Pickup alignment

[GREGMW]

I have just built a guitar and fitted 2 x SD humbuckers to it (in mounting surrounds).

When I put the strings on I have noticed that the bridge PU is about 1 to 2mm out of alignment with the neck PU so the strings dont sit exactly over the poles....It look OK but will it affect the sound that much.

I dont really want to move it as the screw holes will show on the body.

TIA

Greg

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Pickup alignment

Welcome to the board.

Sometimes you can loosen those four screws that go into the wood and sort of move it into place and hold it while you tighten them down. Like I said, that works sometimes. For the most part, it's not going to make that much of a difference. Bridge pups tend to be closer to the strings anyway.

 

[GREGMW]

Re: Pickup alignment

Thanks Scott for the welcome.

Its amazing how so many people a kind enough to offer information.

I did try that and it didn't really work,I ended up breaking one of the screws.

If it wont make a lot of difference to the sound I might leave it.

Regards

Greg

 

[Davey]

Re: Pickup alignment

my neck pup is slightly off alignment also and i dont notice any tone loss.. maybe if it was turned into the right direction and alligned properly it'd sound even better, but i doubt that hehe

 

[tone4days]

Re: Pickup alignment

if it is only 1 or 2 mm off, you'll never notice it sonically ... my C5 in the bridge of my ibanez 540s is WAY off (i forgot to order it trem spaced) and still sounds fine .. it bugs ME to know it's wrong, but you'd never know unless you were studying it

welcome to the board .. tell us more about the guitar you built and which pups you chose

cheers
t4d

 

[GREGMW]

Re: Pickup alignment

Hi T4D

The guitar started out a kind of Tele but due to some probs & stuff ups,(but we dont talk about them) its ended up an original shape ,kind of SG style, which really looks OK.

Its a Ash body,maple neck with a rosewood fretboard.I have oiled the body with Tung oil then finished it off with Tru Oil.

I am using a JB pickup for the bridge and a 59 for the neck.

I am having some problems at the moment with Hum & noise so I havent kind of finished it yet.

Its the first attempt and its come up OK but theres a lot to learn by building them!

Thanks for your help and interest

Cheers

Greg

 

[Boleslaw Gers 666]

Re: Pickup alignment

This is the beauty of having rails instead of screws. Bending notes and having a pickup not quite aligned right makes no difference, because the rails cover all the way under the strings, so it picks them up much more consistently. I'm sure there will be more railed pickups coming in the future. I don't see why there aren't more of them.