Any tips on setting vintage humbucker pup height?

Reverberocket2

New member
OK so I loaded up the Lester with some vintage T-Tops (uncovered)
They are both measure around 7.5

I've got it pretty well ballanced Any tips on fine tuning?

Neck pup
I've got the neck pup slightly sunk into the cavity and I've raised the pole pieces up so they are about a 1/8" away from the strings - sounds fat/warm but not too bassy, mid scooped and a little bit of chime on the top

Neck is a bit louder than the bridge

Bridge pup
Above the cavity pole pieces flat about 1/8" away from the strings - sounds punchy, clear and brash
 
Re: Any tips on setting vintage humbucker pup height?

I'm gonna say go 3/16 neck and 1/16 bridge, raise the screws to match the string arc. Love my neck T-top!!!!!!!

My bridge T-top just sounded old and tired so I went to a DD.

As always - adjust to taste! I could see T-tops a little closer to the strings. I can see the reduced boom factor of raising the poles a touch and keeping the body low. That's a cool adjust IMO.
 
Re: Any tips on setting vintage humbucker pup height?

If you like it that way leave it alone, but the bridge pup seems a little low to me; my bridge PAFs usually end up about 3/32" from the strings, with the polepieces close to the bobbins; some follow the string radius, some are flatter depending on taste. Your neck pup is set almost exactly like I set mine.
 
Re: Any tips on setting vintage humbucker pup height?

OK so I loaded up the Lester with some vintage T-Tops (uncovered)
They are both measure around 7.5

I've got it pretty well ballanced Any tips on fine tuning?

Neck pup
I've got the neck pup slightly sunk into the cavity and I've raised the pole pieces up so they are about a 1/8" away from the strings - sounds fat/warm but not too bassy, mid scooped and a little bit of chime on the top

Neck is a bit louder than the bridge

Bridge pup
Above the cavity pole pieces flat about 1/8" away from the strings - sounds punchy, clear and brash

That's pretty much how I do it. In order to balance the output, I try to keep the neck pickup low in the cavity, and I raise the bridge pickup. The way you set your poles is also similar to the way I have mine set. When fine-tuning all of these screws, it is best to run the guitar into a quieter amp. I prefer a clean tone with a low volume, since distortion can filter out some of the frequencies from the pickup which you are trying to balance.
 
Re: Any tips on setting vintage humbucker pup height?

If you like it that way leave it alone, but the bridge pup seems a little low to me; my bridge PAFs usually end up about 3/32" from the strings, with the polepieces close to the bobbins; some follow the string radius, some are flatter depending on taste. Your neck pup is set almost exactly like I set mine.


+1
 
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