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VIEW FULL LIVE VERSION : pickup hieght opinions please (Geddy Lee)


Oldie but noobe
01-05-2007, 06:34 PM
I was wondering if I should mess with my new Geddy.
I am a tinkerer so it's hard for me to leave any equipment as is.
I went to the Fender site and found specs. of 8/64 E side and 6/64 G side bottom of the string to the top of the pole. When I fret the string on the last fret, it seems like way more than that. The tech where I bought it told me to leave it alone so I don't hit the pickup with the string. I'm just not a leave it alone guy.

What do you think?

62bass
01-05-2007, 07:01 PM
Play with it until you get it sounding the best you can. Strings vary in output. That my be the best factory setting for the stock strings.You can always return it to where it was before if it doesn't improve anything..

Thangfish
01-14-2007, 11:25 AM
I'm in the process of adjusting the pickup height on my GL, too.
I have converted it to BEAD, and I hate the bridge pickup sound.
It's weak, nasal, and just crap (to me, anyway). :crying: :scowl:

Remember the "specs" on Fenders site are only for rule-of-thumb" starting points.

I like to raise the pickups as high as possible, without interfering with the strings and go from there. Fender's suggestions are fine.
E string (B for me) moves farther, so it needs more room than your G (or my D).

Then play it, and pay close attention to the balance of the strings, up and down the neck in addition to open. If one side is louder or softer, raise or lower one end from there.

In my case the bridge p'up is nowhere near the stated measurements from Fender. As such, the output is MUCH weaker than the neck p'up. It won't raise any further... screws are loose, hoping that the foam recovers some over night... probably not. I'm putting thicker foam under it in a few minutes.
Hopefully this will give me a usable tone from that bridge position.

If not, SD Antiquity II, here I come. ;)

Take good measurements before you play around, in case you need to get back to where it was, for some reason. Use one of those stainless steel 6" pocket rules with the sliding pocket clip/marker. They are graduated in 64ths. You can also use a little book of those Post-it note things, and measure with a caliper, and fold back the pages to get the right height, like a big fat feeler guage.

... endlessly tweaking away
tf


I was wondering if I should mess with my new Geddy.
I am a tinkerer so it's hard for me to leave any equipment as is.
I went to the Fender site and found specs. of 8/64 E side and 6/64 G side bottom of the string to the top of the pole. When I fret the string on the last fret, it seems like way more than that. The tech where I bought it told me to leave it alone so I don't hit the pickup with the string. I'm just not a leave it alone guy.

What do you think?

Giraffe
01-14-2007, 11:34 AM
Here is a suggestion.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=284512

Good luck! I cut pieces of 1/4" stock slightly smaller than the pickups routes to boost the existing foam in case the routes are too deep for your preferred height. I think it gives a more stable mount than piling up more sponge!