Pickup Height rules of thumb.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Milerky2
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Milerky2

Milerky2

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I am either going to unearth a treasure trove of information or start a fight!

So what are the rules of thumb that go with different pickups heights? I am getting ready to redo the setup of my Warlock equipped with Crunchlab and Liquifire. I threw these in and never really did a lot with the heights...

on the flip side, what are the rules of thumb surrounding low output humbuggies and single coils?

And... GO!
 
Rule is set them where they sound best to you.

Generally backing the pickup away from the string can give them a more open and airy feel/tone.
 
Try fipping the crunchlab around so the bar faces the other way. Way tighter.
 
lol, the one I am worried about being backwards is the Liquifire... I have NO IDEA which way is up on it...
 
Milerky2":17s6kp7a said:
lol, the one I am worried about being backwards is the Liquifire... I have NO IDEA which way is up on it...
Click to expand...

Usually you have the wire going towards the bridge, like this

HH%20PICKGUARD%20CHROME3.jpg
 
that is how I guessed it should be. The combination sounds killer, so it is amazing.
 
I usually put them quite low, as they get in the way of my lack of proper technique otherwise.

Another idea is to record it. You can hit record, and then bring them up or down a full circle at a time. You can then adjust to which one you liked the best afterwards.
 
I don't have any set heights, but usually start very low and slow adjust the pickup up toward the strings, till I find it starts to sound full. Then I go to the other pickup and do the same things, than I work to try to balance the outputs. When in doubt, I try to make the bridge be a little louder than the neck.
 
I like the strings low to the pickup.I usually make sure I can just slide a nickel under the low E and a Dime under the high E .
 
Googled this exact topic a few weeks ago. I watched some vids, read some articles and at the end of the day I raised my pickups a bit. They are not nickle and dime close like chobley but maybe two nickles and two dimes.
 
start mopac. Then bring be picked up higher until the sustain on the notes begins to waffle and choke off. This is how I can go. Then back down to wear it sounds best.
 
Death by Uberschall":s4dgxyss said:
Rule is set them where they sound best to you.

Generally backing the pickup away from the string can give them a more open and airy feel/tone.
Click to expand...

I'd go with that. :)

I think the OP wants a starting point though, as a reference on where to start.

BTW, the quote you have in your sig, it's not by Jefferson.
He didn't write anything like that.
 
C1-ocaster":yeluez4z said:
BTW, the quote you have in your sig, it's not by Jefferson.
He didn't write anything like that.
Click to expand...

LOL, you're right, it was Gerald Ford
 
I usually start at 1/8" to 1/4" of an inch away from the low E... and adjust to taste +/-.
 
I always measure with the string fretted at last fret and tweak from there.
Bridge 3/32 on low E, 2-1/2 32nd high E sometimes a little lower
Neck 3-1/2 32nd, 3/32nd sometimes a little lower
 
Fender Texas Specials sound better and better the further you move them away from the strings.
 
Rule of thumb , if your pickups are too close to your strings then the magnetic pull of the pickups on the strings will mess up the intonation of the guitar
 
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