The correct Pickup Height for your Guitar
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2016
- Here I bring up the subject of pickup height for your guitar pickups, there is no set rule so I discuss the the good and the bad points of height placement. Remember that every person, pickup and guitar is different so we will all have a different preference but the main rules still apply.
Many people just wind the pickup as near to the guitar strings as possible to get as much gain and treble as possible, although this may work well when practicing the real trick is to get a nice even well rounded sound with more complexity and dynamics in the sound.
Will let you decide, please comment I really want to know what you think.
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Intro track courtesy of: • Best Rock Metal backin...
Here is what I found. If you roll the volume off and it sounds like you turned it all the way to zero, before you hit zero, then PU's are too far away. Set it on about 2 and adjust them to the level you think 2 should be, or want 2 to be. Then check what it sounds like on 10. Mine hit spot on.
2 should be pretty quiet, but not gone. And it shouldn't be loud, or even moderate, 5 should be moderate. Work up from 2, and 10 will work it self out.
WOW! Thank you for this! I had put my pickups way down, because I thought its better for dynamics, as everyone else said online! I just did this procedure you suggested, and my dynamic skills came to light! My pickups have true dynamics now! wow wow wow! Thank you! Even my playing sounds better now..All those double stops, slides...
This is how we learn. Awesome, I will try it out.
that's a great idea! I think I'll try this
Who knew Ned Stark had such good guitar advice
Tone is coming.
Lmfao!!!
Dont be a dick bro he doesnt look anything like ned stark …… it’s definitely boromir
Its like what sounds better. Putting your ear right up against the speaker? Or giving yourself some distace to get all of the tone. Boom. There you go.
@Dave Barlow - You are absolutely correct on the spacing and how it improves the dynamics and the sound. (I learned this the hard way!)
I've always been primarily an acoustic guitar player, so dynamics are a huge part of my toolkit.. after watching this, it's got me thinking that one of my electrics in particular really suffers from everything being the same volume all the time, which makes it feel pretty lifeless. I'm definitely going to experiment with it's pickup heights.Thanks a lot for this vid, really digging the channel. All the best from here, Robbo.
I definitely like your approach. Adjust to your taste not what they tell you too. I've always raised them as high as possible, but now I'm going to bring them down and experiment. Thank you. 🎸
Very helpful and eye opening! Thank you so much!
You were totally right with this. My bridge pickup sounded like a bag of ass till I lowered it. Raised the middle and neck pickups a bit too. So even as a bedroom player, the sound difference is enormous. Thanks mate !
I was mesmerized by the spinning screwdriver and didn't hear a word you said, Bummer.
LOL
Funny, I was ready to reach through the screen and grab it out of his hands for immediate dispatch out a window.
@@DaveBarlowGuitar That is not funny at all. You need to be aware of that. People will not like you, when your hands are fastfumbeling like that. That is a fact.
@@kimhansen6384 I am not a pro CZcamsr or presenter, I am just a normal down to earth guitar player sharing my thoughts with like minded people/guitar players, I dont do this for money and I try to give you the real deal, not some Bullshit to buy more crap. If people dont like me because I didn't go to presenter CZcams school or I twidle my screwdriver then that's fine with me. I will not conform to what people think is the Guitarist CZcams norm cos its bullshit. If you want it straight watch my videos, if you want politically correct videos with smiley faces selling you crap you dont need then dont watch my channel.
@@DaveBarlowGuitar I don´t care much for this video, it was just a service message to you. In real life people get annoyed with someone who can´t keep their hands and foots still. That is a fact. You can think about it, or you can just leave it.
A very helpful post thanks. I turned to CZcams to answer a question I had about pickup height, already knowing what I know. You totally reinforced what I was thinking, and now I need to go and twiddle screwdrivers! Cheers! btw nice Goldtop Classic! GW
I found this because I experienced some bad sound at rehearsal and pick ups seemed to be the problem after testing pedals etc. I really like this, makes sense, you dont need to measure with a ruler really. Thanks!
Great video, Dave! ...New subcriber here.
