Les Paul Classic w. Burstbucker 61

[Fearomoon]

hi @ all

Does anyone here have a Les Paul Classic with Burstbucker 61R + 61T from 2019 or newer and can tell me exactly how high the pickups are set from the factory? I was playing around and forgot to measure the height beforehand. They were set differently than the general standard height listed on the Gibson website.

 

[searswashere]

Does it sound good?

 

[gball]

My experience is that Gibson sets the pickups far too high from the factory as a default, including my '22 Classic. No idea what the measurements were/are because my own experience is also that the quickest way to make a guitar sound bad is to start measuring things in its setup and adjusting to "factory" specs - just move all the bits of the guitar that move a little at a time until it all feels and sounds right. The process may take a while but is worth the effort in the end.

 

[JPA67]

hi @ all

Does anyone here have a Les Paul Classic with Burstbucker 61R + 61T from 2019 or newer and can tell me exactly how high the pickups are set from the factory? I was playing around and forgot to measure the height beforehand. They were set differently than the general standard height listed on the Gibson website.

I recently got a 2020 Classic, New. Chicago Blue. Out of the box... kinda sounded a little in your face. Maybe because my 2018 Classic had 57's, in it. After some set-up work and then pickup height adjustments, I want to talk about the tones from this. Pickup height is important with these. Seems to be a limited envelope for adjustment. For my old ears, I have found the sweet spot. The neck pickup gives personality to the strings. Bridge pickup is similar, as well. Using the strings which came with it.

 

[Knoby]

I cant tell you the factory setting, but my bridge 61 is currently at 3mm for the low e, and a hair more from the high e.

I'd also be curious to compare with other players settings.

 

[JPA67]

I cant tell you the factory setting, but my bridge 61 is currently at 3mm for the low e, and a hair more from the high e.

I'd also be curious to compare with other players settings.

Is that open or last fret down?

 

[Knoby]

Is that open or last fret down?

Open

 

[JPA67]

That is almost precisely where mine is at. How is the tone, on yours?

 

[Fearomoon]

my bridge pickup without the low e string pressed down at the 22nd fret is also about 3mm bass side....treble side it's about 2.5... what about the neck pickup?

 

[JPA67]

Between 3 and 3.5 mm... Actual is 9/64ths high E and 8/64 Low E open string

 

[1allspub]

I start with bridge at about 1/8”/3mm and the neck at about 1/4”/6mm (unfretted) and tweak from there just a bit, as needed. But I’ve found that to be a pretty reliable place to start and often is just right.

 

[Bryansamui]

My experience is that Gibson sets the pickups far too high from the factory as a default, including my '22 Classic. No idea what the measurements were/are because my own experience is also that the quickest way to make a guitar sound bad is to start measuring things in its setup and adjusting to "factory" specs - just move all the bits of the guitar that move a little at a time until it all feels and sounds right. The process may take a while but is worth the effort in the end.

 

[2Muchgear]

Whether 57 Classics, Burstbuckers, Custombuckers, Ants, ThroBaks…bridge ends up low E around 2mm, high E something less. Neck low E 3mm, high E something less. String NOT depressed at last fret. It’s just what they like.

playing though vintage deluxe Rev, super rev, Silvertone 1482, jtm45 or newly built 6g16.

 

[Bryansamui]

Spot on, you don't use math to set height.You use your ears and a screwdriver.
I get asked the height measurements all the time for my 1973 Jimmy Page Pickups. I simply send them a pic of Pageys heights as a guide and tell em 'fine tune with ears'. Mine work the same height as Jimmy's .Pageys pickup tilts up a bit at back, mine tilt a bit the other way This doesn't matter. It's not forensics. If you set the bridge pickup way too high though , you screw up the most important tone of the 3 ( the middle one)

 

[Peter Mac]

When setting up Les Pauls with pickup heights I usually set the neck at the same height as the bezel - FLAT. I then adjust the poles to staggered heights to allow for string volume. The bridge is set 2mm above the bezel and again the polepieces are staggered. I start with this pattern of turns from level : e=3 ; B=2 ; G=1 ; D=2 ; A=1 ; E=0. This will help balance the string volume.
From this starting point, I use my ears (as suggested by Bryansamui) and adjust up or down to find the pickups "sweet spot". Remember : too close to the strings and the magnetic field will affect your tuning. Have fun

 

[Bryansamui]

When setting up Les Pauls with pickup heights I usually set the neck at the same height as the bezel - FLAT. I then adjust the poles to staggered heights to allow for string volume. The bridge is set 2mm above the bezel and again the polepieces are staggered. I start with this pattern of turns from level : e=3 ; B=2 ; G=1 ; D=2 ; A=1 ; E=0. This will help balance the string volume.
From this starting point, I use my ears (as suggested by Bryansamui) and adjust up or down to find the pickups "sweet spot". Remember : too close to the strings and the magnetic field will affect your tuning. Have fun

Thats good info .Only to add ,the benefits to using the individual screws fine tune string volumes is offset a bit by changing Bass /Treble balance. The higher the screws go, it changes EQ ,( a bit)
This is course is going well into Cork sniffer territory as often what we do somewhere has an effect for better or worse' somewhere else. My pickups in my pic don't sit quite level.Neither did the pic I posted of Jimmy Pages. Nevertheless, my guitar still gets the desired tone.

 

[Fearomoon]

I tried it like this but now it sounds somehow without volume and very flat... I tried the 6mm bridge and 3mm neck. these 61 are really killing me.

 

[Classicplayer]

On both of my Les Pauls, I have tweaked pickup heights to a fare thee well. I was surprised to find that despite different makes of pickups ( Seths' and Burstbuckers) in the two guitars, measurements showed that the neck pups were 5/64” on the high e-string and just below their rings on the low e-string (when fretting the highest fret). I adjusted some pole piece heights slightly to achieve balance involume across the strings.

Both bridge pickups measure 4/64” on the high e-string, when fretted at the highest fret. Low e-string measures 8/64” for each guitar. Fewer bridge pup pole screws had to to be tweaked for a balanced sound. Doing all of the foregoing gave me some varied tones when using the middle switch position. It's not a Pagey or Bloomfield tone, but typical Les Paul tone that's useful for more than one music genre.

Classicplayer

 

[JPA67]

I tried it like this but now it sounds somehow without volume and very flat... I tried the 6mm bridge and 3mm neck. these 61 are really killing me. View attachment 678309

Where are you measuring, or where were these measurements taken from?

 

[Bryansamui]

I have a 7.7k bridge pickup in atm that is set lower than yours with no shortage of volume.
Both your pickups are set plenty high enough for plenty of volume. Have you checked your wiring? (Dry solder joints etc)
Looking at your pic , in comparison my bridge pickups sound ,opens up more if set lower.