Oddball Jazz Pickup Pole Height

[mrjim123]

[Also posted in the "Hardware Setup & Repair" forum.]

I just bought a used G&L JB-2 at GC. The bass is built with "G&L vintage Alnico jazz type pickups".

After I brought it home I noticed that all of the pickup pole pieces except one are flush with the pickup covers. One of the poles on the neck pickup protudes noticably - maybe 1/3 the distance between the pickup cover and the bottom of the D string.

To my ears the volume of the D string is even with the other strings. A minor problem is that my finger ocassionally hits the pole, but no to the extent that it adversely affects my playing. Still, I'm tempted to try to correct the pole height.

I understand from reading another thread that adjusting the pole is not recommended, but if the previous owner has already done this (is that possibly how the pickup got to be this way?) maybe it wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe I should replace the pickup? Recommendations?

[walterw]

that sounds weird, like the pole got pushed up at some point.

it's a little bit of a risk, but you could just push it back down to be flush with the other one.

[mrjim123]

I already tried that - no luck.

[anonymous122511]

Originally Posted by mrjim123

I already tried that - no luck.

Removing the p.up and making the adjustment with a small hammer and a pin punch has worked for me.

[testing1two]

I've heard of pickups using raised pole pieces on the A string but I don't recall seeing any other JB-2 basses with that type of pickup.

Here's a Duncan Antiquity P-Pickup with the raised A string pole pieces:

[walterw]

right, but you'll notice it's a raised pair of polepieces.

one raised-up pole on a jazz pickup means it was pushed up after the fact.