pickup height - with photo

[bmast160]

this is a "ny mini humbucker". is there a difference in sound if you have the 6 screws under each string in this pickup raised from the rest of the pickup?

 

say you have the pickup as it is in the photo and have it a certain distance from the strings...then you compare that to the sound you'd get if you lowered the whole pickup from the strings and raised up each of the six screws(under each string) to the same height they were at before. will they pick up more string vibration because they are more exposed? hope that makes sense. see photo

[hecticone]

Why?

[axepilot]

is there a difference in sound if you have the screws in this pickup raised from the rest of the pickup?

 

 

 

You can raise or lower the pickup height to get the overall sound you want - and a balance between neck and bridge pups.

 

You adjust the individual pole pieces on a pickup to get the balance you need among the the individual strings.

[bmast160]

You can raise or lower the pickup height to get the overall sound you want - and a balance between neck and bridge pups. You adjust the individual pole pieces on a pickup to get the balance you need among the the individual strings.

 

 

gotcha, but will the pole pieces pick up more sound from the strings if they are exposed. say all the pole pieces are the same distance from the strings in both examples but in one example they seated low in the pickup(like in the photo) and in the other example they are sitting high(out of the pickup)...again in both cases you'd set it up so that the pole pieces are the same height from the strings

[Burningleaves]

You can raise or lower the pickup height to get the overall sound you want - and a balance between neck and bridge pups. You adjust the individual pole pieces on a pickup to get the balance you need among the the individual strings.

 

 

 

 

:cop:This post nails it.

[stormin1155]

As I understand the Bmast's question, does raising the pole screws have the same effect as raising the entire pickup? I'm not positive about this, but I'm thinking no. A magnetic pickup works by the string's vibration affecting the magnetic field. Since the magnets in a humbucker pickup are at the bottom of the coils, and the adjusting screws transmit only some of that magnetic energy to the surface, I would think that raising the entire pickup would have a greater effect than just raising the pole screws.

Does that make sense?

[axepilot]

gotcha, but will the pole pieces pick up more sound from the strings if they are exposed. say all the pole pieces are the same distance from the strings in both examples but in one example they seated low in the pickup(like in the photo) and in the other example they are sitting high(out of the pickup)...again in both cases you'd set it up so that the pole pieces are the same height from the strings

 

 

There is no height balance with the pole pieces - it's completely up to how it sounds to you. You adjust them with your ears to achieve the balance between the strings that you need.

[bmast160]

basically im wondering if you're just using the neck pickup if there will be any sound difference from setting it in these two ways...in each case the pole pieces are the same height from the strings.

also what about setting up a P90 in these two ways?

[axepilot]

If you're just using the neck pickup, adjust it's height to suit your ears. Don't mess with the pole pieces unless you hear an imbalance of sound between the strings.

P90's are no exception. They adjust the same way.

[Quarter]

 

... in both cases you'd set it up so that the pole pieces are the same height from the strings

 

With the pole pieces extended and the pickup body lower, you will have a thinner and cleaner tone, sometimes used to tame a neck pup.

[bryvincent]

With the pole pieces extended and the pickup body lower, you will have a thinner and cleaner tone, sometimes used to tame a neck pup.

 

yup. on humbuckers, adjusting the polepieces will affect the balance of the two coils. raising the polepieces will make the screw coil more dominant or makes it 'hear' more than the slug coil.

[PlectrumPete]

gotcha, but will the pole pieces pick up more sound from the strings if they are exposed. say all the pole pieces are the same distance from the strings in both examples but in one example they seated low in the pickup(like in the photo) and in the other example they are sitting high(out of the pickup)...again in both cases you'd set it up so that the pole pieces are the same height from the strings

 

 

 

With the screws out you'll get less output (since only one coil is close to the strings, less of the screw is in the magnet), and more noise (since the humbucking coil is not balanced).

[dabbler]

Most everybody understands that raising or lowering a pup changes the strength of the signal it puts out and also the tone to a certain extent. But most people seem to forget that the most effective way to alter the tone of a HB is the pole screws.

Simply put, when you move a pole screw you are affecting the relative amount of signal for the 2 coils mostly affecting the closest string (the one under the screw). So generally, for a neck HB where the screws are closest to the neck, when you screw it out (up) you give the neckmost coil more relative output than the other coil and since string tone gets mellower the as you approach its middle the pickup tone for that string gets mellower. Conversely, if you screw it IN, the neckmost coil's effect on tone is reduced and the tone gets brighter (or at least LESS mellow).

For bridge pups, the screws are typically closest to the bridge, so the effect of screwing in and out are reversed. When you screw the bridge pup screw out (up) the tone will get brighter, because in this case the screw coil is closer to the bridge so increasing its signal relative to the other coil increases brightness.

And you don't have to turn the screw much at all to hear the difference! I generally make my changes in 1/4 turn increments. The only time I do 1/2 or full turn changes is when I'm trying to make a drastic tonal change.

For a long time, I'm ashamed to admit, I simply thought that the screws were a way to balance the pup's string output. And actually if you tap the pup and only use the screw coil that IS their primary effect. But in humbucker mode what adjusting the screws really changes is tone.

Try it! It really gives you a fair bit of control over the sound of your pups. You think your neck pup is too muddy? Screw the screws in (assuming that they are in the coil closest to the neck).