https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:49:54 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64999 Thu, 12 Aug 2004 19:03:30 +0000
Anyhow, one way to tweak a pickup with adjustable pole pieces is to lower it away from the strings and then raise the pole pieces up -- this is to thin the sound out a little. You do the opposite if the sound's too thin -- you lower them right down to the face of the pup and then raise the whole thing up, getting the main part of the coil right up under there and getting the strings in a broader part of the magnetic field.

With new strings (which I hope you have), you should be able to tell the difference.

There's also a thing with Strat type single coils where if you raise them too close to the strings, it'll actually pull the string false as it's vibrating -- you wind up with odd sounding tones -- like the string's dead or going bad. The magnet and the structure of the pickup focuses the magnetic field to a pretty narrow point and all the magnetism just pulls on the string too much. For me at least, Strat type pups can be almost flat to the pickguard -- maybe just a 16th of an inch above, like Blackmore's setup. That leaves almost a quarter of an inch between it and strings.

Okay, forgive an American here. 1/16" would be about 2mm and 1/4" would be about 5mm.

I did something similar with a humbucker guitar I had years ago -- just cranked the pole pieces up all the way and lowered the whole thing. It didn't get more trebly, it just got a little thinner sounding.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance DemoEtc https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64999 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64973 Thu, 12 Aug 2004 07:01:03 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Steve-0 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64973 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64969 Thu, 12 Aug 2004 04:46:31 +0000
It will effect your sound so if you don't like the sound then back them off alittle at a time.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Mike https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64969 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64965 Thu, 12 Aug 2004 03:48:40 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Metaellihead https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-64965 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-3090 Thu, 12 Aug 2004 03:11:54 +0000
I also read somewhere that the pickup should be closer to the thinner strings (which mine aren't) would this help and again how close?

Cheers]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance ScottSimUK https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/pickup-height-2/#post-3090