Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
- Thread starter ExplorersRock
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ExplorersRock
X-Files Duckbucker
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
I was told 3/16" by one of the SD crew. I think it was Scott Miller.
I was told 3/16" by one of the SD crew. I think it was Scott Miller.
Jocelyn
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/faq/frequently-asked/installation-an/what_is_the_pro/
I do prefer to set the bridge pup a little away though. It those feel less compressed and more open.
Here
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/faq/frequently-asked/installation-an/what_is_the_pro/
I do prefer to set the bridge pup a little away though. It those feel less compressed and more open.
Last edited:
TimmyPage
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
I do it all by eyeball. I'm more of a neck humbucker guy, so I check that height, play around with it a bit until it sounds good, then I match the bridge humbucker in volume. It's a lot easier to me than fighting two humbucker heights for hours.
I used to use the bareknuckle method: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/faq.php (look at answer 23). You raise the bridge pickup, then you play the top fret of the guitar, slowly moving the pickup downward until warbling and phasing and other magnetic issues disappear and you get a nice clear sound. Then you simply adjust the neck pickup to match in volume. It's a really good method for setting up a rock guitar.
I do it all by eyeball. I'm more of a neck humbucker guy, so I check that height, play around with it a bit until it sounds good, then I match the bridge humbucker in volume. It's a lot easier to me than fighting two humbucker heights for hours.
I used to use the bareknuckle method: https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/faq.php (look at answer 23). You raise the bridge pickup, then you play the top fret of the guitar, slowly moving the pickup downward until warbling and phasing and other magnetic issues disappear and you get a nice clear sound. Then you simply adjust the neck pickup to match in volume. It's a really good method for setting up a rock guitar.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
ears
ears
Gone_Shootin
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
My ears.
My ears.
Tallwood13
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
it's preference, some people over think certain aspects. Just be conscious that the closer the string is to the pickups the more it apparently kills sustain (lace pickups don't follow this rule) . In the end if you're making good music that is what matters.
it's preference, some people over think certain aspects. Just be conscious that the closer the string is to the pickups the more it apparently kills sustain (lace pickups don't follow this rule) . In the end if you're making good music that is what matters.
hermetico
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
For regular production pickups, I use coins to set up the starting point and, usually, few tweaks on high do it but, I've found that for boutique pickups, this simple doesn't work.
Boutique pickups seem to have a narrower sweet spot and balance high / low E sides is even more important that the overall height.
Singles are harder to find the sweet spot than humbuckers, at least for me.
For singles, I lower down all pickups up to pickguard height and, I start with the neck pickup.
I start raising the low E side until I feel the basses come strong, defined and clear, then, I balance the high E side, until the pickup sounds clear and defined and even in EQ and string loudness.
Once the "horizontal balance" is achieved, I move slightly down and up both sides in the same amount and check if sound improves or goes worst, until I fine tune the pickup.
Once done, I made the same with middle and, finally with bridge, until the full set is well balanced.
Notch positions are key to check the balance (in every sense) between neck and middle and, between middle and bridge.
I can understand how picky can be Eric Johnson with certain pickups. Some sets sound awesome just in a very narrow heights range and, to fine tune such a kind of pickups is a real hell.
Once done, it's heaven.
For regular production pickups, I use coins to set up the starting point and, usually, few tweaks on high do it but, I've found that for boutique pickups, this simple doesn't work.
Boutique pickups seem to have a narrower sweet spot and balance high / low E sides is even more important that the overall height.
Singles are harder to find the sweet spot than humbuckers, at least for me.
For singles, I lower down all pickups up to pickguard height and, I start with the neck pickup.
I start raising the low E side until I feel the basses come strong, defined and clear, then, I balance the high E side, until the pickup sounds clear and defined and even in EQ and string loudness.
Once the "horizontal balance" is achieved, I move slightly down and up both sides in the same amount and check if sound improves or goes worst, until I fine tune the pickup.
Once done, I made the same with middle and, finally with bridge, until the full set is well balanced.
Notch positions are key to check the balance (in every sense) between neck and middle and, between middle and bridge.
I can understand how picky can be Eric Johnson with certain pickups. Some sets sound awesome just in a very narrow heights range and, to fine tune such a kind of pickups is a real hell.
Once done, it's heaven.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
It is funny I typically ride my bridge pretty high with no issues and IMO pretty good tone. However, my TV Jones Classic + sounds absolutely horrible if it is too close to the point of distorting. Like others have said there is no measurement that can decide the distance it is all about ear and feel.
It is funny I typically ride my bridge pretty high with no issues and IMO pretty good tone. However, my TV Jones Classic + sounds absolutely horrible if it is too close to the point of distorting. Like others have said there is no measurement that can decide the distance it is all about ear and feel.
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Proper Pickup Height... How Do You Guys Decide?
A nickel is about 3/32"
A quarter (coin) is about 2/32", or 1/16" so a nickel would be just a bit over 1/16". 1/16" is half of 1/8" which in turn is half of 1/4"
3/16" is a bit less than 1/4" which is 4/16"
3/8" is right in the middle between 1/4" and full 1/2" which is an enormuous distance from the strings for a bridge humbucker. Since the ouput is a function of the square of the distance; 3/8" will have about one fourth as much the output of 3/32"
A nickel is about 3/32"
A quarter (coin) is about 2/32", or 1/16" so a nickel would be just a bit over 1/16". 1/16" is half of 1/8" which in turn is half of 1/4"
3/16" is a bit less than 1/4" which is 4/16"
3/8" is right in the middle between 1/4" and full 1/2" which is an enormuous distance from the strings for a bridge humbucker. Since the ouput is a function of the square of the distance; 3/8" will have about one fourth as much the output of 3/32"
