https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 21:46:04 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-52193 Fri, 09 Apr 2004 10:14:45 +0000
Strike a note and turn the height adjustment screws raising them closer to the strings and listen to the change in sound, The closer the pole piece's are to the strings the different the tone will become, if you get to close you will notice what is commonly called wolf tone which is a muddy overdriven sound. If that occurs back the pickup down till you find the sweet spot.

Note: The amplitude of string vibrations will be higher at the neck pickup than the bridge pickup and corresponding pickup and compensations will need to be made accordingly. Adjust for the sound and tone you favor.

hope this helps

joe  ]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance forrok_star https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-52193 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-52192 Fri, 09 Apr 2004 08:51:01 +0000
You might be able to get a slightly different harmonic balance by fooling around with both sets of screws, but at this point all the other variables (fingers, strings, amp, fx, tone controls) will likely be more significant. The second adjustable row is probably there to look cool or because it was easier for the manufacturer to use two of the same pole/coil assemblies when building the pup.

You aren't significantly changing the humbucking characteristics when you adjust the polepieces -- don't worry about that.

BTW, a very similar topic (flipping 'buckers around in a LP) has been beaten to death in the jazz newsgroup -- with no significant conclusions, except that people like to argue fine points ad nauseum.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-52192 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-845 Thu, 08 Apr 2004 18:52:23 +0000     One issue I never saw mentioned was the fact that my humbuckers each have two rows of adjustment screws.  I only adjusted the row closest to the bridge on the bridge pickup and the row closest to the neck on the neck pickup.
    Does anyone know anything about the proper adjustment of this second row?  What is the effect of adjusting one row reletive to the other? (for instance, am I losing humbucking effect by not having them equally adjusted?  Will the sound muddy if they are equally adjusted?  Should I just do the experiment and find out for myself, already?)]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/humbucker-pole-height-adjustment/#post-845