pups, screws and questions

[EooN_PL]

Hey guys, I've seen pictures of many LPs with pickups screwed low into the rings, especially the neck ones. Does this improve tone? Please don't tell me that it depends on personal taste, just give me your view on this matter : )

 

[bigdaddy]

The distance from the pickups to the strings affects tone and (at some point) sustain. Play arounf till you find something you like.

 

[mojotop]

If your pickup comes closer to the strings the tone is getting blurred, slightly distorted. The closer the polepieces/magnet-power comes to a string, the firmer the vibrancy of the string gets held.
Try following PU-setup:
- bridge-PU distance to strings: 4 mm
- neck -PU distance to strings: 6-7mm

I prefer a balanced ratio of dynamics & loudness amongst the pickups. So I first adjust the hight of each pickup and then fine-adjust the hight of each single polepiece, compared to every string in both toggle-positions.

 

[TWANG]

When you raise a pickup..

it can get close enough to the strings to pull them out of tune when they are vibrating..

it can overdrive the preamp and actually distort at clean settings..

the neck being in a position where there is much more string vibration, will overpower the bridge where there is little if they are the same distance from the strings.

either pickup lowered away from the strings will become less loud, lose tone, usually lows.

Since the neck pup is set so close to the strings to begin with.. many lower it until it is flat or nearly flat in the mounting ring.
This allows them to raise the bridge pickup to it's optimal tone and volume position, then blend the neck pickup to that.

adjust your bridge pickup to a pretty low setting..
raise it a bit..
listen
raise it a bit..
listen.

do this on a clean setting and you'll see the range it has and you'll also develop a personal preference.
When finsihed, do the same with the neck pickup.
when you think it's good..
then use the middle switch position and compare the mixed tone..

you should be going for optimal tone and volume, to your taste, compromising for the middle position to gain a balance that you can live with.

TWANG

 

[TWANG]

pole piece adjustment is what I do last.
never go higher than the thickness of the screw head.. and never deeper than flat.

for me, if I can't get good string to string balance using those parameters, I lower or raise the pickup itself and readjust.

You may have to readjust the overall pickup height when adjusting the pole pieces.. again it depends on how close or far you choose to set them.



TWANG

 

[River]

What TWANG said. It can make a significant difference. I put 'em in an approximate position, then just pick and tweak with a jeweler's screwdriver with my amp on my favorite tone settings.

 

[EooN_PL]

Wow, that's what I call "answer" guys! I already lowered both pups a little (neck is on the same level with ring now) and I just LOVE the tone change, especially on clean. It isn't so "muddy" now and that helps with some distortion on. I'm gonna play around more tomorrow and see what I can get out of these stock pups and my little vox

 

[ElhazGuy]

Hi, guys!

I'm new here and after reading tons of interesting posts about setting up my LP I still have one doubt about the screws in the pickups:

Are they a way for me to adjust the individual capturing of the sound of each string? I mean, if I bring one screw up, I'm actually increasing the "volume" (and all the other aspects) of that string specifically?

Thank you in advance and sorry for the bad english.

 

[brianugly]

I agree with twang. It's amazing how the smallest tweaking can help you find that "sweet spot"...I like my neck pickup flush with the mounting ring, and the bridge a few mm up. my bridge pickup is a vintage voiced one, so I like it a bit higher. basically, you can just fool around until you find the right sound.

 

[River]

Hi, guys!

I'm new here and after reading tons of interesting posts about setting up my LP I still have one doubt about the screws in the pickups:

Are they a way for me to adjust the individual capturing of the sound of each string? I mean, if I bring one screw up, I'm actually increasing the "volume" (and all the other aspects) of that string specifically?

Thank you in advance and sorry for the bad english.

That's my understanding, yes. I've only gone that far with a P-90, not a humbucker.

 

[nbeersiii]

That was some damn good info guy's, kudo's.

 

[Sinster]

But what it comes down to is personal preference