Pickup Height...

  • Thread starter Thread starter SQUAREHEAD
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SQUAREHEAD

SQUAREHEAD

Well-known member
How close do you guys have your bridge pickup to strings?
(fretted at 22nd/last fret)
Screws on pickup adjusted to where?
Bored today and playing around with sustain, (further away)
more output, more top and bottom (closer) etc etc ...
 
This is one area where I have really no idea what I'm doing haha. It's always been an enigma to me. I've read to set it at 2mm from the bottom of the string and go from there.
 
Set it to your personal taste. It depends on:

-the pickup
-the guitar
-the strings
-how you play

There may be standard default specs for companies to shoot for when building a guitar, but it's only so they're built with a degree of consistency in terms of fit/finish. A height adjustment of as little as 1/16" can be considered a make or break thing in some people's opinion, depending on the guitar and pickup.

Too close to the strings, especially with very strong magnetic poles, and you can affect the intonation. (Duncan Invader for instance.) So keep that in mind.

I leave the pole pieces on the pickups alone and only adjust pickup height. I haven't found much use for adjusting individual pole piece height, I guess unless the neck radius is some really small number.
 
Google Suhr setup guide and that will get you a very good idea on where to start. If you google Tom Anderson's setup guide it is almost identical.
 
Like JamesPeters said it's 100% subjective and guitar, player, amp etc based with no one size fits all. To really simplify it, the closer they are to the strings the more bass and higher output they are and the farther the brighter and lower output they are. So if you have some flab in the bottom, lower them a touch and it may help. The other important thing is to always adjust them and then fret the low E string at the last fret of the guitar, 21, 22, 24 etc and make sure that the string is clearing the pickup when that note is fretted. I've had many a guitar cross my bench for a set up where they were adjusted so high that the strings would hit the pickups when the last fret was fretted.
 
On the low E, I start with a distance between the string and screw that's the width of two nickels stacked together. On the high E, I use 1 nickel. Then I adjust from there. I also don't mess with individual pole pieces either. I've always been happy with only adjusting the pickup height. I find getting the right height really important overall - it can make a huge difference.
 
splawner":1buitygr said:
Set it where it sounds best.
Click to expand...
This. Just experiment...used to hate JBs until I started raising them to almost string level, they are now my favorite pickup.
 
Racerxrated":6xaff1oa said:
splawner":6xaff1oa said:
Set it where it sounds best.
Click to expand...
This. Just experiment...used to hate JBs until I started raising them to almost string level, they are now my favorite pickup.
Click to expand...

Holy smokes brother, that's exactly what I'm doing! Most of my guitars have JB's in the bridge…
 
Fretted at the 22nd , I make sure a Dime can slide through on the treble side and a Nickel on the low E side . I like my strings close to the pickup.
 
SQUAREHEAD":1u1q5apa said:
Racerxrated":1u1q5apa said:
splawner":1u1q5apa said:
Set it where it sounds best.
Click to expand...
This. Just experiment...used to hate JBs until I started raising them to almost string level, they are now my favorite pickup.
Click to expand...

Holy smokes brother, that's exactly what I'm doing! Most of my guitars have JB's in the bridge…
Click to expand...
I just have to watch the low end, there's a spot where it just gets perfect. Can get a little too much if I get the pickup too close.
 
I start 3/32 on low E and 2/32" on high E. 9 times outta 10 I end up a hair lower for hot pickups. I don't touch the pole pieces unless I hear unevenness or a string isn't heard well enough.
 
I'm wayyyy too anal, been adjusting poles to the curvature of neck etc etc
 
I usually start at 5/64 both side on the bridge and I adjust the bass side first since it's the strongest signal usually in my set up and I like a certain attack then in if need more or less treb I move that up or down, neck to get it to sound as equal to the bridge as possible in volume after that, I don't measure it with a ruler, the bridge pickup I do because it's usually right on the money there for most pick ups at about that height for me.
 
I use my ears, not any physical measurement. There is only one ideal spot that only your ears will tell you what height they should be. What I always do is raise the pickups pretty close to the strings, plug in, listen and lower to the sweet spot...different on every guitar and pickup position. I balance out with the neck or middle pickup as well.
 
Well i wonder how the tone changes if you were to screw the individual pole pieces on the humbucker?

Is it meant for adjusting ? Or its normally set ok once arrive from manufacturer?
 
hopkinWFG":2gunz38g said:
Well i wonder how the tone changes if you were to screw the individual pole pieces on the humbucker?

Is it meant for adjusting ? Or its normally set ok once arrive from manufacturer?
Click to expand...

I don't remember where I got this from but I tried it and have stuck with it for a while now. It's basically the strat pole stagger with an unwound G string.

Set all poles when looking at the screw head from the side that only the rounded part rises above the flat part of the pup.

•Low E: No change

•A: Raise 1 full turn

•D: Raise 1-1/2 full turns

•G: Lower 1/2 turn

•B: No change

•High E: Raise 1/2 turn

---
 
If i wasn't ever running a boost pedal the height would be around an 1/8th inch with pole pieces 1.5 to 2 turns out.

But because i do run a boost most times my height is about a 1/4 inch from strings with the screws flat and i have no shortage of gain plus it eliminates noise/squeals.

I run this way with Gibson, Seymour Duncan & EMG pups.

Ideally you should see how low you can go without dropouts and raise if needed instead of the reverse.
 
Thanks oblivion DC.... but do i have to turn it like as what you stated when gotten a new pickup off new from manufacturer or its fine when leaving it as it was or it be better turning a new pickup that way as what you mentioned?
 
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