Excellent tip.. lower your pickups and definitely adjust them when playing with live volume and playing with the rest of the band! Been doing that for over 40+ years! Most of the time I have to raise only the high E screw a tad closer to the string.
Old fart
I bought a new guitar a couple of weeks ago and I could not figure out why I couldn't get the intonation set and stable. Then I noticed the pickups were set too close to the strings from the factory......soon as I backed them off to about 1/8th of an inch hey presto intonated fine.
Great vids Dave. Spent thus afternoon putting the original Maxon low output humbuckers back in my 1980 Greco LP Custom. I swapped em years ago for a Gibson set, I think 490/498 set - too compressed, no air. It now plays and sounds better than my 2000 Gibson LP Standard. And looks prettier! Inspired to do this by your vids, you are confirming my suspicions...
I recently replaced the bridge pickup in my Jackson Dinky with a Seymour Duncan sh6 distortion trembucker and quickly set them to Jackson's recommended pickup height which is about 1.6 mm from the from the strings when fretted at the last fret. Because they are very high output they had a lot of crunch and gain right out of the box with these settings but like you mentioned... The Dynamics or very weak and I did notice a huge drop in sustained compared to the stock Jackson pickups which were very similar output but had a different tone to them, voiced more like a Seymour Duncan sh4 JB. The Jackson pickups had slightly muddy low-end and a very treble high-end with a lot of mids. Your experiences that is presented in your video backs up exactly what I experienced... I back the pickups off away from the strings and I quickly lose some of the output but the Dynamics greatly increased while still maintaining a tight low-end that the sh6 Duncan Distortion is good for. I like a good mid-range hump in my tone and backing off my pickups allowed my high-end to sing just a bit better without being so percussive while keeping my low and tight. Now I feel that I have the best of both worlds and the sh6 Duncan distortion is a lot more versatile in this position being backed away from the strings just a bit just as you state in your video, thank you. Now I can pull off anything from classic rock, dirty Blues to 80s metal the modern metal while before with the pickups closer to the strings... That particular pickup wasn't much good for anything other than high gain stuff like Metallica's and justice for all album out-of-the-box.
I just lowered the pickup on my SG to about 4mm on the bridge. The difference is huge. It’s much easier to coax dynamics out, and I’m also hearing a far richer tone. Less output, but a lot more clarity and harmonic content.
I did the same thing on my SG and agree that 4mm is the sweet spot for dynamics and output. Also slightly raised the middle pull pieces to match the fretboard radius. Thanks!
I find it useful to record inbetween height adjustments. So I can listen and compare what sounds better.
I agree and I play on a high gain Agile 8 string. It works across the board with guitars, regardless of the pickup I believe. I backed it down just to pull it back up JUST enough to where it sounds truly proper with all strings. Currently using a Seymour Duncan Pegasus for my bridge and it 100% helped, the voicing is so much more professional sounding
Great Vids Dave!! I am an experimenter with different tones and adjusting heights in pickups, cheaper pickups, etc, etc. You tell it like it is and I agree with you that a person needs to experiment with different adjustments to get your own personal sound and what feels and sounds good to the individual. Rock on!!
Thanks for this video. I toss different ideas around in my head.
adjust the pole pieces to match the contour of the neck then raise or lower the pickups. the output sweet spot will produce leveled harmonics between the strings !
EXACTLY what I ws trying to find out! Understand your explanation completely. And thanks a billion.
MachOverspeed
Thanks for taking the time to record load sharing this, I am just about to lower my pups. Gordon Smith makes some nice guitars eh.
Excellent video, thank you! :) Keep it up!
Good video mate I came over from David Winters channel liked and subbed and learned something thanks brother.
Cheers Dave, great video.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for reinforcing this idea in me that I desperately needed to do to my guitars.
I've also watched some of your other videos and they do offer some great advice. Here in the USA, we have a company called Guitar Fetish and they have lots of great parts and gear for little money. I've just ordered a calibrated set for one of my strats.
Tell your little cutie daughter I said HI from California...... Now if you'll excuse me, I have to lower the pickups on my guitars.
scott grove for the win! great video again man! thanks b.
