Originally Posted by: Itsmesillyis humbucker a brand name or a kind of pickup?[/quote]
A humbucker IS a double coil pickup; as opposed to a single coil pickup.


They get their name because they cancel out a large portion of the interference (they "buck the hum") induced by alternating current sources normally experienced with single coil pickups.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbucker

Humbuckers were originally designed to cancel hum and create a smoother sound. Since they have a higher output (gain) the result was a convenient, if unintended, side effect: they sound "thicker" and distort more than single coils at higher volumes.

Historically, the Fender Strat had single coils, whereas the Gibson Les Paul had double coil pickups (called humbuckers). This is the origin of that particular association. In the early 1970's Ed Van Halen decided he wanted the sound of a humbucker combined with a Strat body and vibrato bar. :)

Ever since the EVH's Frankenstrat, it is common to find various combinations of single and double coil pickups in any given guitar be they Fender or Gibson style.
[QUOTE=Itsmesilly]Isnt it the pickups that reeally make and change the sound of a guitar? Isnt the wood just the shape of the guitar really and the sound is really more from the choice of and arangement of the pickups?

Everything has a combined effect on the final resultant sound: strings, type of wood, body shape, pickups, how they are mounted, amp, effects, speakers. And don't forget the most important component: the player. :)

Your mind and hands are the crucial, irreplaceable components in the sound of your guitar.