Adjusting polepieces - 2 questions

[alex1fly]

Two questions about adjusting polepieces.

1. Often when you lower polepieces, wax comes out. Does this harm the pickup?
2. For pickups with two rows of polepieces - like a PAF Pro or Full Shred - is there a default way to adjust these? Both rows, only one row, or just experiment?

 

[ICTGoober]

The wax coming out will not harm the pickup. Wipe off with a soft cloth or paper towel.

As for pole piece setting - experimentation is acceptable and even encouraged. Find what sounds good to your ears. Doesn't have to be flat, arched, or staggered. Have fun with it!

 

[GuitarDoc]

^ +1

 

[Mincer]

I think the amount of wax that comes out is so small, from a non-critical area, that you don't nee to worry. If you were removing a cover from a humbucker, there would be a substantially larger amount of wax removed.

 

[GuitarStv]

It really bugs me when one string is too loud or too quiet, so always adjust pole pieces for string balance.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Another thing about adjusting humbuckers with two rows of screws that's especially relevant when it comes to bridge pickups:
The row further from the bridge will be fuller sounding, and the row nearer the bridge will be brighter. With conventional hums you can only adjust the one row. But on hums with two, adjustments to that second row will make more difference since string vibration is stronger the closer you get to the middle. Half an inch can make a significant difference to tone.

 

[Ewizard]

It is advisable to experiment. There is no right or wrong, only what you feel is best. Generally speaking, the closer the pole piece is to the strings, the louder and more punchy that string will be. The further away the pole pieces are, the quieter and the softer the attack of the string will be.

In the case of a humbucker, you can drop the pickup and then use the pole pieces to fine-tune the volume and attack. Having one set of poles significantly closer to the string ( by raising the adjustable poles significantly ) can start to make it sound more single coil ish ( at extremes ). This can help in clarity and balance, but may not be practical? It is always worth playing around though. You just never know what you will find. You can always go back.

 

[Teleplayer]

It's fine to experiment to get the string balance that you prefer. For the PAF PRO in the *Bridge position* I use the same pattern on each bobbin. I normally raise only the 4 poles for the A and D strings, but only by 1/2 turn. Sometimes I raised the A poles by 1/2 turn, and the D poles by 1 full turn, but AFAIK there is no rule and most people don't bother.

 

[alex1fly]

OK great, thanks. I have a PAF Pro in the bridge of an SG and am hoping to nudge it towards a warmer place.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Obviously height adjustments are the first thing to try, and might be enough of a change to suit you.
It's even worth trying the pickup set fairly high with the pole screws slightly below the top surface.
This makes for a more diffuse magnetic field, allowing the pickup to sense a slightly wider section of string.

If adjustments aren't enough, replacing the hex screws with regular ones would warm it a little and smooth the aggressive bite.
Should tame it a bit, even if you just do the row farther from the bridge, keeping the other hexes for brightness & attack.
I'm pretty sure the threads are standard in a PAF Pro. Some DiMarzio models - most notably the Super D - use fatter hex screws.

 

[piblock]

OK great, thanks. I have a PAF Pro in the bridge of an SG and am hoping to nudge it towards a warmer place.

I couldn't get it to sound very warm in my SG. Although I was able to tweak it to get it sounding better, ultimately it just isn't a warm pickup. It doesn't sound PAF like to me, it just doesn't have the good PAF qualities. It's got kind of an active pickup sterility to it, obviously much more subdued than active pickups but it's there.

 

[solspirit]

OK great, thanks. I have a PAF Pro in the bridge of an SG and am hoping to nudge it towards a warmer place.

Like Eclecticsynergy said push down the rear of the pick up