Pickup height

Re: Pickup height

west wrote:
> Gamma Ray wrote:
>> west wrote:
>>> White Spirit wrote:
>>>> Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as possible?
>>>> I like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings and the neck
>>>> pickup at the right height to balance with the bridge. If the
>>>> strings are giving wolf tones, I gently lower both (keeping them
>>>> balanced) until it's gone.
>>>>
>>>> I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the
>>>> lower they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain
>>>> style of music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I
>>>> have in one Strat that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon
>>>> as I raised the height as much as I could, it developed bottom end,
>>>> power, sustain and now really drives the amp. I'm going to check
>>>> the height of all my pickups now and set them up for maximum output :)
>>>
>>>
>>> I've found it depends on the pup.
>>>
>>> I have some Seymour Duncan stacks in one Strat that are almost down
>>> to the pickguard to get the tone I like. I also have a strat with
>>> Bill Lawrence pups that are almost touching the strings, and sound
>>> fantastic, with no string drag. Also have them in a Tele.
>>
>> Absolutely, it does. Strength and location of magnet + your ear. I
>> agree. mvm
>
>
> I thought you just kill filed me. Do I need to show you how to do it
> properly?

You know, I thought I did too! Maybe it was in another ng, or you've
modded your nym. Let's try that again, -slappy. :-)

Re: Pickup height

Gamma Ray wrote:
> west wrote:
>> Gamma Ray wrote:
>>> west wrote:
>>>> White Spirit wrote:
>>>>> Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as
>>>>> possible? I like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings
>>>>> and the neck pickup at the right height to balance with the
>>>>> bridge. If the strings are giving wolf tones, I gently lower both
>>>>> (keeping them balanced) until it's gone.
>>>>>
>>>>> I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the
>>>>> lower they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain
>>>>> style of music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I
>>>>> have in one Strat that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon
>>>>> as I raised the height as much as I could, it developed bottom end,
>>>>> power, sustain and now really drives the amp. I'm going to check
>>>>> the height of all my pickups now and set them up for maximum output :)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I've found it depends on the pup.
>>>>
>>>> I have some Seymour Duncan stacks in one Strat that are almost
>>>> down to the pickguard to get the tone I like. I also have a strat
>>>> with Bill Lawrence pups that are almost touching the strings, and
>>>> sound fantastic, with no string drag. Also have them in a Tele.
>>>
>>> Absolutely, it does. Strength and location of magnet + your ear. I
>>> agree. mvm
>>
>>
>> I thought you just kill filed me. Do I need to show you how to do it
>> properly?
>
> You know, I thought I did too! Maybe it was in another ng, or you've
> modded your nym. Let's try that again, -slappy. :-)

I've used the same name on usenet for over ten years, you moron.

Re: Pickup height

On Tue, 06 May 2008 10:57:21 +0100, White Spirit
<wspirit@homechoice.co.uk> wrote:

>Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as possible? I
>like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings and the neck
>pickup at the right height to balance with the bridge. If the strings
>are giving wolf tones, I gently lower both (keeping them balanced) until
>it's gone.
>
>I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the lower
>they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain style of
>music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I have in one
>Strat that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon as I raised the
>height as much as I could, it developed bottom end, power, sustain and
>now really drives the amp. I'm going to check the height of all my
>pickups now and set them up for maximum output :)


I generally put mine as close as possible and have never had a problem
with that...however, some theories say that if it is too close you get
less sustain because the magnetic pull on the strings stops them from
vibrating sooner...therefore less sustain.

***********
Please help me out--REVIEW someone's song at:
http :// reviewmymusic.blogspot,com /

Re: Pickup height


"White Spirit" <wspirit@homechoice.co.uk> wrote in message
news:fvpa1r$si9$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as possible? I
> like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings and the neck pickup
> at the right height to balance with the bridge. If the strings are giving
> wolf tones, I gently lower both (keeping them balanced) until it's gone.
>
> I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the lower
> they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain style of
> music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I have in one Strat
> that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon as I raised the height
> as much as I could, it developed bottom end, power, sustain and now really
> drives the amp. I'm going to check the height of all my pickups now and
> set them up for maximum output :)

I think you have to decide what you like best, and it may vary between
guitars and pickups. I make a hobby out of pickup swapping, and setting them
up is entirely dependant on the individual guitar and pickup set. I'm
looking for "acousticness", not the things you mention, so my preferences
would be different to yours. One thing I try to do is get output the same
for bridge (set first) and neck, and generally high output pickups will be
further from the strings than low output ones. I always use pickups where I
can adjust the individual string-to-string balance.

Tony D

Re: Pickup height

On May 6, 4:14 pm, "Tony Done" <tonyd...@bigpond,com > wrote:
> "White Spirit" <wspi...@homechoice.co.uk> wrote in message
>
> news:fvpa1r$si9$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>
> > Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as possible? I
> > like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings and the neck pickup
> > at the right height to balance with the bridge. If the strings are giving
> > wolf tones, I gently lower both (keeping them balanced) until it's gone.
>
> > I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the lower
> > they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain style of
> > music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I have in one Strat
> > that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon as I raised the height
> > as much as I could, it developed bottom end, power, sustain and now really
> > drives the amp. I'm going to check the height of all my pickups now and
> > set them up for maximum output :)
>
> I think you have to decide what you like best, and it may vary between
> guitars and pickups. I make a hobby out of pickup swapping, and setting them
> up is entirely dependant on the individual guitar and pickup set. I'm
> looking for "acousticness"...


That is the perfect word for it and I think we're going for the same
or something very similar when setting pickup height. I'm not
listening to the sound of the guitar as much as how the strings react
to my playing; when it gets a certain feel to it where the attack is
pronounced and just thick enough, I have it set just how I like it. I
figure I can always adjust the tone and gain controls on my amp to
make up differences in frequency and overdrive as long as the guitar
is reacting to my playing the way I want it to.

Re: Pickup height

White Spirit wrote:
> Does anyone like their pickups as close to the strings as possible? I
> like the bridge pickup a few mm away from the strings and the neck
> pickup at the right height to balance with the bridge. If the strings
> are giving wolf tones, I gently lower both (keeping them balanced) until
> it's gone.
>
> I just don't get the whole thing about pickups sounding better the lower
> they are on the guitar. Maybe it's because I play a certain style of
> music. I was really disappointed with a set of JB Jrs I have in one
> Strat that always sounded a bit weak and thin. As soon as I raised the
> height as much as I could, it developed bottom end, power, sustain and
> now really drives the amp. I'm going to check the height of all my
> pickups now and set them up for maximum output :)

For me, it's individual to guitar and pickup. For EMGs, I generally have one
pickup as close as possible (weak magnet structure), then balance with the lower
output p'up.

With passives, I don't have any "as close as possible." You can start there,
then back off slowly while you listen to the tone. My ears tell me that the
tone is better backed off. How much depends on the guitar and pickup.