do you adjust the polepieces on your passive pickups?

[Dr.Picklebottom]

Ask it nicely.

[tlbonehead]

then give it alcohol.

[daveflave1275]

am I the only one who plugs into a mixer and adjusts the pole peices to even the volume of each string?? This has always made chords sound better to me, especially chords with tensions when played on a dirty amp!

 

I find that with every guitar (just the physics of it) the low E and G string are always louder to the pickup than the other strings, and the D and high E are always quieter, so I adjust a tiny bit accordingly to get a balanced sound and string response out of all my guitars, adjusting only the overall pickup height and angle is not really helping too much although this approach is certainly better than just leaving them where they are most of the time.

 

 

seriously, guitar -> mixer

then adjust pickup height to taste (not too close to the strings)

play the A and B string with the same intensity (without a pick works best) and adjust pickup angle to get these strings very close in volume

then play the remaining strings with the same intensity and adjust pole peices accordingly

 

Ive always ended up with guitars that ring out dense chords evenly and smoothly where you can really hear the separation between all the notes

 

may be worth a shot if your having clarity/mud issues on chords

[tlbonehead]

am I the only one who plugs into a mixer and adjusts the pole peices to even the volume of each string?? I find

I mentioned that a number of posts ago. Although I just plug into my regular amp,

[DeadNight Warrior]

So how do you guys do it? Do you follow any specific method (like matching it to fretboard radius etc) or just go by ear? I adjusted mine by ear, just trial and error until it sounded the way I wanted.

I just do it by ear. If it happens to match the fretboard radius, whatever. In most cases for me that doesn't appear to be the case.

[dughaze]

I have but usually do not. Using different amps and settings nulls the changes so I just occasionally raise or lower the whole pickup as needed.

[gt_jumper]

I find it "de-saturates" as you pull the poles up but its very subtle and i doubt any gain is to be had (no pun intended) from tuning this area.

[Rydock]

am I the only one who plugs into a mixer and adjusts the pole peices to even the volume of each string?? This has always made chords sound better to me, especially chords with tensions when played on a dirty amp! I find that with every guitar (just the physics of it) the low E and G string are always louder to the pickup than the other strings, and the D and high E are always quieter, so I adjust a tiny bit accordingly to get a balanced sound and string response out of all my guitars, adjusting only the overall pickup height and angle is not really helping too much although this approach is certainly better than just leaving them where they are most of the time. seriously, guitar -> mixer then adjust pickup height to taste (not too close to the strings) play the A and B string with the same intensity (without a pick works best) and adjust pickup angle to get these strings very close in volume then play the remaining strings with the same intensity and adjust pole peices accordingly Ive always ended up with guitars that ring out dense chords evenly and smoothly where you can really hear the separation between all the notes may be worth a shot if your having clarity/mud issues on chords

 

 

Great tips. I'm probably going to give this a shot.

[daveflave1275]

Sorry Im not seeing where you mentioned that though...

 

Plugging into an amp can be deceiving because of the EQ and because a good guitar amp doesnt represent each frequency evenly, also theres always a bit of compression or "give" even on most clean channels so that can mess with your results.

 

Im referring to plugging into a mixer and leaving the channel EQd flat so you can see visually on the LED level meter of the mixer just how loud (dB) each string is. Ive found this method to be more precise, of course theres obviously no right or wrong as long as youre getting the sounds you want. But if you want to be clinical about it (or have OCD like myself!) this is the best way to do it

[Valtiel]

 

Sorry Im not seeing where you mentioned that though... Plugging into an amp can be deceiving because of the EQ and because a good guitar amp doesnt represent each frequency evenly, also theres always a bit of compression or "give" even on most clean channels so that can mess with your results. Im referring to plugging into a mixer and leaving the channel EQd flat so you can see visually on the LED level meter of the mixer just how loud (dB) each string is. Ive found this method to be more precise, of course theres obviously no right or wrong as long as youre getting the sounds you want. But if you want to be clinical about it (or have OCD like myself!) this is the best way to do it

 

 

This is actually a neat idea, i'm going to give it a try tomorrow.

[tlbonehead]

Sorry Im not seeing where you mentioned that though... Plugging into an amp can be deceiving because of the EQ and because a good guitar amp doesnt represent each frequency evenly, also theres always a bit of compression or "give" even on most clean channels so that can mess with your results. Im referring to plugging into a mixer and leaving the channel EQd flat so you can see visually on the LED level meter of the mixer just how loud (dB) each string is. Ive found this method to be more precise, of course theres obviously no right or wrong as long as youre getting the sounds you want. But if you want to be clinical about it (or have OCD like myself!) this is the best way to do it

yes, except I don't play my electrics thru a mixer at flat response. I would rather adjust them as they react with what I'm actually playing them thru. Not that there is a right or wrong here.