Great video and very good explanation for adjusting pickups properly. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks man! I was having trouble intonating. My intonation was wishy washy. I keep going over my neck relief and string hight. I couldn't get my intonation decent. Then I came across your video and tried it. And now im getting clear notes and my intonation is consistent. I'm just messing around with it now trying to get more accurate.
Thank You!
Glad it helped!
@@DaveBarlowGuitar thank you
I'm going to give it a go Dave, pickups I'll try 6 and 8 mil then I'll try 8 mil then I'll try throwing them out the window that doesn't work. Again thanks I wish you were around when I rolled my first joint.
I spent a while adjusting the two humbuckers on my sg and I’ve found there’s a sweet spot sorta midway where the changes are most noticeable. A tiny adjustment up or down from there seems to make a significant difference in both volume and dynamics. Is that normal? I’m trying to find somewhere right in the middle of that zone.
Very helpful. Thank you for the clear explanation. It makes sense. Thanks for posting.
Glad it was helpful!
I have guitar with active pickup and it's not my cup of tea. I lowered bridge super low and the neck is deep beneath pickup ring and finally they sound more i want them to.
To close to the strings and the string will vibrate unevenly across the length of the string creating disonance(yucky harmonic overtones) which causes cancelating vibrations. Yes it will reduce the sustain. You can demonstrate this by amplifing the effect by holding a strong neodymium(sp?) Magnet close to a string.
“More trebly sound” - I find the opposite, and if you think about it, it makes sense. Bass frequencies require more energy to travel, and as you back the pickups off, you lose bass frequencies first. Backing off tends to have more of a treble and “focused” (piercing) sound. That being said, I like the way you set them and tend to do about the same
This is backward. Bass frequencies travel further and get absorbed less.
Excellent advice, I was given the same advice by an older Guitar tech with a Strat and a set of Fender Texas Specials that I loved, he dropped them so low I was lost for words but when I got home they sounded awesome!
I have just Subscribed, g'day from Melbourne Australia.
often wonder about it. thanks for sharing.
helped me out alot! cleaned up my sound!! thanks for the input!!!
Glad it helped!
TY Brother ! As you said, it really is a matter of taste, rather a precise measurement ,,,
I just saw another video. He presses down on the highest fret 22 and measures from the pickup on both bridge and neck 2.4 mm. Will try that and your approach. I have Seymor Duncan tb6 distortion and jazz on neck.
you're right, sometimes people want the treble sound.
I got it for the low E and stuff, sometimes when playing live somehow the solo played on the lower strings doesn't have enough bite to it.
Tho I want to get real TV Jones'es for my guitar sometime. :)
I noticed on the Les Paul you wrap the strings around the stop tail piece. I have heard that it makes the strings feel possibly one gauge lighter, have you found this?
it the magnets you got in and you are right the height between the string and the pick up if you lower the pickup it make you amp work better and sound
What is the optimal height for pickups for a B.C. Rich warlock or does it not matter? Mine appears to be set at 6.3mm or 8.4mm
I like low output pickups in a les paul so it can clean up nice and you can always add more gain to push it over the edge. Lowering the pickups certainly makes it sound warmer and gives it clarity at the same time.
I never liked the tone i had in my telecaster. The tone of the single coils was way to bright and cold sounding, specially in the bridge position but also in the neck position. I read somewhere about pickup height regarding telecasters that they recommend to lower the pickups so they got furthers away from the strings to get a more balanced tone. They where totally right. The tone of my telecaster had much more sustain, more dynamics, more balanced sound it was so much more fun to play. Yes, it will give you lower output, but you can always add more gain. So i didn't need to swap the single coils as i thought.
Dude! Dont trust Littlefinger!
Alex R - Music and Luthiery he reminds me more of Ned Stark
Finally....I found somebody to explain in a easy way figure out a height setting for my tone. I use a lot of fuzz distortion pedals so lowering them a bit helped tremendously.
Great to hear!
