new pickups and their height

[Reggaesoldier]

Its got to matter right? How do I know where to set the height for my new pickups?

 

[ampd]

Its a give and a take

The higher (or closer to the strings)the pickup is, you will get more volume- but less sustain as the electromagnet in the pickups pulls down more on the srings causing them to vibrate for a shorter duration. Having it low has just the opposite effect. More sustain and less volume. I keep mine right in the middle but if your playing some choppy reggae rythums where long sustain isnt really needed, kicking it up closer to the strings (not to where it buzzez the strings) a notch or two might be a benefit.

 

[Light]

Set them where they sound good. The real trick is to make sure they are balanced. Just plug it in, and switch between them while playing a string (or all the strings) until they are balanced. If the pickup has adjustable pole pieces, I generally do this for both the E strings, and then adjust the rest of the pole pieces to match. If it does not have adjustable pole pieces, I do the E strings, and see how it works from there. It usually does a pretty good job, but sometimes some adjustment is necessary.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Reggaesoldier]

thanks guys!

 

[Bass Freak]

so you want the pickups level? ive seen bass pickups that slant downwards from the e-string side in and then back up to the g string, so, like this \ / more or less.

ive seen this with the split p pickups, whats the point of it? does it give volume and sustain?


freak

 

[Reggaesoldier]

good question! I'd like to know too if anyone knows.

 

[boingoman]

Slanting the bridge pickup gives better bass response on the low strings. It has to do with harmonic nodes. That big fat string starts vibrating a bit farther away from the bridge.

 

[junplugged]

how important are those pole pieces? I'm considering a gibson humbucker on my project strat, but I don't know if the pole pieces will line up w/ the strings so I haven't picked one up yet.

 

[Light]

how important are those pole pieces? I'm considering a gibson humbucker on my project strat, but I don't know if the pole pieces will line up w/ the strings so I haven't picked one up yet.

They will not line up, and it does matter, some. You can usually work around it, but it i is better to go with something like a Seymour Duncan F-Spaced pickup.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi