Are you looking for the best pickups for semi-hollowbody guitars? Then, you have come to the right place.
Semi hollow-body guitars that have been rocking the stage for over 90 years are renowned for their exclusive beefy tone and warm, dynamic sound.
A semi hollow-body guitar usually features a mahogany or walnut body with super flat spruce or maple top, making it perfect for playing through an amp and acoustically. In addition, these uniquely designed basses featuring a versatile ‘sound hole’ deliver hard-hitting, rich and, detailed sound similar to acoustic bass.
Besides a semi-hollow-body guitar’s sound chamber, electronics, and exclusive design, the pickups play a crucial role in influencing the instrument’s sound. So choosing incompatible pickups could expose this guitar’s susceptibility to unwanted noise and feedback leading to the delivery of grubbier and darker sound.
On the other hand, PAF humbuckers tend to be perfectly compatible with most semi-hollow-body basses enabling the guitars to reproduce their signature sound.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our recommendations for the best pickups you can use for your favorite semi-hollow-body guitar.
The 5 Best Semi-Hollowbody Guitar Pickups (Comparison Table)
Seymour Duncan SH2N Jazz Model Humbucker Pickup (Editor’s Choice)
Guitarists and bassists looking to dial in impeccably lucid high-precision tone for racing jazz runs can bank on Seymour Duncan SH2N Jazz Model Humbucker Pickup.
The SH2N’s moderately vivid sound at somewhat modulated output makes this humbucker perfectly compatible with most pickups. For instance, this jazz model humbucker pairs seamlessly with a JB& Trade, SD Custom &trade (SH-4) in the neck position, and with an SH-5 in the bridge.
The SD SH2N Jazz Model pickup, when sitting pretty in your instrument’s neck position, delivers an extraordinarily expressive and lucid tone rendering it perfect for faster runs. This humbucker pickup from Seymour Duncan provides warm, soft sustain and a fuller tone when distorted. The SH2N jazz model humbucker pickup works well with semi-hollow-body guitars reputed for their warmth and balance.
At the same time, this Seymour Duncan humbucker pickup is quite suitable for dropping in guitars featuring a rosewood fingerboard and mahogany body. So jazz, hard rock, folk, and blues players who mostly use semi-hollow-bodies won’t go wrong with the SH2N Jazz Model Humbucker.
Pros
- Brighter and cleaner than most humbuckers: Well-balanced warm and expressive sound
- Lower-output aids in cranking up gain for better distortion with minimal feedback
- Balanced clean tone as well as distortion ideal for playing a range of musical styles
- Suitable for mounting both in the neck and bridge of your semi hollow-body
- It pairs perfectly with an SH-5 or JB (SH-4) in the bridge
Cons
- Installing the pickup could be an issue if you’re not familiar with soldering
- Whether you specialize in pop, funk, rock, or jazz, there’ll be a noticeable bluesy influence.
DiMarzio PAF Pickup (DP103BK – Close Runner-Up)
The DiMarzio PAF Pickup is more affordable than the upmarket Seymour Duncan models, yet equally versatile comes equipped with the best qualities of a vintage humbucker. In other words, this PAF-style pickup provides a mild electromagnetic field for maintaining a seamless balance of clarity and warmth. Additionally, you can mount this PAF from DiMarzio in the neck or bridge for dialing in the same quality of clean and distorted tones solely through pick attack.
This 36th anniversary PAF neck pickup follows in the footsteps of the pioneer of PAF-Seth Lover and therefore happens to be immensely handy. In addition, DiMarzio has made the most of the 1959 cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul of Larry DiMarzio and its patented technology to redesign the DP103BK. Hence, this PAF pickup incorporates DiMarzio’s Les Paul’s best elements, imparting an intensely clear sound nearly like single-coils.
The replication of a softer magnetic field enables the strings to throb for a longer duration, letting you focus on pick attack for full articulation. On the other hand, the application of computerized winders for uniform layering of 42-gauge custom-coated wire guarantees customized frequency response. Pickup cover crafted from nickel-silver alloy coupled with state-of-the-art electroplating technique makes this PAF more electromagnetically permeable than the original.
Pros
- A PAF-style pickup that works well in the neck, bridge, and middle positions
- Alnico V magnets
- 4-conductor leads (1 optional conductor) for multiple wiring options
Cons
- Being a lower-output pickup, the highs won’t be as transparent as you’d expect
- A slight single-coil hum
Seymour Duncan SH55 Seth Lover Humbucker Pickup
Seth Lover, who pioneered the humbucker, and Seymour Duncan joined hands to create the SH55 that duplicates the action of the original PAF. Unlike the 1955 PAF that featured a brass bottom plate, the SH-55 comes with a nickel-silver cover plate, thereby aiding in the magnetic elimination of exaggerated high-end output. And in keeping with the original PAF pickup’s design and tenor, the SH55 humbucker is not wax potted.
Owing to the unpotted bottom plate, this PAF for the bridge has plenty of heft for breaking in sooner than you expect. . If you’re looking to transform your hollow-body guitar into an instrument for belting out hard rock tones, don’t look beyond. The Seth Lover neck humbucker helps deliver a silky soft tone with excellent articulation through exceptional coordination of mellowed treble and bursting hot low-end.
