Strat pickup adjustment

Guitar-Sam · Post by **Guitar-Sam** » Sat May 24, 2008 3:03 pm

OK strat experts.
Recently I've been playing with the heights of my pickups quiet a bit.I've allways known of the strat magnetic field string pull thing.
I use light gauge 9-42 strings and I'm noticing lately that a slight turn of one pickups height screw seems to effect the others tones slightly also.And the neck pickups height can evan effect the feel of the string bendabilitie.
Anyone have any systems they use to balance there strats pickups???
This has also been leading me to think that possibly pickup selection(swapping pickups)can be sometimes overshrouded by the way the three little pigs are adjusted together.
Or do I just need to find a hobby on my off nights.

Riscchip · Post by **Riscchip** » Sat May 24, 2008 4:27 pm

What I do...and it may not work for everyone...is lower the middle pickup all the way flush with the pickguard, then I adjust the neck and middle pickups to where I like them. Then, I raise the middle pickup up slowly re-checking the bridge and neck pickups for tone as I go. I raise it up as high as I can go without making the neck and middle positions sound very different or wrong.

Generally, that means the middle is a little lower than the neck / bridge pickups, but that's cool by me. I find I can get a little higher with the neck bridge this way. This method gives favor to the neck / bridge pickups, obviously, but the in-between positions (which I don't use much myself) still sound fine.

Yngve · Post by **Yngve** » Sun May 25, 2008 10:40 am

I watched on Youtube on Scott Henderson tips on setting single coil pickups.
He stated that no matter what single coil you choose there should be no drop in tone through the amp, interesting point. See if l cant find it. I know its time consuming but once you get it, its done. Difference picks have different magnetic pull so each guitar will have to be done individually.

I think this is it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRsdADcJXww

Guitar-Sam · Post by **Guitar-Sam** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:21 pm

Cool thanks guys,interesting.
I played a couple nights this weekend with one of my strats I adjusted this week and I'm loving the bridge and middle pickups,but the neck is outta wack still.
I'm starting to think all the pickups I've had,maybe I just needed to learn how to adjust the first ones,the right way.
Yea Riscchip I'm not much on the middle selections either I like 1-3-5 on the switch myself also.Cept on my old start were I'll use 2 sometimes but thats a H-S-S strat.

JimiJames · Post by **JimiJames** » Sun May 25, 2008 2:05 pm

there should be no drop in tone

+1
I play both traditional & HM Strat's and due to my technique I flush out my mid pup and I am only concerned with the balance of neck/bridge.
I pick over the mid pup and if I were to raise it I would be hindered by the pole pieces.
On the other hand, keep your hobby and trust your ears. Fuck all that technical shit...