan STK-S10S WH Pickguard YJM Fury

Vintage Rock Country Surf Music
Key Feature:
• Bright, clear tone character
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Great note definition
✗ CONS
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference
  • • Limited output compared to humbuckers

Seymour Duncan STK-S10S WH Pickguard YJM FuryPickup SetYJM Fury single coil pickupYngwie J. Malmsteen...

4.9/5 (51 reviews)
Sound:
10/10
Build:
10/10
Value:
6/10
Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot St PG AW - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#2

Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot St PG AW

Surf Music Pop Blues
Key Feature:
• Classic vintage sound
✓ PROS
  • • Great note definition
  • • Classic vintage sound
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • May lack power for heavy genres

Seymour Duncan Antiquity Texas Hot St PG AWPickup SetCompletely pre-wired pickguard for Strat-style electric...

4.5/5 (27 reviews)
Sound:
10/10
Build:
10/10
Value:
7/10
Bare Knuckle Triptych Set Parchment - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#3

Bare Knuckle Triptych Set Parchment

Pop Blues Clean Tones
Key Feature:
• Great note definition
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference

Bare Knuckle Triptych Set ParchmentSet of Pickups for Electric GuitarRabea Massaad Signature model3 Hand-wound single...

4.9/5 (39 reviews)
Sound:
9/10
Build:
9/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan AS-1s Blackouts Pickup Set BL - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#4

Seymour Duncan AS-1s Blackouts Pickup Set BL

Pop Country Blues
Key Feature:
• Classic vintage sound
✓ PROS
  • • Great note definition
  • • Classic vintage sound
✗ CONS
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference
  • • May lack power for heavy genres

Seymour Duncan AS-1s Blackouts Pickup Set BLPickup Set for Electric Guitar3 Active single coilsModern ST-Style -...

4.9/5 (35 reviews)
Sound:
8/10
Build:
8/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan Hendrix Loaded PG Voodoo - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#5

Seymour Duncan Hendrix Loaded PG Voodoo

Surf Music Blues Pop
Key Feature:
• Excellent for clean tones
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Great note definition
✗ CONS
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference
  • • Limited output compared to humbuckers

Seymour Duncan Hendrix Loaded PG VoodooPickup SetCompletely pre-wired pickguardJimi Hendrix Signature Strat Loaded...

4.6/5 (44 reviews)
Sound:
9/10
Build:
9/10
Value:
8/10
Seymour Duncan STK-S10S YJM Fury Set OW - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#6

Seymour Duncan STK-S10S YJM Fury Set OW

Vintage Rock Country Pop
Key Feature:
• Great note definition
✓ PROS
  • • Excellent for clean tones
  • • Bright, clear tone character
✗ CONS
  • • May lack power for heavy genres
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference

Seymour Duncan STK-S10S YJM Fury Set OWPickup Set for ST-Style Electric GuitarYngwie Malmsteen Fury SignatureVintage...

4.5/5 (38 reviews)
Sound:
8/10
Build:
8/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan Hot Chicken ST - Pickup Set - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#7

Seymour Duncan Hot Chicken ST - Pickup Set

Surf Music Clean Tones Country
Key Feature:
• Excellent for clean tones
✓ PROS
  • • Classic vintage sound
  • • Great note definition
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • Limited output compared to humbuckers

Seymour Duncan Hot Chicken ST - Pickup SetSet of Pickups for Electric Guitar3 Stacked coil single coilsCustomised to...

4.5/5 (13 reviews)
Sound:
8/10
Build:
8/10
Value:
6/10
Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Twang T Set Aged - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#8

Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Twang T Set Aged

Vintage Rock Surf Music Pop
Key Feature:
• Excellent for clean tones
✓ PROS
  • • Excellent for clean tones
  • • Bright, clear tone character
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • May need noise reduction

Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Twang T Set AgedPickup Set for Electric GuitarAntiquity II SeriesT-Style pickup...

4.8/5 (28 reviews)
Sound:
7/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
7/10
DiMarzio HS Replacment Pickguard - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#9

DiMarzio HS Replacment Pickguard

Blues Country Pop
Key Feature:
• Great note definition
✓ PROS
  • • Classic vintage sound
  • • Bright, clear tone character
✗ CONS
  • • Limited output compared to humbuckers
  • • May lack power for heavy genres

DiMarzio HS Replacment PickguardReplacement PickguardFully-fitted prewired pickguard11 HolesIn the Strat styleWith 2x...

