How do you fiddle with the Pickup's height?

[tyt921]

Hey guys,

Just wondering how to mess around the height of the pickups to get a more either a mellow and less twangy tone on my PRS SE CU24. Heck make even make it more rock sounding? I know I will have to mess around adjusting the screws on the pickups, just wondering how the height affects the sounds, because its confusing! So if I increase the height of the Pickups, it will be louder?

 

[AP515]

Hey guys,
So if I increase the height of the Pickups, it will be louder?

yes. The closer to the strings the poles are, the louder and more brittle the sound. The farther away, the lower the volume and warmer the sound. Also, the closer they are, the more drag they place on the vibrating string so the sustain is shortened. You can also leave the pups where they are and increase the hight of the individual poles if you want to get one string, or a few strings louder to balance the sound.

 

[Michael_DK]

Also, too close to the pups can make the sound muddy.

 

[Matthew]

This should be a good into primer for you

 

[NomadMike]

I usually start with the pickup low, adjust the poles and then raise the pickup a very tiny bit at a time.

 

[gball]

I usually start with the pickup low, adjust the poles and then raise the pickup a very tiny bit at a time.

This. Small adjustments can equal big differences. Who was it that said the most powerful tone controls on the guitar are the pickup adjustment screws?

 

[NomadMike]

Years back I'd go with my cousin when he would buy guitars, he always had a small two sided screw driver with him. He came across some "turkeys" that sounded like crap, if he could he'd adjust the pickup heights with a rough guess and without the seller seeing, if it sounded good he'd make an offer based on the crappy sound. He got a lot of guys some good buys with a little know how.

On the flip side I let a guy do a setup on my LP. He commented on my "vintage setup" and dropped the strings till they buzzed and raised the pickup so it barely cleared the strings. Played nice, except for the buzzing and muddy sound.

 

[bird_droppings]

Bolt cutters.

Take the top right off those troublesome pole pieces. Works like a charm.

More seriously I was amazed at what a difference adjusting the pickup heights made to my Strat. My PRSi were all good to go, but the bass side on my Strat was always a problem until I learned about this pickup height deal.

What you're looking for is balance and making sure you're not close enough to the strings to dampen sustain. After that adjust to taste.