Lewguitar
New member
Re: Pickup placement,so what's the deal?
Great players like Carlos Santana like 24 frets and don't mind the neck pickup NOT being where it is on a typical Les Paul or vintage Strat.
Players like Joe Satriani and EVH seem to like the sound of the neck pickup being where it is on a vintage Strat or Les Paul.
It's all just personal preference and often we prefer what we're used to.
What I'm used to is the slightly fuller and deeper sound I get from the neck pickup when the polepieces of the neck pickup are under where the second octave of an open string is.
That's right where they put that 24th fret on 24 fret guitars, so most of my guitars have 21 or 22 frets.
I get a fuller, deeper sound when my neck pickup is in that position regardless of whether I'm playing open strings, or I'm capoed up or I'm fretting notes higher up the neck.
It's about the fuller, deeper sound. I prefer that.
The Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang also has 22 frets and I'll bet the screw polepieces of that neck pickup are right under where a 24th fret would be, as they are in a typical Les Paul or Strat.
Great players like Carlos Santana like 24 frets and don't mind the neck pickup NOT being where it is on a typical Les Paul or vintage Strat.
Players like Joe Satriani and EVH seem to like the sound of the neck pickup being where it is on a vintage Strat or Les Paul.
It's all just personal preference and often we prefer what we're used to.
What I'm used to is the slightly fuller and deeper sound I get from the neck pickup when the polepieces of the neck pickup are under where the second octave of an open string is.
That's right where they put that 24th fret on 24 fret guitars, so most of my guitars have 21 or 22 frets.
I get a fuller, deeper sound when my neck pickup is in that position regardless of whether I'm playing open strings, or I'm capoed up or I'm fretting notes higher up the neck.
It's about the fuller, deeper sound. I prefer that.
The Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang also has 22 frets and I'll bet the screw polepieces of that neck pickup are right under where a 24th fret would be, as they are in a typical Les Paul or Strat.
Last edited:
