Adjusting my humbuckers height

[weepingminotaur]

As far as neck pickups being lower, I do find neck pickups sound "best" (personal opinion, of course) low because the higher you have them, the boomier and more exaggerated "neck-y" they get.

Agreed. I usually wind up lowering neck pickups a bit to reduce potential boominess. But like you, I'm a bridge-first guy in most situations (exceptions being when I play any jazz, neo-soul, or funk), so it's usually a question of making the neck fit with what the bridge is doing.

 

[donaldr]

The best tools for setting pickups height are our ears, IME (and a screwdriver, of course).

+1
Adjust by ear, a quarter turn makes a difference IME. When I'm installing new pickups I have a screwdriver close for a couple of weeks to fine tune it.
Start with the pickup you would be using the most for that particular guitar. Then adjust the other one for balance (tone or volume or both) depending off what you want to achieve with that guitar.

As @GuitarStv said I set them usually lower than the specs, specially EMGs.

 

[Jermo3178]

I usually start with the bridge. I get it where it sounds ok... adjust the neck to match.
Then I start fine tuning things back and forth. But yeah, the bridge dictates what I'm doing.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I adjust by what sounds best to my ear as well, but measurements are always nice to take during adjustment for reproductability.

 

[Mincer]

I adjust by what sounds best to my ear as well, but measurements are always nice to take during adjustment for reproductability.

Take measurements when you get them sounding their best, so you have a starting point if you ever decide to swap.

 

[donaldr]

Take measurements when you get them sounding their best, so you have a starting point if you ever decide to swap.

When I swap I'm using a new pickup rings (it's like $3 each), so I'm sure when I put the original back it's at the exact position I left it.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Take measurements when you get them sounding their best, so you have a starting point if you ever decide to swap.

Or if you decide to experiment, the experiment didn't work out, and you want to return back exactly where you were.

I understand some people who like to do their adjustments by ear or by feel. I do it too for the most part. But it's always better better to measure. I don't see how it can hurt, but I see many scenarios where it helps, even if it's just a safety net.