Alnico 2 bar magnets aid in smoothening out the high-end, and the classic output coils help produce well-developed harmonic content. Your solos will have a pronounced vocal quality, with the unpotted nickel-silver bottom plate guarantees a grand piano-style tone. The Seth Lover SH55 humbucker is available in both bridge – and neck versions.
Pros
- Hum-cancelling Seth Lover humbucker for semi-hollow body’s neck
- 4-conductor lead wire- and 1-conductor push-back braided lead wire versions for multiple splitting and wiring options
- Smooth and expressive
- Alnico 2 bar magnet, vintage output coils, and unpotted cover ensure warm harmonic response.
Cons
- If you turn up the gain of your amp, you could experience squealing
Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker Set
Do you want your solid body- or semi-hollow-body guitar to reproduce that classic 1950s’ sound? Then, you can bank on the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker pickup pair to enable your instrument to bring out classic rock, country, or unmistakable blues tone. Thanks to consistent frequency response, the Antiquity humbucker for the neck is indispensable for delivering a coherent but rich tone.
The balanced frequency response results from a seamless blending of satiated low-end with soft and pleasant sounding trebly. On the other hand, a custom aged Alnico 2 bar magnet generates roominess to the high-end, rendering articulation to harmonic notes. The vintage output coils facilitate in highlighting the chords and arpeggios, while the solos have plenty of treble, lending them a striking vocal quality.
The Antiquity humbucker for the bridge has been hugely inspired by the Seth Lover PAF humbucker pickups introduced in 1955. This bridge humbucker duplicates the airy and full tone of those original 50s PAF pickups with great perfection and precision. The top-end notes come out perfectly with the right brightness, while the low-end has that characteristic snarl peppered with squishy warmth.
Pros
- Custom aged for simulating the vintage ‘PAF’ sound
- Wounded on SD’s high-speed Leesona winding machine for reproducing that distinctive classic mojo
- Slightly higher ring mount for adjusting to enhanced pickup height
- Unpotted pickup cover for immaculate harmonic note fragmentation and separation
Cons
- The high-output factor could cause some feedback issues
Seymour Duncan SH-PG1 Pearly Gates Pickup Set
The initial Pearly Gates custom pickups were designed and created for the celebrated 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which embodied the Texas blues rock’s raw sound. The Seymour Duncan SH-PG1 Pearly Gates pickup set is a variant of the Seth Lover PAF humbucker that delivers a sweet tone with a touch of insolence. At the same time, the SH-PG1’s sound has a prominently sparkling clean top along with massive sustain that rains harmonics.
The SH-PG1 perfectly dials the ’59 Les Paul’s neck pickup’s vintage mojo furnishes an exclusive tonal deviation with more midrange compared to yesteryear humbuckers. So you get a neck humbucker that effortlessly slices through with beefier midrange but retains the Alnico 2 magnet’s fresh treble attack. In addition, the Seymour Duncan SH-PG1 Pearly Gates Pickup Set is ideal for lead – as well as rhythm playing, making this humbucker pair extraordinary.
Pros
- Bridge humbucker pairs perfectly with semi hollow-bodies
- Robust midrange presence with ascending clear high-end
- It does well with a lower-output neck pickup for reliable sound with negligible feedback
Cons
- You may have to deal with some amount of feedback
How to Change Pickups in a Semi-Hollowbody Guitar?
When replacing or upgrading the humbuckers in your semi-hollow-body guitar, you don’t need to swap both. Replacing either the neck or bridge humbucker at a time suffices for making subtle tonal adjustments at an affordable rate. However, you’ll first have to decide whether upgrading the pickup in the bridge or neck position is your priority.
Remember that a neck pickup works best if you install the piece in your instrument’s neck slot. And the same principle applies to the humbucker designed for the bridge. Swapping out the bridge humbucker is the way to go if you’re looking to dial in beefier high-end. Additionally, a high-output humbucker for the r bridge can effectively deal with dog semi hollow-bodies’ feedback issues.
On the other, hand if you want your instrument to highlight its organic warmth better, change the neck pickup. So, putting things in perspective, it’s your personal preference that’ll, by and large, determine if you wish to change the bridge or neck humbucker first. As for replacing the stock pickups in your semi hollow-body with new ones, go through the following steps:-
- Unscrew the stock pickup(s) for detaching and taking out the same from the instrument’s body
- Now snap the wire tethered with the humbucker pickup. Make sure you sever the lead as closely as possible so that you’ve enough line to hook up the replacement pickup. You’ll need to be extra cautious while disconnecting the existing pie, as most stock pickups don’t come with sufficient connectors.
At the same time, remember that once you disconnect the stock pickups, they become useless (except if you leave adequate wire for reattachment later on).
- At this stage, you’ll have to shred the wire jutting out of the pickup slot by approximately half an inch.
- Next, you’ll need to solder the ‘hot’ and ‘ground’ ends inside the pickup hollow and both ends of the new pickup(s). Don’t be alarmed if you see that the pickup has multiple ends; focus only on the ground and hot ends.
- At this point, solder the hot end in the pickup cavity to the new pickup’s hot end and likewise for the ground end.
- Use thick adhesive electrical tape to wrap both the soldered ends and after that, cover both jointly with the tape. Now you’re ready to rock!
So, the Best Pickup for Semi-Hollowbody Guitar Is…
Before you start looking for the ideal humbucker(s), make up your mind about what exactly you expect from the pickup. Once you figure that out, you’ll find it easy to pick and choose a humbucker pickup model out of the ones reviewed above.