So this is good stuff So I had a friend who I used to listen to and he always set his guitar trebbly But when the bar filled the sound bounced on the people and Bassed and he sounded great. It also depends how high your speakers are off the floor .and are you one who goes to the back of the hall with a long cable and listens to your self . It all personal preference but if the sound is good Great and if your awsum Great Very interesting Points good vid
If i click to the back pickup the volume is noticeably lower. I want the same volume clicking between pickups at least. Right now the rear pickup is a lot lower than the front. Is that why
dave...good to see a hamer player...i love them and drool over them...and i can say...the new line is ballz out fukn killer
What shall I say, I followed your advice and... Ta... Tahhh: I brought the PU's down and my LP sounds perfect - still have to check it with the band!!!
I dropped the humbuckers in my Epi Les Paul and it's transformed it from a decent to a very dynamic guitar, with natural full sound compared to previously. I always thought Humbuckers needed to be close but it makes sense ofc because a strat is better tonally with low pickups imo. I've only played at a moderate home volume, through a 1 watt tube amp (with very good overdrive) and the difference is clear, it makes playing this guitar much more enjoyable. Thank you.
I have an ibanez s370 with after market seymour duncans. It's frustrating finding my pickup height on these.
i get more low end with the pups closer to the strings......and get more treble and lower output. when lower pups from strings and palm mutes sound horrible.....i found with my di marzio evo bridge pup....one time i experimented lowering the pup, but raising the pole pieces gave me tons of treble almost like a single coil.....had to do that with my black winter neck because it was too muddy.....helped it a lot
I adjusted my bridge pickup and got more sustain. I know some people say it should be the other way around, but I measured the thing and indeed there’s more sustain. (stock cheap humbuckers with cover)
U lower it or
pickup height effect output for sure. well if it too close the string hits the pickup when vibrates. how person picks depend how much it moves too. for treble that what tone knob to reducing the treble. I have my tone knob at three.
Very nice explained mate... I totally agree with you :-D
He's not wrong here folks, when you play live and the pups are too high the guitar will actually sound muddy, however in a practice low volume environment high pickups will sound better and brighter.
I agree, i got a sd invader attached to a bc rich mockingbird with a mahogany wood, at first it was darker sounding fat and bassy which i dont like then i lowered the pickup about half an inch to the strings and lo and behold!!!
Rodrigo Jr Marquez I had the same problem with a 7 string invader. It was set way too close to the strings. Back it off a bit and lo and behold...
You are right, the pick-up breaths better when you lower it
Hi Dave im getting new high to my pickups! The measurement its fron the top of the pull piece or the cover of the pickup? Thanks!
I usually go from the cover, then tweak the pole piece afterwards.
"The Boys Are Back In Town Down At Dino's Bar And Grill " :)
well spotted :)
Big Lizzy fan.....back in 86 I remember reading Rolling Stone magazine and came across a article that Phil Lynott had died. People a mile away probably heard me screaming a mile away. I went totally ape shit that day.
yup...i take mine down a bit..for less pronounced pick attack output...if that makes sence...it seems to pull some mids out?? i like it...
You have change the tailpeace and standart brigde to this pecular bridge. How did you did it? You went to luthier, or it is possible to make it your self?
when i took off the kahler trem that was on it the original the post holes were still there, I had to dig out some filler to clean the threads, I was lucky I think..
I'm adjusting my humbucker, but after doing so it's not level. Any idea what could be causing that?
forward or back tilt gets on my nerves, I usually put some foam backing on the pickup, solves the problem every time.
Another point to add here is the type of pickup. A pickup with massive magnets like a Seymour Duncan Invader or Iron Gear Hammerhead needs to be set lower into the body.
Too close and the magnetic field can actually affect the string vibrations
Thats what i use a invader i have it like midway between the cover and its not bad but very powerful i should drop it and see. I like my high gain. Bass up but not too much mids drop treble litlle high im death metal thrash stuff and tuned droo A six string
It's a myth
both your axes are sweet, but damn that V brother!!!!!! awesome video!
For some reason my pickups keep popping up and down (Not the metal bit) But the plastic part, what can I do ?
Sounds like they have been messed with, suggest replacing them :)
it works. thanks a lot.
