Polepieces...

[ES350]

According to what I've read concerning pickup design, quite a bit of thought went into the shape and strength of the magnetic field surrounding the pickup and the strings. The adjustable polepieces of HB's and P90's are the closest part of the pickup to the strings and various designs have tried different shapes for the polepieces, which appear to change the tone (polepiece screws for minis vs HB/P90 vs cap screws on some DiMarzio/SD offerings, etc). So I decided to try filing down the domed top of some Gibson polepieces to a flat surface to create a more uniform magnetic field close to the strings, similar to some early Epi pickups. The result is a slightly darker response with increased mids and bass and more output...just a thought if you are looking for a different tone out of a set of pickups. A lot cheaper and easier than replacing a set of pickups and it can be switched back and forth as circumstances warrant...

[kspeed]

Yea, it's a nice little trick to help tweak your tone and, to a degree, string definition without spilling out for new pickups. Something I've tried in dual humbucker guitars is to flip one or both pickups around - so, for example, the pole pieces on a LP would be closer to the middle as opposed to right next to the bridge and neck.

[ES350]

It works very well---I was surprised at the difference in the tone; fatter, beefier, less airy. But I can switch polepieces back to standard and get the stock tone (the pu's in question are a good 60's T-top with an M55 and a PG without the chamfered polepieces). Another goofy mod to play with...