Seth Lover pickup height preferences
- Thread starter ledvedder
- Start date
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
What kind of guitar? I would imagine that you'd get a range of answers here...there are some that go for specific numbers, and some (like me) who go for specific sounds ("whatever sounds the best"). Have you installed them yet?
What kind of guitar? I would imagine that you'd get a range of answers here...there are some that go for specific numbers, and some (like me) who go for specific sounds ("whatever sounds the best"). Have you installed them yet?
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
There is no 1 height. I have swapped sets of pickups from guitar to guitar and have had to adjust them to different heights from the strings to get them to that guitar's sweetspot. And this is guitars of the same type - all Les Pauls with nominally the same construction.
There is usually a generic guideline Gibson (or even Duncan) recommends for a starting point......I'm sure someone will have the figures as I never pay attention to that sort of thing as my ears are what guide me every time.
edit - there is a Swedish guy on the net who does a lot of comparison videos. One of them IIRC was pickups at different heights in the one guitar. Might be worth checking out to see typical differences.
There is no 1 height. I have swapped sets of pickups from guitar to guitar and have had to adjust them to different heights from the strings to get them to that guitar's sweetspot. And this is guitars of the same type - all Les Pauls with nominally the same construction.
There is usually a generic guideline Gibson (or even Duncan) recommends for a starting point......I'm sure someone will have the figures as I never pay attention to that sort of thing as my ears are what guide me every time.
edit - there is a Swedish guy on the net who does a lot of comparison videos. One of them IIRC was pickups at different heights in the one guitar. Might be worth checking out to see typical differences.
Last edited:
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
First off, to get more of a rock sound I remove the covers from my Seth Lovers...just like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck removed the covers from the PAF humbuckers in their 50’s Les Pauls.
I adjust the pole pieces under the two E strings level with the top of the bobbin and the middle four pole pieces in an arch that matches the arch of the frets.
Then I hold the two e strings down at the highest frets and adjust the pickup bobbins to about 1/16” away from the underside of the high E and about 1/8” away from the underside of the low E.
But that’s just a starting point.
I use my ears from then on to adjust the pole pieces and overall height of the pickups.
I’m a big fan of the Seth Lover. I have three sets...all uncovered.
First off, to get more of a rock sound I remove the covers from my Seth Lovers...just like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck removed the covers from the PAF humbuckers in their 50’s Les Pauls.
I adjust the pole pieces under the two E strings level with the top of the bobbin and the middle four pole pieces in an arch that matches the arch of the frets.
Then I hold the two e strings down at the highest frets and adjust the pickup bobbins to about 1/16” away from the underside of the high E and about 1/8” away from the underside of the low E.
But that’s just a starting point.
I use my ears from then on to adjust the pole pieces and overall height of the pickups.
I’m a big fan of the Seth Lover. I have three sets...all uncovered.
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
I have them installed in a Les Paul. I've set the bridge high E around a nickel's height from string to cover and the neck high E around 2 nickel's height. Then dropped the low E side of both pickups a bit further away. This was with the strings capo'd at the 15th fret.
I'm having a really hard time about the idea of removing the covers. I love the look with those nickel covers!
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I have them installed in a Les Paul. I've set the bridge high E around a nickel's height from string to cover and the neck high E around 2 nickel's height. Then dropped the low E side of both pickups a bit further away. This was with the strings capo'd at the 15th fret.
I'm having a really hard time about the idea of removing the covers. I love the look with those nickel covers!
Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
Thundermtn
New member
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
I use them mostly like Lew, except I run them covered so the screws are a little higher.
I have one that's wonky though.
On my Tele neck I set the screws flat with the cover then adjust the pup height for the low E to about 4mm from the string fretted at it highest note, and the high E about 6mm. Then I back the high E screw out to about 2mm from the string at the highest fretted note and level the rest in a straight line going to the low E still at 4mm.
I use them mostly like Lew, except I run them covered so the screws are a little higher.
I have one that's wonky though.
On my Tele neck I set the screws flat with the cover then adjust the pup height for the low E to about 4mm from the string fretted at it highest note, and the high E about 6mm. Then I back the high E screw out to about 2mm from the string at the highest fretted note and level the rest in a straight line going to the low E still at 4mm.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
Fret the high and low E at the 22nd fret, then 3/32" from top of pickup to underside of strings. One exception: 1/8" from bass side of neck pickup to underside of the low E. That's what I do, to start with, but not sayin' necessarily what anyone else should do.
Fret the high and low E at the 22nd fret, then 3/32" from top of pickup to underside of strings. One exception: 1/8" from bass side of neck pickup to underside of the low E. That's what I do, to start with, but not sayin' necessarily what anyone else should do.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
This is a personal preference thing, like string height and string gauge. You decide what sounds and feels best.
This is a personal preference thing, like string height and string gauge. You decide what sounds and feels best.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
Yep. The set up I described is a starting point for me and if I measured the final set up of my three sets they’d all be a little different.
Yep. The set up I described is a starting point for me and if I measured the final set up of my three sets they’d all be a little different.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
Right. What's ideal for one guitar may not be for another because of differences in the neck size, shape, and bow (if any). Some people obsess over the factory string height settings, which is just crazy.
Right. What's ideal for one guitar may not be for another because of differences in the neck size, shape, and bow (if any). Some people obsess over the factory string height settings, which is just crazy.
Re: Seth Lover pickup height preferences
I see this a lot. I understand if you just got the guitar, or just started playing, and feel like the 'factory settings' are the best you can have- like when you buy a sports car. But guitar isn't like a sports car where one system depends on everything else. Everyone plays differently, and likes different things, which we learn only by experience.
I see this a lot. I understand if you just got the guitar, or just started playing, and feel like the 'factory settings' are the best you can have- like when you buy a sports car. But guitar isn't like a sports car where one system depends on everything else. Everyone plays differently, and likes different things, which we learn only by experience.
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