[daveflave1275]

Nope no right or wrong at all as long as you sound good!

 

To me the string volume balance on an electric is ALMOST as important as proper intonation. If you're gonna do one you really should do the other, your chords will thank you

[Blakkwater]

I adjust everything, mags, polepieces, overall heights, sometimes even baseplates.

 

Btw, Billy, magnet swapping is a piece of cake. It's one of the easiest pickup mods, and also one of the most dramatic in terms of tonal differences. You don't even need to do any soldering.

 

How to swap a magnet in 5 easy steps:

 

1) take pickup out of pickup ring/pickguard

2) Flip pickup over, unscrew the bobbin mounting screws just a few turns, and push the bobbins up.

3) if the magnet is waxed to the baseplate, then use a hairdryer to gently warm up the plate until the wax is slightly liquidy. Using a mini-screwdriver, or a pencil or something, push the magnet out halfway.

4) take your replacement magnet and find the correct magnetic orientation compared to the original magnet that's now sticking out halfway. Just hold one side of the new mag up to the original. if it attracts, it's the correct orientation. if it repels, turn it around.

5) Remove original magnet, put in replacement magnet in the correct orientation. Push bobbins back down, and screw in bobbin mounting screws until tight but not overly so. Quick buzz with the hairdryer to firm up everything, and put pickup back in mounting ring/pickguard.

 

Done!

 

Also here's a helpful little description of some of the more popular humbucker mags available and what they can do:

Alnico 2: Moderate output.Very middy. Chewy sounding. smooth treble, loose bass.

Alnico 3: Lowest output. Sort of halfway between A4 and A5. Fairly even sounding, but a bit brighter than A4, subdued bass. good mids.

Alnico 4: Moderate output. Pretty much flat EQ. Some say it sounds lifeless because it doesn't have any particularly strong peaks or spikes anywhere. Has its place though. Bonamassa has an A4 in his Duncan signature neck 'bucker, A3 in the bridge.

Alnico 5: High output. Big fat bass, subdued mids, bright treble. Industry standard alnico mag.

Unoriented A5: A bit less output than A5, looser bass, smoother treble, more mids. Kinda vintage sounding.

Roughcast A5: Like a regular A5 but a bit smoother sounding overall.

Alnico 8: Really high output. Tight attack, big growly bass and low-mids, tapering off into present but smooth mids and treble. My personal favourite for bridge pickups.

Ceramic: High output. Fairly even EQ. Tight ballsy bass, crunchy mids, slightly harsh treble. Another industry standard.

Oversized Ceramic: Like a regular ceramic, but a little bit more of everything.

[tlbonehead]

Alnico 5: High output. Big fat bass, subdued mids, bright treble. Industry standard alnico mag. .

A2 is very popular as well.

[Blakkwater]

that be tr00

[twangr]

So how do you guys do it? Do you follow any specific method (like matching it to fretboard radius etc) or just go by ear? I adjusted mine by ear, just trial and error until it sounded the way I wanted.

For swapping magnets go check out the Seymour Duncan forum. Lots of great threads there on what works with what, "how to's" and so on.

Alnico magnets generally tend toward clear and bright while ceramic magnets tend toward beefy, chunky, heavy or muddy. Your mileage will vary with each type of pickup/magnet combination so choose wisely.

Yes! Definitely fiddle around with adjusting the polepieces. There is no real "method" other than what works for you. It's good to remember that adjusting polepieces is NOT a tone/volume panacea. The adjustments you make will each be very minor in effect but taken together will produce a noticeable change in sound but usually just to your ears which is, in the end, what really counts. Your audience and probably your band will not notice a whole lot if any change at all but they will notice you and how much more you're groovin' on your sound.

Before you start make sure you have the proper tool for your polepieces handy. Having an effect pedal with a mute function is really handy otherwise just use your volume pot to turn down the guitar ALL THE WAY when you adjust the polepieces... this way you avoid the harsh sounds and your amp/speakers won't get overworked (seriously it' sounds BAD and is an amazing increase in power when dragging a steel tool across a magnetic pickup)

I use the "3 step plan"...

1) First adjust the pickup height and side to side angle to get the sound you like best
2) Adjust any or all of the pole pieces in or out to suit your tastes. Keep comparing the volume/tone with the string before or after the one your adjusting. Remember ~ you're adjusting for volume AND tone AND sustain for ALL strings.
3) When done with the above you may need/want to give the overal pickup height and side to side angle a final adjustment to get it precisely where you want it to be.

Now stand back and be amazed at what a few simple tweaks did for your guitar's tone!

A few extra tips:

ALWAYS remember to get your Gibson P90 treble pickup as close to the strings as is possible for gnarliest tone before playing with the polepieces.

The height of the polepiece for the G string is often different for a lot of reasons I won't bore you with here. Trust your ears and adjust accordingly. Do not be surprised when the polepieces do NOT follow the radius of your fretboard.

