Pick up height adjustment...... Good advice :)

[Mike Bungo]

Hi all

 

I have a bass that is a PJ layout and each pick up has it's own volume and tone adjustment

 

I've ordered a new custom wiring kit (James home of tone) for the controls ect and I'm just about to add new Seymour Duncan quarter pounders

to both the neck and bridge positions

 

Once I've fitted this lot I'm after a little help to guide me in the right direction to adjust the pick up heights to an optimum height

 

I know that many people will have different views but please let me have your thoughts on this subject

 

Thanks in advance

Mike

[Lozz196]

For Precision pickups I aim for the below as a guide, then adjust for the individual bass:

 

E - 2mm, A - 6mm, D - 7mm, G - 5mm

 

I`d look at similar "slant" settings on the Jazz pickup.

[Mike Bungo]

2 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

For Precision pickups I aim for the below as a guide, then adjust for the individual bass:

 

E - 2mm, A - 6mm, D - 7mm, G - 5mm

 

I`d look at similar "slant" settings on the Jazz pickup.

Mint this

[acidbass]

I like to fret the last fret and measure the distance between string and pole pieces for each string.

 

The gap is usually 4mm for me bass side and 3mm treble side.  I find that has a high enough output with no clicking noise.

[Steve Browning]

Courtesy of Fender.

 

PICKUPS

Setting pickups too high can cause a number of unusual occurrences. Depress strings at last fret. Using a 6" (150 mm) ruler, measure the distance from the bottom of the first and fourth strings to top of the pole piece. A good rule of thumb is that the distance should be greatest at the fourth-string neck pickup position and closest at the first-string bridge pickup position. Follow the measurement guidelines from the chart below as starting points. The distance will vary according to the amount of magnetic pull from the pickup.

Note: Larger string gauges need wider vibrational allowances. If you have a five-string bass or are using heavier-gauge strings, your measurements must be increased accordingly.

 

 Bass Side                                                           Treble Side

Vintage style8/64" (3.2 mm)                            6/64" (2.4 mm)

Noiseless™ Series8/64" (3.2 mm)                    6/64" (2.4 mm)

Standard "J" or "P"7/64" (2.8 mm)                   5/64" (2 mm)

Special Design Humbuckers7/64" (2.8 mm)   5/64" (2 mm)

[Hellzero]

As a complement to what @Steve Browning just wrote, here is the complete Fender chart (same but easier to read) :

 

[Steve Browning]

Much ....

[hooky_lowdown]

You adjust the pickups height to whatever sounds best to you. The Fender measurements are purely a guide, don't get that mixed up with fact! So set the pickups fairly low and raise each in turn to whatever sounds best to you. You'll know if you've gone too high as the sound will start to wobble, then screw back down a little.

 

Strings, pickups, neck wood etc all plays a part, so tune it to whats best to your own ears.

[JoeEvans]

I'd honestly just go trial and error, or 'successive iterative approximation', as my dad used to say.

[Hellzero]

That said you have to start somewhere, so using Fender's pickup height adjustment chart is a very good start and they are very close to the best settings, you'll only need slight adjustments afterwards.

[fretmeister]

I go as high as possible to use the top of the pickup as a ramp.

 

Only works if the poles are slightly lower than the plastic cover. Otherwise the clicking is nuts.

[Skybone]

I would say that you need to take a screwdriver (or two) to your next rehearsal, and adjust the pickup heights until you can hear each string clearly.

 

Measurements are merely a "guide", then let your ears decide.

[chris_b]

Easy.

 

Raise the pickups until you can hear them being hit by the strings when you play hard.

 

Then lower them until they are not being hit by the strings.

[Lfalex v1.1]

I generally perform adjustments by ear;

 

Bass plugged in. EQ "flat". Using headphones. 

 

I just try to achieve a good volume balance from string to string,  and also from one pickup to the other. This can be virtually impossible to achieve with some lower-output bridge pickups,  so I just do the best I can. 

[3below]

Much good advice in the above posts   One thing I have found is the need to sometimes adjust the treble side height depending on what the situation the bass is being used for.  A balanced string to string setup for recording may require changing for live 'war' volume playing. Obviously this all depends on the bass and kit you are playing through and what you want to achieve.

[hooky_lowdown]

11 hours ago, 3below said:

One thing I have found is the need to sometimes adjust the treble side height depending on what the situation the bass is being used for. 

You shouldn't have to do this. Set the pickup height, then you should adjust the eq on your amp to the room, add more treble for example.