Pick-up Height

[misanthropy26]

Hello. I'm just interested in what kind of pick-up heights you would suggest for a Squire Affinity Stratocaster (3 single coils). I play rock with heavy distortion sounds to slow rock with clean chorused/flanged sounds. Please give me your advice.

 

[64Firebird]

A good place to start is with Fender's Mr. Gearhead downloads. There is one called "5 Steps to a Great Electric Guitar Setup" that Might be just the ticket for you.


Click here for Mr. Gearhead.

 

[Clive Hugh]

General rule of thumb, with single coils twice the distance from the strings compared with humbuckers.
Due to the magnetic field of single coils, get them too close and they will exert too much pull on the strings and you'll never get the damn thing in tune, humbuckers although being far more powerful than singles cancell the fields' pull and you can have them much closer.

 

[blipndub]

Yet, the closer they are to the strings the more powerful the sound. Also different gauge strings will be a determinant in this. Heavy strings can tolerate being closer to pickups.

 

[64Firebird]

Yet, the closer they are to the strings the more powerful the sound. Also different gauge strings will be a determinant in this. Heavy strings can tolerate being closer to pickups.

Yes, but as you get closer you lose sustain. I learned that the hard way.

 

[TheGuitarMan]

I keep my pu's pretty low. It sounds low. I find that with the pu's way up is sounds like total crap. It doesn't sound more powerful with single coils, but harsh as a mother trucker!

 

[jimistone]

i agree with guitarman, the pickups are low on my strat. a low pickup height will give you a pure bell like tone. if you raise your pickups too high the to the strings you will get a higher output but the tone of the pickups will not be as good.

thanks for the link 64firebird

 

[TheGuitarMan]

It sounds low = It sounds best when the pickups are low