Does anyone radius their pole pieces?

[Emmanuel Starchild]

Just wondering if anybody here has adjusted the individual pole pieces on their pickups. Does it make sense to adjust them to match the string radius?

[SKATTERBRANE]

Nope

[dave1234]

i have tried it before with a few gutiars. i dident notice much of a difference.

[LtKojak]

I do it all the time with my neck p'up.

I don't need to do it the same with the bridge p'up though.

YMMV.

[mdubya]

I have tried it, and I have also gotten guitars back from techs who have done it, and I have not liked it one bit any time.

[LtKojak]

Originally Posted by mdubya

I have tried it, and I have also gotten guitars back from techs who have done it, and I have not liked it one bit any time.

I match the neck's radius with the polepieces as a starting point to balance the output difference between strings. As I've stated before, I find it necessary to do it in the neck p'up, not really in the bridge.

What exactly did you not like?

[geetarfreek82]

Originally Posted by LtKojak

I match the neck's radius with the polepieces as a starting point to balance the output difference between strings. As I've stated before, I find it necessary to do it in the neck p'up, not really in the bridge.

Same here... I do this on my neck pickups because I play lots of jazz stuff and I want every note in those complex chords to be heard. I also play rock/metal and sometimes bluegrass stuff, and I just like having my strings at the same volume. I usually make the B string polepiece a little lower because that string is generally louder than the rest. I don't do it on the bridge often unless the pickup sounds a little too dark, then I raise the poles to give it a little more clarity.

[LtKojak]

Originally Posted by geetarfreek82

I usually make the B string polepiece a little lower because that string is generally louder than the rest.

My same experience exactly.

Geetarfreek82, your ears for tone function perfectly.

[Emmanuel Starchild]

What about covered pickups? I tried raising the polepieces on mine and the cover was in the way. Guess I gotta remove the cover, take out the screws, then re-cover them then put the screws in?

[LtKojak]

Originally Posted by Emmanuel Starchild

What about covered pickups? I tried raising the polepieces on mine and the cover was in the way.

Unless it was fitted the wrong cover, this shouldn't be happening.

HTH,

[Emmanuel Starchild]

Originally Posted by LtKojak

Unless it was fitted the wrong cover, this shouldn't be happening.

HTH,

These are the stock covered pickups that came with my Epi LP. Maybe the holes are slightly too small.

[geetarfreek82]

Double post

[kingedb]

It makes sense to me so I do it.

[mdubya]

Originally Posted by LtKojak

I match the neck's radius with the polepieces as a starting point to balance the output difference between strings. As I've stated before, I find it necessary to do it in the neck p'up, not really in the bridge.

What exactly did you not like?

It made the tone woofy and unpleasant for me. Too much of something. As soon as I flattened them that unpleasantness went away.

Two different occasions, I got the guitar back from a tech and couldn't figure out what it was I didn't like, what was different. When I noticed the pole pieces were raised and radiused, I screwed them back down flat and that fixed what I didn't like.

Interestingly, this was with 57 Classics both times, different guitars. I have experimented with P-90's also and I prefer them flat, too.

I don't notice a difference in volume from string to string, but I will listen for it.

Bottom line is, we like what we like, and there is no right or wrong, really.

[LtKojak]

Originally Posted by mdubya

It made the tone woofy and unpleasant for me. Too much of something. As soon as I flattened them that unpleasantness went away.

Two different occasions, I got the guitar back from a tech and couldn't figure out what it was I didn't like, what was different. When I noticed the pole pieces were raised and radiused, I screwed them back down flat and that fixed what I didn't like.

Interestingly, this was with 57 Classics both times, different guitars. I have experimented with P-90's also and I prefer them flat, too.

I don't notice a difference in volume from string to string, but I will listen for it.

Bottom line is, we like what we like, and there is no right or wrong, really.

If you don't have volume differences from string to string, there's no need to move the polepieces at all.

[River]

I've never felt the need with Humbuckers. P-90s are a different story, but I wouldn't call these radiused. I'd call them adjusted to taste.

[lunchbox]

I do, but they're P-90's. Never needed to with hummers.

[Emmanuel Starchild]

Thanks for all the great feedback! I probably won't radius my pole after all.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yes, I adjust my polepieces. No, I don't radius them.

[freddarl82]

^^^^^^ What he said ^^^^^^^^

[voodo child]

I adjust my polepieces but I didnt hear much of a difference

[Emmanuel Starchild]

What I want is a particular benchmark/reference point. The polepieces should be equidistant from the strings. That should mean, theoretically, that the only thing differentiating their loudness would be the string thickness. I could then dial in each screw to provide compensation to the other strings until the loudness was the same. What is left is the most balanced tone imaginable, IMO.

[geetarfreek82]

Originally Posted by LtKojak

My same experience exactly.

Geetarfreek82, your ears for tone function perfectly.

Coming from you, sir, that is a great compliment! I was hoping that after 18 years of playing and 16 years of being a guitar tech that it would get me somewhere!