I set my pickups to 3mm or 2mm on like a strat but my Dean Vx Flying V I set my neck pick up 1mm under the fret board height an the bridge to 3mm sounds good for both types of playing live or home so I don’t have to keep moving them. An like EVH said if it don’t sound good then turn up the volume to 10 😂
@jerry D that is right but also wrong, there are certain type of pick ups and pick up heights that match a certain genre
Agreed, as stated in the video, all down to personal taste at the end of the day.
My pickups are tightened as far as they can be and there's still 3/4" space between the pickup and the string. Any solutions? Different springs or height screws? Deeper cavity? Anything? Pretty sure it's the pickups because the old ones had no problems.
cut the retaining springs down, use shorter springs or deeper pickup surround :)
I've just brought a new Les Paul style guitar (Cort CR200) and i was very very confused about these pickup heights, and after watching your video, i decided to give it a try. First i thought that higher pickup means better distortion and higher gain, but after tempering with the pickups for awhile, i've come to a conclusion that; maybe lower pickup is indeed the best way to go, not too low to the point where the pickup literally sinking into the body, but just reasonably low. Its hard to explain why, but i guess what you say might be the case here, about the "dynamics" and stuffs...So yeah, your video helps a lot, thank you! (And i have a question! Is it normal for the pickup to be pretty loose? Its easily going back and forth with just a slight wiggle, is there's a way to make it tight? Or it supposed to be loose like that?)
Yes I put foam underneath my pickups if they seem a bit wobbly ;)
Dave Barlow I see, thank you for replying! i really appreaciate it!
Very helpful advice. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video I’ve always had my pickups nearly touching the damn strings . What I wish to know is , was the 6 ahd 8 mil away from the bottom of the string or raised from the top of the cover , surely it’s the measurinejt between strings and pickups right , excuse my naive comment , sometimes we just do what every one else does
I just go by what i hear usually, also every pickup is different and so is every guitar.
s mitchell wow what a prick you are. I can’t stand idiots like you
Great videos
For PAF-type pickups, I completely agree, but for high-gain pickups I like to go a bit closer to the strings. If I have high gain pickups, I'm not going for subtlety.
I agree
Yes. I have sh-1's 4mm from the strings in one guitar and a dimarzio tone zone 1.6 mm from the strings in another
@@matt926uk1 Funny thing about the SH-1s. I recently bought an Eastman SB59 with what they labeled as "Seymour Duncan Classic '59s", which I assume are just SH-1s, but they seem like they have more gain than my SH-6 Distortion in one guitar, and at least if not more gain than my Full Shred equipped guitar. I back off the pickups even farther than I normally do, and they still roar like a lion somehow. I don't know if it's just the pickups, or if there's less interference with the electronics or something, or maybe just the resonance of the guitar itself adds to the gain more (because I've NEVER played an electric guitar that resonates like this one). Whatever it is, that guitar is pure effin rock n roll and heavy metal.
@@BoozyBeggar Sounds like u have a great guitar there! Maybe some sh-1's are more gainy than others? They are supposed to be low output aren't they? Mine are in a PRS se and until I lowered them I did find they had a lot of output and the bottom end was overwhelming. They still are powerful and full sounding. Now that guitar competes with my Gibson SG. They are really versatile pickups.
Nice vid! :)
I feel ya brother! Thank you very much! You helped me more than you know! You are spot on!!!
Thanks Man !! Nice video . What brand is your V shape guitar ?
Hand Built in the UK in 1982 by a company called Gordon Smith
I see ... Thanks !! I love V shape ...
another thing to do is record yourself from the back of the room or next to your amp then play it back out of your amp remember the more you drink the better you sound to your self personal preferance
The magnetic pull on the strings is a real thing. Get your pickups close and then check your intonation. With a standard clip on tuner you'll see the needle jump up and down real hard if youre too close. Back it off until it stops and then you'll know how close you can get said pickup.
There's a lot of variation for this region, some high output pickups, like hotrails, have to be pretty far from the strings. Adjust by ear from downward from this point.
Great vid bro...when you change dynamic on pups do u need to re do intonation? ☠️🎸☠️
No, I have never had to, sometimes when changing string manufacturer but not when adjusting height of pickups.
