Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

[Bowtomecha]

I was wondering if anybody had used different lengths of screw polepieces to tailor the response of their humbuckers. I currently have 5/8 inch hex screws in my Pegasus 7 and I’m thinking that I should trim them down on the unwound strings to 1/2 inch to get more high end and pick attack. The wound strings are already tight enough but I can’t get the blanket off the treble on the plain strings. I modded the pickup with a ceramic flank but it is killing the bass and midrange too much in this setup so I’m planning on switch to just A5 only. Maybe a8 if I can get the treble I want. I like how the Pegasus responds when I dig in, except that the treble is too subdued. I like the idea of the full shred on charvels that ive played but only the higher strings. I’m curious if anybody just trims the plain strings polepieces to 1/2 and how it’s worked for them.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

When I trimmed the screws I didn't notice more treble really just tighter bass and quicker response. Try going to a 1 meg volume and a no load tone if you have a tone.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

I was wondering if anybody had used different lengths of screw polepieces to tailor the response of their humbuckers. I currently have 5/8 inch hex screws in my Pegasus 7 and I’m thinking that I should trim them down on the unwound strings to 1/2 inch to get more high end and pick attack. The wound strings are already tight enough but I can’t get the blanket off the treble on the plain strings. I modded the pickup with a ceramic flank but it is killing the bass and midrange too much in this setup so I’m planning on switch to just A5 only. Maybe a8 if I can get the treble I want. I like how the Pegasus responds when I dig in, except that the treble is too subdued. I like the idea of the full shred on charvels that ive played but only the higher strings. I’m curious if anybody just trims the plain strings polepieces to 1/2 and how it’s worked for them.

I've already tried to share my experience with such things: shortened screw poles = less inductance and eddy currents = brighter and tighter overall tone.

Unless the screw doesn't touch the mag no more, It won't really affect the response of each string separately. One coil per string would be necessary for that. With a regular HB, the coil AND mag(s) that all strings have in common "mutualize" what different screw poles bring.

To repeat what I've already said: AFAIK, the only way to affect the response of a string is to alter the magnetic field at the surface of the poles. It can be done with screws made of different alloys or by "airing" the pickup.

Now, a capacitor in series with the pickup would do what you want. The only challenge would be to find the "right" capacitance for that.

FOOTNOTE - and yes, I've tried different lenghts of screw polepieces. I've a "custom" noiseless P90 whose ALL screws are of different lenghts (in this case, the goal was to rise the inductance by putting more metal in the coil).

FWIW - Rambling from an old fart...

 

[mi_canuck]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

Yes in a Full Shred. It tamed the highs and beefed up the low end a bit. I liked it better with 1 row of fillisters, 1 row of hexes.

 

[Bowtomecha]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

I have wondered about airing my pickup. But I get different accounts of it. Some say it makes things brighter while others say it makes it warmer sounding. I guess I would be looking at half airing. Since I only want the unwound strings to change, maybe it’s quarter airing lol.

I’ve ordered a no load tone pot and I’m going to experiment with the polepieces again. Maybe dipping the treble side down and then raising the poles on that side to compensate and end up with the brighter sound on the unwound strings that I want?

This pickup has been frustrating me for like a year now. I genuinely like the tone with the slightly shorter poles I put in and even the A5 has grown on me despite this pickup not having too much output. The ceramic spacer I installed tightens and brightens the sound, almost like a shift up in range, but it doesn’t bring out the treble above where I want it to be. I want to raise the resonant peak just a bit. I know that means needing to lower the inductance though. So that’s either the guitar circuit in total or something I can maybe inch out of the pickup. I’ll try a one meg pot and hope that doesn’t throw off my sentient as it’s near perfect in this guitar.

The Pegasus 6 is exactly what I want this Pegasus 7 to be. Meh.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

I put an A8 into a 9k paf knockoff. It was a bit mushy in the lows for my taste. I trimmed the screws under the wound strings, the E the most and D the least. Made a big difference, much more than I expected. They were long like the ones in the photo mi_canuck posted above. I took the E screw to flush with the plate, A maybe 1/8" longer, and D more like 1/4" longer.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Has anybody used different lengths of screw polepieces?

I have wondered about airing my pickup. But I get different accounts of it. Some say it makes things brighter while others say it makes it warmer sounding. I guess I would be looking at half airing. Since I only want the unwound strings to change, maybe it’s quarter airing lol.

IMHO, testimonials about airing differ because... the effect of airing depends on the pickup. Guitar pickups are like bread or wine: simple recipe but an infinity of shades depending on interactive parameters. :-/

I’ve ordered a no load tone pot and I’m going to experiment with the polepieces again. Maybe dipping the treble side down and then raising the poles on that side to compensate and end up with the brighter sound on the unwound strings that I want?

Let us know the results of your experiments.

This pickup has been frustrating me for like a year now. I genuinely like the tone with the slightly shorter poles I put in and even the A5 has grown on me despite this pickup not having too much output. The ceramic spacer I installed tightens and brightens the sound, almost like a shift up in range, but it doesn’t bring out the treble above where I want it to be. I want to raise the resonant peak just a bit. I know that means needing to lower the inductance though. So that’s either the guitar circuit in total or something I can maybe inch out of the pickup. I’ll try a one meg pot and hope that doesn’t throw off my sentient as it’s near perfect in this guitar.

As you talk about something you could "inch out of the pickup": if I had to experiment with yours, maybe I'd try a shortened bar mag, too, and/or a regular bar mag pushed further on one side of the baseplate...

A short(ened) mag might be interesting to try, firstly because it would diminish the inductance and secondly, because it would "relocate" the ends of the magnet relatively to the poles - these ends being generally strongest... Hence the overall magnetic field of screw poles in a HB:

http://www.skguitar.com/SKGS/sk/Images/pickups/Pickup stuff/6screws.gif

NOTE: AlNiCo is difficult if not impossible to cut but it breaks easily.

The Pegasus 6 is exactly what I want this Pegasus 7 to be. Meh.

I've just noticed that Pegasus 7 measures 14.9k while Pegasus 6 measures 12.5k (12.6k for trembucker). IF the wire used is the same, that's not a negligible difference... So ,yeah, if the goal is to mimic the Pegasus 6, shortening the screw poles might do the trick by lowering the inductance.

Last but not least: nothing replaces empirical initiatic approaches so this anwer of mine is useless. LOL. But d'ont hesitate to post your findings, thx!