Pickup adjusting

[dsuigdsf]

Hi!
I noticed that many guides recommended 1.6mm (for humbucker) pickup height (after pressing on the last fret).
But this setting isn't good with floyd rose, because if I bend note by floyd rose, at some point string touching pickup polepieces.
1,6mm always sound muddy for me.
I've always liked lower seting pickups (even 5mm and more, after pressing on the last fret), for me it sound better, less muddy, more natural.
Does any of you do that too?
I wonder can I set pickup sound on point 8 volume for rythm, and have boost to point 10 for solo?
Do any of the professional guitarists do that?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup adjusting

There are no rules. You should adjust pup height to wherever you like it. That is the rule to follow.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Uh huh. General height for volume balance to your taste. Then bass and treble sides to eq to your taste.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickup adjusting

I've found that I tend to have better results EQing from adjusting the individual string polepieces then angling the entire pickup. You have to do a little of both, but people often forget about adjusting string volume to make the pickup more balanced.

 

[shadowfire90]

Re: Pickup adjusting

I like how Guitardoc said it. Find what works for you. Pole piece adjustments and pickup heights are preference.

The closer the strings are to the pickups the ... my euphemism. The closer your ears are to the speaker the louder the music becomes.

To see how much pole pieces can affect your tone this is a great video I found and recommend it as much as possible as I've got a bookmark folder full of useful videos to help people out on here. Many people I knew wanted different pickups for a brighter tone lets say and if they tried steel strings or different picks such as graphtech tusq bright picks which are surprisingly good I'd tell them to try this out. There is some before and after situations too to hear.

I could think of some wiring mods to help fine tune the EQ of the guitar as I must have crossed the 300 diagram point some time the last while as it's been an on again off again hobby the last 10 years.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Everyone getting a new guitar or new pickups could benefit from 45 minutes with a screwdriver just testing different pickup heights. It is amazing how much 1/4 of a turn can change the sound and feel of a set of pickups.

 

[cement_head]

Re: Pickup adjusting

So, would the rule of thumb with a new set of pickups (for a Stratocaster) be to mimic the bridge curvature and then adjust from there? I just bought a set of SD "Everything Axe" for my Stratocaster and I thought I'd start there, play for a while and then adjust as I go - thoughts? TIA

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup adjusting

So, would the rule of thumb with a new set of pickups (for a Stratocaster) be to mimic the bridge curvature and then adjust from there? I just bought a set of SD "Everything Axe" for my Stratocaster and I thought I'd start there, play for a while and then adjust as I go - thoughts? TIA

Many Strat pickups don't have adjustable poles. But I start with the bridge pickup, and get it closer to the strings, and gradually move it away until I don't hear their effect on the string vibrations. Then I balance the other pickups to the bridge one, listening for the effect on the strings.

 

[cement_head]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Thanks! I'll start there.

 

[David Garner]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Everyone getting a new guitar or new pickups could benefit from 45 minutes with a screwdriver just testing different pickup heights. It is amazing how much 1/4 of a turn can change the sound and feel of a set of pickups.

I generally know if I like them or not immediately. But I'm not done adjusting them for 2-3 days, maybe more. Then I live with it for a while and sometimes go back and fine tune again.

One thing I would suggest is don't neglect the value of making small adjustments to only one side. If my bridge humbucker sounds too bassy, a quarter turn down usually fixes it. Etc. I spend a lot of time just getting the balance right, even after I think I have the height about where I want it. You can OCD things to death trying to get both sides the exact same height, especially with humbuckers. But I have no problem at all dropping one side only to get them to balance out. I usually do that before I even touch the pole pieces (and sometimes I don't touch those at all depending).

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Many Strat pickups don't have adjustable poles. But I start with the bridge pickup, and get it closer to the strings, and gradually move it away until I don't hear their effect on the string vibrations. Then I balance the other pickups to the bridge one, listening for the effect on the strings.

This is pretty much what I do as well . . . but usually I end up adjusting the bass side of the bridge closer, middle flat, and the treble side of the neck closer at final tweaking.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup adjusting

This is pretty much what I do as well . . . but usually I end up adjusting the bass side of the bridge closer, middle flat, and the treble side of the neck closer at final tweaking.

Usually, that is the way I end up, too.

 

[rammer69]

Re: Pickup adjusting

years ago , I was looking on this forum, & don't remember the actual measurement , but someone stated to use a nickel (5 cent coin) so ever since I hold the string down at last fret (with the nickel wedged between pup & strings, guitar in playing position , & lower the pup till the coin falls out , same on the treble side , But some times I use a dime (10 cent piece)on treble side.. it gets me really close , & then tweak from there , it works for me..

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Pickup adjusting

On non-Floyd guitars, I start with 2.38mm for all pickups, then lower the low E side of the neck to 3.18mm. Then tweak from there. (Technically those are Gibson factory specs. I start with those and move on from there. It’s give me an initial apples to apples comparison when I switch pickups.). For Floyd super strats, I don’t have one at the moment so I don’t have a method for those.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup adjusting

years ago , I was looking on this forum, & don't remember the actual measurement , but someone stated to use a nickel (5 cent coin) so ever since I hold the string down at last fret (with the nickel wedged between pup & strings, guitar in playing position , & lower the pup till the coin falls out , same on the treble side , But some times I use a dime (10 cent piece)on treble side.. it gets me really close , & then tweak from there , it works for me..

I have also used this method with good results.

 

[dave74]

Re: Pickup adjusting

I do it with my ears, basically the same as mincer posted.
Bridge first (with neck waaay down out of the zone), then I bring the neck up to blend w/ bridge as nicely as possible.

 

[Larioso]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Start with 2.4mm from strings, when they are fretted on last fret.
2.4mm height in neck seems a good guide to not have string pull from pickups.

Then I usually connect guitar with a mixer with meters - and pick frenetically on high E string and adjust mixer fader so that become 0 dB as peaks.
Then I do the same on low E and adjust pickup that side until peak become 0 dB as well.
Then I get good balance between strings and string separation as some put it.

Think about it - way much more mass on low E string will generate higher signal in pickup.

If any string in between deviate too much I might adjust pole screws as needed.

Then do equal adjustment 1/2 to full turn of height screws on both sides of bridge pickup to keep that balance to have volume as you like it between neck and bridge. Some want more power on bridge for soloing, I prefer have the same perceived level just about - so not any compressor or other pedal freak out switching pickup.

And you can also go for moving pickup down, and pole screws up more - that will brighten sound a bit. Could be enough like for neck pickup instead of switching pickup. It's almost as much as going from 59´model to Jazz doing that trick.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Start with whatever published spec you feel appropriate. Then adjust until it sounds awesome to you.


As for set on 8/10...


Depends on the pickup, the pot, and the amp tone. If pot value changes enough from 8-10 sure. Some change very little. If the pup is hot enough, sure. And...I play with a good amount of distortion, so my sound is compressed enough that it wouldn't change. On a clean amp, it m night make a big difference. On an amp without much headroom, it might be very noticeable as you'd go into breakup.

I always use a boost pedal or switch on the amp. I usually just want louder.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Just want to ask....
When we talk about measurements from the bottom of the string to pickup, are we measuring to the top of the screw or to the actual plastic bobbin?

 

[David Garner]

Re: Pickup adjusting

Just want to ask....
When we talk about measurements from the bottom of the string to pickup, are we measuring to the top of the screw or to the actual plastic bobbin?

Top of the polepiece (the screw on a humbucker, the round metal things sticking out of the cover on a Strat, etc.).