Pole Adjustment

[Gar]

Hi, new here so potential daft question coming up:
My Fenders never had pole adjustment so I was wondering does anyone use this feature on their Gibsons? How effective is it? I don't just wanna get the screw driver out myself and mess around incase I do something stupid. Thoughts/ info please

 

[hamerfan]

Works great! Gives you balls on the lame/brite bridge pickups.
The E, A, D pole as near as possible to the strings (low E can make it a little boomy). Check every pole it should never touch the strings when hit hard.

 

[rocknhorse1]

Yes, the poles are used for fine tuning. The screws in the rings (the plastic things around the outside of the pickup) are used for the overall height adjustment. Adjust the overall height first, then the pole screws. When adjusting the overall height, the top of the pole screws should be above the pickup cover. Some people adjust them to the neck radius. There is no right or wrong, use your ears and find what sounds best....bust out that screwdriver and have some fun.

There have been a lot of threads here on the forum about adjusting pickup height. It's a very important part of getting the most out of your pickups. There is a lot of youtube vids showing how to do it as well.

If you start with your low E on the neck 1/8 from the top of the pole screw to the bottom of the string, and the same for the high E. On the bridge start at 3/32 measuring the same way on the high and low E. This is just a "starting point".

 

[ant_riv]

What's been mentioned are great suggestions.

Do a search and you will see there are many different opinions on what is "best". Experiment and find what works for you. Small adjustments can make a big difference.

Typically you would start with getting the overall height of the pickup where you like, and then adjust the individual pole pieces, as necessary.

For maximum volume and attack, close to the strings is common.
For a clearer, more "woody" vintage type sound, slightly further from the strings is common.

The screws can be adjusted many different ways/heights.

What type of sound are you looking for?

There is no right or wrong, just whatever works for you.

Best wishes to you on getting it sorted out to your liking!

 

[Gar]

Hey thanks for the info. Well I've got a Les Paul with 57 classics that sounds great and I recently picked up an SG Standard. I appreciate the SG is different in construction to the Les Paul but it doesn't sound as "good". Sounds great, but not quite the Les Paul. So before I wasted my time changing pickups which is expensive I thought I may try a little adjustment first to see if it helps. I'll give it a go based on the comments here and what I've read elsewhere on the forum and see what I think.
Thanks Everyone.

 

[korus]

Hey thanks for the info. Well I've got a Les Paul with 57 classics that sounds great and I recently picked up an SG Standard. I appreciate the SG is different in construction to the Les Paul but it doesn't sound as "good". Sounds great, but not quite the Les Paul. So before I wasted my time changing pickups which is expensive I thought I may try a little adjustment first to see if it helps. I'll give it a go based on the comments here and what I've read elsewhere on the forum and see what I think.
Thanks Everyone.

Bear in mind that construction differences are ... huge : thinner body, only mahogany, less mass in neck, less overall weight, both pickups closer to bridge, double cutaway, longer part of the neck unsupported (out of the body) - all these make it impossible to sound as huge and as complex as a proper LP.
OTOH SG sounds great, brilliant as an ... SG. Just do not expect it to sound as LP. Ever.

And I'm not being wise guy. I've done my part of modding in order to make it like LP - electrics, hardware... Finally, I got it and I made it sound like an excellent ... SG! I now enjoy it for what it is. Just like real love.

HTH

 

[Gar]

Hey thanks for the advice.
I'm fully aware of the differences, would just like the tonal balance to be closer. The SG at the moment, to me, seems to lack any real highs or lows. It seems incredibly midranged. Just trying to squeeze a fraction more highs and lows out. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great and I can live with it, just thought I'd have a tweak/ maybe try a 57 classic in it but I won't be searching forever to make it something it is not.
Thanks

 

[jonesy]

If you have covers on your pickups the screw poles will be higher than the slug coil poles. If you raise the screw side even more you will get more output from the screw coil than the slug coil. That may or may not be a good thing. On the bridge pu the screw poles usually need to be out a little more because of the neck angle etc.

Another way is to level the screw poles flush with the cover and raise up the whole pu so you get more even output from both coils. If you don't have covers you can still do the same thing. Lower the screw poles to match slug coil and raise or lower the pickup then make some fine tweaks on the screw side poles.

