Les Paul Pickup Angle

[PimpDaDdy]

Hello all. My obsession has reached new heights and I need your help!

I recently installed a full shred neck and JB bridge in my Gibson Les Paul Custom with aftermarket covers. I'm not 100% pleased with the sound. Like my other guitars I have been able to adjust the pickups such that the face of the pickup is parallel with the strings. This way both coils are the same distance from the strings. I can keep the pole pieces screwed down and get a nice warm full sound by jacking the pickup up close to the strings without getting obnoxious. On my Les Paul the non adjustable pickup ring keeps the coil closest to the bridge significantly farther away from the strings. I feel this is robbing me of some output and the bright, shimmery, harmonically rich top end of my sound.

Does anyone know of a pickup ring that will adjust for this and make the pickup parallel to the strings? Any manufacturer’s product or solution that anyone could suggest would be great.

 

[scottish]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

oh wow, thats really weird...i commonly see it the other way around with the coil closest to the neck being furhter away from the strings.

never seen it the way you are describing, you sure the aftermarket covers are SD compatible?

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

I've never heard of a non-adjustable ring. Are there no springs around the screws to adjust height? I've got a LP Custom and have never had that problem.

 

[PimpDaDdy]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

It has an adjustable pickup rings. It just brings the pickup closer or farther away from the strings. I want to be able to adjust the angle and tilt it forward towards the headstock. Unfortunately as is this pickup ring keeps bridge side coil farther away from the strings.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

My personal opinion is just put the pickups in, so long as they're the correct distance away. If the covers are bothering you, remove them. That's just my 2 cents, just what I would do....

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

Use a piece of foam under the pickup.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

Les Paul mounting rings should be tapered. The bridge pickup ring isn't installed backwards, is it? The taper is to keep the face of pickup parallel (or relatively close) to the strings.

 

[lemonman]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

I've had a couple do that, tip backwards so the slug coil is closer to the strings. In my case it was caused by the wires in the pup cavity putting pressure on the underside of the pup. Rerouting the wires correctly fixed the problem.

I've also had it happen because the spring(s) either had a tilt to them or didn't seat well in the pup ring, forcing the pup to tilt. Rotating or replacing the springs did the trick.

 

[PimpDaDdy]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

You could be on to something LemonMan. I plan on replacing my bridge with a tonepros graphite deal and a new tail piece. I'll be pulling the strings off to do this so I will pop out the pickups and see if their could be an issue with the wiring underneath. Something I noticed on the neck pickup is that I can tilt the pickup back and forth in the cavity with my fingers and their is some give in both directions. I can't do that with the bridge pickup. Their could be something underneath restricting it's movement and causing it to tilt back towards the bridge.

 

[PimpDaDdy]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

It wasn't the pickup angle. I think the cover didn't fit on right. Long story short the slug side of the cover didn't snap on tight. Removed the cover ....problem basically solved. Lesson to be learned....If you want covers on your pickups ....order them that way:rocket: !

 

[Mephis]

Re: Les Paul Pickup Angle

Use a piece of foam under the pickup.

+1 best way to fix it.