No need to use a mixer, your amp will do fine unless you use a mixer as a preamp then by all means, use the mixer.
Use the clean channel on your amp but don't be afraid to use the higher gain settings also. Again, just trust your ears.

Have a rag handy to clean up fingerprints, metal particles, snot or whatever else you may get on your pickups.

Don't do this when you're feel rushed or just after band practice. Be patient and have "fresh ears" when you go to adjust your polepieces for best results.

When you put on fresh strings make sure you play them a while before making any pickup adjustments as this allows the strings time to settle in tension and tuning. Typically once the polepieces are set you shouldn't have to do it again for a long time or when you change brand of strings or gauge of strings.

Yes, the spacing of the polepieces DOES make a difference. This is only something to think about when purchasing pickups or if you have your saddles custom notched for string spacing on your guitar.

[iloveespguitars]

i adjust everything, after im done, I actually set-ed up my guitar by accident. Sucks for me.

[Mesa/Kramer]

I raised the Pole pieces on the 490R in the neck position of My les Paul.

Read were doing to would increase some treble, and add more character.

It did to some degree

[Neilrocks25]

Yes I do and it can be really a great tool for getting a good tone, another good thing to try is the volume pot, changing is for a different rating (ie 250k to a 500k) can make a
Difference to. It can make it worse too

[guitarbilly74]

 

For swapping magnets go check out the Seymour Duncan forum. Lots of great threads there on what works with what, "how to's" and so on. Alnico magnets generally tend toward clear and bright while ceramic magnets tend toward beefy, chunky, heavy or muddy. Your mileage will vary with each type of pickup/magnet combination so choose wisely. Yes! Definitely fiddle around with adjusting the polepieces. There is no real "method" other than what works for you. It's good to remember that adjusting polepieces is NOT a tone/volume panacea. The adjustments you make will each be very minor in effect but taken together will produce a noticeable change in sound but usually just to your ears which is, in the end, what really counts. Your audience and probably your band will not notice a whole lot if any change at all but they will notice you and how much more you're groovin' on your sound. Before you start make sure you have the proper tool for your polepieces handy. Having an effect pedal with a mute function is really handy otherwise just use your volume pot to turn down the guitar ALL THE WAY when you adjust the polepieces... this way you avoid the harsh sounds and your amp/speakers won't get overworked (seriously it' sounds BAD and is an amazing increase in power when dragging a steel tool across a magnetic pickup) I use the "3 step plan"... 1) First adjust the pickup height and side to side angle to get the sound you like best 2) Adjust any or all of the pole pieces in or out to suit your tastes. Keep comparing the volume/tone with the string before or after the one your adjusting. Remember ~ you're adjusting for volume AND tone AND sustain for ALL strings. 3) When done with the above you may need/want to give the overal pickup height and side to side angle a final adjustment to get it precisely where you want it to be. Now stand back and be amazed at what a few simple tweaks did for your guitar's tone! A few extra tips: ALWAYS remember to get your Gibson P90 treble pickup as close to the strings as is possible for gnarliest tone before playing with the polepieces. The height of the polepiece for the G string is often different for a lot of reasons I won't bore you with here. Trust your ears and adjust accordingly. Do not be surprised when the polepieces do NOT follow the radius of your fretboard. No need to use a mixer, your amp will do fine unless you use a mixer as a preamp then by all means, use the mixer. Use the clean channel on your amp but don't be afraid to use the higher gain settings also. Again, just trust your ears. Have a rag handy to clean up fingerprints, metal particles, snot or whatever else you may get on your pickups. Don't do this when you're feel rushed or just after band practice. Be patient and have "fresh ears" when you go to adjust your polepieces for best results. When you put on fresh strings make sure you play them a while before making any pickup adjustments as this allows the strings time to settle in tension and tuning. Typically once the polepieces are set you shouldn't have to do it again for a long time or when you change brand of strings or gauge of strings. Yes, the spacing of the polepieces DOES make a difference. This is only something to think about when purchasing pickups or if you have your saddles custom notched for string spacing on your guitar.

 

 

that's good {censored} man, thanks for the info!

[twangr]

Glad you found it useful. Took years of screwing pickups...screwing the screws in to sort it out

 

One more thing I forgot...don't be afraid to turn the pickup around so the polepiece screws are toward either the bridge or the neck then stick with the orientation that you like for that pickup. Sometimes it sounds good and other times it sounds really bad but you never know until you try.

[Bumhucker]

hell yes I adjust them.....the trick is to get all but the g string in line with the radius of the neck/bridge. The g string needs to be lower that the adjacent ones because for some reason it ruins the sound when that one too follows the radius of the neck

 

 

I keep the g pole piece low because if your g string has any intonation problems like with a lot of les pauls, it becomes way more noticeable.