Pickups

Pickups are used on guitars to convert the vibrations the strings into electric signals. Pickups are found on both acoustic and electric guitars.

Pickups are standard on an electric guitar, but are optional for acoustics. If an acoustic guitar is built with an acoustic pickup, the guitar classified as an Acoustic-electric guitar. Pickups can also be purchased seperately and installed.

Types of Pickups
Pickups come in many different styles, versions, and coils.

Humbuckers are deeper, have two coils, and usually have more distortion.

Single-coil pickups brighter, less distorted, and more "tingy".

Lipstick Pickups are single coil pickups, with more bass.

Pickups 101
You can find a complete articles on pickups here.