How close should pickups be to strings?

Jazzmasterfan · Post by **Jazzmasterfan** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:49 pm

I know this is a very open question but wouldn't mind a bit of advice. I've bought myself a Fender Telecaster Deluxe and just wondered how close the pickups should be to the strings and if the pickups should be slightly angled at all? All advice and thoughts welcome, thank you.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:51 pm

It's totally up to you.

More output and some more mids? Higher.
Less output but a bit more balanced? Lower.

I've personally never found any sort of difference when angling the pickups (I assume you mean having one side higher than the other). Maybe if the lower strings are really overpowering the higher ones you could.

Jazzmasterfan · Post by **Jazzmasterfan** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:53 pm

Zaphod wrote:It's totally up to you.

More output and some more mids? Higher.
Less output but a bit more balanced? Lower.

I've personally never found any sort of difference when angling the pickups (I assume you mean having one side higher than the other). Maybe if the lower strings are really overpowering the higher ones you could.

Cheers for the advice.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:30 am

There are no set rules.
With the guitar you have, if you want some rawk from it you could have the pups perhaps 5mm from the strings. If you want more output from the treble strings raise that side. But, be carefull of magnetic pull. If the pup is too close to the strings it will make sound out of tune due to the magnet drawing the string towards it. Less is more sometimes, distance can improve tone and its a case of trial and error along with the other equipment you are using.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:27 am

With lipsticks, I raise them until they touch the string and then back off a hair. I use heavy strings, so I don't have any problems with magnetic drag. Angling the pickups is usually done to compensate for the tilt on Fender bridge single coils. Use your ears - if the top or bottom strings sound out of balance, adjust the angle accordingly.

The main key would be to use you ears. Put the pickup at some arbitrary height and then listen carefully to the response. Experiment with raising and lowering the pickup too see how the tone changes. It's a complex relationship, so take your time and listen closely. Concentrate on finding the best balance in volume between all the strings and a good, strong tone that isn't muddy.

Ty · Post by Ty » Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:08 am

I usually try to get them a 4th inch or so above the pickgaurd, and raise the side that goes for the higher strings to be closer. But yeah in reality it's all up to you and your own prefrences.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:11 am

i depress the string to make sure its not bumping the pickup then set how high/low i want it.

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:18 pm

Magnetic pull. I have never even considered that.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:29 pm

magnetic pull is a very really problem sometimes.
i remember years ago at the music shop rick and were bumping our heads against the wall becuz we could not figure out why the intonation was so wonky and even tho it seemed right when you played it, it was WAY off.
basically the neck pup was about 1 mm from the depressed string at the 12th(i think it was a les paul copy) and it was indeed pulling the string sharp.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:42 pm

I raise them as high as possible without them "distorting" or popping, if that makes sense, then angle the bass side a bit lower to even out the sound as the bass side will be louder as the strings are bigger.

william · Post by **william** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:29 pm

magnetic pull is a much bigger problem with typical single coils than it is with typical humbuckers, because the magnets in single coils are the pole pieces, and therefore are closer to the strings naturally. the magnet in most humbuckers is along the bottom of the PP's, which i think are actually called slugs in this case (maybe?)

generally, if it has adj. pole pieces, it probably has a bar magnet underneath. p90s are an exception, being a single coil with adj. poles, as are origianl wide rangers, being hums with (CuNtKnife) adjustable polepieces, that are magnetic themselves.

i usually press the strings down at the highest fret, make sure the strings arent touching, play a note. if there is a strange overtone, the strings are too close, especially on the bass side. if i dont hear the overtone, i adjust the pickup until i do, and then back it off until i (juuust) cant again. Then i make sure it sounds ok, and go with that.

this method gives you a good signal to noise ratio, too, i e, the 60hz hum is the same no matter where the pickups are in relation to the strings, so the closer and higher in output, the better signal to noise.

as far as angling the adjustment, the only time i have done this on my melody maker. with my typical adjustment, the upper mids and highs were devastatingly harsh and twangy, more so than any guitar ive ever heard, including the worst (best?) telecasters. i adjusted the bass side about 30% closer, that is to say i backed off the treble side, so now the pickup is at a pretty goofy angle, but the sound is much better. onfortunately now the pickup has a bit of a scooped tone, as some of the mids that didnt need attenuation are also lowered, and the pickups is flat like a stang pickup (but actually has teh rail for rocking in it).

anyhow, im rambling on. hope some of that is helpful!

Jagermeister · Post by **Jagermeister** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:33 pm

Yeah, it's all about how close you can get before the note goes all warbly... and make sure they don't touch the string when you fret high up, lol.

I nearly always adjust the bass and treble sides of the pickup independently based on those criterea, and who knows if the heights are equal at that point.

Also, because string vibration is more severe the closer you get to the middle of the string (and magnet pull more easily effects the string at that point), for balance reasons the bridge ought to be (and be able to be) much closer to the strings than the neck pickup.

Which doesn't necessarily mean backing the pickup to the point where the magnet has no effect on the sound... There seems to be a sweet spot, where you can still play a note which is in tune, but killed quickly as it wanes by the pole magnet, a sound which I believe is referred to by most ears as "twang". Bar magnet pickups (like PAFs) thusly have become famous for having very little of that, and conversely more sustain. I think for the stereotypical Fender tone though, the pickup shouldn't be sunk too far into the guitar...

Which is why I think I find tones of guitars with humbuckers more pleasing when there are at least a few singles thrown in there to influence the behavior of the string...

william · Post by **william** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:05 pm

also, having just a bridge pickup seems to increase the sustain/ tuning stability of the guitar, i e my meody maker has a single single coil, and has a whole lot of sustain. i doubt the 2 and 3 pickup ones do.

that kinman guy of kinman pickups makes a big deal out of this issue and calls the condition "stratitus"

lace sensors have alost no magnetic pull, which is part of why they sound "sterile" to people. in fact thats practically the only reason they would sound that way. its almost ironic how fixing "problems" with guitar design almost always makes them sound "worse."

i think it was jcyphe who years ago said "guitars sound cool the way they are" on a thread about the feitan intonation system. that has always stuck with me, and when im stressing about the brightness of my MM or non intonating of my silvertone, i "hear" his "voice" in my head.