4.9/5 (43 reviews)
Sound:
8/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan Classic Loaded Pickguard White - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#10

Seymour Duncan Classic Loaded Pickguard White

Surf Music Clean Tones Vintage Rock
Key Feature:
• Bright, clear tone character
✓ PROS
  • • Classic vintage sound
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
✗ CONS
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference
  • • Limited output compared to humbuckers

Seymour Duncan Classic Loaded Pickguard WhiteLoaded and wired pickguard for electric guitarFor ST-style modelsHuge...

4.9/5 (19 reviews)
Sound:
9/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
7/10
DiMarzio Injector Replacement Pickguard - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#11

DiMarzio Injector Replacement Pickguard

Vintage Rock Country Surf Music
Key Feature:
• Great note definition
✓ PROS
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
  • • Classic vintage sound
✗ CONS
  • • May lack power for heavy genres
  • • Can be too bright for some styles

DiMarzio Injector Replacement PickguardReplacement PickguardFor ST - style guitarsPaul Gilbert signature model1x...

4.5/5 (13 reviews)
Sound:
7/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
8/10
Bare Knuckle Nomads Set N - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#12

Bare Knuckle Nomads Set N

Pop Clean Tones Surf Music
Key Feature:
• Excellent for clean tones
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
✗ CONS
  • • May need noise reduction
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference

Bare Knuckle Nomads Set NSet of Pickups for T-Style Electric GuitarRabea Massaad Signature modelHand-woundPositions:...

4.6/5 (17 reviews)
Sound:
8/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan Antiquity ST Texas Hot Set - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#13

Seymour Duncan Antiquity ST Texas Hot Set

Blues Clean Tones Country
Key Feature:
• Bright, clear tone character
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • May need noise reduction

Seymour Duncan Antiquity ST Texas Hot SetSingle coil pickup setANT-STH on the neckANT-STH RW / RP in the middle and...

4.7/5 (32 reviews)
Sound:
9/10
Build:
9/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan Psychedelic ST Set Cream - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#14

Seymour Duncan Psychedelic ST Set Cream

Country Vintage Rock Clean Tones
Key Feature:
• Responsive to playing dynamics
✓ PROS
  • • Bright, clear tone character
  • • Excellent for clean tones
✗ CONS
  • • Can be too bright for some styles
  • • Susceptible to electrical interference

Seymour Duncan Psychedelic ST Set CreamPickup Set for Electric GuitarST-Style Pickup SetReproduces the Strat tone of...

4.7/5 (5 reviews)
Sound:
7/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
7/10
Seymour Duncan L-CS2S Livewire II Set BK - Professional Music Instrument Photo
#15

Seymour Duncan L-CS2S Livewire II Set BK

Clean Tones Blues Vintage Rock
Key Feature:
• Responsive to playing dynamics
✓ PROS
  • • Responsive to playing dynamics
  • • Classic vintage sound
✗ CONS
  • • May lack power for heavy genres
  • • Can be too bright for some styles

Seymour Duncan L-CS2S Livewire II Set BKSet of Pickups for Electric Guitar3 Active single coilsVintage Strat output and...

4.8/5 (28 reviews)
Sound:
7/10
Build:
7/10
Value:
8/10

How to Choose the Best Single Coil Pickups

Budget Planning

  • • Under $200: Entry-level
  • • $200-$500: Intermediate
  • • $500-$1000: Advanced
  • • $1000+: Professional

Quality Check

  • • Sound clarity & tone
  • • Build materials & finish
  • • Hardware durability
  • • Overall craftsmanship

Key Features

  • • Your musical style
  • • Skill level match
  • • Intended use case
  • • Brand reputation

Frequently Asked Questions

Key factors include build quality, sound characteristics, playability, brand reputation, warranty coverage, and value for money. Consider your musical style, skill level, and intended use to find the best match.
Budget depends on your needs and experience level. Beginners can find quality options for $200-500, intermediate players should consider $500-1500 range, while professionals often invest $1500+ for premium features.
Higher-priced single coil pickups typically offer better materials, craftsmanship, and performance. They're worth it if you're serious about music, perform regularly, or need professional-grade features.
Top brands combine quality, innovation, and reliability. We evaluate brands based on build quality, sound performance, durability, and customer satisfaction to recommend the best options for different budgets.
Both have advantages. Online offers better prices and selection, while stores allow hands-on testing. We recommend researching online first, then testing in stores if possible. Many online retailers offer excellent return policies.

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