Intonation and pick ups

[Vengeance]

Here's one for ya. I was recently told that putting a EMG to close to the strings will ruin your intonation. Not just any pup but a EMG.

yah...so...I do know putting a regular pick up to close to the strings will cause some magnetic pull on them and kill sustain. I set my EMG's up real close,1/4 inch give or take.

Not really what I'm getting at though. I'm thinking how does the pup have anything to do with the exact length of the string to achieve a true center.

Never in a million years have a heard of anything like that. I'm truly thinking someone was FOS and has no clue WTF they are talking about. To me is just sounds effin crazy.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

I was recently told that putting a EMG to close to the strings will ruin your intonation. Not just any pup but a EMG.

Baloney.

I do know putting a regular pick up to close to the strings will cause some magnetic pull on them and kill sustain.

Sometimes.

what I'm getting at ... how does the pup have anything to do with the exact length of the string to achieve a true center.

It doesn't. Somebody in your social circle appears to have confused guitars with yoga or Transendental Meditation.

I'm truly thinking someone was FOS and has no clue WTF they are talking about.

^
thiS happens. Often!

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

Actually, this IS an actual issue. It is commonly referred to as "Stratitis", because it is (by far) most prevalent on single coils with rod magnets.

While it is possible with humbuckers, it is in most cases more likely that you will fret out on the covers /bobbins /polepieces before the issue arises.

EMGs with their design actually have much less string pull than passive pickups, further minimising the effect, both on single coilds and on humbuckers.

I had a guitar with EMGs tht had a 3mm deep groove worn into the briodge pickup from palm muting the low E when I bought it. No string pulll related issues whatsoever.

Make what you want of the overall impact, but these are the facts of the matter :beerchug:

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

I have never heard of any pickup affecting the intonation of your guitar. I would call BS on that one.

As for the other statement; there is a strong magnet in there so they do pull on the strings somewhat and can affect the sound if setup incorrectly. You can find information out there on this subject.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

Actually, this IS an actual issue. It is commonly referred to as "Stratitis", because it is (by far) most prevalent on single coils with rod magnets.

While it is possible with humbuckers, it is in most cases more likely that you will fret out on the covers /bobbins /polepieces before the issue arises.

Not being a Fender owner I'm not sure, but I didn't think that 'Stratitis' was an intonation issue. I had thought it was a relatively dead area on the low strings, on the high frets. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

^^ Stratitis is essentially the direct infleuncing of the strings vibration by an overpowering flux field. The alteration of the arcs changis the overtone distances, robs some away completely, and causes an overall unpleasant sensation and loss of sustain.

However, If the strings natural vibrational arcs are influenced from the outside to the point of alteration, the position of overtones and intonation points automatically changes because the string is essentially being stretched additionally in a different direction thatn intended. Grossly oversimplified allowing the string to vibrate in an overpowering magnetic (or for that matter electrical, but that´s irrelevant) flux field is similar to fretting a note at the point of the highest field strength.

No physical contact is necessary, sorry if I was unclear on that.

It is not necessarily common, because for it to have really noticable effects on intonation it has to be durned friggin strong, but I have seen it myself, so it IS possible....

 

[blueman335]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

yah...so...I do know putting a regular pick up to close to the strings will cause some magnetic pull on them and kill sustain. I set my EMG's up real close,1/4 inch give or take.

PU's are usually closer to the strings than that, especially the bridge PU (measurements taken when the strings are pressed down at the highest fret).

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

The stratitus effect is more pronounced with strat style single coils, but any pickup can exhibit the same behavior to lesser degrees. EMG's have lower magnetic pull so the idea that EMG's are worse than other pickups is BS. The person who said this probably thinks active pickups are electromagnets.

 

[Vengeance]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

Thanks guys. I knew I wasn't crazy.

Cross that guy off mt list off people to get advice from.

SDUGF is the best.

 

[Tim S]

Re: Intonation and pick ups

In my experience, pickup height DOES influence intonation setup. Try raising a SC neck pickup to a height you know is too close. Now check the intonation. Is it different?

Rather than blast each other over what you've hear others say, why don't you try the experiment yourself???

Here a link that explains why magnetic interference can (not *will*) throw off your efforts to properly intonate.
http://www.custom-sounds.com/Artikk...AR-PLAYABILITY-setting-guitar-for-killer-tone