I have found that raising a pickup will make it sound a little hotter/fuller which IMO is great for the bridge pu. Lowering a neck pickup will give you a woodier tone but many things will effect the overall results, including how you EQ your amp. I try and set them so the neck and bridge pu's balance out in all 3 way toggle settings. If you are splitting coils and doing other mods tweaking pu height will have a big impact on balance and tone. YMMV

Tinker around and see what you come up with and what sounds good to your ear.

 

[LtKojak]

Both the SG and the LP has the p'ups sitting in different places, that's why they won't EVER sound the same.

The neck p'up in the SG is located in a zone I call the "No Tone Zone", Zhangliqun calls it "Neck p'up displacement syndrom". Happens to all 24-fretters.

HTH,

 

[copperheadroad]

I believe in this theory as well
Pafpro kind of pickups or 8k or more pups are the only thing i like in the neck of a 24 fretter

 

[GibsonSG]

Both the SG and the LP has the p'ups sitting in different places, that's why they won't EVER sound the same.

The neck p'up in the SG is located in a zone I call the "No Tone Zone", Zhangliqun calls it "Neck p'up displacement syndrom". Happens to all 24-fretters.

HTH,

last time I checked my Sg standard only had 22 frets
Anyway you cant get an Sg to sound excactly like a LP and I always adjust the poles on my pickups. Just don't let them touch the strings

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, both my Gibby and my Epi are 22-fret.

What I do with my pups is drop them very low and raise the poles up to clear out some of the mids. You can further attenuate them by fine-tuning the poles to emphasize the scoop.

 

[LtKojak]

last time I checked my Sg standard only had 22 frets

Yeah, both my Gibby and my Epi are 22-fret

The neck p'up PLACEMENT in the SG is AS IF IT HAD 24-frets.

Did you forget 'bout the empty space from the last fret to the neck p'up?

That's what I was talking about.

HTH,

 

[korus]

last time I checked my Sg standard only had 22 frets
Anyway you cant get an Sg to sound excactly like a LP and I always adjust the poles on my pickups. Just don't let them touch the strings

You're right, almost none of the SGs has 24 frets :
USA Standard http://images.gibson.com/Files/128f2ba5-c041-42de-953a-40d84c6de8e4.jpg
USA Reissue '61 http://images.gibson.com/Files/11ddd246-d60d-46ad-834c-ceb0ff8a56ea.jpg
Custom Shop Reissue VOS http://images.gibson.com/Files/7e44f779-c180-40d5-bf88-935c079ed31e.jpg
BUT this one has 24 frets
USA 50th Anniversary Standard http://images.gibson.com.s3.amazona...50th-Anniversary-SG-Standard-24/Splash-02.jpg

Now compare the position of the neck pickup on those 3 with 22 frets and the last one with 24 frets. I guess it's now obvious why LtKojak called any SG a 24 fret-er.

OTOH I ever decide to have a custom built SG inspired guitar made for me - it will have ( among other R8/R9 specs regarding neck shape and thickness) :
- Junior/Special body thickness
- neck moved into the body so the neck pickup stays where it is but positioned on the same position regarding the neck as on the Les Paul (2nd harmonic above screw coil)
- and bridge pickup positioned on the same distance from bridge as on the Les Paul or slightly further from bridge.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

Lt, "As IF it had" may be a bit clearer. Yes that plastic spacer moves the pickup south, as IF it were a 24 fretter.

 

[LtKojak]

Lt, "As IF it had" may be a bit clearer. Yes that plastic spacer moves the pickup south, as IF it were a 24 fretter.

Not making excuses that english is not my mother tongue, just that I wrote that at 5:00 AM while being sleep deprived, half sick for food poisoning and run out of weed... May I be excused...?

 

[cicone]

Not making excuses that english is not my mother tongue, just that I wrote that at 5:00 AM while being sleep deprived, half sick for food poisoning and run out of weed... May I be excused...?

Weed?? Is that some kind of amp or something?

 

[st.bede]

Both the SG and the LP has the p'ups sitting in different places, that's why they won't EVER sound the same.

The neck p'up in the SG is located in a zone I call the "No Tone Zone", Zhangliqun calls it "Neck p'up displacement syndrom". Happens to all 24-fretters.

HTH,

what if your SG has 24 frets and are there any ways to adress the "No Tone Zone"?