sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
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Kamanda~SD
New member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
It's all about experimentation. Bust out that screwdriver and go to town!
It's all about experimentation. Bust out that screwdriver and go to town!
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
for sustain the pickup must not be close to the strings
i use my ears+info +graduated scale
but the sh1 must sound as loud as a sh4
that's the problem
sustain- sound-loud sound-close to the strings but not too much
neck pickup must not be close to the strings but for the bridge pickup
we can
i had my settings but i want to see them again
or maybe a guitar with 2 sh4 = no problems lol
for sustain the pickup must not be close to the strings
i use my ears+info +graduated scale
but the sh1 must sound as loud as a sh4
that's the problem
sustain- sound-loud sound-close to the strings but not too much
neck pickup must not be close to the strings but for the bridge pickup
we can
i had my settings but i want to see them again
or maybe a guitar with 2 sh4 = no problems lol
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
That doesn't sound like you've ever tried putting pickups in a guitar. If you have two identical pickups the same distance from the strings in both the bridge and neck position, the neck would be way louder and muddier. So stop thinking about volume and sustain as equal to distance from the strings, especially with two different model pickups. The SH4 and SH1 are designed for bridge and neck positions. They are different by design to balance the difference of those two positions along the strings. And they may require differences of height to blend well and have 'perceived' equal output.
For myself, I start one of two ways: either
Edit/Update - At first I thought we were talking about the famous SH4/SH2 pair, which typically assumes the SH2 is the neck Jazz model. Now I realize you say you are using an SH1, which could be either, but I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you mean the neck model - SH1n.
That doesn't sound like you've ever tried putting pickups in a guitar. If you have two identical pickups the same distance from the strings in both the bridge and neck position, the neck would be way louder and muddier. So stop thinking about volume and sustain as equal to distance from the strings, especially with two different model pickups. The SH4 and SH1 are designed for bridge and neck positions. They are different by design to balance the difference of those two positions along the strings. And they may require differences of height to blend well and have 'perceived' equal output.
For myself, I start one of two ways: either
- bridge flush with the top of the pickup ring and neck flush with the route in the body or
- use the Gibson measurements of fret the high E at the 22nd fret and set the highest point of each pickup to 3/32" then fret the low E at the 22nd fret and set the highest point of the bridge pickup to 3/32" and the highest point of the neck pickup to 1/8"
Edit/Update - At first I thought we were talking about the famous SH4/SH2 pair, which typically assumes the SH2 is the neck Jazz model. Now I realize you say you are using an SH1, which could be either, but I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you mean the neck model - SH1n.
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Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Rocket Science
Rocket Science
Archer250
Well-known member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Then everyone who has used this set has achieved the impossible. For god's sake, I did it in my Jackson with no issues. Just get the SH-4 close enough to the strings, THEN get the Sh-1 to match it in OUTPUT by TRIAL AND ERROR
Then everyone who has used this set has achieved the impossible. For god's sake, I did it in my Jackson with no issues. Just get the SH-4 close enough to the strings, THEN get the Sh-1 to match it in OUTPUT by TRIAL AND ERROR
Archer250
Well-known member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
That could work! Yeah. You should do that.
That could work! Yeah. You should do that.
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Gibson makes recommendations for PAF
So, sometimes it's hard to have a sound balance between sh1 sh4 and taking account of these measures
the sh4 must be lowered and sh1 can not be too high
therefore, it takes a little time to sort it
otherwise the sounds will not be very balanced and most important is to keep the Sustain
i just notice that Seymour does not explain very much about the distance for the high output pickups
Gibson makes recommendations for PAF
So, sometimes it's hard to have a sound balance between sh1 sh4 and taking account of these measures
the sh4 must be lowered and sh1 can not be too high
therefore, it takes a little time to sort it
otherwise the sounds will not be very balanced and most important is to keep the Sustain
i just notice that Seymour does not explain very much about the distance for the high output pickups
Archer250
Well-known member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Yeah. If you want it to be balanced and keep the measurements, you gotta buy 2 Sh4s instead.
Yeah. If you want it to be balanced and keep the measurements, you gotta buy 2 Sh4s instead.
playas
Well-known member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Like Mincer...by EAR
I don't find either pickup over-powering, and I have the neck pickup adjusted to below the level of the (top of the) pickup ring.
The bridge pup is not nearly as low but both still sound balanced to me, volume wise.
Like Mincer...by EAR
I don't find either pickup over-powering, and I have the neck pickup adjusted to below the level of the (top of the) pickup ring.
The bridge pup is not nearly as low but both still sound balanced to me, volume wise.
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Gibson came up with those measurements primarily because people were bugging them so much for a figure, despite the figure being pretty much an 'average of uselessness'.
Each guitar is its own thing, even discounting the fact that setup is in the ear of the beholder. I have had pickups sit almost 3mm lower in some guitars.....and this is not the same model of pickup, but the same individual one
Gibson came up with those measurements primarily because people were bugging them so much for a figure, despite the figure being pretty much an 'average of uselessness'.
Each guitar is its own thing, even discounting the fact that setup is in the ear of the beholder. I have had pickups sit almost 3mm lower in some guitars.....and this is not the same model of pickup, but the same individual one
LtKojak
New member
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Those figures are needed only to pass the inspection for shipping out. They're NOT meant for "tone purposes", just for industrial production purposes.
Re: sh1 sh4: Setting the height of your pickups
Thing is, the neck position is sensing a much louder portion of the string, and 'volume' is relative to the vibrating wood. Humbuckers can generally be closer to the strings than single coils, so I start with getting a good bridge pickup sound. Then I move to the neck pickup to balance the way I want to hear it. I am sure, for me, it is different for every guitar. I never thought that much about the actual numbers, though, as it will vary on each guitar.
Thing is, the neck position is sensing a much louder portion of the string, and 'volume' is relative to the vibrating wood. Humbuckers can generally be closer to the strings than single coils, so I start with getting a good bridge pickup sound. Then I move to the neck pickup to balance the way I want to hear it. I am sure, for me, it is different for every guitar. I never thought that much about the actual numbers, though, as it will vary on each guitar.
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