The criticality of pickup heights

Utkarsh

Ministry of guitar
Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
606
Location
Singapore
So something had been bothering me about my PRS Core Holcomb. I didn't dig the sound of its pickups.
It had always been on the back of my mind since I had bought it, but last week, it came to the fore when I made the collection video and played a bunch of guitars back to back, with identical amp settings.

I was surprised by how relatively low output it sounded despite the ratings and it had none of the thump/chunk/insert your own sound here, you expect from djenty pickups.

I first suspected it was a loose connection so I got the multimeter out which verified the factory stated resistances. No issue there.

Then it struck me that the answer was staring me in the face. The pickups were depressed almost all the way to the top. Standard PRS guidances are 3/32 on the bass side and 5/64 on the treble and these were almost 3 times that.

2 minutes with the screwdriver and ruler later, the issue was fixed. And I could swear I had a brand new guitar. I go through the process in the video below..



Point is, so many of us are often going the last mile for tone. Thinking about that perfect guitar, that perfect pickup. Judging we like the sound of this, don't like the sound of that. My realization is that if you don't particularly like the sound of a guitar and are contemplating a pickup change, first check the pickup heights (are they too high or low, particularly on a used guitar) and secondly play around a little. Feel the bridge pickup is too hot. Lower the pickup a little and see how it goes. The neck too anemic (We have all seen these descriptions on forums). Perhaps try raising that pup.

Anyway I'm sure this has been said before, by folks much more adept than me, but I thought I'll put it out here anyway. And yes, I am really enjoying the Holcomb now.
 
I can be a little over obsessive about pickup height, including pole pieces. It amazes me how a quarter or half turn can make all the difference.

I don't use pick up height guides from makers. I lower the pickup all the way flush with ring/guard and start going up from there until it's perfect. Then usually check it with fresh ears a couple times days/weeks afterwards.
 
Don't know why I've never adjusted them, but thanks to this thread, I will try out various heights and hope these old frequency-challenged ears can discern the differences. As usual, so much great info from this forum.
 
Don't know why I've never adjusted them, but thanks to this thread, I will try out various heights and hope these old frequency-challenged ears can discern the differences. As usual, so much great info from this forum.

Best advice I have is to use a screw driver with a mark on one side, or make one. This will allow you to easily know at a glance if it was a 1/4, half, or full turn. I get that mark to line up with an even quarter of the circle, top, bottom, left, or right.

Also, count your turns from your starting point if you are going from where the pickup is at now. That way you can go back to where you were if needed. I found this very helpful in the begining.
 
Last edited:
I once had a new bridge pickup installed in a tele by my local go-to luthier. When I picked the guitar up I didn't bother to road test it in his shop as he's one of the top guys anywhere and has done his share of stellar work on some of my other guitars.

I got home, excitedly plugged in, and instant disappointment! That bridge sounded anemic, and the in-between sound was highly uninspiring. So the tinkerer that I am, I took a hard look at everything and realized that the new p/up looked a bit low. One full turn on the height screws and it sounded better. Two more and it sounded good. Three more and it killed! Seriously a night and day difference!

I always tinker anyway, but this particular incident caught me by surprise in the range of difference that can be easily achieved when messing with pickup heights, especially when you move them by several turns of the screws.
 
Many thanks to the OP and to the person who resurrected this thread from the archives. I still have my first PRS, a SE 245, which I hadn't been using in a while because it sounded rather flat compared to my Custom 22. Upon reading this, I checked the pickup heights, and lo and behold, it turned out that the pickups were much too low, at about half the height that PRS suggests.

A couple of easy adjustments later, the guitar now sounds fresh and lively, like a totally different beast, and it will definitely get more use from now on.
 
I have 85/15 on my custom 24 and love the neck setting and the combined settings. It's a 5 way blade and so positions 2 (bridge hum/neck single),3 (both hum),4 (both single),5 (neck hum) are all great. What I don't like so much is the bridge, position 1. It seems fine for strumming but fingerpicking it's too nasally/quacky/trebly/I don't know the right word...but it sounds a little too daffy duck. I turn down the tone and it helps a little but still not great.

Wondering if I should mess with the pickup height...because then wouldn't it change the tone of position 3, which I currently like?
 
It’ll change across the spectrum but hey you can always put it back as was, maybe only one or two may need lifting / lowering. Experiment and use your ear as the most important is how it sounds to you
 
The first thing i do with any guitar i buy is adjust the pickup heights.
I never go by factory spec, i literally plug in and pick the strings, and stum chords while adjusting height to get what i want out of my pickups.The perfect combination of output and clarity.
 
Back
Top