Really Stupid Pickup Height Adjustment Questions

[Zaphod B]

The guitar is a MIA Deluxe Ash Tele, using stock Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups. (Yes, Light, I know you hate 'em! )

First, and stupidest question: The bridge pickup has three screws - one on each side, and one centered on the neck side of the pickup. Are all three of these screws used for height adjustment?

Second, and only slightly less stupid question: The setup guide from Fender contains the information below as a starting point. Do "Bass Side" and Treble Side" refer to measurements underneath the 6th and 1st strings, respectively, or to the neck and bridge pickup positions? Put another way, are both pickups supposed to be closer to the 1st string than the 6th, or is the neck ("bass") pickup supposed to be farther away from the stings than the bridge ("treble") pickup?

Call me an idiot if you must!


..............................Bass Side..............Treble Side
Texas Specials..........8/64" (3.6 mm).....6/64" (2.4 mm)
Vintage style............6/64" (2.4 mm).....5/64" (2 mm)
Noiseless™ Series......8/64" (3.6 mm).....6/64" (2.4 mm)
Standard Single-Coil...5/64" (2 mm).......4/64" (1.6 mm)
Humbuckers..............4/64" (1.6 mm)....4/64" (1.6 mm)
Lace Sensors As close as desired (allowing for string vibration)

[Lt. Bob]

Bass side and treble side refer to the teeny tiny string(treble) and the big honking manly string (bass)

Normally you're gonna want to have the bass side farther away from the string because the bigger string has more mass thus producing more sound. So to equalize the bass strings and treble strings you need to have the p'up closer to the treble string.

[Zaphod B]

Originally Posted by Lt. Bob

Bass side and treble side refer to the teeny tiny string(treble) and the big honking manly string (bass)

Normally you're gonna want to have the bass side farther away from the string because the bigger string has more mass thus producing more sound. So to equalize the bass strings and treble strings you need to have the p'up closer to the treble string.

Thank you for making that understandable on a "Zaphod B" level. I'll just get back to watching Teletubbies and gumming crackers.

[Zaphod B]

How 'bout that third screw on the bridge pickup, Lt. Smartypants?

[Lt. Bob]

well .... crap ..... now I'm gonna have to walk all the way across the room .... brb....
yes .... that is a height adjustment screw also.
I think they did it that way because with that big plate/bridge they use on a tele .... they didn't feel like there was enough room at the edges of the plate to put the screws at the ends of the p'up like they usually are.

[Zaphod B]

Thanks!