Pickup Heights

thegummy

Any setup guide I've seen seems to say to set the pickup heights with the string fretted at the last fret.

Doesn't that mean that, depending on the neck angle etc. that the pickups will be less balanced up at the early strings?

Wouldn't it make more sense to make the pickups balanced at the frets played most?

Funkfingers

thegummy said:

Any setup guide I've seen seems to say to set the pickup heights with the string fretted at the last fret.

This is because the path that each string travels between the bridge saddle and that top fret defines the maximum height to which the pickups can be adjusted without physically fouling the excursion of the vibrating string(s). This is simple Mechanics.

thegummy said:

Doesn't that mean that, depending on the neck angle etc. that the pickups will be less balanced up at the early strings?

Not particularly. So long as the strings vibrate within the magnetic field above the pickups, they will be sensed.

thegummy said:

Wouldn't it make more sense to make the pickups balanced at the frets played most?

Pickup height adjustments in the interests of tone are subjective. A distance between string and polepiece that sounds great on one guitar might suck on another guitar. Trial and error.

IMO, it makes sense to set the pickups for the sound played most often. If you are a high gain distortion shred head, give priority to the sounds through distortion. If you are a clean/warm Jazzer, adjust to suit that.

HAL9000

If the strings are too close to the pickups then it's possible for the magnetic field to pull and/or dampen the strings. Since the fretting at the last fret brings the strings closest to the pickups, you know that if there are no problems there then fretting anywhere else will be ok.

Maynehead

The last fret is used as a reference point, it does not necessarily mean that’s where it sounds the best.

E.g. if the optimal pickup distance is 3mm, then the recommended distance with the last fret depressed would be around 2mm, so that you’d achieve an average distance of ~3mm when playing normally.

thegummy

Funkfingers said:

thegummy said:

Any setup guide I've seen seems to say to set the pickup heights with the string fretted at the last fret.

This is because the path that each string travels between the bridge saddle and that top fret defines the maximum height to which the pickups can be adjusted without physically fouling the excursion of the vibrating string(s). This is simple Mechanics.

thegummy said:

Doesn't that mean that, depending on the neck angle etc. that the pickups will be less balanced up at the early strings?

Not particularly. So long as the strings vibrate within the magnetic field above the pickups, they will be sensed.

thegummy said:

Wouldn't it make more sense to make the pickups balanced at the frets played most?

Pickup height adjustments in the interests of tone are subjective. A distance between string and polepiece that sounds great on one guitar might suck on another guitar. Trial and error.

IMO, it makes sense to set the pickups for the sound played most often. If you are a high gain distortion shred head, give priority to the sounds through distortion. If you are a clean/warm Jazzer, adjust to suit that.

They will be sensed but surely if, when the string is fretted at the 5th fret, the neck pickup is relatively further away from the string than the bridge pickup (compared to when fretted at the 22nd) then the neck pickup will be relatively quieter?

I seem to be getting volume differences at the 5th-ish when the pickups are set to have similar volume at the 22nd.

thegummy

HAL9000 said:

If the strings are too close to the pickups then it's possible for the magnetic field to pull and/or dampen the strings. Since the fretting at the last fret brings the strings closest to the pickups, you know that if there are no problems there then fretting anywhere else will be ok.

That does make sense.

Maybe my balance could be set by setting the volume balance fretting up the money end but making sure that the highest pickup isn't too high when fretted at the 22nd?

Alegree

I can't fathom why anyone would write a guide on 'the correct way' to do something that's 100% subjective. 

Roland

People like to think that their ideas are important. In the case of pickup height there are so many variables, including music type and playing style, that one person’s view isn’t going to be the definitive guide.

Maynehead

Personally I like a guideline to get me started. I will of course tweak to my liking, but I like to start in the right ballpark to minimize any wasted effort in trying to get there.

hyperben

I guess higher fretted notes ring more quietly as the string is shorter, so the pickup being closer to the strings in this case partly makes up for this making the output more balanced up and down the fretboard. Obviously this will happen irrespective of the actual height you choose to set it at.

thegummy

Maynehead said:

Personally I like a guideline to get me started. I will of course tweak to my liking, but I like to start in the right ballpark to minimize any wasted effort in trying to get there.

This is obviously the reason why guides are written.

Well, it seems obvious to me anyway.

ICBM

Start with the neck pickup about 1/4" from the strings and the bridge pickup about 1/8" from the strings, by eye, strings not fretted.

Adjust by ear while playing the guitar up and down the neck and on clean and dirty sounds. You'll hear easily enough if one or the other is too loud and shouty or too quiet and weak.

thegummy

ICBM said:

Start with the neck pickup about 1/4" from the strings and the bridge pickup about 1/8" from the strings, by eye, strings not fretted.

Adjust by ear while playing the guitar up and down the neck and on clean and dirty sounds. You'll hear easily enough if one or the other is too loud and shouty or too quiet and weak.

Interestingly, from any descriptions I'd read about the differences, I'd always assumed I'd definitely prefer them on the lower side.

But I tried them out relatively close to the strings and actually really like it.

Shows how much I should bother with internet opinions yet I always fall in to the trap of seeking them out!

guitarfishbay

Totally depends on the pickups too. I never have my passive pickups that close really, but an EMG 81 in the bridge is always as high as it’ll go without the string hitting the pickup as I play.