I like that tone
Dave thanks for the information, made me think of a question thought also. Would lowering the pickup height mean I have to crank the volume on my amp higher to get quiet clean sounds? I guess.... Can i play quietly at home with this and still have the full tone of the notes? Seems like I would need a decent amount of volume for this trick, but well worth it. Thanks again
The volume and responsiveness of the pickup would be less, its a balancing act.
Ok.... so i tried this on my moded Epiphone LP Special II and it sounded so much clearer with the 57 classic pickup.... i was thinking of replacing the pickup before, but you saved me the money! Much thanks again Dave :)
I just got done building a couple of DYI guitar. I popped off the chrome covers.
They didnt match in colors
...So I mounted 2 fronts on 1 guitar...and 2 rears on the other.hahaha
I like the way both of them sound.lmao They sound slightly different..about as
different of comapairing a Gibson to Cibson.lmao
Great wisdom from Eddard Stark. :)
Should humbuckers be straight or angled ?
I make sure mine are flush/parallel with the strings. :) Good question :)
Dave you kick ass for a limey haha love ya bro
Please tell me how much is the hieght of the two humbucker guitar neck & bridge?
I use my ear to adjust height :)
and it depends on guitar, pickups, type of pickups so always best to use your ears :)
Dave, thanks for your thoughts on the subject. I found this video after watching one of Dickie Betts and noticing how low his pickups are.
I'll give it a try.
yes, give it a try can make quite a difference but does depend on pickups, guitar and playing style :)
How to play 1969 on guitar
Hey Dave! Is the "Dino's Bar & Grill" on your t-shirt the Dino's from Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" ?????
yes :)
@@DaveBarlowGuitar That's AWESOME!
www.bathroomwall.com/products/thin-lizzy-inspired-dinos-bar-and-grill?variant=31864463236
@@DaveBarlowGuitar That was my next question... WOO-HOO! A Xmas present for myself! Thanks again, Dave!
I like your videos.
What about people like me who never might play live?
What height should we look for?
Go with whatever feels right for you, there is no right or wrong way :)
@@DaveBarlowGuitar Thanks. If I ever went live I would first do all these adjustments too.
@@DaveBarlowGuitar Ok. I adjusted both pickups on my ESP LTD AX-50 so as to have 5mm gap when pressed at the 24th fret. After playing for a week the tone especially has changed quite a bit. Now I am ordering a tool kit to do micro adjustments of the screws to match the radius of the neck. I hope I am on a correct path here.
Dave will you do a video about your Hamer? Is that a Californian? I'd like to see more about it.
Thanks
Hi, no the Hamer explorer is of Indonesian origin, I purchased it on ebay for £200 from some guy. Anyway I swapped the pickups, tuners and bridge and set the guitar up and now it plays great, as good as any £400 -£500 guitar.
OK thanks Dave. Must be junk.
It sounds and plays great, defo not junk, done over 200 gigs with it :)
Intro song sounds like Pantera's I'll Cast A Shadow
Another cool thing to play around with is to keep the pickups low but raise the pole pieces high. Very dynamic sound. Pushes things to sound more chimey and single-coil like the more extreme the height difference between pickup and pole pieces. It's not for everyone but it can be fun to try if you're not quite getting what you want from your humbuckers, like if it seems like they're just too muddy sounding no matter what height you have them set at.
Right on!
Is that measurement from the top of poles or top of pickup?
Top of pickup Peter, however I try too keep my poles as deep as poss (flush) and adjust poles from there. :)
Dave Barlow I think 6mm is a bit too much! You loose too much output and sustain that far away. I don't like them too close either but 6mm is just too far. I have always used Gibson specs which is 1.6mm bridge and 2.4mm neck with last fret depressed and then backed them off from there! Like your channel Dave cheers mate
Peter Cross it's just my preference, in the video I make the point that you should try different heights to see what suits you and your playing, I hit my strings quite hard then like to back of the pick attack for a cleaner sound, this way I get the tonal variation without touching my volume knob. Everybody is different and I believe your comment is very justified for many players out there, thanks for sharing your insight, keep it coming Peter.