Well wha'dya know... these Pups are okay...

[Jimi D]

Some of you might recall my SC245 Goldtop NGD thread from a while ago ... I was loving my new goldtop but unsure about the 245 pickups, eventually deciding I wasn't really happy with them...

Spoiler

obligatory pic:

Whelp, spent today restringing the guitar with my preferred strings and setting it up across the board, including lowering the action a touch and playing around with the pickup heights some more, and I got it set up so I'm thinking a new set of pickups might not be necessary... I'm going to put the idea on hold for a bit anyway, because the way I've got things set up now, they're not sounding too bad at all.

I will say that I don't know what kind of strings were on the guitar or how old they were, but restringing with my gauge of D'Addario XLs seems to have made a huge difference in the guitar's tone. Everything is snappier, clearer and more open than before... A really eye-opening (or ear-opening) difference...

 

[sergiodeblanc]

would.

 

[xjbebop]

Always check the basics first...

 

[tuttle.ew]

I'm always amazed at the difference pickup height can make... especially when you start adjusting the individual pole pieces.

 

[Jimi D]

Always check the basics first...

Ya, I know... but I was thinking "These pickups aren't doing it, so I'll change the strings and do a proper setup after I change out the pickups... If I change the strings now, I'm just wasting a set"... but then I finally realized "don't be an idiot, strings are cheaper than pickups" LOL

 

[CatStrangler]

Some of you might recall my SC245 Goldtop NGD thread from a while ago ... I was loving my new goldtop but unsure about the 245 pickups, eventually deciding I wasn't really happy with them...

Spoiler

obligatory pic:

Whelp, spent today restringing the guitar with my preferred strings and setting it up across the board, including lowering the action a touch and playing around with the pickup heights some more, and I got it set up so I'm thinking a new set of pickups might not be necessary... I'm going to put the idea on hold for a bit anyway, because the way I've got things set up now, they're not sounding too bad at all.

I will say that I don't know what kind of strings were on the guitar or how old they were, but restringing with my gauge of D'Addario XLs seems to have made a huge difference in the guitar's tone. Everything is snappier, clearer and more open than before... A really eye-opening (or ear-opening) difference...

I suggest you try the NYXLs sometime if you' re feeling spendy, pure string crack.

 

[Kabukiman]

pickup heights is near the top of the list of things I adjust when I set up a new guitar! depending on the pickups andthe guitar it can make a night and day difference. My 245 SE was no different. I have found distances similar to what Gibson recommend for their humbuckers to work pretty well as a starting point (I think my bridge is just a tad closer to the strings, and the bass side of the neck backed off a bit more)

 

[charliefrench]

Good to see you have possibly spared yourself an expensive mistake by simply changing the strings instead of the pickups. I find changing strings a bit of a pain sometimes but I always feel better when the job is done

 

[bodia]

I love a happy ending. Makes no difference where. Here, the massage parlor, I'm not picky!

 

[G-Man]

$50 make you holler!

 

[bodia]

$50 make you holler!

I'd win this table a bottle of champagne for way less than $50! Tongue of fun for the win!

 

[gush]

I too am amazed at how much difference a small adjustment will make on prs pickups.